Parkette Drive-In

                The Parkette Drive-In in Lexington, KY has become something of a local landmark. Originally opened in 1957, the place was like so many other drive-ins across the country. It was a place where a family could pull their car in, order through a box and have their food delivered without ever stepping foot on the pavement.

                In 2008 a couple of brothers came along and rescued the then closed Parkette, restoring it to what one could easily believe to be its ‘50s style glamour. Since then it has gotten a reputation among the locals not only for its food but for the kitschy reflection of a bygone era.

                Located at 1230 E. New Circle Rd. in Lexington and on the web at http://theparkette.com/, the Parkette had its reputation enhanced when Guy Fieri brought his Diner’s Drive-Ins and Dives to town to feature it on the show. The show highlighted the restaurant’s Poor Boy (which is really a burger), it’s chili dog and it’s chicken, it is the Double Cheeseburger that supposedly made the original restaurant’s reputation.

Burger

                Not too long ago Mark was down in Lexington meeting with a few old college friends and decided to stop at the Parkette for lunch.

                The Parkette is everything that you would expect from a classic ‘50s era drive-in. I pulled into one of the parking spots and read the menu posted on the kiosk setting beside me. On the menu was the Double Cheeseburger and that’s what I was going to have. I pressed a button and immediately got a reply. I ordered away, adding tater tots as my side over the more conventional French fries.

                I remember as a kid going to places like this. My dad would drive us there and we would happily juggle our food as we sat in the car and ate. Frisch’s was the most popular such restaurant but there were a few others that weren’t part of a chain.    About the only place where you can get this kind of service these days outside of the retro-chic places like the Parkette is Sonic Burger.

                My food came very quickly and I indeed had to do that juggling act, balancing the basket on my lap. Sure, I was taking picture with my iPhone for this blog but the nostalgia was kind of running thin. It’s little wonder that we as a society decided to forsake the comfy, yet annoying, confines of eating in our car in exchange for standing in line and sitting in a booth.

                The burger was good. There was nothing special about it but then I imagine that when I was a kid there wasn’t much special about any of the burgers I ate at similar restaurants. There was good flavor and everything was fresh.

                It would have been nice to say that the burger at the Parkette was one of the best I’d ever had but truth be told, the nostalgia of the place is the real reason to go there. Granted my friends who live in the area and who eat there a lot say that the fried chicken is very, very good and that when you go inside it seems as though everybody knows everybody. In any case, it’s worth heading to the Parkette Drive-In if you are ever in the Lexington area, if for no other reason than to enjoy a trip back in time and experience the way “fast food” use to be.

Culver's

                Over the past several years there has been a trend to see smaller burger chains opening in areas around the country. Perhaps it is the “mythology” of In-N-Out Burger or the fact that people just see a need for a quality “fast food” burger that is far superior in quality to the traditional McDonald’s or Burger King, but for whatever reason, we’re seeing more and more of these small chains popping up.

                Enter Culver’s, a Wisconsin based chain that was founded in 1984 and has been spreading around the Midwest ever since. Currently in 19 states, there are three in the Tri-State area. To find the one closest to you, check out their web site at http://www.culvers.com/.

Burger

                Recently Mark was out of town on business and had the opportunity to check out a Culver’s.

Culver’s has what they call a Butterburger, what they call the burger that started it all. “It’s a Culver's family specialty and the burger that started it all. We use only fresh, never frozen, Midwest-raised beef, seared on a grill after you order and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun. Add real Wisconsin cheddar and you’ll know why we wouldn’t change a thing.”

To be honest, I found this burger to be very lacking. The beef may have been seared but it was also charred. Pressed overly flat with crisp around the edge this burger was less than a McDonald’s or Burger King offering. I really didn’t taste beef. And that said, to steal from Wendy’s, “where’s the beef?” If the beef began life as two eighth pound patties then their fat content must be way too high because there was not even close to a quarter pound when it got to the table. The burger was dry and tasteless. And the fresh Wisconsin cheese wasn't even melted. It was still refrigerator cold.

The crinkle cut fries on the side did nothing to enhance the meal. Though they were properly cooked they were also rather bland and needed way more salt than a sane person should consume.

Maybe this was just a bad location, perhaps it wasn’t the best that Culver’s has to offer. I’ll grab Josh at some point in time and we can venture to one in the Tri-State and try the Butterburger and maybe it will be good, better than traditional fast food fair. In any case, I’m not ever going to head back to this location, even if I find myself in the same city. Shame on Culver’s for building up my expectations only to have them crash this badly.

Knuck N Futz

                With a name like Knuck N Futz you automatically expect a certain attitude when you amble in to eat. An obvious statement about this place is that it’s off the beaten path. Located at 6468 Taylor Mill Rd. in Taylor Mill, this is a true neighborhood restaurant that draws folks from all around. And with good reason. The atmosphere is fun and funky (from the name itself to the plastic cow hanging upside down from the ceiling) and the food has a great reputation. Mostly known for their wings which many folks on line have hailed as the best in the city, their other menu items receive raves as well.

Burger

                Another Mark solo effort now that Josh is back in school. This is a place where Josh will want to go and eat, though.

                I ordered up the quarter pound Cheezburger since I wasn’t hungry enough to tackle the half pound version. I had them top it with provolone cheese (or, I suppose it should be cheez), as well as pickle, lettuce and tomato.

                A lot of restaurants brag about the quality of their meat or the fact that they have fresh, homemade buns but none of that is being pressed on you at Knuck N Futz. Maybe they know something that the rest of us don’t. What I know is that the quality of their ingredients and the way they are prepared are excellent. No need to claim a type of super high quality beef on your menu when you can taste it with the first bite. Though I didn’t ask I could tell this meat was fresh, never frozen and the buns were delivered daily. The same with the garden. Everything was just the way you would expect it.

                Now, this wasn’t the best burger in the world. But it was pretty darn tasty. There was nothing in the way of the ultimate enjoyment of the meat; no fancy ingredients added before it is hand pressed and put on the frill. That’s the way I like them.

                On the side I had my choice of a couple of sides and chose the curly fries. I like curly fries but you know, when you order them, that you are going to get a food service frozen product. That’s ok if the fries are done well, cooked just the right amount of time in a deep fryer with clean oil. These fries were just that. So there wasn’t anything amazing about them but they complimented the burger and didn’t distract.

                Overall Knuck N Futz is a good, fun neighborhood place, even if the neighborhood seems to be more in a pasture than a city street. Still, it’s worth the drive south off of I-275 to check out this place.