10 Burgers You Need to Try

November 15, 2018December 5, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

There’s just something about a burger. The way they sizzle on the grill. That smell that makes you change your dinner plans as it wafts in through your open car window on your way home from work. That first bite, when your teeth meet the slightest bit of resistance on the crust before sinking into that juicy, beefy goodness.

Great, now I’ve made myself hungry. Oh well, occupational hazard here at LRF Headquarters.

In any case, here are ten of the best burgers I’ve had recently. I don’t want to say “Top Ten,” because I’m always finding new ones.

The Juicy Lucy at The Blue Boar (Cobden, IL)

Juicy Lucy burger at The Blue Boar Cobden IL — The Juicy Lucy ($8.99).

I’ve mentioned this one before. A half-pound of ground chuck stuffed with American cheese. This one gets a bit messy, but then again, if you don’t get some on ya, were you really eating a burger? Or, if you prefer Bleu cheese to American, try the Bleu Lou for 50 cents more. (If you don’t know what Bleu cheese is, you’re happier not knowing. Just try it. Trust me.)

Cheddar Bacon BBQ Elk Burger and Cowboy Yak Burger at The Grubsteak (Estes Park, CO)

Elk Burger Grubsteak Estes Park — Cheddar BBQ Bacon Elk Burger. $15.75

Yak Burger Grubsteak Estes Park — Cowboy Yakburger with bacon and a roasted Anaheim Chile. ($16.25) Paired with a Stinger Honey Wheat from Estes Park Brewery ($6.00)

Yes, I’ve mentioned these before too, but anything that reminds me of the Rocky Mountains is worth repeating.

The Grubsteak proves (not that I had any doubt) that a burger doesn’t have to be made of cow to be delicious. They also have burgers made of buffalo and duck. If you’re feeling REALLY adventurous, try the Duck, Duck, Juice (then tell me how it is; I haven’t tried it yet). This is a duck patty glazed in a house made re-duck-tion of orange juice and teriyaki, then topped with caramelized onions.

Re-DUCK-tion. I see what I did there!

via GIPHY

The Grilled Cheese Burger and Mac N Cheese Burger at The Burger Bar (Springfield, IL)

Obviously, I love burgers, because I’m writing about them. I also love a good grilled cheese sandwich. So what do you get when you put them together? This.

Grilled Cheese Burger. Burger Bar Springfield IL — $8.99 with the homemade chips.

Yes friends, why put an 8-ounce cow patty on a bun when you can put it between TWO PEPPER JACK GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES?

For that matter, why eat your macaroni and cheese as a side dish when you can just put it RIGHT ON THE BURGER?

Mac 'n' Cheese Burger. Burger Bar Springfield, IL — $9.25. Comes on a nice croissant bun!

These are just two of the 11 specialty burgers on the menu at The Burger Bar, a nondescript joint on the south end of Springfield. If those don’t appeal, build your own burger (single, double or triple) from the menu of 23 toppings, seven sauces, six cheeses and four types of buns.

Honestly, as intriguing as the specialty burgers are, I think I would recommend the build your own option. That way, you can control the flavor better, I think. Besides, how else are you going to get your BBQ Pork and Cole Slaw burger with hot giardiniera, tzatziki sauce and ghost pepper jack cheese on a jumbo English muffin? (I don’t think I want to be around you if you order that, but technically, you could.)

Even if you’re not a burger fan (if you’re not, why are you reading this?), just go for the fun. I went with my wife in February, and the owner was there handing out Valentine’s Day roses to all the ladies. He stopped to chat with everyone at every table. It’s that kind of a place.

Big Sky Burger at Longhorn Steakhouse

OK, let’s get two things straight right off the bat here.

One, yes, this is a chain restaurant. It is perfectly plausible for a chain restaurant to have good food. Longhorn does. It’s OK to say that.

Two, this thing is on the lunch menu. But it shouldn’t be. This is WAY too much food for lunch.

