If Guy Fieri Drove a Camry (Five of my Favorite Diners)

October 2, 2021October 2, 2021 - Scott Leave a comment

I travel all over the country and try as many kinds of food as I can find. The one style of eatery I come back to the most often, whether I´m close to home or not, is the classic diner. Diners are all about comfort food. As someone who takes perhaps too much comfort from food, I can relate to this.

A phrase that you frequently see associated with this type of establishment is ‟homestyle cooking.” It isn´t really, of course. If it were truly home style, then you could save ten bucks and eat at home.

‟Homestyle” to me means how you WISH your momma used to make. (Now my mom is Italian, so that´s a whole different concept of homestyle!)

With diners, it´s not just about the food, but the atmosphere as well. A diner is the kind of place where, if you become a regular, it becomes like a second home. The staff and other regulars become your surrogate family.

Any restaurant can give you good service. Waitresses all over will call you ‟hon,” or ‟sweetie,” or ‟sugar pie” (You may have to go a little further south for that one). But when you´re a regular, it´s a different level of comfort. They know your drink order. They know your ‟usual.” If a family member or friend didn´t join you that night, your server will ask about them. Not only do you know your server´s name, but what he´s studying at school in the fall or what she does at her other job. When you find yourself carrying on a conversation with a stranger three tables away just because what they ordered looked good. That´s what being known feels like.

Toni´s Cafe

379 IL-104 Divernon, IL 62530

(217) 414-4272

The place where I feel known more than any other is Toni´s Cafe. It´s technically in Divernon, but it´s at the Auburn exit off I-55, so that can be confusing to someone not from around here. We have been eating here at least twice a month for years.

Back in 2002, we started being fed by the Kasa family back when they were still in business as the Pawnee family restaurant. We were familiar with the location, as it had previously been the site of Little Vinnie´s Pizza, and something I can´t remember before that (Pawnee Foodies, help me out).

Alit Kasa opened Pawnee Family restaurant in 2002. After that, it moved to the site of the old Trucker´s Homestead restaurant, their current location, and was rechristened Toni´s Cafe, after Alit´s older son, Jeton.

After a dispute with the landlord, the Kasa´s moved Toni´s to Auburn, walking distance from Low-Rent Foodie Headquarters (YAY!). However, after a relatively short time at that location, they bought the building they had left, and moved back to the truck stop at Exit 82.

Places like Toni´s are the reason I am known as the ‟Low-Rent” Foodie. This is very basic diner food done well. There are some things on their menu that I just can not get enough of.

First, Toni´s is known for their homemade soups. They serve a different soup each day on a fairly strict schedule with few surprises. My two favorites are Monday´s bean soup, topped with a shot or two of Tabasco…

bowl of bean soup with a bottle of tabasco — Yes, a bowl. Not a cup.

…and Saturday´s Chicken and Dumpling, shown here with Lasagna.

Lasagna with bowl of Chicken & Dumpling soup and a piece of garlic toast — The service at Toni´s is fast—almost too fast. More often than not, they are bringing out my entree before I have finished my soup and/or salad.

I rotate between several entrees, but my favorite is the Philly Cheese Steak. As I have mentioned before, the Philly is one of the benchmarks by which I judge all restaurants. This is somewhat ironic, as I have never been to Philadelphia, nor have I ever eaten an authentic cheese steak. But whatever it is they make here in the Midwest and miscall a Philly, that´s what I like.

Toni´s Philly is so big, that it is served open faced. The fries have to go on a separate plate.

Open-faced Philly Cheese Steak with fries on a separate plate — There´s no picking this sandwich up. Definitely a knife-and-forker.

As is typical with diners, Toni´s serves breakfast all day. My favorite breakfast is the Omega Skillet.

Omega Skillet with pancakes and Tabasco — Gyros meat grilled with onions and served over hash browns, topped with scrambled eggs and cheese (and a shot of Tabasco, of course!). Side of toast or pancakes included (get the pancakes). $7.39

(LRF Pro Tip: Save room, because you get a soft-serve ice cream cone free after EVERY meal!)

Blue Ribbon Diner

8198 State Route 108 Wauseon, OH 43567

(419)-335-3663

The Blue Ribbon is our go-to when visiting my in-laws. Usually, this is the place we all get together right before Mrs. Foodie and I head home.

