Josephine's Tea Room - Godfrey, IL

Just a couple of miles north of Alton, Illinois, lies Josephine's Tea Room.  The Tea Room has been around since 1979 and it grew from a gift shop to a tea room and eventually into its current incarnation. A maze of connected buildings adds a full-service restaurant to the mix.  I didn't know anything about Josephine's before I stopped in, but I quickly saw a theme.  Nearly all of the patrons were women.  Now I am secure in my manhood and so I was not intimidated.  Undaunted, I was seated in a large atrium-style room.

The menu seemed limited at first as it is mainly composed of salads and sandwiches.  Between the feminine decor, all the ladies drinking tea, and the light menu, I could feel my testosterone draining.  Where was the steak?  The deep fried foods?  I was beginning to feel a little faint.  Just then the server greeted me and saved me.

While the menu wasn't expansive, the server began describing a number of different daily lunch specials.  Then it all made sense.  While they keep a certain amount of items on the menu all of the time, they rotate the entrees seasonally.  This was a good sign.  It meant that regulars get variety and things change with what is in season.  A sign that ordering the specials means that you are ordering fresh food with the freshest ingredients.

As the server described the specials of the day, I found myself drawn to one particular dish.  Perhaps it was the estrogen that overcame me, but I ordered the crab and spinach quiche.  I am a real man and if you ask my wife she will confirm it, but on this day I ate quiche. 

When the food arrived, I could tell that I made the right choice.  Man or no man, I knew this would be good.

The quiche was good.  Full of cheese, spinach and warm crab meat.  It was hot, it was moist and the crust was light and flaky.  The salad was good as well.  Crisp, cold vegetables that were all fresh and the house dressing was nice.  A little tangy and it complimented the meal well.

So despite the fact that I was enormously outnumbered by women, I held my ground and earned a safe passage for all the men who would come after me to Josephine's.  Man or woman, if you enjoy fresh food for a good price then head right over.  You won't be disappointed.

Carmine's Steak House - St. Louis, MO

Last night I went to Carmine's Steak House for dinner.  My boos and I were in town for a meeting and decided to find a fine dining solution for our craving.  Steak and a potato was the mission.  With the help of the concierge at our hotel, we decided on Carmine's Steak House.  According to the hotel staff, Carmine's is a fine dining steak house in the heart of downtown.  the restaurant is connected to the Drury Plaza Hotel on the corner of Fourth and Walnut.

Carmine's Steak House was opened in 2000 and is run by the Lombardo family.  The Lombardo's have a proud tradition of operating restaurants in st. Louis dating back to the early 1900s.  Carmine's is the newest restaurant in the Lombardo family.  

When we arrived, the atmosphere was decidedly traditional.  The place settings were nice, but the walls, lighting and floral arrangements seemed a bit dated.  The staff was dressed professionally, however upon arrival for our 7:30 p.m. reservation we found the host station abandoned.  After waiting for several minutes, the host appeared.  He first seated us right near the door at a table right out in the middle of the action.  We sat there for a minute before the host came back and offered us a better table.  We accepted it and moved.

As for the menu, the options were pretty standard for a steak house.  A variety of chicken, pork, beef and seafood options abound.  Since I had steak on my mind, I perused the beef portion of the menu.  When it comes to steak, I always enjoy a good New York strip steak.  The lean cut is one of my favorites and when aged correctly and cooked to perfection, slices will melt in your mouth.  So I ordered up the most petite New York strip available, which still weighed in at 14 ounces.  The entrees include a salad and a choice of one side.  So I selected a house salad with blue cheese dressing and gorgonzola crumbles.  For the side I went with a twice baked potato.

I was excited to see the arrival of my steak after reading in the menu that Carmine's ages their steaks for a minimum of 21 days.  Spending that time aging the beef, helps break down the fat and melt it into the meat.  the result is a greatly enhanced beef flavor and a very tender piece of meat.  Watching the tables around us get their meat, just helped build the anticipation.

My salad arrived and it looked at first as if it had no dressing on it.  After taking a closer look, I saw that the salad had blue cheese dressing.  The greens were fresh and it was piled high with gorgonzola crumbles and lot's of black olives.  The salad had a crisp bite and tasted great.

After polishing off the salad, I ordered a glass of pinot noir and it arrived just as my entree arrived.  The steak looked great and it was appropriately accompanied by a huge twice-baked potato.  The potato was hot and so creamy.  Each bite of the potato was filled with fluffy goodness.  I sliced off my first bite of steak and was in heaven.  The meat melted in my mouth and I could taste all that aging.  There wasn't much conversation going on at the table. 

