West, Texas- West is a town in central Texas. I have to clarify this point. It could easily be confused with the western region of the Lone Star State. Czechoslovakians came here in the 19th century to work on the railroad. They brought a culture rich in great food, my favorite, the kolache. A kolache is a pastry made of sweetened dough and is filled with meat or fruit … [Read more...]
C-Stores & Hurricane Isaac
Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. Hurricane Isaac is pounding eastern Louisiana right now. Residents in the southwest portion of the state are watching and waiting for the storm. Many of the large stores in the area have closed. Local convenience stores remain open at this time. Most are out of fuel, but they are still selling water, batteries and liquor. … [Read more...]
Hurricanes, C-Stores & Our Cone of Uncertainty
Here in South Louisiana, we're thinking about Tropical Storm Isaac right now. People on the Gulf Coast are once again preparing for it to become a hurricane. When a storm is about two days out people pay attention to the cone of uncertainty. Cone of uncertainty sounds like a reference to my career or a mystery ice cream treat, but it's actually a computer model that … [Read more...]
A Simple Hamburger
Finding Great Burgers in America’s Convenience Stores I don’t want to debate what should go into a hamburger patty. In Cajun Country you'll find everything except the kitchen sink in patties. Recipes are diverse. I do want to share what I’ve discovered. One day, I picked up food from a small convenience store outside of Maurice, Louisiana. Sammy’s Country Store has highly … [Read more...]
2000 Pounds of Sausage A Day
Centerville, MS- In the heart of Mississippi Deer Country is Vine Bros, a store that's been in the Vine family for over 100 years. In 2010, Benny Vine left Green Bay, WI and his career in environmental engineering to come back and keep the tradition going. Centerville has a population of 1800, but that more than doubles during deer season. Hunters come here for outstanding … [Read more...]
VIDEO – Indomitable Entrepreneur Comes Back After Fire
Cormie's-Out of the Ashes When the store that had been in Murel Cormie's Family for 80 years burned down he was faced with a decision- retire or rebuild. The new store is under construction. … [Read more...]
Cigars Too
Sequim, WA- You might not expect to find a walk-in cigar humidor inside a convenience store. One of the best cigar selections on the Olympic Peninsula is at the Longhouse Market & Deli on the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s 7 Cedars Casino property in Sequim, WA. Customers come from Canada to browse around the cedar lined humidor. Randy Lemon manages the store. He … [Read more...]
Colossal Onion Rings
Nacogdoches, TX - This is the oldest town in Texas. One hears everything is bigger in Texas. I can say that the biggest onion rings I've ever seen or eaten is here at Mr. Will's. These things weigh more than my son did when he was born. They're made from a huge onion appropriately called the Colossal Onion. Mr. Will takes this huge onion and does just single batter, not even … [Read more...]
About the Gas Station Gourmet™
Part travel, mostly food, the Gas Station Gourmet © explores America’s undiscovered culinary treasure, gas station food. High gasoline prices have not slowed down travel. You need fuel and food when on a trip, but most people don’t realize that both can be found in the same place. Gas station food is more than beef jerky and honey buns. Al Hebert takes viewers to unique … [Read more...]
Snuffy’s- Blacksburg, Virginia
The story of Snuffy's Country Store in Blacksburg, VA is one of hard work, vision, determination and great home cooking. Kelly Graham left the comfort of her career in real estate to jump head first into the convenience store business. She brought creativity and her own recipes and increased the food business by 300-percent. How? Well, the food is awesome. Kelly … [Read more...]