Life in the Slow Lane
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We went to Southpaw for lunch yesterday. We'd been there for a beer before and Lisa had gone there with friends but I hadn't been there to eat. Lisa had brought home a sandwich for me when she went there but by the time it got home it was hard to tell how good it really was.
Our waitress wasn't the most attentive especially with how many people were in there. There were a few tables finishing up but hope they get a better crowd soon. I ordered dry rubbed chicken wings while Lisa got the bbq sandwich with chips. The wings were nice big wings and were cooked really well, smoked then fried. They were different than others I've had in the area and I really liked them. Lisa's bbq was different then most around and I thought it was good. I really liked the crisp pickles on it. The chips were really crisp but needed seasoning, I added some salt that helped. Really nice to have a place that is a bar and has food. Murphysboro hasn't had that in a while.
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Yesterdays excursion took us to the Eagles Nest in Addieville. When we arrived there were a lot of cars so needless to say they had a big crowd but we were able to get a table just inside the door. It was very busy and I think our waitress was new not only to the place but to being a waitress in general.
Lisa and I had Blue Moon drafts while Mike had captain and diet and Debbie was a good girl with water. We ordered a half chicken all white with slaw and subbed out fries for onion rings. The got chicken also but with fries and subbed out chips for the slaw. Mike got his usual chips for the table also. We didn't have to wait as long as I expected but Mike's chips for the table came out about the same time as the rest of our food. We didn't get our slaw and Mike only got one fry so something got messed up. I wasn't real worried about the slaw because the chicken was so good. Very moist and well cooked. The onion rings were also very good but the breading fell off easily. The chips were crisp but didn't seem to have much seasoning on them. Overall an awesome stop, best chicken I've had in a while. On our way home we stopped at Coon Dogs outside of Coulterville. Not a lot of people but a good time and a nice place. One guy had beef jerky that was really good so I bought a bad. The also had a claw machine with ducks in it so we played it some, guess who got a duck on their first try, me! We went to Aces & Eights yesterday. It's a very small place with a small menu close to the Pyramid State Park. I'd been wanting to go there for a while.
I was torn between a BLT and a burger so when Lisa went with a BLT I opted for a cheeseburger. Both of us got fries and a Yuengling. There were a few other people in the place eating and a couple more came in when those left. Not crowded but it could be with a few more people. The burger was handpattyed and really big but was missing something, maybe seasoning. The BLT was very good. The fries were your standard crinkle cut frozen fries but were cooked very well. If and when we go back I'll probably go with BLT. They've open a place in Oakdale and a gaming place in Nashville. We got a late start yesterday because of Greysons little league game. Carbondale and Marion were out because of SIU graduation so we decided on Split Decisions, a relatively new place that has been Ten Pin Alley and Backwater Pub and most likely others in the past.
We parked in front which seems to be the entrance to the bowling alley, the entrance to the restaurant part is on the north side of the building. The don't have draft beer yet but they did have Yuengling so we got that. Mike got his captain and diet while Debbie was good and had soda. We got a an appetizer of onion rings which was the main reason I wanted to go there and also a plate of pretzel bites and beer cheese. Mike and I got burgers while the girls both got BLT. The onion rings were very hot by the time they got to the table like they'd been sitting for a while but they were still awesome. They were hand breaded using red onions, I don't think I've ever had and onion rings with red onions. I thought the pretzel bites weren't all that great, I'm not sure why but something was missing. The burger was excellent, it was also hand pattied and cook really well. Mike had gotten fries and they were nicely done too. I didn't try any of the BLT's but did have a strip of bacon and it was really good. I hope they continue making the food by hand, it really adds something. We finished the day with stops at River Rats and the Elks. Yesterdays adventure took us to Lisas Market Street bar in Prairie du Rocher. I took an interesting wrong turn and we ended up going by Pierre Menards home. We didn't stop but it looked interesting.