My wife and I have three levels of full. There’s comfortably full, which is just what it sounds like. Then there’s “stuffed,” which is when you eat more than you need to, and you’re probably going to need a nap later, but it was worth it. Then there’s “stupid full.”

Stupid full is “you should have gotten a box 15 minutes ago.” Stupid full is “I’m not going to eat again for three days!” Stupid full is when you cross the line from culinary pleasure to pain. It is a line not meant to be crossed.

The Big Sky Burger pushed me right to the edge of stupid full. Maybe I’ll try it again for dinner sometime, when I’ve had all day not to eat anything else in advance.

Big Sky Burger Longhorn Steakhouse — $14.49 for all this beefiness.

The Big Sky starts with a really good burger. Then they top that with shaved prime rib, Swiss cheese, those crispy onion things, arugula (which if you’ve never had it, tastes like peppery lettuce), and “steakhouse mayo” on a potato bun. It should be eaten slowly. And yes, there is no shame in asking for a box and taking half of it home. Why do you think they give you those big steak knives for a burger?

And as long as we’re talking about chain restaurants. . .

Southern Smokehouse Burger and Queso Burger at Chili’s

Chili’s is known for a lot of things. Health food ain’t one of them. But their Big Mouth Burgers are.

My favorite one on the regular menu is the Southern Smokehouse burger. It comes with bacon, cheddar, pickles, Awesome Blossom petals (again with the crispy onion things), as well as lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli. This burger is served with a side of BBQ sauce.

A note on “aioli.” This is a Food Network-y word that has found its way onto mainstream menus, usually as a burger topping or something to dip your fries in. It’s not as fancy as it sounds. Aioli is basically mayonnaise with garlic.

A new burger that Chili’s has come out with, though, is quickly becoming my favorite there.

Chili's Queso Burger — With a Strawberry Sprite and a side of black beans. I LOVE their black beans!

The queso burger is simple, but awesome. It’s half of a pound of beef wot is ground covered by queso dip, tortilla strips and pico. It’s messy, but oddly not as messy as it sounds (or looks on the menu). The best part? It’s included on Chili’s 3 for $10 menu, which is the best deal going in casual dining right now. A beverage, appetizer and entree all for just $10.

Now a lot of restaurants like this will have some kind of three-course deal like this. Usually, however, it will only include their bottom-of-the-barrel basic menu items. Not Chili’s. They are putting their most popular items on this value menu, I am assuming to get more repeat business. I think it’s working.

Oh, going back to the “stupid full” concept for a minute. Chili’s also has a monstrosity now on their menu called the Boss Burger, which they bill as “the burger all other burgers report to.” On top of an already good-sized burger, they pile brisket, rib meat, jalapeno-cheddar smoked sausage, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, BBQ sauce AND ranch. That’s ridiculous. I haven’t tried it. I don’t plan to. If you like, get two or three people together to split one and let me know how it was.

The Veggie 21 and Freshman 15 at Bulldog Burger Company (Starkville, MS)

When I go to visit my son and daughter-in-law at Mississippi State University. . .wait a minute. . .WHAT THE #@$% IS A VEGGIE BURGER DOING ON THIS LIST?

Easy folks, I promise it will be OK. We’re not talking Morningstar Farms here. The Veggie 21 is a vegetarian burger that I will totally fight you for.

Veggie 21 Bulldog Burger Starkville Mississippi — $10.95. Try it with a side of sweet potato fries!

I’m not sure exactly what they make the patty out of, but it’s not just a bunch of black beans or tofu squished together and wishing it was meat. It has a flavor all its own that you just have to try to believe. Then top that with provolone, red onion, tomato, Bibb lettuce, sweet potato hay, basil and mayo. It’s almost enough to make you consider vegetarianism. That is, at least until you see. . .

Freshman 15 Bulldog Burger Starkville Mississippi — The Freshman 15. $11.95.

This one will put you under the table, but it’s delicious. That patty on top of the burger patty is a huge slab of mozzarella, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried. Takes the concept of “cheeseburger” to the next level, doesn’t it? Add Bibb lettuce bacon, tomato and “sassy sauce.” No, I don’t know what’s in the sassy sauce, but it’s pretty tasty.