After polishing off my steak, I thought it would be nice to cap off a great meal with something for dessert.  While I was eavesdropping the dessert options at the table next to ours, I heard about a lemon cake.  Our own server didn't mention the lemon cake in his dessert presentation so I inquired.  He said that he knew the lemon cake was available, but he couldn't describe much about it.  While it was disappointing from a service standpoint that he didn't know the menu options completely, I ordered the lemon cake anyway.  And I am glad that I did.  The cake was tart and light, but the whipped cream topping was the best part of the dessert.  It was light, fluffy and refreshing.  What a nice finish to a meal.

The steak was priced at $34 including the salad and side.  So overall the price was appropriate for what we got.  While the service could have been better, the steak was great and the lemon cake was exceptional.  Updating the decor for a more modern touch and improving the knowledge of the staff would bring Carmine's to the top.  Given all of that, it is still a great place to get a delicious steak in downtown St. Louis.

Iron Barley - St. Louis, MO

I first discovered Iron Barley on television when Guy Fieri made a stop there on his show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  I was intrigued by the owner, Tom Coghill's, attitude about producing great food in a laid back environment.  I also like the fact that Coghill is a big fan of home brewing beer.  So when the opportunity presented itself to dine at Iron Barley, I just couldn't pass it up.

My journey began as the man himself surveyed his kingdom from behind the bar.  Coghill was very approachable and he was more than happy to discuss his cooking style and how he makes the barbecue items on his menu.  So before I even offered, I was already feeling good about my experience.

 

 The atmosphere inside Iron Barley may seem eclectic and uninspiring, but for folks that know the area of south St. Louis would appreciate that the decor perfectly fits the clientele that Coghill serves.  And the staff at Iron Barley is no exception.  My server had the perfect mix of smart ass sensibility and classic charm.

When I first heard of Iron Barley I was intrigued by the barbecue on the menu and the preparation of it I saw on television.  While I am always interested in good barbecue, on this particular day another entree item caught my eye.  As I surveyed the diverse menu, the good ole German boy in me was awakened to see Schnitzel and Spaetzle.  My decision was simple.  Go with the old world charm of a classic German combo.

When my meal arrived, it looked delicious.  I took my first bite from the spaetzle and found myself perplexed.  While it had the texture I always remember and love, the flavor was not exactly what I remembered.  I began to fear that I may have overplayed the fond memories of this dish and made it impossible for me to enjoy Iron Barley's version.  That's when I decided to turn my attention to the Schnitzel.  After squeezing a generous supply of fresh lemon juice on top, I sliced off a bite and took my chances.  The schnitzel was flavorful, with a proper texture and the meat itself was very juicy.  So despite the rocky start with the spaetzle, I was in heaven.  Sweet, German, toss a stein of beer, heaven.

After polishing off my entree, I decided that I couldn't leave without trying dessert.  While I was waiting for my meal, my server made sure to entice me by describing the super cold blaster pies on the menu.  So based on her recommendation, I ordered a peanut butter blaster pie.  The pie itself was peanut butter and was extremely frozen.  It was topped with whipped cream flavored with cayenne pepper.  It was covered in a chipotle, chocolate sauce and a strawberry, habanero sauce.  The image of the sweet with the heat sounded great.  I hate to say it, but the low point of the meal was definitely the low point of the meal.  There was just too much going on and the pie was way to frozen.  You could barely break off a bite.  It took forever to eat the pie and I couldn't even finish it.

The pie also just didn't hit the mark with the heat versus sweet.  I think they just needed to include one topping and not three.  Having all three just muddled the flavors and the spices together.  However, I do like it when someone is adventurous enough to give new things a try.  And it wasn't inedible.

So while my meal wasn't entirely fantastic, I did find Iron Barley to be a good stop.  Coghill and his staff are great, the decor is fitting and the schnitzel was incredible.  If I find myself on the south side of St. Louis around meal time in the future, I am confident that you will be able to find me dining at Iron Barley.

17th Street Bar and Grill - Murphysboro, IL

For years now, I have been into barbecue.  Eating barbecue, but also smoking it myself.  Several years ago, I found myself at the bookstore and a new book caught my eye called Peace, Love and BBQ.  I flipped through the pages and saw that the author was from southern Illinois.  My family is from southern Illinois and at the time I was living far away from home in South Dakota so the prospect of a book about barbecue and my homeland sounded great so I snatched it up.  I immediately read the book cover to cover and found it to be full of great recipes, wonderful stories and lot's of barbecue folklore.  The book is part cookbook, part memoir and part survey of the greatest barbecue restaurants across the country.  The book not only motivated me to take my smoking to the next level, but to also begin my journey as a professional barbecue competitor. 