Once we finally got to Lisa's we weren't sure it was open. It was just not much happening there. We split a half fried chicken all white with beer battered fried and cucumber salad. The fried chicken was great, probably right there with Bottoms Up. The cucumber salad was really good but I like a thicker cut on the cucumbers. The beer battered fries weren't that great, Mikes regular fries were much better. I think the beer battered would have been better if they cooked longer. We walked down the street to the Rocher Pub and there were several people in there having drinks on a rainy crappy day. Me and Lisa had been there before but Mike and Debbie hadn't. After a beer it was time to move on. We stopped in Evansville and the street was blocked off. We went in the Sand Box but it was way too crowded and loud. We walked out and talked to the owner. They were supposed to have a street party but the weather moved it inside. He said there was another bar named Billy Bobs about a block a way so we went there. It was an old place but had a small but interesting menu. While we were there the barmaid told us of a bbq place called Wallys in Ellis Grove. We finished our drinks and had a nice cold walk back to the car. But wait, there was a small town market that we stopped in. It reminded me of the markets we had in Murphysboro years ago. Last stop was at Wallys. I'm always very skeptical of bbq places, too much competition bbq. We decided to get the sampler with brisket, ribs and pulled pork. For sides we had mac and cheese and baked beans. Color me impressed. The ribs were bite through and very good. Best we've had since Hicks closed down. The brisket was also on point and possibly the best around. Pulled pork was okay but if you can't make pulled pork don't open a bbq place. Everyone said the mac and cheese was good but it's not really my thing. The beans needed work, not really that much flavor. Overall a great place. We met some of my cousins yesterday at Faye. We had Dooter so he got to go too. I ordered a turkey club with avocado on the side. Lisa got half BLT and half strawberry salad while Dax got a sheet pan egg and sausage.
My turkey club was very good. Dax ate Lisa's strawberries but not a lot of his own stuff and also got a big brownie that the twins finished up when they got off the bus. It was a really good time talking with them. On Saturday we played in a Wrestling benefit tournament. Several old wrestlers and a few current wrestlers played along with some of the usual players.
In the first game we beat the Edwards team 9-3. In the second game we played a team that featured my cousin Roberto. We couldn't hang with a pretty loaded team losing 9-3. In the third game we played a team made up with mostly current wrestlers so we didn't have much trouble with them. In the fourth pool game we played a win and in game against a team headlined by CJ. We just couldn't make throws when we had too and lost a game that wasn't overly close. After the game we decided to go to Quatros. We split a salad and small meateaters pizza. While we were waiting long time friend Big Gay Al walked in so we went over and talked with him and his some Jacob. The salad was good but the croutons weren't anything special and there was a lot of them. Their french dressing is some of the best I've had. Finally the pizza came and it was very good and looked like Quatros pizza is supposed to look. Mike and Debbie got a medium pepperoni and it was thin similar to ours the last time we were there. I hope they get things worked out and back to what Quatros is supposed to be. We had a lazy Saturday so we decided to pick up New Kahala, something we hadn't done in a while. One of their limited time specials caught my eye so I decided to get a pork chop over rice. Lisa also tried something new, noodles with Peking sauce.
The pork chop in mine was nicely done except the coating fell off anytime I cut it. The rice was good and there was a ton of it. I'm not a big hard boiled egg guy and didn't really care that much for brown egg. I probably won't get it again. Lisa's was good but was spicy, I couldn't have eaten much of it and there was a lot. We took a very nice ride up into Larue Pine Hills even stopping to check out inspiration point. Mike went out to the point but the rest of us stayed back. I don't trust my balance that much anymore especially having some vertigo episodes lately. We too Hutchins road but not much water was flowing over the road. We ended up at Ware Market which is always a cool place to visit.
On the way to Bottom's Up Lisa said I could take the jeep up Happy Hollow rd, at least until it started to touch the sides of the jeep. No problem, we made it all the way to the top. Mike had been wanting to show Debbie the view and it was awesome. Lastly we stopped at Bottoms up. I ordered 1/4 fried chicken all white while Lisa got a grilled chicken breast. With my two sides I got slaw and a dinner salad for Lisa. Mike and Debbie got their standard 1/2 chicken with double chips along with double chips for the table. Everything was great as always but Lisas chicken looked small. Pictures to come. The grandkids had a combined birthday party at Ultimate Gymnastics yesterday. It was rainy and has been for several days, I'm talking historic rain. 6" and up in most places. Why is that related? All the kids there were ready to cut loose and they did. Bailey was worried about people showing up but I said there wasn't anything else to do.
Afterwards we decided to go to Sergios in Carbondale. We talked about Bottoms Up but were worried about roads being flooded. I was in need of one of their big beers when we got there and it was nice and cold. Three of us ordered birria tacos and Mike got street tacos. I also got a side of rice while Debbie and Lisa got rice and beans. In addition to the standard chips and salsa that most Mexican places set out we got an order of guacamole for the table. The guac was chunky which I don't think I've ever seen before but it was really good. The tacos were also really good and I the dipping sauce (au jus?) was a great addition. It was also good poured over the rice. Everyone seemed really pleased with the meal except Mike wasn't wild about the chunky guac. By the time we were finishing there was almost no room on the table with all the different dishes. Note to self, next time skip the rice. I felt like the michelen man when I left. Yesterdays funday trip started out with a trip to Mollys Pint. We had a lot of decorations and clothes that we were getting rid of and they wanted to take a look at what we had. While we were there we had a beer of course. Three of us went with a dark lager while Mike got a light lager. The dark lager was really good, similar to a Modelo Negra.
