Can’t Get This Stuff No More

November 8, 2020April 17, 2021 - Scott Leave a comment

A slice at a time, like a pizza pie

You serve up the truth, don’t want it anymore

Keep that in mind, when we say goodbye

‘Cuz you can’t get this stuff no more—David Lee Roth

These lyrics resonate with me as we mourn the recent passing of Eddie Van Halen. We all have our glory days, our tough times, and eventually our end.

The same is true for restaurants. Some are still going strong after generations, and some. . .aren’t. This is my eulogy for a few of those.

No. 10 Tavern on the Square—Pawnee, IL

This eatery has changed hands several times. Most recently, it was known as the Harness Room Eatery. The Harness Room was known for their BBQ.

Harness Room Eatery pulled pork pancake — Remember this?

It was one of the only places around that had pork steak on the menu.

Pork Steak Pawnee Illinois — Pork steak was my grilling go-to during my brief period as a single dad. This really took me back.

No. 10 was known for their excellent horseshoes, like the Philly Steak horseshoe at the top of this post. I also appreciated their soup and salad bar, featuring red-eye chili and THREE different kinds of macaroni salad.

No. 10 abruptly closed on January 31, 2020. However, it was quickly resurrected under new ownership as Copperheads.

The Copperheads bar planned its grand opening for March 21. This ended up being the day Governor Pritzker’s stay-at-home order went into effect. They soldiered through selling t-shirts and merchandise until the bar finally opened on June 26. Restaurant is coming “soon.” (UPDATE 4/15/2021) Or not. See below.

fire on east side of square Pawnee Illinois — Now you REALLY can’t get this stuff no more!

Ruby’s/Reva’s—Auburn, IL

Derrick Porter never really wanted to run a restaurant. Nevertheless, in 2017, the opportunity to reopen Ruby’s Cafe presented itself, and he took a chance. His homestyle recipes started bringing in the crowds right away.

Soon, running the restaurant on top of his lawn and landscaping business proved to be more than he wanted to handle, so he rented out the building to Reva Lowry. She reopened the cafe in May 2018 as Reva’s. Unfortunately, due to illness and the stress of the long hours, Reva had to close the doors after just a few months.

Ruby’s and Reva’s were both known for horseshoes as well.

Burger horseshoe Auburn Illinois — The Spanish paprika was Derrick’s special touch on this burger horseshoe.

Buffalo Chicken horseshoe Auburn Illinois — This buffalo chicken horseshoe wasn’t even on the menu. Notice the hand-cut fries.

Breakfast Horseshoe Auburn Illinois — Breakfast shoe with American fries and homemade sausage gravy.

Patty Melt Auburn Illinois — Reva made a fine patty melt as well.

In early 2019, Konner Dudley inquired about the building as a potential place to set up a brick and mortar shop for Redbud Coffee, but that did not materialize.

Instead, Billy Brand remodeled the interior and opened the Roasted Bean Coffee and Wine Bar, which has since opened up a second location down the street at Jackpot Gaming.

Nico’s Homestyle—Springfield, IL

Nico’s was a cafe on the west side of Springfield that was conveniently located on the way home from the kennel where we take our dog.

Junie B. Jones Kinner Kennels — I’m Junie! I am a dog. I like to go to camp and make new friends!

Nico Scaduto opened Nico’s Homestyle in March 2017 in the building which used to house Palermo’s Sicilian Cucina. They served meat from the nearby Farmstand by Willow City Farm. (These are the folks that made goat yoga famous around here. Seriously, it’s a thing!)

2019-10-20 Mcvey, IL Daily News | News Break — Photo courtesy of McVey, IL Daily News

Nico’s also served a breakfast item that I really enjoyed on mornings when I was feeling strong—the Phoenix Skillet.

Phoenix Skillet Springfield Illinois — With some sourdough toast, of course! This was only $6.99.

The Phoenix combined marinated chicken, onions, black beans, corn, and habanero chiles. And yes, it would light you up like a Christmas tree. Chocolate milk definitely made a better pairing with this dish than orange juice or coffee!

Like so many other small businesses in 2020, Nico’s Homestyle was a COVID casualty. Chef Howard Seidel has since opened Brunchfield Cafe in this location.

Patsy’s on the Square—Divernon, IL

Amanda and Nick Hackwith’s restaurant on the Divernon square was one of our favorite local spots to go for homemade comfort food. After opening in a historic building on the east side of the square, they soon realized they would need more space. So, they moved around the corner to the building formerly occupied by Bearden’s Cafe.

It seemed like everybody who worked at Patsy’s was family. I think this helped their customers feel like family.