I’m always on the lookout for a good burger, so you can expect there will probably be an update/sequel to this post at some point in the future. Meanwhile, go GETCHA SOME!

Eatin’ and Drinkin’ in the Land of Lincoln

September 19, 2018June 27, 2020 - Scott Leave a comment

By my count, there are 421 restaurants in the greater Springfield, IL area, though a few of them may have closed while I was counting. Here are four of my favorites.

Little Saigon

Just about every town has some kind of Chinese restaurant, either a buffet or a hole in the wall carryout place. Some are better than others, but they all pretty much taste the same.

I have found that Thai and Vietnamese food is much more interesting. One of the best places to get it around here is Little Saigon on Wabash. It’s not fancy, but oh is it delicious!

One of my favorite drinks to cool off with in the summer is a Thai Iced Tea ($4.95). Imagine a sweet tea with condensed milk added and you’re getting the idea. They also have 20 different flavors of freezes (also $4.95), which you can get with black pearl tapioca at no extra charge.

Thai Iced Tea Little Saigon Springfield Illinois — Thai Iced Tea

Their menu has a wide variety of Thai and Vietnamese dishes, plus a few Chinese standards for the somewhat less adventurous. The Crab Rangoon appetizer is some of the best around.

Little Saigon has 11 different soups, including variations Hu Tieu (a clear bean noodle), Mi (egg noodle) and Pho (rice noodle). If you really want an authentic pho experience, try the Pho Saigon ($9.95). The roast beef, meatballs, onions and cilantro are recognizable enough, but there are other cow parts involved that I could not quite identify. Definitely an Andrew Zimmern moment for a Midwestern white guy such as myself.

via GIPHY

Let me pause for a moment and address the word “authentic.” I’ve never been to Vietnam. Or Thailand. Or India (more on that in a minute). I really have no way of knowing if the pho I’m eating in Springfield, IL tastes the same as what you would find the locals eating in Southeast Asia. So when I say “authentic,” I am judging by how many people eating in the restaurant look like the people working in the restaurant. Or if they are speaking a language native to the ethnicity of the food being served. If it’s home cooking to them, then as far as I am concerned, it’s authentic.

Now back to this menu. As is common in East Asian restaurants, some of the entrees have a picture of a chile next to them, indicating that these are spicy dishes. Some Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are known for really cranking up the heat. Little Saigon is not one of those. Depending on who’s in the kitchen, you might get a little more curry on some days than others, but there’s nothing really outlandish. You can always ask them to dial it down too. They will make any dish just the way you want it.

Curry Noodle Little Saigon Springfield Illinois — Curry Noodle ($9.95) Normally comes with onion and green onion, but my wife doesn’t like onions.

Curry Fried Rice Little Saigon Springfield Illinois — Curry Fried Rice. This one has chicken, but you can order it with any meat that you want. **LRF PRO TIP:** If you order something other than a fried rice dish, get a side of fried rice for only $3 extra. You’ll be very glad you did.

Gateway to India

I have been a fan of Indian food for quite some time. I like to try things that are different, and from my point of view, Indian is about as different as it gets. The colors, fragrances and spice combinations are unlike anything else I have ever encountered.

I have yet to meet an Indian restaurant that I haven’t liked (St. Louis has some REALLY good ones), but the one that started it all for me is Gateway to India on Chatham Road just south of Wabash.

I must confess; I have never actually ordered off the menu here. The first time I came was for the Sunday lunch buffet, so I could try a little bit of everything. And that’s all I’ve ever done since. I guess I just don’t want to limit myself to one thing.

Before I even get to the food, I want to mention the service. My wife and I eat out a lot (probably more than we should). As a result, there are several places in the area where we definitely qualify as regulars. There’s just something about being known in a place when you walk in. It makes a restaurant feel like an extension of your home, or at least the home of a family member you enjoy visiting. I love that. My wife is sick of hearing me say how much I love that.

