Road Tips

Waterfront Deli - Bettendorf, IA

My wife and I have a Monday night tradition when I'm in town to go out on a "date night".  We usually go get something to eat, then eventually end up back home and catch a movie or television show that we've taped on the DVR.  Lately, we've been getting into funks about where to go out to eat.  Most of the places we like are getting expensive or they offer too much food and we're just miserable afterward.  One particular Monday evening a while back, we didn't know where to go until I decided to drive to a place we hadn't been to in quite sometime - the Waterfront Deli in Bettendorf.  

I've lived in the Quad Cities for over 21 years and the Waterfront Deli was in business for 10 years prior to my arrival.  Mike Chupka was the longtime owner of the restaurant and he ended up selling the place about seven years ago to Ray and Christine Brandt.  Chupka was the first general manager at the Symposium Cafe (click here to see my entry on the Symposium Cafe) before he went over to open and co-own Rivals Sports Bar in Davenport.  The Brandt's daughter, Nicole, is the manager of the Waterfront Deli.  

The Waterfront Deli is located on State Street in Bettendorf, the eastbound one-way that goes through downtown Bettendorf (see map).  It is situated next to an abandoned strip mall and a plot of land where - in my opinion - the best Dairy Queen in the world once stood.  (They had a great pork loin sandwich as well as great burgers.  The owner had a falling out with Dairy Queen and he lost his franchise affiliation.  He changed the name of the place to "Usta Be's" as he was having to answer to patrons who were coming in and asking if his place used to be a Dairy Queen.  He was open for only a couple more years before closing and the building was razed a number of years ago.  But the sign is still there.)

We got into the restaurant just after 6 p.m. and like most evenings it was pretty dead. (They close at 7:00 p.m. through the week, 4 p.m. on Saturday and are closed on Sunday.)   They do a brisk business throughout the day with both dine in and take-out orders.  You order at the front counter from a number of signature sandwiches they have at the Waterfront Deli, or you can build your own sandwich with your choice of five different types of meat, six different types of cheese, five different types of veggies, and six different types of bread.  They also have soups, salads, and interestingly, hot dogs including their own "Chicago style" hot dog topped with tomato, cucumber and hot peppers.  I've never had a Chicago Dog at Waterfront Deli.  I guess Portillo's spoils me enough with their great Chicago style hot dogs. 

They have a number of signature sandwiches at Waterfront Deli including the Touch of Class - pastrami, turkey, Swiss cheese, sliced fresh mushrooms, onions, tomato and alfalfa sprouts on marble rye.  I almost pulled the trigger on that sandwich this particular evening.  They also have a good reuben sandwich - the Riverside Reuben with your choice of pastrami or turkey, topped with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and a horseradish/1000 Island dressing served on sour dough bread.   

But my favorite sandwich they have on the menu is the 1020 Sandwich.  (1020 State Street is their address.)  You have your choice of roast beef or turkey - I always get the beef - topped with cheddar and Swiss cheeses.  Then they pile on shredded lettuce, tomato slices, onions, fresh sliced mushrooms and alfalfa sprouts, then finish it off with honey mustard on a toasted onion roll.  That's exactly what I ordered.  

Cindy was always partial to their Waterfront Hoagie - ham, turkey, American cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato on a poppy seed hoagie bun.  She ended up ordering that.  You get a choice of potato chips, potato salad or cole slaw with the sandwich.  I took the potato chips and Cindy asked the girl at the counter, "You used to have this great pasta salad with the dill in it.  Do you still have it?"

The girl said, "The garlic dill pasta salad?  Sure, we still have that."  Cindy asked if she could get a side of that instead of the others and the girl said there would be a small upcharge and Cindy said it would be no problem.  Actually, I remember the garlic dill pasta salad and I went ahead and ordered a side of it to go along with the potato chips I got with the sandwich. 

There was only one other couple in the restaurant, so we took a table next to a large window in the larger of the two dining rooms they have at the Waterfront Deli.  The wooden ceiling has exposed rafter beams with lights and ceiling fans hanging down.  The wooden walls are sort of rustic and gives the place sort of a country feel.  Some people may say that it's designed to be more of a waterfront warehouse, but to me it's like eating in a barn.  On the walls throughout the Waterfront Deli are original watercolor paintings of local landmarks and buildings by local artist T.F. Hempel.  Hempel's works are very good and we spent a little time looking around at some of the pictures on the wall as we were waiting for our sandwiches.