Unfortunately, they had a run of bad luck in 2018. This culminated in June, when the air conditioning system had a catastrophic failure during one of the hottest summers in recent memory. They just weren’t able to stay open in the heat, and the business never recovered.

At least I got to have one of these before they closed.

Chicken Bacon Calzone Divernon Illinois — The Chicken Bacon Calzone.

The Snack Shack has now opened in the former Patsy’s location.

Groovy Duck—Springfield, IL

Restaurants close for many reasons, especially in THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. Sometimes, they just shoot themselves in the foot though.

Groovy Duck was a Japanese place that was located in the Old Maverick building on Springfield’s southeast side for about five minutes. I had one REALLY good meal there in December 2016.

Duck Ramen Springfield Illinois — Lunch Special clockwise from left: Duck Ramen with hard boiled egg and fish cake, salad with ginger dressing, sushi roll with ginger and wasabi

However, they didn’t seem to be able to maintain that level of consistency. They weren’t able to keep ingredients in stock (I never was able to have the duck again). Also, the heavily cratered parking lot wasn’t all that inviting for the hotel guests across Dirksen Parkway, so nobody came.

In January 2018, the Groovy Duck took its last flight. They went out in that cliche way that all Asian restaurants do, with a “Closed for Remodeling” sign on the door. Nobody really buys that when you just remodeled the place a year ago before you opened.

The building sat vacant for a year and a half before Lee Zhang and Yuki Liu reopened as Yummy Crab.

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Our area has also lost several chain restaurants. Golden Corral and TGIFriday’s are gone for good. Pizza Ranch, just across the parking lot from Golden Corral, has been closed since the March lockdown; however, they are currently hiring a new staff and preparing to reopen under new management, as previous owner Vicki Orman is moving to Nebraska even as I type this.

It’s the small businesses I am more concerned about though. The ones that make you feel like family. The ones that know your drink order, your favorite soup, and what you don’t like on your salad without having to ask. These are the businesses that need our help the most now, as this COVID nightmare is not showing signs of ending anytime soon.

On the bright side though, did you notice that for every one of these places that has closed, a new one has opened in its place? We’re not done yet!

So, go getcha some!

(I’ll be highlighting a few more of these local eateries soon in Eatin’ and Drinkin’ in the Land of Lincoln Part 3. Subscribe now so you don’t miss it!)

Here Piggy, Piggy, Piggy (Six Places with Great BBQ)

October 12, 2019November 8, 2020 - Scott Leave a comment

Regular readers of Low-Rent Foodie have probably figured out by now that I love me some BBQ. I told you in previous posts about Old South BBQ in the Atlanta area and Smokin’ Dave’s in Estes Park, Colorado, which now has five locations!

Basically, I’ve had way more smoky pig than can be stuffed into a single post. So today I’m going to highlight six of the places where I have found good BBQ, pork and otherwise.

Harness Room Eatery—Pawnee, IL

This place has changed hands a few times. It has been known as Coal Miner’s Hideaway, The Stable, and probably a few other things that I have forgotten. It has been a German restaurant, a steakhouse and a BBQ joint.

Today, they share a space with the No. 10 Tavern on the Square. They’re serving up good bar food, burgers, horseshoes, and thankfully, they’ve kept some of the BBQ entries from their previous incarnation.

The best thing I have ever had here was a special (pictured above), that REALLY needs to be brought back and put on the regular menu.

What you see there on the left is a stack of cornmeal pancakes layered with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and topped with maple syrup. It was a sweet and smoky textural masterpiece. The green beans were really good too (never underestimate the importance of good sides! More on that later.). Points for presentation on the mini fryer basket of hand-cut fries, but they do get cold faster served this way, so get on ‘em quick!

One thing they DO still have on the menu that I am also a fan of is the Tavern Chicken.

Hrness Room Eatery Pawnee Illinois Tavern Chicken — Could I have another roll, please?

Sugarfire Smoke House—Olivette, MO

Sugarfire is originally a St. Louis-area chain that has expanded to 14 locations in five states. Their Cuban Reuben sandwich was recently named best sandwich at the World Food Championships. You can read about that here.

The Olivette location is the original, and just happened to be the one I picked that day, due to its proximity to Lambert International Airport.

One thing I appreciate about this place is that they have locally produced sodas on tap. I like a Coke or a Mountain Dew as much as the next guy, but where else can you go and pour yourself a Ski? If you haven’t had any of that citrus-flavored rocket fuel, give it a try if you’re ever in St. Louis or the Metro East area across the river.

Expect a line out the door at Sugarfire, but that’s OK, because it moves quickly, and you’ll need a few minutes to make up your mind anyway.