We then headed to Route 51 Brewery for a bite to eat. I got an amber lager that was also really good. Myself and Debbie ordered pork belly tacos that were on special while Lisa got a bbq slider and Mike got a chicken quesadillo. The pork belly sliders were spectacular, a great mix of pork and slaw and pico. Lisa wasn't real wild about her bbq and the bit I had wasn't anywhere close to the pork belly. Mike seemed to like his quesadillo. After we left there we stopped for our initial visit to Southpaw Bar & Grill. The grill part is 3-4 weeks away. The inside is great. A lot going on with two giant golf simulators and a nice big wraparound bar. It's really interesting watching them fill up a draft. It fills from the bottom and there's a magnet that holds it shut. Really nice place and I'm sure we'll be back soon. We had a chance to get away yesterday and after discussing many options we decided to keep it simple and go to Bottoms Up.
We got there and the door was locked but we went around to the other door and it was open. They locked the door to keep the wind from opening then slamming it shut. I went down thinking something different and I stuck to the plan. I got catfish with slaw and onion rings. Lisa got wings with an appetizer of fried okra. The catfish was okay, nothing special but not bad either. Same goes for the onion rings plus it was too much fried for me. The slaw was a vinegar based slaw and I really liked it. The wings were there normal great wings. The big surprise was the fried okra, it was really good but not quite as good as Smoking Ks. Good time as always there. Tuesday we took the grandkids to Alto Pass for a "hike" down Quetil trail. It's a fairly easy down and back trail with the first part having bluffs on one side and several trails on the other.
To say they loved it would be an understatement especially the two boys. Dooter would take off and get ahead then have to wait while the rest of us caught up. They both wanted to take some stairs up to the top where the scenic view is located but that was too much. It was a beautiful day so after we left we took the jeep to Hutchins Creek and drove it through the water where it crosses the road. We turned around and let them play in the water for while. The cold water didn't bother Greyson but it did some with Brinley and Dax. After we left down there we made our first trip to Small Town Scoops, not for ice cream but to eat. I ordered a rueben while Lisa got a pretzel and the kids got chicken strips. The rueben wasn't bad but it wasn't that good either. The chicken strips seemed to need a little more time and the kids didn't really like them. I thought Lisa's pretzel was good but she didn't. I think that was because she went for the skinny part of the pretzel because it had more salt while the fatter part was softer. Lisa did take the kids up and we brought home ice cream for them. We'll try them again since they just added food to their menu and are getting things ironed out. After running a couple errands yesterday morning Lisa finally got motivated and we went down to Bottoms Up for some chicken. I thought about wings but we finally went with 1/2 chicken all white with chips for a side, except I actually said a whole chicken. Of well, I mentioned taking some to Mike and Debbie anyway.
As always the chicken was excellent and the chips tasted good but that's a lot of fried stuff for me. After asking if they had Yuengling and getting a "what" I found out they had Yuengling flight so I decided to try one. Not bad, better than any other in the ultra light category that I've had. We took a little ride on the levi then on the way back we discovered the Chinchbug has reopened so we stopped in for a drink. No food yet but they are planning on rolling it out in the future. We've taken turns being sick over the last week so not much happening with us. Yesterday we both were finally feeling well enough to go out and grab lunch. Lisa has been having a hankering for pizza so what better Quatros.
Lisa likes booths and sitting in the downstairs part of the building and we manage to satisfy both her likes. We ordered a medium meateaters pizza and a dinner salad that we split. The salad came already in two bowls which was nice. I didn't want cheese on the salad so it was just lettuce and croutons. There was a lot of croutons, probably too many for me. The french dressing is really good. The meateaters is our standard pizza order there. The pizza was still really good but something seemed different. It just didn't seem as thick as it has been, also didn't seem as much sauce. I hope it was just the day and not a change, it's been too good for too long. We got to meet the new owner and she was really nice and told us of upcoming changes. It was good to get out even for a little while. 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. Wednesday we decided to go somewhere and grab a bite to eat. The decision came down to Carbondelis or Boobys. A chance to finally sit down and enjoy a Yuengling won out so we rolled to Booby's.