A handful of people came in and picked up sandwiches to go.  Some had called ahead and the sandwiches were waiting for them.  It took about 10 minutes for our sandwiches to make it out to our table. 

The 1020 sandwich was exactly as I remembered - a soft and pungent onion bun, slightly toasted, piled high with thin sliced roast beef.  The honey mustard is a nice compliment, and even though I don't care for alfalfa sprouts all that much, the combination of their taste with the fresh mushrooms gave the sandwich a somewhat pleasant earthy taste.  It's a very good sandwich.  

Although she liked the sandwich, Cindy was a little perplexed with her Waterfront Hoagie. "I remember it being bigger than this.  But, then again, it's been a few years since we've been here.  They may have made it smaller instead of raising the price."  But she did remember how good the garlic dill pasta salad was.  The pasta salad has more of a dill taste than garlic and has a light oil base to it.  "This would be easy to make at home," Cindy said as she ate the pasta out of the small cup.  "I should make this sometime."  

In all the years we've been coming to the Waterfront Deli, we've always had good sandwiches and the pasta salad is excellent.  But it can get a little expensive - it was $7.50 for the 1020 sandwich and $6.95 for the Waterfront Hoagie.  Still, the Waterfront Deli is a unique little place that is consistently good.  And I'll pay a little more for that. And, obviously, for as long as they've been in business, others will, too.     

Maid-Rite (Mr. Dan's Sandwich Shop) - Newton, IA

If there's anything that causes more food arguments in the state of Iowa, it has to be Maid-Rites. Maid-Rites are, quite simply, loose meat beef sandwiches served on buns. It's like a hamburger, only the meat is steamed in bins and falls out on wax paper as you eat them. In the 1900's, nearly every town of any size in Iowa had a Maid-Rite and natives from each of those towns will swear that their local Maid-Rite is the best. I grew up in Newton, IA and the oldest continuous Maid-Rite-style shop is located there. And while the sign out front still says "Maid-Rite", the official name of the place is now Mr. Dan's Sandwich Shop. But to the locals in Newton, it's still the Maid-Rite.

The Newton Maid-Rite has a long and interesting history behind it. Here it is -

After he opened the original Maid-Rite sandwich shop in Muscatine in 1925, Fred Angell was looking for a location to put a second restaurant. He settled upon the Central Iowa town of Newton, home of the burgeoning Maytag Washer Company. Fred figured the workers would love his loose-meat sandwiches.

The Newton Maid-Rite opened in 1926 and it was originally known as the Maid-Rite Hamburg. The original building was a stucco and wood structure with a wooden sign out front cut in the form of a lady with a broom. I believe this may have been the Maid-Rite Maiden that Angell's wife used as the first logo of Maid-Rite shops. Angell ran the Newton location for six months before selling it to Gus Foster.

Mr. Foster ran the Maid-Rite in Newton until 1937 when he sold it to Ethel Shelley, who was described as a "colorful lady." Some older people in Newton remember Ms. Shelley and fondly remember her running the shop in the late 30's into the early 40's.

Also in 1937, two years after franchising the Maid-Rite name (the first food franchise in the Midwest), Fred Angell decreed that all Maid-Rite's add a seasoning to their meat. Ms. Shelley and Cliff Taylor, who founded and owned the Marshalltown Maid-Rite location since 1928, decided that they didn't want to use the seasoning. I understand they fought Angell who finally backed down on his commandment. Actually, I believe every Maid-Rite that was franchised after 1937 had to use the seasoning, but the Newton Maid-Rite and Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown were "grandfathered" in to not having to use the seasonings.

In 1944, Cliff Taylor passed away and his son, Don, took over Taylor's Maid-Rite. Don Taylor then bought the Newton Maid-Rite from Ethel Shelley. A young man by the name of Quentin "Bud" Holland who worked for the Taylor family in Marshalltown was asked to move to Newton to run the operation there. Bud and his wife, Marty, moved to Newton where they raised two girls, Mardy and Chris.

Bud and Marty Holland eventually purchased the Maid-Rite in Newton from Don Taylor in 1958 and promptly renamed it Bud's Maid-Rite. The original building was a small stucco structure with two entrances on the front side. To get from one side of the counter to the other, patrons would have to walk out the front door on the one side and re-enter in the door on the opposite side.