Fast forward to September of 2010, and I set foot in Murphysboro, Illinois, with my barbecue team, Thin Blue BBQ, to compete in Mike Mills' own contest.  The annual Praise the Lard contest attracts a great deal of competition.  Some of the best teams in the country show up and as a newer competition team, we just hoped to be respectable.  To our amazement we got 2nd place in ribs!  The highlight of the weekend was getting to shake the hand of the man behind the contest and the book that inspired me, Mike Mills.

Two weeks ago, I found myself in Murphysboro and I headed to 17th Street Bar and Grill for some lunch.  I immediately ordered my favorite appetizer, pimento cheese and hot links.  The cheese is so cold and creamy, while the hot links are smoky with just the right amount of spice.  I can't get enough of it.

For my entree, I had a delicious serviing of perfectly smoked beef brisket.  My favorite part of the meal though were the sides.  I got my meal with coleslaw and hush puppies.  Two sides that I remember fondly from childhood.  And coleslaw in southern Illinois means that it has vinegar on it instead of mayo.  the crispness of the cabbage paired with the tart vinegar flavor is unbelievable.

While I was dining, I asked the server if Mills was at the restaurant that day and she said that he is usually in the office across the street when he was in town.  After my meal, I thought I would take the chance and head over to see if he was in.  To my fortune he was.  And I had the chance to talk barbecue and competitions with my personal idol for over a half an hour.  Mills was so generous with his time and so friendly.  It is easy to see how he has achieved such success when he is so personable and approachable.  The cap to my visit was a picture that I will always cherish.

Betty's Burgers - Santa Cruz, CA

Back in February, work took me to California for a week and one day I found myself in Santa Cruz over the lunch hour and I was looking for somewhere to land for a meal.  As we drove down to the beachfront to check out the Pacific Ocean for a minute, we passed a burger joint, Betty's Burgers, just a few blocks from the beach.  A sign proclaiming their burgers as the best burgers in Santa Cruz and so I thought it was time to check it out.

Betty's has a small indoor seating area and a larger outdoor seating area.  It was a perfect afternoon for dining al fresco so I went in to order before dining outside.  Like many fast casual restaurants, you order at the counter and then find your seat and a server brings the food out when it is ready.  The menu had a wide range of burgers and fair prices by California standards.  One of the best things about the menu is that everything is fresh.  Fresh veggies, fresh buns, fresh cut fries, and fresh, never frozen meat.  I also found it funny that they referred to all of their sauces and condiments as lube on the menu.  Burgers range in price from just under $5 to nearly $7.

After scanning the menu, I settled on the Mad Mex burger.  The Mad Mex is a 1/2 pound burger topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, chipolte lube, and fresh guacamole.  The thought of a burger with fresh guacamole in California was just irresistable.  I finished my order with some fries and a soda.  Then I found a seat outside and anxiously awaited the arrival of my lunch.  While I was waiting, my mouth watered continually as I saw other diners receive their meals and smelled the wonderful aroma of fresh ground beef sizzling on the grill.

After was seemed like an eternity (but was really only like 8-10 minutes), my meal arrived.  And it looked spectacular.  The burger was nice and very juicy.  About 5 napkins juicy.  The guacamole and all of the veggies on board were indeed fresh and delicious.  Perhaps the only downside to the meal was that the fries were unimpressive.  They were pretty thin and crispy, which I like but they were unseasoned and just not inspiring.

Overall, though I would say that Betty's Burgers would get my vote for best burger in Santa Cruz.  Take a look at this and see for yourself.

Shell's Coastal Cuisine Food Truck - St. Louis, MO

The street food truck phenomenon is sweeping the nation and St. Louis is starting to get in on the craze.  Within the past 18 months, St. Louis went from having no food trucks to having a dozen trucks on the street today.  The trucks mainly serve the downtown and Central West End areas with some exceptions.  While I was in town, I made it my mission to find a food truck and test out the St. Louis food truck market.  That's when I hit my first roadblock.  I wanted to find a truck for dinner and I learned that none of the trucks in St. Louis have dinner service.  So it took a little strategy to work out my schedule, but I was able to make it work.  The next big concern was deciding which truck to frequent.  After some diligent menu research, I settled on Shell's Coastal Cuisine.

Shell's Coastal Cuisine started in May of 2011 as the brainchild of chef-owner, Shelley McMahan and it brings a menu based on Carribbean influences to St. Louis.  McMahan, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu's St. Louis school, has a number of fellow graduates helping her staff the truck.