So how cool is it then, when you can walk into a place where the people look nothing like you, have a different primary language, cook food that’s like nothing anyone in your family tree would have ever made, and you STILL feel like you’re at your sister’s place? Where they know your drink order, and your favorite table? Where they notice if one of your family members didn’t come this time, and ask how they’re doing? Where they know what your favorite menu item is, and make it special for you if it’s not on the buffet that day—before you even ask—even if it’s been two months since you were there last?

That’s what we get at Gateway to India. Every single time. The Patel’s absolutely spoil us. It’s the best!

So what’s good at Gateway? Honestly, I recommend you go for a lunch buffet and just try everything. This cuisine, as I said, is so different from anything else you’ll eat, that you probably ought to sample until you find something you like.

Some of this food can get really spicy though (again, it depends on who’s in the kitchen that day). So if hot is not your thing, here are some relatively safe bets:

Naan—a buttery, fried bread, kind of like a pita. This goes with everything. In fact, I have seen several Indian customers use it as a utensil. It’s certainly good for mopping up sauces.
Tandoori Chicken—smoky leg quarters cooked with onions and peppers and gosh knows what else. Very craveable.
Vegetable Korma—a vegetarian dish in a bright yellow sauce. I think coconut milk is involved. Quite mild.
Chicken Makhani—this one can scooch up to medium heat some days, but it’s a good entry-level Indian dish. The red sauce has a creamy, nutty flavor. People I have taken to Gateway that weren’t fans overall usually still like this.

Gateway to India Springfield Illinois — (Clockwise from top left) Naan, Chicken Makhani, Saag Paneer (spinach and homemade cheese over Jeera, which is lightly spiced Basmati rice)

Pie’s the Limit

Pie’s the Limit has an absolutely genius concept. They take the build-your-own system used by sandwich shops and fast-casual Mexican restaurants like Chipotle and Qdoba and apply it to pizza. For $8.99, you can custom design your own 11-inch pizza with ANY combination of seven sauces, eight cheeses, nine meats and/or 16 veggies. Anything you want, and as much of it as you want for the same price. The Pie’s the Limit! (See what they did there?)

Our go-to used to be the one on Freedom Drive off of Lindbergh because it was the closest to us. However, this location has unfortunately become a COVID casualty. There is another location closer to downtown on MacArthur, and now there’s even one in Champaign!

With a 750-degree revolving deck oven, your pizza is usually ready in about five minutes. They stay busy, but they also move things along. There’s usually a fairly steady stream of people coming in, but I’ve never had to wait for a table.

It’s hard to make specific recommendations in a place like this, since you are essentially designing your meal yourself. I’m not even about to try to do the math to figure out how many potential combinations of ingredients there are. Suffice it to say you’ll never run out of options. Here are a few we’ve tried:

Pie's the Limit Springfield Illinois — Chicken and Spinach with Cheddar Jack Cheese and Spicy Sriracha Marinara.

Bella Milano

A lot of people think that because I’m Italian on my mother’s side that I would be an Italian food snob. That’s actually not the case. I’ll eat at Olive Garden. Or the Spaghetti Shop. Or a Lean Cuisine chicken Alfredo fresh out the microwave. I don’t care. With my family background, Italian food isn’t ethnic to me. It’s just food.

That having been said though, I really do appreciate places that do it well. Around these parts, the legendary place to go for Italian food is The Hill in St. Louis, a small neighborhood that was settled by northern Italians in the late 19th century and stayed that way. Lots of family-owned restaurants on The Hill, from casual to fine dining, but they all have a certain distinct flavor that is immediately recognizable to anyone who has ever been there.

One of the best tastes reminiscent of The Hill in Springfield is Bella Milano on far West Wabash. They started about 15 years ago in Edwardsville, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. From the toasted ravioli to the Milano salad with provel cheese and crispy prosciutto, Bella Milano definitely brings the St. Louis vibe to Springfield.

At Bella Milano, you can go family style starting at $35 with a salad for four and two pizzas or entrees to share. Or you can order off the menu. There’s always a special or three as well, so make sure to ask about that.