In 1962, the front half of the present-day Maid-Rite in Newton was reconstructed. While it was being built, patrons ate in a screened in room in the back of the building. The locals referred to it as "the shack in the back."

In 1964, Mardy Holland was a junior in high school and her younger sister, Chris, was a sophomore. Bud and Marty decided to add a room in the back and put in a basement underneath. This became sort of the defacto "teen center" in Newton. It had a serving counter in back, a jukebox and booths for the teen-aged kids to hang out. With sisters who were Mardy and Chris' age, I remember this part of the Maid-Rite very vividly. It was the place to go if you were a teenager in Newton in the mid to late 60's.

In 1970, Bud and Marty retired and sold the Maid-Rite to Dan and Pam Holtkamp. The Holtkamp's had moved to Newton in 1968 as Dan had taken a job as an accountant for the old Parson's Manufacturing. They fell in love with Newton and wanted to make the town their permanent home to raise their kids. The Holtkamp's jumped head first into the business. Dan had a degree in business and one of the golden rules in business school is not to tamper with success. The Holtkamp's did little to the Maid-Rite after they took over and the transition was smooth. In fact, for years people still referred to the Maid-Rite as just "Bud's".

About the biggest change the Holtkamp's did was to take out the teen room in the back, change that into a full service seating area and open a back entrance to the restaurant. They also put in a drive-up window for people to get their Maid-Rites, fries and shakes. The Holtkamp's also introduced a smaller Maid-Rite - the Joey Rite (named after their son) - for smaller appetites. The Danielle Special (named after their daughter) was a Joey Rite, small soft drink and ice cream. The Holtkamp's also put in the Jaarsma Connection, a small counter in the back of the restaurant that served fresh Dutch pastries from the Jaarsma Bakery in Pella, IA.

Today, the back room has pencil sketches on the wall above the booths of the four owners of the Maid-Rite since late 1926 (below left).

One thing that Dan did not do was change the way the meat was prepared at the Maid-Rite. He told me one time that he doesn't use any seasonings in his meats, the way his predecessors did in their day. And the key is that he buys his meat from the same supplier who Bud Holland was using for years before Dan became the owner. Dan continues to grind his own beef in the basement. The taste of the Newton Maid-Rite comes from the old steamer that is used to cook the meat (above right). The steamer has been internally seasoned over the years and years that it's been used to make countless Maid-Rites. The only thing that is added is a little bit of salt added to the top of the meat before the Maid-Rite is wrapped up in wax paper.

In 1982, the Angell family sold the Maid-Rite franchises to a company in Des Moines. The Maid-Rite franchise company was eventually bought by a gentleman by the name of Bradley Burt who insisted that all Maid-Rite franchises have uniformity in the way they prepared their sandwiches. He wanted - no, demanded - that all Maid-Rites buy their meat from his company and prepare it in a specific way. Dan Holtkamp and Don Short, the grandson of Cliff Taylor, resisted the changes and were allowed to continue to do business they way they had.

However, in 2006, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals decided that the bins that the older Maid-Rites around the state used were deemed to be "unhealthy" as they allowed for the cooking of raw meat next to fully cooked meat. This is a process that Maid-Rites have used for well over 70 years, and they usually have a stainless steel partition in the bin to keep the cooked meat from the raw meat. Once the raw meat is cooked through, the partition is removed and the meat is all mixed together. As far as I know, no one has ever gotten sick from this type of cooking method.

Both Short and Holtkamp said that the changeover to new steamers would be cost ineffective for their businesses and Short led the appeal to the state of Iowa to overturn the ruling. However, it was determined that the original Maid-Rites were in violation of the administrative guidelines set forth by the Iowa Department of Inspections. But, both the Newton Maid-Rite and Taylor's in Marshalltown use the same old steamers and cooking process, so I'm guessing they were able to beat the ruling somewhere along the way.

The biggest change happened a few years ago when Dan Holtkamp silently changed the name of his shop to "Mr. Dan's Sandwich Shop". For years, Holtkamp's workers referred to him as "Mr. Dan" and the nickname stuck. Dan is still running the place daily, his big smile and friendly demeanor greeting customers as they come in. Dan told me, "You know, I'm 72 years old and I've owned this place for 41 years. If I'm able to - and I plan on doing it - in five more years I'll have owned this business in the same amount of years that all three of the previous owners owned it." I'm not betting against him.