Family picture around long table at Blue Ribbon Diner Wauseon Ohio — The Ohio Fam.

The Blue Ribbon was formerly known as Cosmo´s, and Smith´s before that. The name changes, but the faces stay the same, including Deb, who has been a waitress in Wauseon as long as anyone can remember. Deb´s bantering with my wife´s family in her gravelly voice is one of the highlights of the dining experience.

As for the food, in true diner fashion, the menu is large, so whatever mood you´re in, there is likely something to satisfy your craving. I keep coming back to their omelets.

They are large, and SO full of cheese! They get the hashbrowns just right too—crispy, but not burned.

The Ultimate Meal Prep Collection contains: 4 Stew Beef – 16oz., 4 New York Strip – 8oz., 4 Stir Fry Beef – 16oz., 4 Beef Steak Tips – 16oz., and 8 Grass Fed Grass Finished Ground Beef – 16oz.

Sweet Basil Cafe

4241 Conestoga Dr. Springfield, IL 62711

(217) 679-2967

https://www.sweetbasilcafes.com/

Some diners are known for simplicity. Others are known for excess, both in selection and portion size. Sweet Basil (aka Home of the To-Go Box) is one of those. Places like this may have a few Greek dishes, but the menu is an encyclopedia of about any kind of food imaginable. We call Sweet Basil, “The Place You Go When You Don´t Know What You Want.” If you have a family that can´t agree on where to eat, you can come here, and everybody can find something.

I had read that doorstop of a menu online before my first visit, so I had an idea what I wanted. Loyal readers will know that I am all about the Cajun food, so I had my sights set on the Jambalaya Omelet.

Sweet Basil describes this as a four-egg omelet with Andouille Sausage, Chicken, Onions, Peppers, a blend of Jack and Cheddar Cheeses and their Spicy Jambalaya Sauce, with a side of toast or pancakes and choice of potato. It was a Sunday, and our Sabbath ritual is to eat one large meal after church, then chill for the rest of the day. I was hungry, so I figured I´d get this omelet with the pancakes and American Fries. I wondered why an omelet cost $14.99. Then they brought me this.

Gant omelet covered in chicken and andouille jambalaya with a side of American fries and two huge pancakes on a separate plate — There’s even more omelet under the potatoes.

WHAT!?!?!? OK, those pancakes. They aren´t deceptively large, yet light and airy like some places. They are just freakin´ large. That side would be a meal in itself that would break the casual breakfast customer.

And look at that omelet. Four eggs you said? I´d like to see the chicken that laid those!

I ended up having to sacrifice the taters. Even then, I got THREE meals out of this, and you people have seen me eat! Crazy.

In subsequent visits, my wife would frequently order a breakfast with ‟two scrambled eggs,” because it´s more like four. We amuse ourselves by watching the reactions of people eating there for the first time after they have ordered something that we know is going to be big.

I mentioned earlier that Philly Steaks are one of my measuring sticks for any new restaurant that I visit. For my wife, it is the Breakfast Burger. This has as many variations as there are places that serve them, but the one thing they all have in common is a fried egg. If you like your burgers a nice, juicy medium, there´s nothing quite like having in egg yolk run down into all that juice. Yeah, you´re going to want a few extra napkins with that.

Sweet Basil´s version is called It Might Be a Breakfast Burger. It comes with the fried egg, and a slice of ham. Right. A ‟slice” of ham. Look at that picture and tell me that´s a ‟slice.”

Fortunately, there are some lighter things on the menu that you can finish in one hit. I have recently become enamored of the flatbreads.

Chicken Pesto Flatbread — Chicken Pesto flatbread, with Chicken, Red Peppers, Spinach, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Cheese along with the chicken. $12.99.

Oh, and they do have a good selection of Greek dishes as well. If you can´t decide which one to try, order the Greek Combination Plate and try a little bit of everything.

skillet of Greek potatoes and a platter of Greek food — GREEK COMBINATION PLATE $18.99
Savory Gyros, 3 Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) topped with Avgolemono (egg lemon) sauce and a pork kabob, roasted potatoes & small Greek salad.

