Eating America

Pennsylvania-Philly Cheesesteak

Welcome to the Keystone State; another Great State & another Great Plate!

A little history about the Philly Cheesesteak. Pat and his brother Harry were just a couple of guys running a humble hot dog stand in South Philly, near the Italian Market. But Pat? He was over the whole "hot dog for lunch" routine. So, one day, he decided to throw some beef and onions on the grill instead. Enter Dave Kohn, a cab driver cruising by, who took one bite and said, “This is it! You’ve gotta sell these!” And just like that, the sandwich started catching on. Fast forward to the 1940s, and a manager at the Olivieri’s Ridge Ave. spot thought, “You know what this needs? Provolone!” And boom, the cheesesteak was born. Now, Pat’s King of Steaks—the OG—has been family-run ever since. In Philly, cheesesteak is a serious local tradition—complete with rivalry between Pat’s and Geno’s Steaks, located just across the street from each other.

Get ready to meet the Philly Cheesesteak of your dreams: piled high on a soft hoagie roll, bursting with tender, thinly sliced sirloin, caramelized onions, zesty red and green bell peppers, gooey provolone cheese, and a drizzle of herb aioli that’ll have your taste buds doing a happy dance. Oh, and we’re throwing in a side of crispy chips to seal the deal. It’s not just a sandwich—it’s an experience.

In Philly, ordering a cheesesteak is a sport—“wit” or “witout” (Psst, it’s about the onions), and then the cheese debate: Cheez Whiz, Provolone, or American. But here at Small? Just say, “I’ll have the special,” and voilà, it magically appears at your table. No game required. We look forward to seeing you!

$15.95

04/23/2025 – 04/27/2025

Previous Eating America

North Carolina - BBQ Sandwich…Lexington Style!

Welcome home to First in Flight State; another GreatState & another Great Plate! In North Carolina, barbecue is a noun not a verb. It’s something you add red or white slaw to and chow down. It plays an important part in the history, heritage, family dinner tables and kitchens across the state.

We are all familiar with the GREAT BBQ DEBATE over western(i.e, Lexington BBQ) verses Eastern BBQ. What’s the difference and why is western BBQ called Lexington style? The difference in taste is all in the sauce. Lexington has a tomato or ketchup vinegar base which gives a redder, sweet, tangy flavor while eastern has a vinegar and pepper base which tastes salty, fiery, and vinegary on the palate. The name Lexington style comes from Sid Weaver and Jeff Swicegood, who are revered as the first owners of a stand-alone barbecue establishment located there in the seat of Davison County.

Our BBQ Sandwich has 8 hour slow cooked pork shoulder rubbed in an original house-made spice blend, tossed in our Lexington style BBQ sauce and topped with red slaw, not because we added a little sauce to it, but because it is a Sriracha Coleslaw that adds a slight spiciness to our made-from-scratch recipe.

Y’all, as I live and breathe, this BBQ Sandwich is so good it will make you want to slap your momma, but don’t slap anyone; it’s just a Cackalacky sayin’.

$15.95

04/16/2025 – 04/20/2025

New Hampshire - Poutine

Welcome to The Granite State and another Great Plate! Poutine, a Québécois dish of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy, gained popularity in the late 1950s in rural Quebec, with multiple restaurants claiming its origin. Since then, it has jumped the border into New Hampshire where it has seen increasing recognition on the restaurant scene, and… there’s even a POUTINEFEST in October of every year.

Small’s version of Poutine consists of vegetarian gravy, yep, we did not leave out the veggie people for this plate. Vegetarian brown gravy (flavored with sage, rosemary and thyme) and cheddar cheese curds atop crispy fries that have been tossed in our house-made potato seasoning for that extra POP of flavorfulness.

Bang a uey and book it on over to Small Café B&B to experience a taste of New Hampshire, the “Live Free or Die” state.

$12.95

04/09/2025 – 04/13/2025

California-Avocado Toast

Welcome to the Golden State and another Great Plate! The beloved Avocado Toast is not a new trend. Oh Nooo, in the San Francisco Bay Area, people have been eating avocado toast since at least 1885. In 1915, the California Avocado Association described serving small squares of avocado toast as an appetizer. It’s been called alligator pear and midshipmans’ butter, but in 1993 the Instagrammable avocado toast served at fashionable all-day cafés, Bills in Sydney, Australia is where it got its start. Bill Granger is credited with the first to ever put avocado toast on a menu, but seventeen years after Granger opened Bills, a young, relatively unknown American chef named Jessica Koslow showed up in Melbourne to soak in Australia’s modern café culture. She returned to her birthplace, L.A, and. opened Sqirl, a daytime restaurant in the Australian model. Koslow created her own version of avocado toast topped with a worldly assortment betraying her professional cooking background: garlic cream, pickled-carrot curls, sumac, and sesame seeds. This would be a pivotal moment. Putting serious cooking techniques behind trendy wellness food, Sqirl set the stage for a new kind of American restaurant. Let the avocado toast craze begin!!

