Yesterday we met up at Faye for a late brunch.  As we were sitting there Ted and Marsha walked in and sat with us.  I went up thinking pastrami hash but changed my mind to Brisket Benedict since I'd never had a poached egg.  It consisted of the poached egg & brisket on a biscuit all covered in hollandaise sauce.  A lot of hollandaise sauce.  The poached egg was solid but there's a lot of other kind of ways to fix eggs I like better.  The brisket seemed okay but it was hard to tell with all the hollandaise sauce and of course their biscuits are always good.  I wasn't wild about the sauce and it just dominated everything else.
Overall I should have stuck with my original choice or got the smoked turkey Ted got.

Yesterday me and Mike took Danny and Michelle to Bottoms Up for a late lunch.  I thought for sure they'd been there but they said they hadn't.  Lisa was in Cape with Bailey but we were going to meet her on the way down but nature called and she was in a hurry to get home.  She's been a little leery of going there because they had advertised for a new bartender and new cook but fear not, the regular cook was there.
We always have a little back and forth with her and this was no different.  Michelle wanted fried pickles so we got some of those and Mike ordered chips too.  The chips were great as always but I didn't care for the pickles, they seemed too crispy and possibly a little overdone.  Me and Mike got our usual, wings for me and quarter chicken with chips for him.  Danny and Michelle ended up ordering wings too.  My wings were back to normal after a subpar experience the last time and they were hot, very hot.  The others seemed to like what they got.
We then took a ride on the levee which was somewhat disappointing because the trees were leafy and we couldn't see much of the river.  On our way back we stopped at the Chinchbug.  Mike and Lisa had stopped there on their way back from Perryville and really enjoyed it.  I was skeptical but have to say they've done a good job on the inside.  We're going to have to go back and check out the food before long.

We were planning on sitting around the house yesterday when I saw that King Neptunes Cajun House opened at 1.  I confirmed they would have their cajun menu so plans were changed and off we went.
We got there and we were the only people there, of course it was 2pm on day perfect for being outside.  It was obvious our waitress was young so she was a bit confused when we ordered Sam Adams Octoberfest drafts.  The bar maid helped her out but had to bring the drinks over since the waitress was too young.  The drafts had a lot of foam so the barmaid comped us the second one.  The menu was very limited and surprisingly they didn't have gumbo.  Three of us ordered etouffee while Debbie went with a cajun smash burger. 
The etouffee was excellent with maybe a hair too much rice but otherwise spot on.  It came with a slice of garlic bread that was a really good compliment to the etouffee.  Debbie's burger wasn't really smashed and didn't have much cajun flavor to it.  Her onion rings were good and nicely cooked. 
On our way out we were asking some questions when the manager or owner came in and she said they are in the process of ramping up their menu.  She also said they will be opening at 1 as soon as she can get staffing worked out.
Another local cajun place is great.

With Lisa off having fun with her brother and me not feeling great I decided to go try China Buffet.  I tried calling several times before going out to get it.  I didn't realize how small the place is but should have looking at the inside of the building. 
I told the waitress/hostess/cashier that I wanted a carry out order only to be informed they only had the buffet but it could be carried out.  They've been overwhelmed and I got the impression that will change when they get things worked out.  The danger of going to a place when it first opens.  Oh well.  The waitress gave me a carry out box and told me what the items were on the buffet.  I went out wanting lo mein and that was what I got the most of.  I also got some beef and broccoli and some chicken in garlic sauce.
I thought all three were good especially considering they were on a buffet and brought home.  The lo mein has a lot of potential when fresh.  My favorite may have been the chicken in garlic sauce though. 
Overall it was both good and disappointing.  I really wanted to try the stuff fresh,.