Honestly, this menu is so huge (293 items by my count), there is no way that I could fit everything I like from Sweet Basil into one post. I expect you´ll be seeing more of them in future installments.

Feed hungry fans with The Ultimate Tailgate Collection which contains: 16 Ground Beef Patties – 8oz., 24 Ground Tenderloin Patties – 4oz., 48 Jr. All-Beef Hot Dog – 3oz., 32 All-Beef Bratwurst with Natural Casing – 4oz.

Spring Garden

1220 W Springfield Rd. Taylorville, IL 62568

(217) 713-2700

https://www.springgardenrestaurantco.com/

Spring Garden was our traditional place to grab dinner before going to see a movie in Taylorville. At least it was before the COVID debacle.

I think I just binged the whole Netflix.

Taylorville is the kind of a town, and Spring Garden is the kind of a place where it is common to carry on conversations with strangers at the next table. Since they do attract their share of elderly customers, we hear a lot of good stories that way.

Spring Garden is another Greek-Style diner. They belong to the sub-classification of Diners With Tons of Specials. There are so many specials on any given day that they need their own menu.

So you know I´m going to be trying omelets! I am happy to report that they pass muster, especially when accompanied by biscuits and gravy.

Meaty omelet with hash browns — The Butcher Shop Omelet with ham, bacon, sausage and jack cheese. $8.99.
AND WOULD YOU LOOK AT THOSE PERFECT HASH BROWNS!

Another dish I enjoy at diners (sadly, Toni´s only serves this in Fall and Winter) is chili mac.

Chili and Cheese on Spaghetti with two triangles of garlic toast — This isn’t on the regular menu, so watch for it as a special.

Yes, I know ‟chili” is usually spelled with two L´s around these parts, but my blog, my rules.

Chili mac really works best with elbow macaroni, or something else small like that. In the 217, you´ll find it on anything from ziti to spaghetti. Whatever, man. Chili + noodles + cheese = awesome. I´m not particular about what kind of noodle (though I might be particular about what shirt I wear that night).

Spring Garden really pours on the chili. There was enough left over, that I improvised and made a chili cheese tater with a leftover baked potato that my daughter couldn´t finish.

Leftover chili mac topping a baked potato — Leftovers? BAH!

Their Italian dishes are tasty as well. If you order the tortellini, expect a LOT of them!

Large plate of tortellini covered in cheese with garlic toast — I´d count them, but I get lost in the cheese.

Hot Rods 50´s Diner

373 Hannum St. Alcoa, TN 37701

(865) 984-7171

http://www.hotrods50sdiner.com/

My wife and I are reaching the age where retirement is no longer a conversation we put off till later. We don´t know exactly when this is going to happen, but we do know where—East Tennessee, by the Great Smoky Mountains.

Every new home needs a home-away-from-home diner. We snuck out of Illinois during last year´s lockdown and scoped around the area south of Knoxville. I am thinking that Hot Rods is going to be our place.

Hot Rods is more of a classic, blue plate special kind of a diner. They have all sorts of Americana classics, like S.O.S. (free to military on Memorial and Veteran´s Day), and open-faced sandwiches, but it appears they are known mostly for burgers and shakes. I came to that conclusion on account of the fact that there are 85 burgers and 25 kinds of shakes on the menu, not counting specials.

I went with the Beefster, a seven-ounce burger with added roast beef and cheddar. My dessert was a Pina Colada float, which was on special that night. Both were quite good.

Burger with roast beef and cheddar. Top bun with lettuce, and a side of cheesy grits. — $12.99. Also available in 11-oz. size for just $2 more.

I do like pina coladas. Getting caught in the rain? Not so much.

So when we retire, if we eat at Hot Rods once a week, then it will take about 4 1/2 years to make it all the way through the menu. I expect they will still be open then, as they appear to be quite popular. My photo at the top of this post is my most popular photo on Google of all time, with 1,846,701 views as of September 28, 2021.

Knowing that I am always seeking out good home cookin´ wherever we travel, and looking at my voluminous photo back catalog, I expect you´ll be seeing more of these diner posts.

What´s your favorite homey, hole-in-the-wall? Go getcha some and tell me all about it in the comments below!

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.