I went with a ribs and brisket combo with some mac and cheese and soup. If you’re ridiculously hungry, or brought somebody along to share with, try The Meat Daddy. It’s a 4-bone rib, jalapeno cheddar sausage link, a quarter pound EACH of brisket, pulled pork and turkey plus two sides and a soda. Good luck with that!

Brothers BBQ—Pensacola, FL

One of our main destinations for family vacations has become Gulf Shores, Alabama. We’ll be going back again next month for my parents’ 50th anniversary celebration. I have mentioned before that Gulf Shores needs its own post. Stay tuned.

My aunt and uncle are also frequent travelers to the area. They told me the story about how one time they were out for a drive in the Pensacola area, just across the state line from Alabama, and Uncle Ray was hungry, so he pulled over at a random roadside BBQ joint. It changed their lives.

So last time we went down to the Gulf, we did an outing to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola.

Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola Florida Blue Angels — Home of the Blue Angels! It was threatening rain that day though, so we didn’t get to see them practice.

After a couple of hours of wandering around the expansive museum looking at all manner of flying objects, we were ready to eat. On Uncle Ray and Aunt Jan’s recommendation, we sought out Brothers BBQ on Gulf Beach Highway.

We thought an appetizer might be in order, and we noticed Fresh Fried Pork Skins for $3.99. (Hey, if you’re looking for health food, you’re on the wrong site.) I grew up calling them pork rinds. South of the border, they’re known as chicharrones. Some folks just call them “cracklins.” All I know is my wife and I had had fresh ones once at the Soulard Farmer’s Market in St. Louis, and there’s nothing quite like them. Especially when they come out like this (turn the sound up)…

The daily special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is all you can eat pork and chicken, served with baked beans and cole slaw, for $10.99.

I am learning with advancing age that there is no shame in “all you can eat” meaning a single plate. My son, however, has lived in Mississippi long enough now that he has become immune to the meat sweats, so he got the four-meat combo for $15.99.

I regret nothing. Except the fact that I neglected to buy an extra bottle of their homemade BBQ sauce to take home with me.

James’ Home Kitchen—Springfield, IL

A place with a name like James’ Home Kitchen sounds like it ought to have good BBQ, and it does, but there’s something else going on here. This may not be the only Texas BBQ/Asian Fusion restaurant in existence, but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen.

By day, Wei-Shin “James” Wang is a Bureau Chief for the Illinois Office of the Inspector General. But in the evening, he is busy in the kitchen cooking up everything from Tokyo style Panko Fried Fish to Bulgogi Beef to Hibachi Pork Tenderloin. Oh, and also chicken wings, baby back ribs and brisket.

Let’s talk about that brisket.

The brisket is smoked for 10+ hours. You can tell even from the picture that it is not dry at all, a problem that can plague many a smoky meat. James serves it up with homemade BBQ sauce, garlic potatoes and steamed broccoli. Each entree comes with an appetizer of a chicken wing and one of the best crab Rangoon’s I have ever had.

Did you know broccoli dipped in BBQ sauce can actually be really good? It is here, anyway. Gotta be just the right combination of flavors, of course. This probably couldn’t be duplicated at home. Like French dressing on pizza only works at Monical’s. It can’t be ANY French dressing on ANY pizza, or it would just be gross. But I digress.

James’ Home Kitchen is open from 4:30-9:00 Monday-Saturday. I recommend getting there early, because the place does fill up. And because each dish is made to order, wait times can get out of hand later in the evening.

Hickory River Smokehouse—Springfield, IL

Hickory River is a chain with four locations in Illinois and one in Ohio. Their ‘cue has won many awards, most recently the Pork Rib-off People’s Choice Award at the Ohio State Fair. There used to be two locations here in Springfield. Unfortunately, the one closer to me closed, so I don’t get this as often as I would like. It’s worth the drive around to the northeast side though.

As you know, I usually stick to two-meat combo platters these days, but if you’re really hungry (like I was this day), try a smokehouse combo.

This comes with four bones of baby back ribs, two other meats, two sides and cornbread for $18.59. For a more reasonable appetite, get just one extra meat instead of two for $15.99.

One thing I appreciate about any restaurant, but especially a BBQ place, is when they put as much attention into the sides as they do the main dishes.

I really hate when a meal has throwaway sides that are just there to take up space on the plate. Like canned corn or instant mashed potatoes that are still in the shape of the scoop. Really? It’s an insult to cuisine as well as the customer eating it (or not). You may as well just fill up the empty spot on the plate with an inedible garnish or flowers or an origami goose or something.