We decided to try out Alvis Backroad Bar and Grill in Tamaroa yesterday.  I didn't want to fight any holiday traffic and that seemed like a nice drive.  Until I was reminded it was DQ State Fair time when we already in Desoto.  Oh well, on we went.  We hadn't been past DuQuoin in quite a while so it was a nice drive.
I only had a general idea of how to get there but figured it's Tamaroa how hard can it be to find.  Mike did check directions while we were searching so we didn't have any problems.  It's in town so backroad is a bit of an overstatement but it is off the beaten path. 
Really nice interior with a lot of old signs and such.  I went up thinking burger and stayed with the plan.  Biggest downside is they were out of bacon so both Debbie and Lisa had to change their order.  They only had 3 or 4 taps but they did have Stag so that's what I got.  My burger was really good and appears to be made to order instead of prepattyed or frozen.  I got mine with lettuce onion and pickle but took the lettuce off and should have got extra pickles.  The fries appeared to be frozen ones so were just decent.  Both Lisa and Mike liked their burgers and Debbie liked her wrap.  After we finished we ended up talking to the owners father, a very nice and personable guy.  Overall a great stop and we'll be back.
On our way home I spied another place in Tamaroa so we stopped in for a quick one.  I was surprised that the place was somewhat crowded with a bunch of guys playing pool.  Other than that it looked like a typical neighborhood bar at least until you visited the bathroom.  The wall was decorated with a poster featuring old Playboy pictures in various stages of undress.  Awesome.
We took 127 home to avoid DuQuoin.  We hadn't been to Brews Brothers in a while so we decided to stop.  There was a big group there mainly of people from Chester but there was a couple from carbondale.  Come to find out he is the head coach of the dreaded terriers football team so we had a little conversation with him about my old buddy Twink.  After a lot of back and forth about various things it was time to go home,

We had a chance to go somewhere yesterday before the kid invasion began.  We went earlier than normal which gave us a chance to try some places that aren't normally open when we go places.  We decided on Jack Russell's Fish House.  We hadn't been there in a few years so off we went.  It was a nice day so we had the tops off the Jeep and cruised on over.
When we got there we found out you can no longer park in front of it so we parked around the corner in what appears to be a city parking lot.  I quickly decided on the fried catfish and a side salad.  After some thought I finally decided on red beans and rice for my other side.  Lisa went with blackened shrimp skewers with the same two sides.  We both ordered Blue Moon drafts.  The drafts came and were in a really nice tall mug.  The salad arrived shortly after and the croutons were excellent.  The salad wasn't very big and was just iceberg lettuce, shaved carrots and a couple onion rings (not the fried kind) but it tasted really good.  So much for the high point of the meal.
The entrees got there in a timely fashion.  My fried fish was okay but not what you expect from a place that bills itself as a fish house.  The red beans and rice were barely okay.  Lisa's shrimp were small and really over seasoned to the point that she didn't like them.  The one's I had were really uneven in seasoning, some okay some over seasoned.
Overall a disappointing experience.  We'll probably go back but it won't be for a while and I'll hopefully remember to get something besides the catfish.

After last weeks no AC we decided to order pizza Friday due in a big part to watching a food show showcasing pizza.  They showed a lot of deep dish or chicago style pizza so we decided to get a chicago style from Martels.  We'd gotten it before and it was pretty decent but this time it wasn't.  I can't put a finger on it but it just didn't taste that good.
On Saturday we were wiped out after the bocce tournament, we also missed the pizza that Whiffleboys had donated so we were also hungry.  We decided to hit up 17th St..  I thought it would be crowded with it being move in weekend at SIU but there were plenty of spots available.  I decided on the lotta bull sandwich, one of my favorite things there.  Lisa went with nachos, Debbie a pork steak and Mike pulled pork.  We got some pork rinds for an appetizer.  The pork rinds were good as always.  My sandwich was the last thing delivered and it had changed.  It now came on a sub looking bun and a pickle spear instead of the chopped pickles.  I must say it didn't change for the better.  The spear was a disappointment and the new bun didn't allow all the ingredients to blend as well as the old round bun.  Everyone else like theirs and was happy to finally get back home.