Sadly, one of the biggest changes to Dan's business has been the downturn thanks to the closing of Maytag in 2007. Lunch time at the Newton Maid-Rite was an adventure and scene of much jockeying of seats throughout the place trying to get a Maid-Rite and get back to work at the office or factory. I learned a long time ago that you just don't go to Maid-Rite between noon and 1 p.m. on weekdays. Unfortunately, that isn't the case any longer. Business at the Newton Maid-Rite is still steady, but it's not at the same level that it was years ago.

During Newton High School reunion weekends, the Maid-Rite is overrun by former residents back in town for their class reunions. The blackboard on the east side wall has been there for years announcing food specials, game scores, events and even allowing patrons to post their own notes on the board. The menu boards on both walls, I have to believe, are the same ones that have been in the place since Bud Holland refurbished the place in 1962. The front part of the Newton Maid-Rite hasn't changed much - if any - since the building was reconstructed 50 years ago.

I was passing through Newton on my way home recently and decided to stop in and have a Maid-Rite. Actually, I like their Cheese-rites - basically a Maid-Rite with a slice of American cheese on top. And I love to drink milk with my Maid-Rites and/or Cheese-rites. Don't know where I got that from, but I always order a large milk when I have a Maid-Rite.

The Cheese-rites are wrapped in an outer wrap with yellow stripes to denote the cheese on the sandwich. When the Cheese-rite is unwrapped, the excess meat falls out. A spoon is provided to pick up the loose meat on the wrapper. In the winter time, the Maid-Rite also has chili and it's good chili. What I like to do is get a bowl of chili and pour the excess meat into the chili after I have the Cheese-rite.

Some people will ask for the Maid-Rite/Cheese-Rite moist. I like mine a little dry, just as ordered. Like the original Maid-Rites, everything is mustard, pickle and onion. I put a little ketchup and, surprisingly, a little more salt on my Cheese-Rites before I eat them. I hardly EVER put salt on anything, but I like my Cheese-rites salty. The buns that Dan uses are pretty basic, but it's never really been about the bun at Maid-Rite all the way back to the day of Bud Holland. The meat is the thing that keeps bringing me back to the Newton Maid-Rite.

It's sort of like the people in the Quad Cities who grew up eating Harris Pizza and thinking that it is the best pizza in the world. Being from Newton, I think the Maid-Rites from the Newton Maid-Rite are the best in the world. I will admit there are others who think Taylor's in Marshalltown is better. Of course, there are thousands of natives of Ottumwa who think the Canteen's at the Canteen Lunch are the best. People in Sioux City think the "taverns" at Miles Inn are the best. But I could easily be accused of being provincial when it comes to the Newton Maid-Rite, or more correctly Mr. Dan's Sandwich Shop. It's the oldest and, I think, the best.

Let the debate continue...

Carnegie Deli - Las Vegas

We've stayed at the Mirage the past three years during our time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Like many of the better hotels in the city the Mirage has a number of pretty good places to eat - and a couple three not-so-good places. One place I had never tried before, but really wanted to try, was the Las Vegas location of a New York institution, the Carnegie Deli. After arriving in Las Vegas and being picked up by my colleague, Ian, we decided to have lunch at the Carnegie Deli after we got into the Mirage.

The original Carnegie Deli was established in 1937 just across the street from the famed Carnegie Hall on 7th Ave. (see map). The three original owners, Max Hudas, Bernie Gross and Thomas North, ran the place for 39 years before hard times forced them to sell the restaurant. The trio sold the deli to partners Milton Parker and Leo Steiner in 1976 (a third minor partner, Fred Klein, was bought out shortly after). Parker and Steiner had previous experience working in restaurants - Parker had run a coffee shop until he retired at the age of 55 and sold the business; and Steiner owned a deli at 23rd St. and 3rd Ave. in Manhattan. Knowing that Parker was bored in retirement, a business broker got Parker in touch with Steiner so they could team up to buy the once proud Carnegie Deli - at that time a 40 seat restaurant that hadn't been updated either in decor or in food choices since it opened.

Steiner, who was 20 years younger than Parker, worked the front of the restaurant, welcoming celebrities and the locals alike with his jovial nature, while Parker worked behind the scenes revamping the menu and offering sandwiches that featured 5-inch high slices of pastrami, corned beef, brisket and beef tongue that were smoked, pickled and cured in Carnegie Deli's own processing plant in New Jersey. Steiner made it a full traditional Jewish deli adding knishes, matzoh ball soup, potato pancakes and cheesecake to menu.