We both ordered Yuenglings of course and then we both went with the italian sub special minus tomatoes, toasted. I didn't realize it came with mayo or probably would have ordered without that too but not a big deal. The sandwiches were cut in half which is a nice plus. Both of us really enjoyed the sandwich and said it may be our new favorite and that's saying a lot. I didn't see the pickle until Lisa was wrapping my half sandwich for later and it was good. I still miss the baskets and the Charlies chips but it was still a great visit and I'm so glad Boobys is back. We went to Chili's on Wednesday for a beer and chips and we ended up eating there. I had the fried chicken sandwich with a salad. The salad wasn't bad but they didn't have french dressing and it had some of the lettuce I'm not real wild about. I don't even know what its called. The chicken sandwich was really good and big. Lisa had the big smash burger and it was once again good.
Yesterday we stopped at a couple places in carbondale and then went to Sam's. Along with about half of Southern Illinois. It was packed and people were in no hurry to move out of a persons way especially if there was a sample table near by. By the time we got out of there we both were more than ready for a beer. We decided to try out the new Turners Table but when we went in they said the didn't have alcohol and out we went. One older lady coming in was leaning on a wooden railing and it broke. We helped the lady but they need to get it fixed. It looks like a place older people go. Once we left there we mentioned several places before deciding on a little ride to Bottoms Up but first we switch to Lisa's jeep. Once we got there we ordered 1/2 fried chicken all white and both of us had salads with french. Their salads are really nice and a good size. Of course the fried chicken is great, had to beat and the workers are always friendly and up for some good natured bantor. After we left we ran down to Ware Market and got a few items before going thru Hutchens creek and then up to LaRue-Pine hills for a nice drive back home. After some unsuccessful tries I was finally able to ascertain that Champs was open and serving food again. I really didn't notice much different in the restaurant area after their closing. There was sign out front saying new management and new cook. We once again sat in a booth in the gaming area only to move to the main part I think because it was too cool. I was looking at memorabilia when the decision was made. While we were deciding what to eat I asked about the change and one of the things the waitress said was they old cook took all the recipes with him.
The don't have a big menu so I once again ordered a burger with provolone. I went over thinking salad for a side but changed to onion rings at the last moment. Lisa got an italian beef with chili, Debbie got a jalapeno brat and Mike got a cheeseburger with homemade chips. My cheeseburger was better than the last time but the onion rings were a big step back. It was obvious that they are now frozen out of a bag instead of made on site. Lisa's italian beef looked really good but she said it the flavor was all in the au jus. She said her chili was once again had good flavor but way too many beans. Debbie seemed to like her brat. The look on Mikes face when they brought out his plate was priceless. The homemade chips were tortilla chips instead of potato chips. To make it worse for him they ran out of Sailor Jerrys rum. I'm not as excited about going back as I was previously since before everything was handmade on site. I must admit I've never been a fan of Tres. I guess it was a nice place to have a drink but not eat. Now they've remade their menu into a traditional menu with a few mexican dishes so we decided to try it out.
I'd seen some pictures so I went over thinking catfish and I stayed with the plan when I got over there. I ordered the catfish dinner, onion rings and california mix veggies. I got the veggies over the salad because they didn't have any dressings that sounded good. Lisa got a burger and a salad with mayo with chopped jalepenos in it. We both had our first taste of Garage beer owned by the Kelce brothers but also partially AJ Hawk (ex Packer). Really nice taste, better than most of your standard beers. We received a basket of chips and salsa when we sat down. The chips were okay but I really liked the salsa. Better than what I remember their salsa tasting like. I mentioned I wanted tartar sauce with my fish only to be told they didn't carry it. What the ??? Fish without tartar sauce is just fish. I couldn't believe it, two fish dishes and no tartar sauce, wow. Anyway Lisa said just get some mayo and pickles and chop the pickles into the mayo. We told the waitress and she did try but needed more pickles. Oh she did bring a lemon slice to squeeze in. Lisa's salad came first and it was a nice sized salad but the dressing was too heavy. Then out came the entrees and mine had two delicious looking monster catfish filets and some great looking onion rings. I knew right away I wasn't going to eat both fish filets they were so big. I had a couple onion rings and the breading wasn't sticking to the onion very well, when it did it was really good. Same thing happened with the breading on the catfish. It made me wonder if their fryers were turned off and they had put the stuff in before it was fully warmed up. Seemed like an excess of grease on the plates too. The veggies were typical frozen bagged veggies and weren't overly warm or seasoned. Lisa wasn't real wild about her burger and said she wouldn't get one again. Overall not very impressive. It almost seems like they want one foot in the past and one in the future but the changeover was recent and it may take some time for them to adjust. |
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