Cave In Rock part one.  After we went through Cave In Rock we went up to Kaylors which is the Cave In Rock lodge for a drink.  The place was smaller than I expected and was packed.  Most people appeared to be eating from the buffet but a few ordered off the menu and that looked good.  We were trying to decide where to go and finally decided on a plan.
We went by E Town restaurant to show Debbie it but it was packed.  Next we headed to Diver Down in Golconda.  We ended up having a beer and some fried pickles.  I thought the pickles were very good.  I'd sent a message to Batman, a high school teacher of ours, and were hoping he'd show up.  He didn't but I got a message saying he'd been in Marion.  Diver Down was an interesting place but for some reason the bar was sticky and it wouldn't come off with a bar rag.
We decided to go to Shotgun Eddies next for something to eat.  When we got there the place was packed on the outside but there were some spots on the inside.  We chose a both and hit the jackpot with our waitress.  She was very fun and helpful and picked up on things quickly.  Lisa got chips for the table but they were bland, Lisa put some salt on them and that helped but I wasn't impressed.  Me and Debbie decided to get a rueben and a pork loin sandwich and then split them between us.  I got onion rings while Debbie got chips.  Lisa went with a cheeseburger and fries, she's been on a burger kick lately.  Mike went with pulled pork and chips.  The loin sandwich was really good, only downside was the bottom bun was very soggy and couldn't hold the sandwich together.  The rueben was okay but kind of disappointing.  The onion rings were supposed to have special battering but they seemed your typical frozen onion rings.  Lisa's burger was also very good but the fries were your run of the mill crinkle cut fries.  Mike said his BBQ was really good.
After some back and forth with the waitress it was time to go but not before Mike got his t shirt fix.  He is a tee shirt whore.  On our way out they had a claw machine with ducks in it.  Lisa wanted a duck so she gave it a couple unsuccessful tries.  We were out of ones but our waitress came over and put one of her dollars in the machine and got a duck for Lisa.  You don't see that very often.
Overall a great stop and trip.  On our way home we saw a bobcat on the side of the road before it went back in the corn.

Roll'em If Ya Got'em took the courts to begin the fall 2024 season.  Luckily a cool front had rolled through the area and we had a really nice evening instead of the scorcher it had been the several days.
We opened up playing Money Balls on the third court.  The third court isn't bad if you catch it right off the bat but gets worse as games are played.  Of course that's true of most courts.  Anyway we started out with a two then a three point frame and opened up to a 5-0 lead.  They pecked away at the lead until it was tied at 5.  I was thinking here we go again.  We got the next point then they let us have and chance to close it out and we did winning 9-5.
In the second game we played Boccelism on the first court.  We had trouble adjusting to the speed change between the courts and the first court was acting somewhat erratic.  Or maybe it was just us.  Anyway not a lot to say other than they made shots to either get inside us or knock us out and we lost 9-0. 
Typical Roll'em night, win a close one lose big.
Afterwards we went to KFC, mainly because there wasn't a line and the donger needed food as did the dongette.  I ordered two piece all white and Lisa went with some kind of chalupa or such.  She said hers was alright but would have been better with beef on it.  Big surprise when I opened my box, it had two chicken breasts in it.  Jackpot.  The chicken was  a little overcooked but not terrible and the mashed potatoes and gravy needed to be warmer.  But hey, it's KFC so expectations can't be too high.