LRF Pro tip—the dinner prices are significantly higher than the lunch prices. HOWEVER, if you go to lunch on Sunday, you get the lunch price, not the dinner price as is common in most establishments. Needless to say, we go on Sunday a lot. Going tomorrow in fact.

Lots to enjoy on this menu. I recommend just about anything labeled as Bella Signature, particularly the Tortellini, the Spaghetti Carbonara and the Pasta Three Way (pictured below).

Bella Milano Pasta Three Way Springfield Illinois — Spaghetti, ravioli and penne in meat sauce, topped with lots of provel cheese and a meatball, and baked. $13.99 on the lunch menu.

Hungry yet? My work here is done. Now go GETCHA SOME!

LRF Rocks the Rockies: Part 4–Fort Collins

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

I have mentioned the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway in a previous post. Here is another day trip from Estes Park that I recommend. Come back down through the Big Thompson Canyon and hang a left on Rt. 287 in Loveland to get to the college town of Fort Collins.

If you love your craft beer (and boy do I), this is the place to go. Rocky Mountain snowmelt into the Cache la Poudre River provides the main ingredient for the product of 20-odd craft breweries. Some you may have heard of, such as New Belgium Brewing Co. (home of Fat Tire, among others), some you may not, like Funkwerks, Black Bottle and Horse & Dragon.

Since many of these breweries are within walking (or staggering) distance of each other, you might want to consider a brewery tour. I would recommend a guided tour though, unless you’re REALLY good with directions. I am convinced that whoever laid out Old Town had been on a few too many brewery tours himself. I like to think I’m handy with a map, but DANG! At least if you get yourself lost (not that this happened to me, except that it . . . might . . . have . . . happened to me), it’s a gorgeous town to get lost in.

Old Town Fort Collins Colorado — Kids playing in the street fountain in Old Town.

Flowers and brightly painted murals everywhere you look.

Alley Fort Collins Colorado — Every shortcut alley we took to get back to our car looked at LEAST this nice. Oh yes, and bikes everywhere. It amazed me how many people we saw on bikes in the mountains when people in Illinois will drive around the corner.

Plus, there are random, artistically-enhanced pianos scattered all over town that you can just sit down and play. (The more breweries you’ve hit, the better you sound!)

Fort Collins Colorado street piano — These must be a bear to keep in tune. Of course, it is a LOT dryer in Colorado.

But if you’d rather take a brewery tour without the frustration of getting misdirected, might I suggest Beau Jo’s Colorado Style Pizza? Beau Jo’s is a Colorado chain with half a dozen locations that is famous for Mountain Pies. Which look like this.

Beau Jo's Mountain Pie Fort Collins Colorado — (Front) Skier Mike’s, which is canadian bacon, chicken and green peppers on honey white crust. (Rear) Hamburger and Pepperoni on honey wheat crust. Both $12.50.

These are smalls. They only weigh ONE pound. An extra-large is FIVE pounds. You’d need a whole vanload of Low-Rent Foodies to tackle one of those bad boys.

Beau Jo’s pizza also comes in a Prairie Pie size crust, but what fun is that? Go big or go back to the cabin. The crust comes in honey white or honey wheat. (Note for the non-gluten folk—almost everything on the menu can be made gluten free for an additional charge). I recommend the honey wheat, which is delicious in its own right, but dip it in the honey that they keep on the table, and you’ll wonder why more pizza places don’t do this.

There are a mind-boggling number of choices for customizing your pizza. Beau Jo’s offers 11 different sauces, 15 meats, 18 vegetables and 10 different types of cheese to top your mountain pie. There are also three tiers of specialty pizzas, such as the Sky Hawk (pepperoni, Hatch green chiles, mozzarella and feta cheese); the Cajun (andouille sausage, pepperoni, onions, jalapenos, cheddar and provolone cheeses); and the Motherlode (salami, pepperoni, meatballs, bacon, Italian sausage, ham and mozzarella), to name just a few. (Note: the meatballs are NOT gluten-free.)

