Mike's birthday was this past Tuesday so we had a belated birthday outing for him yesterday.  He chose Kretzers over several other suggestions so we headed up.  I was worried about it being crowded so we left a little after noon hoping to avoid the lunch crowd.  No problem, when we got there the place was maybe half full so we were able to get the table we normally sit at.
Myself and Debbie each ordered catfish special but I subbed a baked potato for the fries.  Lisa got the mahi mahi tacos with chips and Mike got a pulled pork sandwich with fries.  Lisa ordered fried mushrooms and pork rinds for appetizers.  Oh and they had Yuengling on tap.
The appetizers got there and the mushrooms were great.  I tried to avoid eating too many but they were so good.  I only had a couple of the pork rinds and they seemed really good but had to tell.  They've been good in the past so why not.
The catfish was once again excellent, probably the best around and the tartar sauce was on point.  The baked potato was solid, not great not bad, just a good baked potato.  Best thing about it is that it wasn't fried.  The cole slaw was really good.  I think it is similar to KFC's slaw.  Lisa's tacos were really good too but she only ate one.  I'm not sure if Mike liked his sandwich, he said it was good but he only ate half.  He did like the fries.
After we left there Mike decided he wanted to go to Slip In Saloon in Nashville.  A really nice place with both Packer and SF Giant stuff on the walls so of course I like it.  They also had Yuengling on draft.  We had one and I wanted to get closer to home.
Last Mike chose Big Muddy for our final stop.  Not many people in there and it was cold in the building.  After one there it was time to go home.

Smoking Ks added etouffee to their menu so it's only natural that we wanted to get over to Marion and try it.  We took advantage of a snow day yesterday and headed over there.
It's a tough decision on what to get with cajun and bbq on the menu.  We finally decided on etouffee and since it was so good the last time we got gumbo again this time and of course Lisa got fried okra as a side.  The staff there was very patient and nice while we decided on what to get and throughout the time we were there.
The etouffee was different then any other that I've had but also very good.  It was more a soup or stew while the others I've had are thicker and lighter in color.  The gumbo was once again really good and the fried okra is spectacular.  Both the etouffee and gumbo have a little kick to them but it's not over powering.  The okra has a nice finish to it that seemed salty.
In talking with them they said they are working on offering combos and also on getting a liquor license 🍺☺️☺️☺️ Next time I may have to try some of their bbq offerings such as brisket and burnt ends.

We decided to go to Texas Roadhouse yesterday as kind of a belated valentines dinner.  We don't go out on the actual day because most places are crowded.  I'd been wanting to go back since our previous experience there.  I called about an hour before we headed over and request a booth in the bar area.  Good thing I did, the place was packed with a big waiting list.  We only had to wait a couple minutes and out booth was ready, I'm sure there were some unhappy people.  Thanks to our daughter for the calling in tip.
We once again got Trevor as a waiter and he seemed to remember us.  We both ordered Yuengling while we figured out what we wanted.  We finally decided to share a 16 oz ribeye with baked potato and salad, Lisa also got chili to augment her portion of the steak.This time the rolls were really good and fresh.  The salad got there quicker than I thought with that big a crowd.  It's a nice sized salad that we shared and the french dressing is excellent.  A short time later the steak and chili showed up, once again faster than expected.  The steak was a perfect medium but I didn't taste the blackening like previous time so I wonder if they missed that part of the order.  Other than that it was a really good steak and the baked potato is great.  Lisa really liked her chili and the small bite I had was good.
It was raining hard when we left so we just headed home to take it easy after a nice meal.

I've been wanting to try the lo mein from China Buffet so yesterday we decided to pick some up.  Dax was here and he loves nu nu's (noodles) so that made it an easy choice.
I got veggie lo mein while Lisa got Szechuan chicken, we also got a large hot and sour soup.  I used their website to order and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes.  I got there early and it was ready for me so I'll have to remember it's closer to 15 minutes.
Everything seemed nice and hot and there was plenty.  My lo mein was good, not as good as New China was but better than New Kahala.  Lisa's chicken was also good, it was sweeter than other szechuan dishes I've had.  The hot and sour soup was really good and being hot helped since the last time the egg drop soup was barely warm.

Yesterday we made a trip to St Libory to got to the Brickhouse Bar and Grill.  Of course we had to visit Wennemans Meat Market first and the place was packed.  Main reason was to pick up some of their ham hocks but we got something similar instead.  We also picked up a couple different summer sausages and some pork steaks.  Everything looked great and I could have spent a lot more money there.
Next we went to the Brickhouse for lunch.  The place was packed but a table opened up.  We decided to let another family with kids sit there but right away another one opened up.  We got pretzel bites for an appetizer and they were great, nice and salty.  We split a four piece chicken all white meal, Lisa got a side salad while I got some fried potatoes.  Mike also got chicken while Debbie went with a rueben that was a special. 
Our waitress was a lot of fun and we had a good time interacting with her after the crowd cleared out.  She said they normally aren't that crowded.  The chicken was really good, close to Bottoms Up.  My potatoes weren't very warm but I think they would have been good if they had been hotter.  Debbie said her rueben was good. 
The family next to us kept winning with a claw machine and it was enjoyable to watch.  I gave them two options heading home and they chose route 4 and a visit to Garden of Eden.
It was as expected, a true dive bar with several regulars sitting around.  They are having something called the Rotten Applefest which we all thought was funny since we have the applefest.  They have a bunch of heavy metal bands and food trucks.  Not my thing.
We finished off the day with a visit to the Corner Tavern.  Debbie hadn't been there and Mike hadn't been there in 40+ years.  Mike ran into an old classmate who hangs out there all the time.  We ordered a pretzel with extra salt and it really hit the spot.

It was in the mid 60s yesterday.  In Southern Illinois?  In early February?  Yes so I decided to cancel my weekly card game and go for a hike.  We needed to be back before 3 so that ruled out anything too long or far away.
We decided on the trail at the Oakwood Bottoms.  I missed going out on the island but caught up with the others as they were just starting around the lake.  The rock trail is almost all gone and it was soft but not muddy except in a few places that were easily avoided. 
We ran into a couple who were just getting done going around the boardwalk and said there was a tree down about 9/10s of the way around.  There was at least one missing board and one place were a tree knocked down the railing.  Plus there were tree leaves on most of the boardwalk.  We didn't see much wildlife but it was still nice to get out.
The bad thing about Mondays is that food options are very limited but we finally decided on the Revlon.  After considering a pork tenderloin I decided on a chicago dog without tomatoes.  Lisa and Debbie got BLT's while Mike got a cheeseburger and fries.  We started off with fried pickle and fried cauliflower appetizers.
I thought both appetizers were good but not great.  The chicago dog was good but not really a chicago dog, more like a split hot dog with toppings.  The two BLTs were great, by far the best we had.  Mike didn't care for his burger or fries, mainly because the cheese wasn't melted on the burger and some of the fries were cold.