A late start yesterday so we decided to revisit a couple places we haven't been in a while.  First up was Route 51, such a cool decor but very uncomfortable seats.  Mike had their standard lager while the rest of us had an amber ale.  The amber ale was really nice and surprisingly a lot better than the irish red.  They also had doppelbock but at %9.5 abv it was too much for me.  We got an order of cheese curds but they weren't very good.  They seemed more like fried cheese squares to me.
It was still too early for Buckwater to open so we took a ride around Giant City and then headed to Buckwater.  Mike and Debbie hadn't been there and Mike had mentioned it a couple times.  For those who haven't been it's a real nice vibe and some really nice sitting options.  We opted for a table in the front window with really nice comfortable chairs.  A big change from Route 51.  You have to order at the bar and it was a slow process but we finally got our drinks.  I got one an octoberfest while Lisa got a raspberry lemon drop mixed drink and Mike and Debbie got bamba punch.  The octoberfest is one of the best local brewery beers I've had, right up there with Big Muddy's Red Devil Red.  I had a taste of the others drinks and they were also very good, the kind of good that gets you in trouble when there is alcohol in the drink.
For substance we ordered a variety of things.  For starters we got a "big as your head" pretzel.  False advertising, it wasn't as big as my head since I'm why hats say fits most and not fits all 😊.  Actually it was big and really tasty and had a really good dipping sauce with it.  Next up was a humas platter type thing.  I didn't try it but both girls seemed to really like it.  Next was an order of wings with parm garlic peppercorn.  The wings were solid but may have been overload with our final item.  For it we ordered the sampler which was half orders of fish, shrimp, chicken crispers, hushpuppies and fries.  The fish was surprisingly really good and the shrimp was nice too.  I didn't try any chicken.  I think we only got one hushpuppy and Mike snapped that up in a hurry.  Everything in it was fried of course so if you're not wanting fried overload don't get it. 
I think everyone enjoyed the stop and Lisa admitted she wasn't wild about the itinerary but ended up really enjoying it. 

Lisa wanted to take advantage of no kid, no bocce day and go somewhere.  I mentioned several options and both of us were in the mood to try a place we hadn't been to before.  That narrowed the search and we finally decided on Pups 212 in West Frankfort. 
We parked in back and there appeared to be two backdoors.  We chose one that looked more like an entrance.  It appears that a wall has been knocked out and two places combined.  There is a nice curved bar in both places.   The bar maid was on the other side so we walked around and ordered a couple beers.  We were told food had to be ordered on the other side at the food service window.  We were also told that we had to purchase drinks and food separately.  We both thought it was a strange setup. 
We chose a booth and went to the window and ordered a cheeseburger, wings and house made chips.  After we sat down the cook came out and said they were out of bone in wings so we went with boneless wings.  The burger was a nice solid burger but nothing that really stood out.  The boneless wings were mediocre but we much prefer bone in wings.  The chips were disappointing.  Very little seasoning on them and they were a little overcooked.  I added salt and that helped but still not a great chip.
We both had been wanting to try Pups and it had gotten good reviews but it's not a place either of us are really wanting to go back to.

We got a later than normal start yesterday so we opted to take a nice ride around our favorite area, Hutchins Creek-LaRue Pine Hills but cut it short with a trip down snake road.  Debbie didn't remember snake road and the last time we went with them it was closed by a downed tree blocking the road.
After we came out on Route 3 I was hungry and I gave several options knowing that Bottoms Up would come out on top.  Bottoms Up is always good and very reasonable so off we went.  We got there and there 4 or 5 Jeeps there but they were finishing up.  We took our normal favorite table and ordered or normal favorite things.  Mike ordered chips for everyone and they ordered half a chicken all white with two salads and more chips.  We ordered wings and a salad to share. 
Something seemed off from the start, the cook who we normally joke a lot with seemed subdued and didn't really come out like she normally does even though the place was about empty.  We requested all flats but when our food came it was a mix but thats no big deal.  The wings didn't look like their normal fried chicken and that's what we'd requested.  They also didn't taste like their normal chicken.  Comparing them with Debbie and Mikes chicken the appearance was different.  When we talked to the waitress she assured us they were the same.  The wings were okay but no where as close as their normal wings.  A rare subpar experience for there.
After we left it was a quick stop at the spillway and on home.