And of course, you have to have something to wash it down with, right? Did I mention that Fort Collins has a few beers?

Beers at Beau Jo's Fort Collins Colorado — Thirsty?

I love it when places with a large beer selection offer “flights” (those samplers with small glasses of several different kinds of beers). This way, you can try several different beers without getting too hammered to find your way home (or getting stuck with a whole pint of something you don’t like). At Beau Jo’s, you can go first class, or coach. Here’s a coach:

Coach Flight Beau Jo's Pizza Fort Collins Colorado — Clockwise from front (I think): New Belgium Citradelic, WeldWerks Hefeweizen, Odell 90 Shilling, Black Bottle Tropical Depression, Sam Adams Summer Ale

There are still a lot of Fort Collins beers that I haven’t tried yet, but my favorite so far is the Sad Panda Coffee Stout from Horse & Dragon Brewing Co. I don’t know why the panda is sad, but it made me happy!

So if you find yourself in Fort Collins (or Evergreen, Idaho Springs, Arvada, Steamboat Springs or Longmont), GETCHA SOME! (Before you do that, though, click on the pic below for a special deal on a gift card!)

Yums from Around the World! Part 3–Poland

May 4, 2018March 20, 2019 - Scott Leave a comment

And now, for the final chapter in our Universal Yums trilogy, we head to Poland. This box was a little heavy on the candy, but we’ll start with the savories.

First, in the box in the picture, we have Tapsy Cheese and Onion potato chips. These have the flavors of a pierogi baked into a crisp that has a texture somewhere between a Pringle and a rice cake–light, but somewhat substantial at the same time. I killed this bag fairly expediently.

Moving to the right, we have Beskidzkie Paprika Peanuts from Aksam, a family-owned snack food company founded in 1993. Paprika is as common in Polish food as salt and pepper is here. These peanuts are coated with a light cracker crust, then dusted with paprika, which gives them a subtle spice and smokiness that is not overwhelming. Beskidzkie peanuts also come in plain and cheese & onion flavors (I think I’m seeing a trend here).

On to the candy. . .

Below the paprika peanuts, we have Krowki Milky Cream Fudge. “Krowki” means “little cows.” Apparently, the Polish are really into sweetened condensed milk. Mix that with butter and sugar, and you get these sweets that are somehow not sticky.

To the left, in the red wrappers are Razcki Lobster Tails from Wawel. These take some getting used to, but it didn’t take me long. They are basically rum-flavored peanut brittle surrounded by a hard, minty shell, imitating the hard exterior of an actual lobster tail. This was my favorite treat in the box.

Above those is a Chocolate Plum from Dobosz in Trzebiez on the Szczezenski Reservoir in the northwest corner of Poland. This is pretty much what it sounds like–a filling made of prunes (from California, oddly enough) coated in cocoa, then dipped in dark chocolate. If you already like those flavors, rest assured they go well together.

Above that is a Milkizz, also from Wawel. Remember when I mentioned that the Polish are REALLY into sweetened condensed milk? It appears that the thing now is to buy it in a tube and squeeze it onto everything. Sounds a little strange, but not really, if you’ve ever done this:

(Disclaimer: I have never actually done that.)

(Disclaimer # 2: Neither should you.)

In any case, the Milkizz bar gives you the sweetened condensed milk experience wrapped up inside a chocolate bar, so what’s not to like?

And finally, we come to the Soleo Caramel Pretzels. Imagine Pocky sticks, except with a pretzel instead of a cookie and coated with the same milky cream fudge as the Krowki. I have been saving these, because they’re the last item of my Universal Yums subscription, and I’m kind of sad to see it end.

It doesn’t have to though.

Subscriptions start at $14/box for the basic size (like this one). There is also a Yum Yum box at double the size, and now, even a Super Yum box at TRIPLE the size. Subscriptions are available in one, three or six-month intervals.

So if you’re looking to add some adventure into your snack life, go GETCHA SOME!