Small’s version of Avocado Toast starts with crusty pieces of Ciabatta from La Farm slathered with cream cheese and mashed avocado blended with red pepper flakes, everything bagel seasoning and lime juice topped off with some slices of avocado and an egg made any way you would like. So simple, yet so so tasty!

Dudes, we hope you are as stoked as we are about this dish because our AVO Toast is the bomb!!

$14.95

04/02/2025 – 04/06/2025

Giuseppe "Joseph" West Virginia-Pepperoni Roll

Welcome to the Mountain State and another Great Plate. The Pepperoni Roll, a West Virginia staple, originated in the coal mining areas of north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century as a portable, non-perishable lunch for miners. An Italian immigrant and coal miner, Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro, is credited with creating the pepperoni roll around 1927 at his bakery, the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia.

Our Pepperoni Roll consist of the savory, salty, and slightly spicy, with a smoky, tangy flavor of pepperoni, gooey, stringy mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs wrapped in a flaky dough topped with fresh parsley and more creamy mozzarella served with our own mouthwatering house-made marinara sauce.

Let the downtown roads of PBO take y’all home to the iconic West Virginia Pepperoni Roll. Give us a holler and come on in for a real delicious treat!!

$14.95

03/26/2025 – 03/30/2025

Utah – Pastrami Smash Burger

Pastrami burgers are a particularly big deal in Utah, despite their origin story in Anaheim, California. These delicious hamburgers were perfected in the Beehive State. The beloved burger was invented by James Katsanevas, a Greek man who started a restaurant called Minos Burgers in Southern California that has since closed. In the early 1980s, Katsanevas moved to the capital of Utah, Salt Lake City, and brought along his fan-favorite burger. From there, James Katsanevas opened a new restaurant and began serving the specialized hamburger. Utahans went wild for it!!

This week we have constructed the perfect Pastrami Smash Burger by adding a superbly cooked quarter pound of beef to a toasted Kaiser roll and topped with the cool crunch of iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced pastrami, American cheese, and, yes, house-made FRY SAUCE another beloved cultural staple made with mayo, ketchup, smoked paprika, cayenne and a dash of pickle juice. The addition of pastrami to a burger might not seem like a big deal, but it really takes your hamburger to the next level — maybe even two levels.

Have you ever tasted a pastrami burger? Here’s your chance. Prepare to DROOL!

$15.95

03/19/2025 – 03/23/2025

Ohio-Polish Boy Sandwich

I am sure most everyone has heard of the po’ boy sandwich; well, this week we are bringing you The Polish Boy Sandwich from the Great Plate of Ohio! This Cleveland staple is believed to have originated with Virgil Whitmore, a barbecue pioneer, who opened his first restaurant Whitmore Bar-B-Q in 1942. His creation is still going strong today. Whitmore's grandson Larry Turner, who now runs Mt. Pleasant BBQ, says that it was his granddad who first decided to combine ingredients that he already had on hand — bun, sausage, coleslaw, fries, barbecue sauce — into the infamous and famously messy sandwich.

Our version of The Polish Boy Sandwich starts with a savory kielbasa on a toasted hoagie that is topped with crispy fries, our own sweet and tangy bar-b-q sauce and house-made coleslaw.

The Polish Boy has a lot of “rizz”! Once you taste it, your taste buds will be mesmerized, so come early in the week because you only have till Sunday to refuel your addiction to this Buckeye State culinary institution!

P.S.Yes, we will have buckeyes for dessert in case you were wondering!

$15.95

03/12/2025 – 03/16/2025

Louisiana – Cajun Style Jambalaya

Welcome to the Big Easy where the pace is laid-back, full of rich cultural heritage and the nightlife is smoking hot with music, clubs, and the heavenly smell of Cajun jambalaya wafting through the streets of the French Quarter. Cajun Jambalaya has more of a French influence with the Cajun andouille sausage, no tomatoes, and rice cooked in the caramelized meat juices. This culture rich dish cannot escape the influential flavors from African, Spanish, Native American, French and Caribbean cooking styles which makes it so darn scrumptious!

I’m sure most of you all are familiar with Cajun Jambalaya recipes seasoned with the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine (onion, green, and celery), our own mixture of Cajun spices, etc. The BIG difference here is after the andouille sausage and chicken were caramelized it was slow cooked for 5 hrs. to get the maximum flavor profile, and, WOW, did it work! This state plate screams luscious delectableness to the tippy top of your taste buds lungs! It’s served with rice that has been cooked in the savory jus.

The State Song for Louisiana is You Are My Sunshine. Our café guests are our only sunshine; you’ll never know how much we love to see you. We hope to see all of your sunshiny faces this week chowing down on some Cajun Jambalaya!

$16.95

03/05/2025 – 03/09/2025

Tennessee- Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

Welcome to another Great Plate from Tennessee, the Volunteer State. This dish has a spicy past! Nashville hot chicken originated in the 1930s with Thornton Prince and his brothers. The dish is believed to have been created when Prince’s lover found out he cheated on her. She used the spiciest ingredients in her kitchen to wage revenge for his infidelity. Only problem, he loved it and asked for seconds! And… to add insult to her emotional injury he and his brothers opened the BBQ Chicken Shack to serve the Hot Chicken! Prince's Hot Chicken Shack is still operating in Nashville, owned by André Prince Jeffries, Thornton Prince's great-niece.