Mike took me to my eye followup yesterday in Marion, luckily it wasn't as long of a wait as previously.  On the way back we stopped at Taste Buds & to see where Carbondeli's will be.  We walked in and were given a tour by what appears to be the owner of Taste Buds.  I was expecting a lot of throwback candy type and while they had some it was mostly imported candy, chips, soda and the like.  My biggest impression is that it is expensive.  I bought a bag of imported Doritos and a bag of imported Lays chips and it was over seventeen dollars.  See what I mean?
Later on we decided to take care of Lisa's italian beef hankering and headed down to Sinisi's.  We hadn't been in two or three years and it seems like they've add some stuff to their menu.  Lisa stayed with her plan and ordered a regular roast beef with au jus on the side.  I ended up ordering a chicago dog with no tomatoes and a large order of fries.  My dog was decent but not as good as I'd hoped for being a place that specializes in chicago food.  The fries were your standard crinkle cut frozen fries.  They were good but nothing special.  Lisa's beef was really really good.  The bottom of the bun was soggy which I like but she doesn't.  The beef was thin shaved and didn't appear fatty.  The au jus was really good and put it all together it was a good italian beef. 
I doubt I get the chicago dog again but the italian beef is a must one of these trips down there.
Afterwards we took a nice ride up Hutchensons Crick and LaRue Pine hills but cut it short and went through Pomona and back up 127.

Lisa mentioned steaks yesterday and I immediately said "Let's try Texas Roadhouse".  We've been to ones in Cape and O'fallon but I haven't been to one in a long time probably before I started this blog in 2016.  We called over and said we'd be there around 2 and would prefer bar area but not the bar.
When we walked in about 20 minutes early we had to wait a couple a minutes but got a booth in the bar area, perfect.  This place might have the nicest wait staff we've ever experienced, even ones who weren't on our table reached out to us. 
There were rolls waiting on us and this was the only downside to the whole meal.  The rolls tasted like they'd been sitting out too long or something.  The butter helped but still wasn't that great.  They did have Shiner Bock on draft so we got a couple of tall drafts that were really nice and cold.  I got a 16oz ribeye while Lisa got a 12 oz. filet.  We both got side salads and baked potato.
The salads were good but I could have done without the cheese, next time I'll order without.  Both of us ordered our steaks medium but when they brought them out Lisa's was undercooked, not even warm on the inside.  The waitress took it back and "threw it on the grill".  It was back there a while but when it came back it was a perfect medium and excellent, very tender.  I'd gotten my ribeye blackened and it was great a nice little kick at the end.  Only downside was a glob of fat in one spot but hey, it's a ribeye.  The baked potatoes were also great they brought Lisa a whole new potato when they recooked hers so we brought most of one home and part of another.  I didn't bring as much of mine home as I thought I would because I couldn't stop eating it.
I can't say enough of the experience, we stopped the manager and told her how great an experience it was and because it was our first time there she brought a coupon for a free appetizer.  It's hard to find a good steak cooked medium when eating out so I don't really order it much.  We'll be back soon.

This past week has been a very hectic week with cataract surgery and waiting rooms and such so we decided to go somewhere to eat.  Did I mention our power was out for around 8 hours.  I decided on Frenchmans Widow over Quatros and Midlands.
When we got there the special was two pieces of swai with hushpuppies, fries and pasta salad.  I'm not real big on swai but I decided to take a chance and get it.  They let me sub a side salad for the pasta salad.  Lisa opted for nachos with the cheese sauce on the side.
I got french dressing on the salad and it was a very nice sized salad.  I would have rather had more lettuce and less cheese, tomatoes and croutons but it was still good.  The fish got there a little after I'd finished the salad so it was good timing.  The swai was very good, surprisingly so.  The breading on it was very nicely done, I found out later they did their own breading which is a nice touch.  The fries were good but I didn't eat a lot of them.  The hushpuppies were very good and I'm not a big hushpuppy eater.  If I ever get that special again I'll try to sub a salad for the fries just to cut down on fried food.  Lisa really like her nachos.  We both had enough to bring food home.
Overall a much needed relaxing trip out.

