Niemerg's Steak House - Effingham, Illinois

When you are driving from Indianapolis to St. Louis on I-70 about two hours into the journey it happens.  Your eyes glaze over and you begin to think that if you have to stare at one more farm field without seeing some sign of life, then you may lose your will to live.  Just as you begin to contemplate which bridge to drive off, it appears.  The crossroads of America pops up on the horizon.  You roll into Effingham, Illinois, and being devoid of civilization for so long you seek out a place to eat.  Somewhere to recharge your batteries and renew your belief in American society.  When you experience this, look no further than Niemerg's Steak House.

Niemerg's Steak House fully represents everything that makes the Midwest great.  A place where an army of working class heroes prepare comfort food for all walks of life from farmers to weary travelers to business persons.  The food is not only good and comforting, but it is some of the most affordable meals I have ever enjoyed.  I make the trip from Indianapolis to St. Louis and back several times a year and I never make the trip without stopping at Niemerg's.  

The decor is nothing exciting, but it fits the conservative nature of the area.  No matter what time of the day you choose to dine, you will find very limited parking in the large parking lot and all the hustle and bustle of numerous employees serving tables.  The dining area is deceptively larger than the outside would lead you to believe so there is rarely a wait.  The staff keeps the place clean and they are always professional and courteous.  

The menu is a compilation of classic comfort dishes like ribeye steak, liver and onions, pork chops, chicken fried steak, and fried chicken.  The menu also includes a few local favorites and a couple quirks.  Now based on everything I've told you thus far, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear appetizers include items like jalapeno poppers, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks.  But what if I told you this restaurant offers up the best egg rolls I've ever tasted.  The hand rolled egg rolls are overstuffed with seasoned pork, cabbage and other vegetables before being fried to crispy, golden perfection and then being offered along with homemade sweet and sour sauce.  If I find out you went to Niemerg's and didn't try the egg rolls, I will be forced to ban you from reading future posts.  You won't regret trying them.

The crisp of the cabbage and the crunch of the wrapper go so well with the tangy sauce.  Juicy, tasty deliciousness will drip down your chin as you enjoy the egg rolls.  

Hand Rolled Egg Roll Appetizer

By the time you are done with the appetizer, your mind will already be blown and you will be telling yourself there is no possible way to top the egg roll.  To that I will tell you to hold on to your hand because we have two more courses left.  For the entree, there are many great options including their crispy, crunchy fried chicken, but I tend to favor recommending a dish that is only available in central Illinois.  In this small swath of land, there is a dish that is so cheesy, so ooey, so gooey, you will be down for the count.  The kind of dish that will leave you so full and satisfied that you will be able to feel your heart beating in your chest for at least several hours.  What dish could that possibly be you ask?  None other than the Horseshoe or for the slightly less famished, the Pony.

The Horseshoe and the Pony are central Illinois staples.  Take a piece of grilled Texas toast and place whatever type of meat on top of it.  Cover the meat completely with crispy, french fries and then smother all of it in melted cheddar cheese.  If you absolutely must have something healthy as part of the dish then you can top it off with some grilled onions and chopped tomatoes.  I chose to have the hamburger pony on this particular visit.  Just as you would imagine, it is sinfully delicious.  Savory, cheesy.  It fits the definition of a hot mess to a T.

Hamburger Pony

There is only one rule at Niemerg's, which is that you must save room for dessert (Editorial Disclaimer:  Please note this is not actually a rule at Neimerg's rather a rule imposed by the author of this post.  Following the rule will lead to the utmost gastronomic satisfaction)  Desserts are made in house and are delicious.  Pies are the main route to take and there are dozens to choose from.  I personally am very fond of the coconut cream, apple pie and pecan pie, but chances are great that on any given day you will have more choices for pies than you will be able to deal with.

Niemerg's is a must stop destination.  Great food, family atmosphere and amazing prices are the story of the day.  Niemerg's is just like the family dog.  Always faithful and always there when you need them.I got two egg rolls as an appetizer for $3.49, a bowl of vegetable soup for $2.19, my hamburger pony was $3.49 and a piece of pie topped it all off at $2.49.  All in all, I left weighing at least a couple pounds more than I came in and ready to tackle the rest of the trip after a brief nap in the car.  the best part was that I got all of that food for less than $12 before tax and tip.  Where else can you get that?

Made From Scratch Vegetable Soup

Cheeseburger Stromboli From the Home Kitchen

So I am more than long overdue for a post, but rest assured that I am about post a ton of entries from my travels in the not so distance past. This post comes straight from my home kitchen. With four little kids bouncing off the walls of my house, we need good options for dinner. I am sure there are plenty of versions of something similar to this out there, but we really enjoy making Cheeseburger Stromboli as a family.

   

Cheeseburger Stromboli Topped with Mustard and Ketchup

This recipe is simple to make with kids, tasty and it looks cool. For kids it is all about the look of the food lot's of the time. So while this won't be a post about a great, independently owned restaurant to check out. Instead, it will be a guide to making a quick homemade meal that tastes great. Who doesn't like a cheeseburger? If you have little ones at home, then you understand the cheeseburger landmark. The cheeseburger is the gateway food drug that weens a child off of a diet solely made up of french fries and chicken nuggets. A new protein is introduced and once a child breaks through to eating cheeseburgers, their food journey is officially launched. Much like the Pinot Noir to Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon journey many wine drinkers follow, the chicken nugget to cheeseburger landmark is a significant one.

 The Cheeseburger Stromboli is a fun way to introduce the kids to cheeseburgers. The ingredient list is fairly simple.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (leaner is better to keep the crust from getting soggy, but not too lean to dry the meat out)
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 pkg Phyllo Dough
1 egg beaten
Shredded cheese of your choice to top
salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To prep the meal, pull out the frozen phyllo dough and let it thaw according to the package instructions. This will usually take 3-45 minutes. Unfold the thawed dough and roll it out thin with a lightly floured rolling pin.

Dice the yellow onion to desired size. I am a fan of onion flavor, but not so much on the texture many times and my kiddos aren't big fans either yet so I tend to dice the onion very small. While it sautes in the pan, this will keep the flavor, yet make the onion itself virtually disappear. Put the onions in a saute pan over medium heat. When the onions begin to become translucent, add in the ground beef and and garlic powder. Be careful not to overcook the beef, especially if you are using a lean mixture. It is perfectly alright to still have a little bit of pink in the meat since we will be putting it in the oven. Drain the meat and onion mixture.

Once drained, spread the onion and meat mixture evenly over the dough. Top the meat mixture with a healthy coating of your favorite shredded cheese mixture.  Roll up the dough and pinch the ends to seal the dough. Beat the egg and thin it lightly with water if desired. Brush the exterior of the dough with the egg. Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

The Completed Stromboli

Slice and enjoy.

One tip I like to do is to dot the slices with ketchup and mustard. Aside from the flavor, it looks colorful and like so many other eaters, kids really eat with their eyes. Enjoy a tasty and simple dish to make with your kids.