The Devil Dog of Costco

April 18, 2018December 3, 2022 - Scott Leave a comment

This is the story of how I became acquainted with the best hot dog I have ever eaten. I am speaking of the Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Frank, affectionately known in our family as “The Devil Dog of Costco.”

A Costco membership is not the most practical thing to have in Central Illinois, as the nearest warehouse is 71 miles away, across the river in St. Peters, Missouri. We’re pretty much in Sam’s territory here.

Nevertheless, my wife, Diana, is from the Toledo, Ohio area, and most of her family is still there. Two of her nephews, and the wife of one of them, all work for Costco. When you first hire on there, you are given a few free memberships that you can give to friends and family. Since we were a fan of their products and travel service, we decided to go ahead and sign up, despite the fact that we knew we would not be able to visit all that regularly.

A couple of months ago when we were back visiting family, we had some time to kill, so we thought we’d stop in at Costco to stock up on. . .whatever. Upon arriving, my wife said she was thirsty, and went over to the food court to get a Mountain Dew. Having had one of my mother-in-law’s lavish country breakfasts earlier in the day, I didn’t want anything.

After a few minutes, Diana came back with her soda (excuse me, her POP. We’re in Ohio now.) along with one of the biggest hot dogs I had ever seen, slathered in ketchup. (I’ll pause a moment for the Chicago folks to regain their composure.)

“What did you DO?” I asked. “I told you I wasn’t hungry.”

She replied, “It’s a special–a dog and a drink for only $1.50. Plus I can get one refill on the drink. I couldn’t pass that up!” I had to admit, that was quite a deal. Eventually, she convinced me to take a bite. Oh my. Juicy and full of flavor, but not as overwhelmingly spiced as a Hebrew National, which is now my SECOND favorite hot dog.

“You’re the devil,” I said. I’m not sure if I was talking to my wife, or the dog itself. Despite my not being hungry at all, I put down half of that dog in about 30 seconds. Later on, as we were browsing the store, we saw that these dogs were on special for $11.99. We grinned at each other, almost wickedly, and grabbed a package.

Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks from Costco — Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks. Using my shiny picture because I didn’t feel like dealing with Costco’s copyright department for their prettier one. Low-rent, you know.

These devil dogs come advertised as “1/4-pound plus.” To be specific, 4.36 ounces apiece, which is to say, at least twice the size of a normal hot dog. They come 14 to a pack. Since there are only the two of us at home, we realized quickly that there was no way these were all going to be consumed in one hit. Diana had the idea to freeze them in fours–one each for dinner, and one for my lunch on a day when I would have a time conflict at the dinner hour.

One of the tricks to the proper consumption of devil dogs is finding a bun that can successfully corral them. I think I have found the perfect one–the pretzel buns from Shop ‘n Save, a chain of supermarkets in Illinois and Missouri. (UPDATE–Shop and Save was bought out, and has since closed all their stores in this area. On my birthday, no less. Figures.)

Costco hot dogs and Shop 'n Save pretzel buns. — Four dogs and four buns. Solving the age-old conundrum of making the number of dogs and buns come out even.

I have discovered that an excellent flavor combination is the Costco dog on the pretzel bun with dijon mustard. This way, in a single bite you get the flavor combinations of hot dog/mustard as well as pretzel/mustard, both of which are great individually. My choice of complementary beverage is a Yuengling Traditional Lager (another thing I have to travel to get).

Costco Hot dog, Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese and a Yuengling — Adding some Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese to round out the meal.

Find a Costco near you and getcha some!

Meijer mPerks Rewards

March 30, 2018May 6, 2019 - Scott Leave a comment

My wife, Diana, and I are always looking for ways to save money. She can clip coupons and sniff out deals as well as anyone. There is one rewards program, however, thats stands out above all others where our grocery budget is concerned: Meijer mPerks.

Diana is from the Toledo Strip, that area along the Ohio-Michigan border. The Meijer superstore chain got its start in 1934 in Greenville, Michigan, not too far from Diana’s old stomping grounds. (Pause for mental image of my wife stomping on the ground.)