On Friday we took another trip up 127 and went to Kretzers, a favorite of all ours.  Mike drove so I could relax and look out the windows.
I went up with the intent to order catfish special and I stayed with the plan except I got baked beans instead of fries in an effort to eat less fried food.  Lisa went with an italian beef while Mike got pulled pork and Debbie also got the catfish special.
The catfish was great as always and the slaw was better than I remembered.  The beans had a sweet taste and had pork in them, always a nice touch.  They were a little thick and really just okay.  I should have subbed the onion rings  Lisa surprised me getting the italian beef since the last time we were there it she said it was dry.   This time was no different, she thought it was dry again.  I tasted it and it seemed okay to me but I just had a little bite of the meat.  The last couple times we've been there Debbie liked my catfish and she finally got it and loved it.  Mike devoured his BBQ so it must have been good.
After we left we managed to avoid the Blue Room and decided to stop at Julz Joint in Nashville.  It's a nice old looking bar and grill stuck in the downtown area.  The bar was really nice and had a lot of character.  They had some taps but I didn't care for any of them.  Lisa had gone and checked out the beer case and the had Ultra Amber Max.  We used to like Ultra Amber so I gave it a try.  Gluten free beer taste worries me but this wasn't bad so Lisa ordered one too.  They had the typical bar food and is worth a trip up to check it out.
We managed to avoid pickle shots on the way home and stopped at Big Muddy.  They had Red Devil red on tap so that's what we had except Mike had peanut butter cup beer.  I walked over to look at a shirt and a guy mentioned the Packer shirt so I started talking with him and his group and it became a really good time between the two tables.  The are from the Springfield area and had come down for a week.  They love the area and do it every year.
As we say "it was a good day tater".

My plans to grill pork steaks was detoured by the heat yesterday so we decided to go out and eat.  We chose Bennies mainly because I wanted the special so off we went.
I stayed with the plan and got the special of chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.  I almost switched out the green beans but decided against it.  Lisa got Rigatoni Bolognese and no that's not rigatoni with bologna but an italian sauce.  The chicken fried chicken was good but nothing special.  The mashed potatoes were just okay but for some reason the green beans tasted really good.  I don't normally get green beans because there usually not very good but I was glad I did.  Lisa's really liked her dish and taste I had was very good.

Murphysboro does it again.  Yesterday was the 2nd annual Big Muddy Monsterfest on a very hot and humid day.  We had to pry ourselves out of the air conditioning but manged to get going.
We went to Big Muddy Brewing for a couple Red Devil Red beers, our favorite there.  We ended up talking with two other couples, one from Edwardsville and the other from Morganfield Ky.  They'd both just decided to come to Big Muddy because they really like the place.
We then went to Brews Brothers to hear the Swamp Tigers for the first time in a long time.  We got there and were shocked that there wasn't much of a crowd.  I guess the heat and street nationals in DuQuoin were the main reason for the sparse crowd.  We hadn't planned to stay very but the music was inside and had a nice conversation with another couple we knew.
While we were there we ordered some fries from Tater Headz to try out.  I'd been wanting to check them out for a while but it just hadn't worked.  We got the plain fries done extra crispy and with extra salt. The fries were good and had plenty of salt on them but could have used a little longer in the fryer to crisp them up.  I didn't care for the cheese sauce that came with them.
We were both ready to get something to take home and eat so we ordered a pizza from Cummares and headed home after a very good day.

I had a dermatologist appointment and was expecting to have some spots scraped and burned but the doctor decided against it so I was feeling a lot better than expected.  To celebrate we went to Bottoms Up.  It's been a go to place of ours for a long time.  In the past we normally got four piece fried chicken all white but lately it's been just chicken wings.  Their wings are my favorite anywhere plus they'll usually give us all flats, our favorite.  We normally get garlic parm on the side for them.  If you like wings this is the place to go.