This is never a problem at Hickory River. ALL the sides are good. I am partial to the mac and cheese and the BBQ Ranch Beans myself. Oh, and the cornbread. If you like sweet cornbread, you have GOT to getcha some of that.

I really like their sauce too. It comes in mild and hot, but be warned—the hot is VERY hot, and that’s coming from a chilehead. If you do like some spice, but are not a total masochist, ask for it mixed.

Mail Pouch Saloon—Swanton, OH

Not many folks outside of the Toledo, Ohio area are aware that it is quite the food destination, but it is, actually. Whenever I go to visit the in-laws, my radar is up for the next interesting place. I am always bummed though, when I find several places in a city or area that I don’t get to a lot. What happens is that I either want to go back to a place I liked before, which prevents me from finding new places, or else I’m so busy trying to find new places that I never get back to the ones I know I like. Oh well, that’s a first-world problem if there ever was one.

One place where my wife and I used to like to go was Shuckers, a seafood and pasta restaurant on Airport Highway in Swanton with a distinctive sailboat on top of the building. Then, when we were visiting for New Year’s in 2017, we drove by and noticed the boat was no longer there, which could only mean that Shuckers was no more. We were sad, but not for long.

As it turned out, the retiring owners of Shuckers had sold it to Jamie Wietrzykowski, who owned the Mail Pouch Saloon in Haskins, Ohio, on the other side of the Maumee River. Wietrzykowski completely transformed the inside of the place, adding a horseshoe-shaped bar with a clear top, underneath which pictures from Swanton’s history are displayed. He also added a fully heated patio that frequently features live music and even a magician for the kids once a week.

Wietrzykowski kept a few of the seafood favorites from the Shuckers menu, including their fabulous clam chowder, but changed up everything else. Instead of pasta, the menu now focuses on burgers, chicken, sandwiches, and of course, BBQ.

The St. Louis style ribs, pictured above, can be ordered wet or dry, and come with two sides. I favor the mac and cheese (are you noticing a pattern here?). A full rack of these would set you back $22.99.

If you’re feeling adventurous/foolish, try the Pouch Platter. Brisket over onion straws, 3 bones of ribs, three BBQ chicken drummies with baked beans, veggie of the day, slaw or salad and grilled asiago bread.

OK, like always, I’ve gone and made myself hungry again. Is 10AM too early for BBQ? Probably. Art takes time. While I’m waiting, I’ll hunt up some more BBQ places to try, because you can never have too much piggy!

GETCHA SOME! (And don’t forget to subscribe to see what I’m going to stuff my face with next. I promise there won’t be any spam, unless I’m eating Hawaiian that day.)

Five Places Where the Story is as Good as the Food

April 10, 2019October 8, 2021 - Scott 3 Comments

Sometimes when I go out for a bite to eat, I will find myself in a place that has a lot more history than I realized. Maybe it’s because I am traveling to a new place and had no way of knowing about the restaurant and its history, or maybe it’s somewhere nearby that I just never got around to going to, and then I wonder what took me so long.

Whatever the reason, here are five places I have been recently where the story behind the establishment is at least as compelling as the meal I had there.

McLintock’s Saloon and Steakhouse—Standard City, IL

UPDATE: This restaurant has closed.

Quite possibly the most intriguing thing about McLintock’s is how absolutely out in the boonies it is. It’s just outside of Standard City, which is a “suburb” of Nilwood, which is near Girard, which has a population of 2200. So we’re talking “go to the middle of nowhere and take a left.”

But those who know about it swear it’s worth the drive, and the occasional wrong turn. And a lot of people know about it, so if you’re wanting a seat is this rustic former seed barn, better call ahead.

Some highlights on the menu are the ribeye horseshoe for $12.75 and a 10-ounce bacon-wrapped filet with breaded shrimp for $22.59. For those who like chicken parts, like my dad, this is the only restaurant I can remember going to where you can get chicken hearts, gizzards, or livers as your main meal. They serve a full pound of them for $9.99.

For those who prefer the more standard chicken parts, I recommend the McLintock Cluck.

Dew Chilli Parlor—Springfield, IL

OK, let’s establish something right up front. Yes, it is tripping my linguistic OCD meter that Springfield spells “chilli” with two L’s. Why do they do that?

Well, I don’t know why it started, but I have a good idea when. Chilli (I’m going to spell it c-h-i-l-l-i for the sake of this article, then I will never mention it again) has been a big deal in Springfield for well over a century. Although many prepared chili producers were spelling it that way as early as the 1890’s, the Dew Chilli Parlor officially made it a thing when they opened in 1909.

65 years later, Illinois Governor Dan Walker made a special proclamation to 88-year-old co-founder Joe Bockelmann, declaring “Two-Ls-in-Chilli Day.”