Carnegie Deli's chief rival was the Stage Deli, a similar Jewish delicatessen only two blocks away. When Parker and Steiner took over the Carnegie Deli in 1976, the Stage Deli had the better reputation in town. However, Steiner had a secret recipe for corned beef and pastrami - curing the meats for 13 days rather than 7 days - and in 1979 a food critic for the New York Times declared the pastrami sandwich as the better of the two. Parker and Steiner said the key was the water - Carnegie Deli cured their meats in water from New Jersey, while the Stage Deli cured their meats in New York City water.

The Carnegie Deli tried expansion in the 1980's putting two locations in New Jersey, one near Washington D.C., and one out in Beverly Hills, CA. However, all of the locations ended up closing because it was apparent that they were nowhere near as authentic as the original Carnegie Deli.

Leo Steiner tragically passed away in 1987 from complications from a brain tumor and Parker was pressured by family to consider retiring. However, he forged ahead and continued to run the famous deli for the next 15 years. He finally retired in 2002 handing over the reins of the business to his daughter, Marian, and his son-in-law, Sandy Levine (pictured left). Milton Parker passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. Upon his death, one person remarked, "(Parker's) sandwiches were incredibly much too large for human consumption." 

In 2005, the Carnegie Deli opened a location at the Mirage using meats and cheesecake that were made at their commissary in New Jersey and shipped to Las Vegas. Since then, the Carnegie Deli has opened similar locations at casinos and theme parks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

The Stage Deli had a second location for 15 years at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. I'd eaten at the Stage Deli a handful of times on previous visits to Las Vegas. It had been awhile since I'd eaten there and went over to the Forum Shops three years ago to get a monstrous corned beef sandwich. But I found that they had closed in 2008 after their lease expired. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a Carnegie Deli in the Mirage.

The only problem is that I couldn't get anyone to go with me. Oh, I could have gotten a sandwich on my own, but we had a deli tray in one of our suites during CES and I didn't think it would be good to go down and get a sandwich when deli sandwiches were provided for us. This year upon arrival, we met up with some of our colleagues who were having lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Having not a pleasant experience there last year, (see my post on CPK here), I told Ian, "Let's go over to the Carnegie Deli."

We were seated at a table for two along a short wall near the front of the restaurant. Art deco-style lamps hung from the wooden-beamed ceiling. Tables for two, four, and six were throughout the place along with a handful of booths. The waitstaff was dressed in white shirts, black vests and pants. It was fairly busy when were seated and it took awhile for our server to get to us.

 

The menu at Carnegie Deli in Las Vegas isn't much different from the original Carnegie Deli in New York City. In addition to their signature sandwiches, they have comfort food like beef brisket pot roast, meatloaf and boiled half spring chicken served with potatoes and veggies. They also have burgers on the menu, but I wanted a big-assed sandwich. Another thing that we noticed is that they serve breakfast at the Carnegie Deli. After a couple years of so-so and bad valued breakfasts at B.B. King's at the Mirage, we were happy to see another place that served breakfast in the hotel.

 

Ian has eaten at the original Carnegie Deli and asked our server if the sandwiches were the same deli style as the one back in New York City. She sort of stammered, "Well, they're the same..."

 

Ian said, "Good. I just wanted to know if it was the same size as those gargantuan sandwiches back in Manhattan."

 

The server said, "Oh, yes. We get the same meats as the one in New York."

 

Ian ordered up pastrami sandwich on rye. For good measure, he got an order of fries, which are more than enough for two people. I also ordered a pastrami on rye, but I had her add Swiss cheese to my sandwich.

 

She asked, "Would you like some fresh sauerkraut on the sandwich, too?" I couldn't say no! So, my pastrami on rye basically became a pastrami reuben sandwich.

 

One of the traditional treats at the Carnegie Deli is their homemade kosher dill pickles (below left). The pickles have a great tangy taste to them, there's a hard little "snap" with each bite and they are so much better than any processed kosher dill pickle on the market. I'm partial to Claussen kosher dill pickles for a store-bought pickle, but the ones at the Carnegie Deli bury them in quality and taste.