Debbie was off yesterday so we decided to do a little roadie.  We talked about Waterloo but decided we needed an earlier start.  After several other options were discarded it came down to Kretzers or Swamp Tales with Swamp Tales being the winner.  I didn't want to drive so Mike took the wheel.
Swamp Tales has a really interesting interior with a couple stuffed alligators and some other animals around the interior.  Mike and Debbie are becoming addicted to ettouffee like we are so they got that and fries while we went with etouffee and gumbo.  We also got an appetizer of fried gator. 
The gator came out and then shortly behind the food came out with both being good and hot.  As opposed to the other time we were there the waitress was very attentive.  The etouffee was really good but not up to Broussards level but ahead of Broadway Bayou.  The gumbo was a different story, it was a lot better than the other time we were there but still not a fan of the gumbo to rice that they use there.  We probably won't get it again.  The fried alligator was once again on point.  Debbie had never had it and she said she liked it but only had a piece or two. 
When we gone by Blue Room coming up it was packed with something going on outside.  We wanted to stop and by the time we came back the outside had calmed down.  The inside was another story.  We ordered some drinks and then saw they had hush puppies so they got ordered too.  When the cook brought them to our table I asked what was going on and her response was it was f&&king nuts in there so the day was deemed f&&king nuts day.  We were lucky to find a table away from the main noise but it was still loud and hard to hear.
After we left we opted to head on home or at least a place in town.  Brews Brothers was the first choice but then pickle shots got mentioned and it was Da-Nite, I also mentioned Big Muddy but pickle shots won out.  Several pickle shots were done but I only had two, I'm just not a big shot guy.  While we were there Mike tumped over an almost full drink and then had another small spillage.  We also heard and bang and knew it was a wreck so we went out.  Everyone was okay but I'm getting tired of these things happening around us.
Over f&&king nuts day was a great time.

Catching up from the weekend.
For some unknown reason I decided on Chili's on Friday.  We wanted to stay close to home and off we went for maybe the most nerve racking trip to Carbondale I've ever made.  First on new 13 two cars were playing speed up then slow down, one in each lane so it was an aggravating trip over.  When we got to the stop light on Oakland we got to see a car run a red light and get hit by a car that was maybe going too fast.  Luckily no one was hurt.  Lastly when we were turning into the frontage road to go to Chili's the two cars in front of us unexpectedly came to a full stop.  I didn't come close to hitting them but it added to the nerve racking trip.  
On to Chili's, I ordered a brisket burger with fries while Lisa went with a burger with a salad.  Both sandwiches were big, neither of us could finish them.  The brisket burger was surprisingly good.  I say surprisingly because I don't expect a lot out of chain restaurants especially with BBQ.  The fries were just okay, nothing special.
After the bocce tournament on Saturday we went to Quatros.  We ordered a small meateaters and split a large dinner salad.  It seemed strange having a small but it was good.  What I really wanted to mention is the salad.  It was a very good size and really good especially the french dressing I got on mine.  We need to this more.

Our plans to visit Bay City, Elizabethtown and especially Cave In Rock were put on hold by a certain person (Debbie) and her fear of cicadas.  We discussed several places before settling on a visit to Cape.  We hadn't been there in a while so it was time.
We got off to a late start due to a person (me) getting behind shopping for the weekend.  We still got down there early enough so we decided to stop at Katy O'ferrells for a drink.  It's long been one of our favorites and me and Lisa really like the house red there.  For a Friday afternoon the place wasn't really happening so we left after a drink or two for Mike.
Next stop was Broussards for some cajun food.  Me and Lisa decided to split etouffee and got an extra salad with house dressing.  Mike and Debbie split etouffee, gumbo and red beans and rice along with salads.
The house dressing was different than it used to more, it looked like cheese sauce where before it was much thinner.  It was real good though as was the salad and the croutons are excellent.  Maybe because we hadn't been there in a while but the etouffee was spectacular tasting.  I'm ready to go back and get some more.  I'm still amazed that Mike, who is a picky eater, likes the etouffee especially with it having crawdads in it.
After a great meal we went down to Port Cape for a couple drinks before heading home. 