On Wednesday, I found the truck serving lunch on the campus of Wells Fargo Advisors.  The truck has a fresh, beach theme and as I approached I could hear island music playing from the truck.  It was incredibly hot the day I went to eat there and despite the heat, the staff was very friendly.  McMahan took my order and unfortunately I didn't arrive in time to get the Blue Heaven's Shrimp Melt.  I was momentarily sad since that is the menu item that made my mouth water when I did my research.  However, the smell of steak on the flat top grill inside the truck made up my mind for me.  I ordered the steak tacos and sweet potato chips as a side.

My food was served quickly and I chose to have my tacos on corn tortillas.  The truck offers both corn and flour tortillas.  They also provide a number of different hot sauces.  After setting myself up, I took my first bite and was immediately pleased.  The tortillas were soft and warm and the steak was juicy with a nice crust on the outside.  The sweet potato chips were crispy and the sweetness of the chips were well balanced by the dusting of salt.  The chips were $2 and the two tacos were $7.50.  With a soda, my total bill was $11 and I was delightfully full.

Overall, my first St. Louis food truck experience was a positive one.  My hope would be that over time the trucks will begin serving dinner and so on subsequent trips I can explore more of the food trucks in the evening when I visit St. Louis.  For now I was glad to share a meal and some conversation with McMahan and her staff.  You can see their passion in the design of the truck, the ambiance (yes a food truck can have ambiance), and the food they carefully prepare.

Even my co-worker enjoyed his meal.

Bigelo's Bistro - Edwardsville, IL

This Tuesday while I was getting ready for a meeting in downtown Edwardsville for work, I sought out a spot to grab some lunch.  As usual, I looked for a chance to dine at a local restaurant.  I stumbled on Bigelo's Cafe.  It was convenient for me because it was right across the street from where my meeting would be and it had a nice, modern look to the restaurant.  Once inside, the decor was modern and nice.  The restaurant seats about 50 at a time around tables and at the bar.  When I came in at about 12:30 pm. there were not many seats available, which I always take as a good sign.

A server greeted us as she walked by and told us to find a seat anywhere.  I selected a small table toward the back so I could watch the service.  Our server came by quickly and took our drink order and our food order a short time after that.  I chose a BLT sandwich and a Greek salad for the side.  My co-worker ordered a club sandwich and the same Greek salad.  The menu was full of affordable items.  The BLT was $7.69 and I was able to add the side salad for $2.50 more.

The salads were delivered quickly and were delicious. The serving was generous and would equal a full-size salad at many other restaurants. The lettuce was crisp and the tangy dressing was well balanced against the salty flavor of the black olives and generous helping of feta cheese.  Things were off to a good start and as soon as I finished the salad, my sandwich arrived.  The BLT was delicious.  It was made on Texas toast, which had been grilled on the flattop grill.  It had a crunch to the outside of the bread with a soft, sweet interior.  The bacon was crisp, but not brittle and the sandwich had the right amount of mayonnaise, lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

The only downside was that my co-worker ordered a club sandwich, yet he received a BLT like me.  Our server was attentive and kind, but during a busy lunch rush I think the problem arose because the servers don't write down their orders.  More and more restaurants seem to be adopting this model, but I always like to see someone write down my order.

Overall, I had a great meal and a good experience at Bigelo's.  The decor was nice, the staff was friendly, and the food was great.  They have a nice selection of beers and wines there as well and I saw a flyer for an upcoming 5-course dinner they were having as a special event.  For more information, find them at www.bigelosbistro.com.

The Journey Begins

I love food.  I am comfortable saying that.  Food is a wonderful thing and our country has so many different styles of food to offer.  Whenever I travel, I always look to find great local food.  I avoid fast food and skip the chains.  Instead, I seek out the locals.  The places where the owners and employees pour their heart and soul into each dish.  Places where families make their living and build their future on the success of their business.  Those are the places where great food can be found.


When I find these places, I get more than a meal.  I get to see someone's passion in their menu, their dishes, the ambiance, and the staff.  Sometimes places hit the mark and other times I am left looking for more.  But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  So after being on this journey for some time, I thought it was only prudent that I let others in on my experiences.  What you will find in this blog is the humble opinion of one man.  While I do have some culinary experience and training, I am not Anthony Bourdain or Rachel Ray or Guy Fieri.  Everything I eat isn't the most amazing thing ever and I will gladly let you know.  I will give you the stories behind the food and the places I visit. 

Are you ready for the adventure?  If so then follow along and try to keep up.  I think you will find a lot of good food along the way.