Later in 1993, Illinois State Senator (and eventual mayor of Springfield) Karen Hasara introduced a resolution proclaiming Illinois as the Chilli Capital of the Civilized World and officially recognizing the spelling as CHILLI.

The Dew Chilli Parlor closed its doors in 1995, but was revived in 2013 when Mark Roberts, III purchased the original recipe, which is so secret that it’s said to be split in half and stored in two separate bank vaults!

America’s greatest foods–shipped to your door!

The flavor is certainly unique. It’s rich and smoky, but not spicy or harsh. The original recipe, re-established by new owners John Leskovisek and Mike Monseur, also does not contain beans, though you can request them. You can also ask for heavy or light suet (Springfield chilli is known for its grease). It’s good on tamales…

…or a hot dog.

Dew Chilli Railsplitter and cheese curds — The Rail Splitter ($5.29) normally comes with cheese sauce also, but my wife decided to go for a side of cheese curds to share instead ($7.99).

A newer menu item is the DeWay, in which you choose a base of spaghetti, mac & cheese, green beans or a baked potato and top it with various combinations of chilli, beans, cheese, etc.

Whirl-a-Whip—Girard, IL

It’s springtime here in the 217. That means Whirl-a-Whip’s open.

One of my favorite things about the weather warming up is eating outside. And after this 5-month-plus winter we had here, I am more than ready to grab the wife and the puppadog and head down Route 66 (actually IL Route 4 now) to Girard and get some of this deliciousness.

Whirl-a-Whip Girard IL — Order to the left, pickup to the right, don’t-know-what-I-want-yet to the middle.

Whirl-a-Whip dates back to 1957. It closed briefly a few years ago, but has been up and running again since 2013. As you can guess by the sign, they are known primarily as an ice cream place. They still use the vintage Whirl-a-Whip ice cream machine that whips each order individually.

They have about 50 flavors of ice cream, but these are a tad unconventional. For example, when I see the word “chip” in an ice cream flavor, I am thinking of chocolate chips, or whatever flavor of semi-sweet morsel it might happen to be. “Chip” means something different at Whirl-a-Whip though. It’s more like crushed up pieces of hard candy. It’s good if you’re expecting it, but it can make drinking a milkshake a bit of a challenge.

Now most old-timey, home-towny walk-up ice cream places like this are all about the ice cream, and they may have a few food items as well. That’s not how it is at Whirl-a-Whip. The food here is better than any fast food you will find in the area, and cheaper than any sit-down restaurant. The menu is large, and I haven’t found anything on it yet that isn’t awesome.

Regular readers of LRF know that two of my favorite things are Cajun food and horseshoes. Put those together, and you get this.

Whirl-a-Whip Cajun Ponyshoe Girard IL — Cajun Ponyshoe. $6.50

The Cajun seasoning is excellent, full of flavor, not just heat. They’ll even sell you a bottle of it! Their cheese sauce is fantastic too. Even when I’m not getting a shoe though, I almost always order a side of Cajun fries.

Whirl-a-Whip Philly Cheese Steak — Philly Cheese Steak ($5.75) with cajun fries.
Side note: aside from horseshoes, a Philly Cheese Steak is my go-to for evaluating a new pub or restaurant. I have had many, but the reason I haven’t done a feature on them yet is because I’ve never been to Philadelphia to have a real one. #bucketlist.

Some other favorites of ours at Whirl-a-Whip are the Okie Chicken (with sweet sauce, American and Swiss cheese, grilled onions and bacon) and the deep fried soft tacos. Everything’s made to order and comes out hot and fresh.

The Berghoff—Chicago, IL

Family-owned restaurants are great, but when you can find one that has been in the same family for five generations since 1898? That’s a treasure.

German immigrant Herman Berghoff had great success selling his beer at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Chicago World's Fair White City — Painting of the White City from 1893 Chicago World’s Fair in the dining room of the Berghoff Restaurant.

Five years later, he opened a bar selling beers for a nickel with a free sandwich on the side. (Man, THOSE were the days!)

In 1919, Prohibition forced many bars out of business, but Herman rolled with the punches. He produced a “near-beer,” which was legal at less than 0.5% alcohol. He also introduced a line of soda pops (Berghoff root beer is still quite popular to this day, and for good reason!) and expanded into a full-service German restaurant.

When Prohibition ended, Herman procured the first liquor license issued by the City of Chicago, and the bar was back in business. It is now a yearly tradition in Chicago that the Berghoff gets the first liquor license.

Berghoff Chicago liquor license — Herman Berghoff in 1933 with the original liquor license.