Chicken breast marinated in a secret sauce and fried to perfection then tossed in a classic spicy and slightly sweet Nashville glaze that is packed with a bit of brown sugar, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic and smoked paprika served on a Kaiser roll with dill pickles and a side of kettle cooked chips.

Hold your horses, y’all and volunteer to come in and enjoy “Tennessee-America at its Best” You will not be disappointed.

$15.95

02/26/2025 – 03/02/2025

Florida- Lomo Saltado

It is so cold outside we want to take our minds to a warmer place and serve a hearty dish this week. Florida, The Sunshine State, has the highest Peruvian population of any other states in the USA. In fact, there used to be a town in Hillsborough County named Peru, but it was later absorbed into the expansion of Riverview. The Peruvian culture has added some super flavors to the Floridian food scene.

Lomo Saltado is basically a Peruvian style stir-fry that dances on your tongue and consists of seared sirloin steak slices, peppers, savory tomatoes and onion petals served with a side of garlicky rice and FRENCH FRIES are in this mix! Yum! How can you ask for a meal more satiating than this!?

This collation of flavors, meat, veggies, spices, rice, French fries screams comfort and warmth and happiness and sunshine for your senses. Get out of the cold and into The Sunshine State of mind.

$16.95

02/16/2025 – 02/23/2025

Arizona - The Valentine State - Chicken Chimichanga

Welcome to Arizona also known as the Valentine State because it became a state on February 14 th , 1912. It is believed that the Chimichanga was invented in Tuscan, Arizona at a Mexican restaurant in the 1940s or 1950s. Of course, exactly which restaurant is disputed. Chimichanga is such a staple they once considered making it their official state food.

This week it is the Arizona - Chicken Chimichanga is the official special! A flour tortilla stuffed with house- made pico de gallo, braised chicken, refried beans and cheese. Fried to perfection and topped with a zesty lime crema.

We would LOVE for you and your valentine to experience the awe and wonder of our Chicken Chimichanga. It may not be the Grand Canyon, but it will make your buds and belly feel happily grand!

Happy Valentine’s Week, Everyone!!

$15.95

02/12/2025 – 02/16/2025

South Carolina - Grit Cakes & Pineapple Ham

This week Small Café B & B has Grits, Y’all! Grit cakes to be exact and they loaded down with cheese, chives and bacon rolled in herb breadcrumbs then pan-fried to perfection and served with or without the pineapple ham on the side.

These grit cakes are like a bushel and a peck with a hug around the neck for your tummy! Come on in and have some!

$16.95

02/05/2025-02/09/2025

Idaho – Potato Pancakes

Idaho has many interesting fun facts like in 1891 Emma Edwards Green who became the first and only woman to design the Great Seal of a State, they are home to the largest potato chip, they produce 1/3 of all of the potatoes grown in the U.S. and Idaho’s nickname is the “The Gem State” because more than 72 gemstones are mined from Idaho including the largest diamond discovered in America and the star garnet.

The star of Small this week is our Potato Pancakes made with butter, sour cream and chives then pan-fried to create that crunchy coating on the outside.

Thank you Idaho for all those delicious potatoes we so dearly love. You truly are a Gem of a state!!

$12.95

01/29/2025-02/02/2025

Iowa – Creamy, Cheesy, Corn Casserole

Iowa is king of corn! Iowa farmers produce around 2.4 billion bushels of corn for grain and harvest 12.9 million acres according to the U.S. Department of Agricultural Statistics.

To celebrate the great state of Iowa, we have a dreamy Creamy, Cheesy Corn Casserole served in a wrought iron skillet.

This Iowan recipe consists of whole kernel corn, cream cheese, and sour cream, topped with generous amounts of white/yellow English cheddar and then in that truly old-fashioned casserole way topped with crunchy, crumbled Ritz crackers and baked till bubbly.

If you love corn and warming comfort food, we’ve got you! Come on by for a taste of the Hawkeye State!

$12.95

01/22/2025-01/26/2025

Alabama- Low Country Gumbo

Alabama is known for many foods like fried green tomatoes, boiled peanuts, fried okra, etc. With this winter weather, we decided to go with a nice hot bowl full of comfort food… Low Country Gumbo. This delectable Southern stew is thickened with a dark roux and jam packed with juicy chicken thigh meat, okra, shrimp, Andouille sausage, sautéed onions, celery and bell peppers, and seasoned with thyme, oregano, bay leaves and cayenne then slow cooked for hours so it can marry all of those rich flavors, and, right close to the end, some sassafras leaves (AKA gumbo filé) and served with white rice. For those who want to spice it up a bit and add a little sunshine to their bowl, some of Alabama’s own hot sauce, Alabama Sunshine comes on the side!

Come on in for some of the Yellowhammer state’s GUMBO where their motto is “We dare to defend our rights”

$15.95

01/15/2025-1/19/2025