Yesterday was Bucks annual wild game feed.  A lot of people I didn't know but there were plenty I did know.  We both had a really good time,  It didn't seem like there was as big of a variety as in the past but that's fine with me, most of it I wouldn't have eaten anyway.  I ate a lot and I mean a lot of catfish.  I also had a deer  steak and it wasn't bad.  Later on I tried some fried squirrel but wasn't a big fan.  I also tried some wild turkey and it was really good.  Not game but there was some lions mane mushrooms and they were tasty.
Also there was rabbit and it was done a couple different ways and also some turkey nuts, not my thing.  I probably forgot a few things plus there were plenty of sides and desserts.
Best things was seeing some people I don't see very often anymore.

We headed down to Andrews yesterday for their annual crawdad boil.  The do this on Blessing of the Bikes and there seemed like a lot more bikes than normal.  On the way down we got behind an amish wagon.  It finally pulled over only to get behind another amish wagon.  They too pulled over and once again we got behind another amish wagon that ended up turning, when I looked in my mirror there was a horse and buggy right behind and gaining.  Never had that before.
The crawdads were really good and they had some pans that were mild instead of spicy.  I had a couple spicy and think I could have done those.  The sausage was really good too but the shrimp was lacking.  I couldn't find any corn in any of the pans.  It was really hot so we went to Andrews porch after a walk through the park.  There was a band playing that made it nearly impossible to hear anything down there.
After we left we took the back road into Hutchins Creek area (Rhine road).  It was a nice change and another dip through the water.  I thought the water looked down but when we went through it was still up some.  When we got to the top we decided to go down snake road.  We hadn't been in a while and it was another nice change.
On the way home we called in a couple cheeseburgers and an order for fries from 17th St.  The fries weren't very warm but the cheeseburgers really hit the spot for both of us.

Yesterday we took yet another ride in LaRue-Pine Hills.  Our intent was to stop for appetizers at Mases Place but they looked crowded.  I was afraid of that because of Mothers Day and SIU Graduation weekend.  So we drove on past.
Once again we took the road down to Hutchins Creek.  This time when we got to the bottom there was a tree or big branch across the road.  Mike jumped out and went and started moving it out of the way.  Lisa got there and helped too and I was on my way when the tree moved enough I could get around it.
Neither of us are big on taking the Jeep off road but there are a couple spots on Hutchins Creek road that can have water running over it and we both really like that.  The first one wasn't too bad but the second one was a little higher and faster.  There was a big tree down that had been cut so that vehicles could pass.  I could feel the current pushing the Jeep a little and I had to pay a lot of attention to the cut tree so I didn't get to see as much as usual.
After got out of the Hutchins Creek area and turned down to go to route 3 we came upon a wreck that had just happened.  Obviously we stopped which apparently isn't as obvious as I thought according to a responding police officer.  A mini van type vehicle was down in the ditch and I saw two females one who was saying talk to me.  When I got closer I saw a third female on the ground not moving.
I immediately call 911 and gave them the information.  Lisa went right to the girl on the ground and started talking to her and holding her hand.  Mike got the driver who was bordering on hysterical away.  Both of us walked her some to try and calm her down.
Luckily the girl on the ground could respond to Lisa and move her hands and feet.  The third girl seemed okay but may have been concussed.  A family in a golf cart stopped and then left to get the forest ranger who just lived down the road and he responded first.
When we left the girl on the ground was in the ambulance and they were trying to get the other two to go to the hospital.  Most people slowed down and made sure things were under control but a few didn't including one guy in a panel truck who didn't bother to slow down and he was most likely speeding.
Anticlimactic but we stopped by Bottoms Up for chicken.  Our favorite waitress/cook was there but not working.  When we sat down we talked her into cooking for us which was nice of her.  The wings we got were great with a lot of talk about the wreck.`