Not only the management, but some of the staff are also multi-generational, some having worked there for decades. The multi-generational tradition even extends to my own family. My mother used to eat there when she got her first job at Montgomery Ward’s downtown back in the Sixties. And I introduced my daughter, Kimberly, to it when we went to see Hamilton in Chicago last year.

Hamilton CIBC Theatre Chicago — Great seats, eh buddy?

You’ll want to come hungry and take your time at the Berghoff. Reservations are recommended, but we got in at 5:30 on a Wednesday night with no trouble at all.

Whatever you end up ordering, you’ll want to start with a Bavarian Pretzel. Just one you ask? Well, they’re kind of big…

Bavarian Pretzel Berghoff Chicago — Served with beer cheddar cheese, honey mustard and hot mustard for dipping. $8.95

Moving on to the entrees…

Jager Schnitzel Berghoff Chicago — I had the Jager Schnitzel, a pork cutlet with bacon (mmm, pig on pig) and a Jagermeister-infused sauce, served with root veggies and so…much…spaetzle! $20.50

Beef medallions Berghoff Chicago — Kimberly went with the Beef Medallions with a smoked red onion demi-glaze, roasted fingerling potatoes and grilled asparagus. $21.50

Do your best to save room for dessert, or else, get yourself a Berghoff Root Beer float for $5.00.

Black Forest Cake Berghoff Chicago — Black Forest Cake ($6.75) with coffee ($3.00). The root beer is empty because it’s that good.

White Chocolate Mousse Berghoff Chicago — Kimberly had the White Chocolate Mousse. She let me try some. I’m glad, because one, it’s AWESOME, and two, it’s no longer on the menu.

Old South BBQ—Smyrna, GA

We found this one when we were moving my middle son, Greg, down to Florida. That’s too far to drive in one hit from the cornfields of Central Illinois, so we stopped for the night in Atlanta.

Old South BBQ is another family-owned and operated establishment (are you noticing a pattern here?). Jim and Helen Llewallyn converted a single-family home into the restaurant back in 1968. Jim built the tables and booths himself, and they are still in use today. Old South is the oldest restaurant in the booming ATL suburb of Smyrna.

One thing I love about a place like this is how even if it’s your first time visiting, the employees have been around so long that there’s a certain comfort level established that makes you feel at home. And if the southern hospitality doesn’t get you, the food will!

Something I really appreciate about BBQ joints is the Combo Plate. Decision-making is not my best thing, so it helps me to be able to make one less choice. Plus, MORE FOOD! My experience with combo plates in the South though is that you want to limit it to two meats, unless you are superhuman. With the size of the portions down here, a 3-meat combo would be the death of most Yankees.

Old South BBQ combo plate Smyrna GA — Ribs and pulled pork, hush puppies, Brunswick Stew, garlic bread and hot BBQ sauce. $16.99. Yes, I ate it all. Don’t judge me. It was a long drive.

There are other meats on the menu, but if I get back down to Atlanta, I’d probably order exactly the same meal, because it was perfection. Even if I didn’t, though, I would definitely get this for dessert.

Butter Pecan Pie Old South BBQ Smyrna GA — Butter Pecan Pie. Don’t remember what it cost. Don’t care. I want another one.

This is one of the best slices of pie I have ever eaten. Even as good as their smoked piggy is, I would go back to Old South just for this pie. I think a road trip may be in my future.

Don’t know about you, but I’ve made myself hungry with all this. So go out and GETCHA SOME! I’m sure going to.

Louisiana Grillin’ Down in the Holler

May 5, 2018September 30, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

Southern Illinois, where the Coffman clan has its roots, has many a culinary gem hidden away in the hills of the Shawnee National Forest. One of these is The Blue Boar, down in Kratzinger Hollow between Cobden and Anna. (Local tip–the word “Hollow” is pronounced “holler,” even among the educated. That’s just the way it is. If you go down there and say, “Kratzinger Hollow,” people will look at you like this):

via GIPHY

The Blue Boar sits next to the Great Boars of Fire Lodge, a banquet hall and catering facility known for its award-winning BBQ. The Great Boars and I go way back. Not only did they cater my wedding, but my uncle John was one of the original Great Boars back when they were “just” a competitive BBQ team.

John Belcher, my late uncle. Wish I had a picture of him grilling. Maybe some of the Anna folks can help me out?

Along with fellow Great Boars Dave Fombelle, Jerry McFadden, Bob Lyrla, Jim West, Sonny Beanland and Richard Sheeley, the Boars won 1st place in shoulders at the World Champion Barbeque Cook Off in Memphis. They also held the record for the highest points ever scored at the Jack Daniels’ World Champion Invitational. For four consecutive years the team was ranked in the top 10 in the World by Memphis in May. They also have won The Illinois and Missouri State Championship.

