Great news: the estimable Peak Brothers Barbecue of Waverly, Kentucky, which was destroyed by fire in 2006, appears ready to reopen. Thanks to Louis Hatchett for a link to the story in the Evansville Courier and Press.

Spring makes my mind wander to our own Roadfood experts Wanderingjew and The Travelin Man, who are gearing up for their College World Series & RF trip to the Midwest. But minor-league baseball makes my mind wander to the Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies just south of St. Louis, where the concession stand offers “Baseball’s Best Burger”: that’s a bacon cheeseburger nestled between two halves of a Krispy Kreme doughnut in lieu of a traditional bun. It’s a variation of greater Atlanta’s Luther Burger, which supposedly was invented by (or for?) soul singer Luther Vandross and popularized at Mulligan’s Bar in Decatur.

Mulligan’s has since closed, but East Atlanta’s Gravity Pub has resurrected both the Luther Burger and the Hamdog, a hot dog wrapped in ground beef then deep-fried, topped with chili, cheese, grilled onions, and served in a hoagie roll (this currently has no sports affiliation, to our knowledge). And let’s not forget Pittsburgh’s Roethlisburger, a gut-busting tribute to Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. First made at Peppi’s on the North side of Steel City, this sandwich boasts ground beef, sausage, scrambled eggs, American cheese, and onions, all housed in a Portuguese roll.

In any case, we’re adding Peppi’s, the Grav, and GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL to our short list for our next roadtrip. Hurray for sports-themed Roadfood!

Sam's Grill began in 1867; the current owner purchased it three years ago.  There are rumors that the owner has been quietly looking for a buyer.  Read more in the San Francisco Chronicle.  Here's Michael Stern's Roadfood.com review.

The 62nd Annual Strawberry Festival in Adairville began last Saturday, and continues through next Saturday, the 17th.  You've already missed the 5K Run, the Car, Truck, & Tractor Show, the Little Miss Pageant and the Sr. Miss Pageant, and the Arts Affair.  Not to worry, however, there's plenty more still to come!  There'll be rides, entertainment on the square, Pets & Kids On Parade, a pancake breakfast, crafts on the square, a reenactment of a duel involving Andrew Jackson, and much, much more.  And of course, plenty of strawberry ice cream and strawberry shortcake!  For more info, click here.

Do you prefer the meatiness and ease of access of the tail?  Or the tenderness and succulence of the claw?  Or maybe you're one of those weirdos who like the tomalley best of all.  The never-ending debate over which parts of the lobster offer the best eating is continued in this AP article on the MSNBC website.  Our personal choice: the knuckles.

A chase scene set in 1957 from the new Indiana Jones movie was shot in New Haven, CT, and the city wants to celebrate.  They are planning an Indiana Jones-themed festival for this Saturday that will include music, classic cars used in the film, and contests.  Claire Criscuolo, owner of Claire's Corner Copia, has created a new scone for the event, named Kingdom of the Crystal Scone.  This scone will contain crystallized ginger, cranberries, and blueberries.  Sounds like reason enough to show up!

Read more about the event here.

For those individuals lucky enough to live in eternally-warm locales, ice cream is often a year-round staple. In New England, however, local ice cream is more often a seasonal indulgence constrained by days on the calendar such as Memorial and Labor Day. With the recent sprouting of the leaves on the trees, however, has come the season openings of some of our favorite local ice cream shacks and stands. As a result, the past two weeks have been a mad ice cream frenzy highlighted by a decadent Chocolate Lace and Rich Chocolate sundae at Dr. Mike’s in Bethel, a hefty helping of Toasted Almond (on the CT Meet and Greet) at Big Dipper in Prospect, and a double scoop of Maple Walnut and Grapenut at We-Li-Kit in Pomfret. Pictured above are before and during shots of our Dr. Mike's sundae with everything (meaning gobs of hot fudge and a small mountain of freshly whipped cream!).

When I think good pork, I think of the South's barbecue and country ham, but a visit to my favorite local Latin-American deli, Amigo's, reminded me how great pork can be when served with a Spanish accent. Usually, I go for the Cuban sandwich at Amigo's, but this plate of pork with black beans and yellow rice, topped with onions and peppers, was a small pork epiphany.

The Chattanoogan has used the appearance of Zarzour's Cafe in the brand new edition of Roadfood as a jumping off point for an article about Zarzour's and the new book.  The cafe was opened in 1918 and has been in the same family ever since.  Says the Chattanoogan, "Just how Jane and Michael Stern initially found the café is anyone’s guess."  They also refer to Jane and Michael as "road-weary and asphalt-beaten"! 

The winner of last week's Roadfood.com poll: the sweetness of sugar cones narrowly beat the large capacity of the waffle cone.  In the poll thread, someone mentions dropping a mini-marshmallow in the cone before loading the ice cream.  This very clever idea prevents ice cream drippage out the bottom, but are we the only ones who enjoy biting off the bottom point and sucking the ice cream out?  No, we are not 6-year-olds, all evidence to the contrary!