Iron Skillet

We don't have many options when we're driving. I must mention however, that Ohio has some great rest areas- the ones on Route 80 have Au Bon Pain and Panera! Plus they look pretty nice, compared to the stuff I'm used to on the NYS Thruway and NJ Turnpike.

Just like our last trip, we stopped at an Iron Skillet for a quick meal. The previous time was really late and that location kinda sucked. This time we visited late afternoon and the food was edible... except for one possibly rotten grape tomato.

M got his usual, and I decided against just the salad bar and opted for some spaghetti. It came with a trip to the salad bar and some garlic bread that did not taste good at all. M took care of that, along with everything on his plate.

The Long Journey to Lunch **MENU ADDED** Redwood Diner (Schenectady, NY)

 

 Sadly, I cannot be one of those people who can just jump in the car and find a place to eat. I found myself in a situation where I was starving and M's kitchen was devoid of anything that seemed appealing. Amazingly, M was as hungry as I, and off we went to find lunch.

Originally I wanted to check out Marisa's Place in Guilderland. Unfortunately, it was not where I thought it was (I passed it by one strip mall) so instead of turning around I insisted to keep driving on and we would find something.

Two things to keep in mind *especially here in the Capital Region*

1. Many places are closed on Mondays.

2. It is not unusual for places to close by 3PM

At this point I was in full hangry mode.

Somehow, we made our way to Schenectady and finally, finally, (finally!) we came across the Redwood Diner. The food gods directed us to a place that was open. I really like their sign. Very old school, and makes me think of a bowling alley. The parking around the building was not clearly marked, so watch out if you go... you may be parking in a handicap spot.

The menu is decent enough, with plenty of specials. I ordered the fish sandwich special and a cup of chili. M chose a breakfast platter of scrambled eggs, home fries, and rye toast.

The chili was good, with plenty of meat and beans. I spied a couple of people at the lunch counter eating chili dogs and wished I had ordered that instead of fish. If I only knew...

... that the fish fry would not be good. It was bland. There is not enough tartar or cocktail sauce in the world to fix the blandness of this fish. Whatever happened to seasoning? And the hot dog roll? Are they not even trying? I gave up all attempts to eat this as a sandwich and did my best to finish. It does have one thing going for it- the fish was very moist.

Either M was very hungry, or the food was really good. His plate was empty not too long after the picture was taken. I do remember him saying that the home fries were better than most, but what is this? Rye toast is extra? Is there a rye shortage out there?

Lunch for two came out to $21.00 (including tip).

Redwood Diner
2688 Hamburg Street
Schenectady, NY
(518) 355-9522 

Click on images below to see menu.