So yeah, they’re pretty good.

The Blue Boar builds on this legacy by adding a New Orleans vibe.

Blue Boar Cobden Illinois Louisiana theme — Looks like Mardi Gras exploded on the wall!

You can’t go wrong with anything coming off the grill or out of the smoker. They also have a variety of po-boy sandwiches, burgers, and of course, cajun-inspired dishes, like shrimp or crawfish etoufee. They add chicken to the smoked sausage in their red beans and rice. Come hungry so you can start off with a plate of the pulled pork nachos, which include my still-favorite-ever baked beans.

Juicy Lucy burger at The Blue Boar Cobden IL — The Juicy Lucy ($8.99) is a half pound of ground chuck stuffed with cheese. It’s a bit messy, but you won’t mind.

The highlight of their weekend brunch menu is the Bubba Benedict, which is a Southern Illinois version of what we would call a breakfast horseshoe up here in the 217.

The food is only half the experience at the Blue Boar, however.

Take some time to enjoy the peaceful down-in-the-holler setting. If the weather’s right, get a table on the large covered patio out back. After you eat, take a short stroll across the bridge behind the restaurant to the grotto.

Behind the Blue Boar, Cobden, IL — My kids at the Blue Boar, Easter 2017.

You never know what you might see up in the trees!

Insect sculptures at the Blue Boar, Cobden, IL — Watch for various sculptures on the grounds. These giant metal insects reminded me of James and the Giant Peach. I may or may not have screamed like a girl when I turned around and unexpectedly saw this one.

So if you find yourself down in Southern Illinois orchard and vineyard country and have a hankerin’ for some really good BBQ, hop onto Kratzinger Hollow Rd. off old US 51 just on the outskirts of Anna and go GETCHA SOME!

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!

Yums from Around the World! Part 2–France

May 3, 2018June 13, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

So I finished off the box of Universal Yums from Greece and began the wait for the next one. There was a hint in the booklet that came in the Greece box that made me think the next one might be coming from France. I guessed correctly. Here’s what was inside:

Universal Yums from France — Clockwise from top right: Basil Pesto Crepes, Raspberry Madeleines, Almond Financiers, Black Truffle Chips, Caramels with Chestnut Cream, Fruit Filled Hearts, Violet Dark Chocolate Bar

OK, let’s start with those Basil Pesto Crepes. That sounds odd to American ears, because we are used to eating crepes with some kind of sweet or fruit filling, like the ones you get at IHOP. The story goes that back in 1882, in Quimper, France, the owner of a crepe shop covered for a batch of burnt crepes by rolling them up and calling them “lace crepes.” She sold her recipe to Gavottes, who still makes them today.

These look a lot like the Combos snacks that I ate about a billion of as a teenager while working the concession stand at our local pool. The texture of the shell, however, is far lighter and flakier.

As for the basil pesto filling? It’s not subtle at all. I tried one and thought I was chewing a mouthful of fresh basil leaves. It was a bit overwhelming. Then I tried another and tasted the more understated flavors of cheese, olive oil and a hint of garlic. I thought, “Interesting, but I probably won’t ever crave this.” Then I ate 7 or 8 more. By the time I got to the bottom of the bag a couple of days later, I wanted about a pound of these things.

You can’t have French food without pastries, so here we have Raspberry Madeleines and Almond Financiers from Roullier Bakery. My wife and daughter were big fans of these. The Madeleine is a shell-shaped cake with fresh raspberries folded into the batter. Financiers are little pound cakes shaped like gold bricks, originally baked for bankers in France’s financial district in the 19th century.

Several different candies in this box. We have caramels filled with chestnut cream from Klaus. Remember those Brach’s Milk Maid Royals we used to get when we were kids? The ones that had funky-flavored cream fillings like maple and orange? These are kind of like that, only fancier. We also have Fruit Filled Hearts from Kubli, a fourth-generation confectionery in Paris. These are heart-shaped bon bons with an apple flavor.

The sweet that got my attention was the Violet Dark Chocolate Bar, also from Klaus. I love me some dark chocolate, and this bar was big–a full 100 grams. (That’s just over 3 1/2 ounces for those of you who don’t metric. Like me.) I didn’t think too hard about the word “violet,” figuring that the chocolate might have had some kind of purple tint or something. I really wasn’t paying attention. Then I unwrapped it and smelled. . .