So when Meijer opened a store here in Springfield, IL about 10 years ago, the brand familiarity attracted her. At first, I was concerned that the groceries were a bit pricier than a couple of stores closer to our home. That concern went away when Meijer instituted the mPerks program in 2010.

mPerks basically takes coupon clipping to the next level. Instead of having to scan the coupons and sale flyers in the Sunday paper, then build your shopping list around that, mPerks builds the sales and coupons around the stuff you were going to get anyway. Plus, there are various rewards that accumulate the more you shop at Meijer. One that comes up for us often is filling five prescriptions at the Meijer pharmacy and getting $10 off our next shopping trip.

There are also all sorts of in-store savings, and yes, there are digital coupons as well. You can check them off on the website or mobile app before you go to the store. Then, at the checkout line, punch in your linked phone number and watch your grocery bill shrink.

Meijer mPerks coupons — Meijer will send you coupons in the mail based on stuff you’ve actually bought before, and are therefore likely to buy again. A little creepy, but cool!

After a while, when you get coordinated enough to combine mPerks rewards with what’s on sale in the store already, you end up with a trip like the one on the receipt above. For those of you who don’t math, that’s a 58% savings on that grocery trip, over half of which was just mPerks, including the aforementioned $10 prescription reward. Tide detergent, normally $9.99, was on sale for $7.99 with mPerks taking off another $2. My daughter likes cucumbers. A pack of the little ones normally sells for $2.50. They were buy-one-get-one-free on this particular day. Take off another dollar for mPerks, and that’s $5 worth of cat terror for $1.50.

If you can keep this up for an entire year, you end up with something that looks like this:

Meijer savings — Total savings for 2017: $1,274.51!

So bottom line, if there’s a Meijer store near you, and you shop there, and you’re NOT using mPerks, you need to start. On the other hand, if you’d rather not save over $100/month on groceries, please drop me a line at ms****@lo***********.net, and I’ll be happy to tell you where you can send that $100!

(P.S. No cats were harmed in the filming of that video. As far as I know. They’re not my cats.)

Potato Chips

March 6, 2018October 9, 2021 - Scott Leave a comment

I can’t recall remember a time in my life when I didn’t like potato chips. The more unusual the flavor, the better. I can actually thank Frito-Lay for introducing me to previously untapped realms of flavor awesomeness with their Cajun Spice flavored Ruffles (sadly discontinued). Some of y’all are old enough to remember the commercial for those, with Justin Wilson, the Cookin’ Cajun saying, “They’re wondermous, I gar-on-tee!”

Up in Central Illinois, I had never heard anyone talk that way before, but I was intrigued by this character, so I sought out his “Louisiana Cookin Outdoors” show on PBS. My life has never been the same. Louisiana food is now among my very favorite cuisine. And it all started with a bag of chips!

i don’t get a lot of potato chips, because first of all, they’re no dang good for you. I’m at the age where the weight comes on a lot easier than it comes off, so I have to be careful about such things. As such, you will almost never see me eating plain potato chips. If I’m going to be rationing them out, I want them to be as interesting as possible.

So when I see a bag of chips that says, “a savory combination of sharp parmesan with subtle tones of smoked pancetta,” my curiosity is going to be piqued.

Deals on chips

Now in truth, these chips weren’t really that good. However, when you consider that they can be had at Aldi for only $1.79, I consider that a small price to pay for low-rent culinary experimentation.

I’m always on the lookout for new flavors of chips to try. My favorite that I’ve had recently are the Steak & Onion flavor from Meijer. Probably my all-time favorite are Krunchers Mesquite BBQ. Used to get those all the time in college when I could afford them. Otherwise, we had to settle for Kelly, the poor man’s kettle-cooked chip. That was a local product in Decatur, IL where I went to school. At least it was until the day the workers showed up and the doors were locked. Permanently. But that’s another story.

So what’s your all-time favorite potato chip? How about the most unusual flavor you’ve ever had? Enquiring stomachs want to know!