Oh. You mean “violet” as in “flower.” Mmmkay. I looked at the ingredients, and indeed, this chocolate bar is generously sprinkled with “violet chips,” which also contain apple and pineapple to tamper down the floral taste a bit. But it’s still very much there. I did finish this (because chocolate), with some help, but unlike the Basil Pesto Crepes, I am fairly certain I won’t be craving violet chocolate again anytime soon.

OK, you may have noticed that I skipped over the Black Truffle Chips from Sibell. This is because the mere thought of them would have distracted me from writing the rest of this post.

First of all, if you don’t know about truffles, they are a species of mushroom. What is different about a black truffle is that they only grow on living trees and plants, typically by the roots.

Anyone who knows me knows that the one food product I despise above all others is the mushroom. Can’t stand the smell, the taste, or in many cases, the texture. I am still traumatized by the dinner where my parents served fried mushroom caps and didn’t tell me what they were. They were about the same size, shape and color as a sausage patty, so I grabbed a couple. No one stopped me. I took a big bite and. . .well. . .much unpleasantness ensued.

My dad thought it was hilarious. In retrospect, it was a good lesson in attention to detail and speaking concretely. Apparently I had asked, “Are these sausages or something?” Dad just said, “Yes,” because they were “something.” So he wasn’t lying, really; I just asked the wrong question.

Now I mention all that to say this. As much as I hate mushrooms, truffles are another matter entirely. White truffle oil on french fries is excellent, for example. But these black truffle chips. . . oh…my…dog.

I opened the bag while my wife and I were watching TV. She braced herself for the violent gross-out reaction she expected from me. Then I tried just one chip, and I was like. . .

via GIPHY

These chips tasted like the best smoked meat I had ever had. Nothing mushroomy about them. I ate the whole bag. Then I licked my fingers. Then I wanted to eat my own fingers. Then I didn’t want to wash my hands for days just so I could SMELL the memory of these chips on my fingers.

Alton Brown once said of truffles on Iron Chef, “Those are better than 97% of the sex you will have during your lifetime.” I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of that statement.

Next up–Poland!

Yums from Around the World! Part 1–Greece

May 2, 2018June 13, 2018 - Scott Leave a comment

My wife, who is known for having good ideas, had a great one this past Christmas. She got me a three-month gift subscription to Universal Yums.

How it works is that each month, you get a box filled with snacks from a certain country. Some are familiar, some less so, and some are downright strange. Most of the ones I have tried are snacks that I would want to snack on again.

In the box, they also include a booklet with some background on the country and its culture, some trivia questions, and most importantly, a detailed guide to what you will be snacking upon.

My culinary journey began in Greece.

Most of these snacks come from Tottis Foods International in Florina, near the Macedonian border.

Universal Yums from Greece — Clockwise from top left: Oregano potato chips, Sesame pastelli with almonds, Green olives with fennel and coriander, Dark chocolate wafer, Onion bread chips, various candies.

Who would have thought to put oregano on a potato chip? The Greeks, apparently. After trying these, I am wondering why it took so long to catch on here. Lay’s, however, is bringing the flavor stateside.

Pastelli is an ancient Greek snack made from sesame seeds and honey, rumored to be a favorite of Herodotus. This version, from the Papayiannis Brothers in Larissa, contains almonds as well. It’s a very simple recipe and tastes just like you’d expect it to.

I confess, I just couldn’t do the Olives in a Pack. I like to be adventurous and try new things, but I just really don’t like green olives. My mother does, however, and said they were fantastic.

Another Tottis product is the Serenata Dark Chocolate Wafer. This is basically what a Kit Kat wants to be when it grows up. It is covered with dark chocolate and filled with cocoa cream that actually lingers on the roof of your mouth when you’re done eating it. Probably best not to eat too many of these–health food they ain’t. They do come in 14 different varieties though, so I may have to seek them out. In small doses of course.

A more familiar taste is the Bread Chips, also from Tottis. These taste a lot like the rye chips you get in Gardetto’s, but lighter and, in this case, with an oniony flavor. A great snack for anytime except when you’re trying to hear the TV, as they do generate some decibels with the crunch. These also come in plain, garlic and BBQ flavors.

Universal Yums boxes also come with a baggie of smaller candies. The Greece box had Bergamot jelly candies. The Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit popular in Greece and Turkey. You might know it as a flavoring in Earl Grey tea. So if you can imagine a bon bon that tastes like Earl Grey, you’ll be on the right track.

Rounding out the Greek candies are Bliss Cocoa Toffee and a Derby Chocolate bar, which is a cross between a Nestle Crunch, a Mounds and something you would get in a vending machine in heaven. Far more decadent than a typical American candy bar (which I like anyway).

Next up, France!