Interestingly, the fries (above right) were brought out to the table before our sandwiches. I was getting pretty hungry - it was past 2 p.m. in Las Vegas and it was past 4 p.m. "body-time" for me and I hadn't eaten anything since a steak salad the previous evening. So having the fries brought first was another nice little appetizer. And the fries, I have to say, were fabulous. The were crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. I don't know what they fry them in, but the taste was so much better than most fries I've had at other restaurants.

Our sandwiches came out not long after we had made a dent in the fries. Of course, they were huge. This is half of my sandwich - yes, half! The lean and rare pastrami was piled high on the bread and held together with a long toothpick. There was the sauerkraut on top as well as the Swiss cheese. However, I was somewhat dismayed that they hadn't melted the cheese giving me instead three thick slices of Swiss cheese. It wasn't a deal breaker by any means, but I would have rather had the cheese melted.

The pastrami was just excellent. It was flavorful, had a little bite of pepper to it and was simply some of the best pastrami I've ever had. Ian said, "Oh, yeah. This is the same stuff that you get in New York."

But there was entirely too much of it. I could only eat half the sandwich before I had to say, "Uncle!" The taste was out of this world. It was one of the best pastrami sandwiches I'd ever had. And I had some good ones over at the Stage Deli when it was in business over at Caesar's. But I don't quite remember the taste sensation being so overwhelming as the pastrami at Carnegie Deli.

 

Ian was called to go over to the Venetian to help with getting into some of the rooms we had reserved to show products in and he left half his sandwich on the plate. I asked him, "Do you want me to keep it?"

He said, "I don't care. I don't know when I'll be able to eat it." I had the server box up both sandwiches and I took them up to my room to store them. The only problem was that I didn't have a refrigerator in my room and the fridge in the adjoining suite was on the blink. I put the sandwiches on ice in my sink and I did piece on the meat from my sandwich as we were setting up the displays later that day. But I ended up throwing the sandwiches out later that evening. The meat had dried out and lost its deep red color.

I had mentioned that Carnegie Deli also served breakfast and we were pleasantly surprised that we could get in rather easily each morning for breakfast while we were staying at the Mirage. Like the sandwiches, the portions were huge. The first morning, I just got the eggs and bacon plate, but they served it with three eggs. Ian got the egg and bacon sandwich and it's the size of one of their deli sandwiches with basically an egg and bacon omelet piled high on bread. The next day I got a sausage, mushroom and cheese omelet and this is what they brought me. The omelet nearly covered the whole plate. I could only eat about half of it.  

 

The following morning, I got the corned beef and eggs breakfast. They brought the plate out - a full sized plate - and it was covered in corned beef hash. Homemade corned beef, at that. And there were two eggs on top of the hash. It was very good, but, oh! So much food! The breakfasts I had were good - much better than the ones over at B.B. King's - and, like the sandwiches, were pretty expensive. An average per person charge for breakfast was around $17 to $22 bucks. For me, that included juice and milk.

 

The last day of the show, my colleague, Todd, was complaining that he was getting hungry just around 1 p.m. I said, "You can go down to the Carnegie Deli and get us both a pastrami on rye sandwich." He did and brought them back up to the suite. We shared one sandwich while Alain Chlous, the international sales manager for Micromega, tried his best to down one on his own. He could only eat half and we ended up "vulturing" the other half of the sandwich, picking up the delectable pastrami by hand and feeding it to our faces. All I can say about the pastrami at Carnegie Deli is that it is outstanding. Make sure you bring a large appetite or someone else to share a sandwich with you. But if you have the capabilities to store the other half of the sandwich, it would be a great late night snack in your room.

Berghoff Cafe - O'Hare International Airport - Chicago

Having to fly out of Moline four or five times a year usually means a connection through Chicago. These days when I do fly, I nearly always take United Airlines as I'm trying to get my point totals up to be able to go on a vacation with my wife somewhere far, far away in a year or two. Inside Terminal 1 on the C Concourse at O'Hare International Airport between Gates C-24 and C-26 on the far north side is the Berghoff Cafe (see map). If I'm ever laid over for any significant amount of time, I always try to get to the Berghoff Cafe for a sandwich and a couple beers. On a recent trip back from New York City, I deplaned at C-23 - a very short walk to the Berghoff Cafe.

The Berghoff Cafe is part of the Berghoff Group of restaurants and catering. I've written about the Berghoff in the past, primarily this entry, just before they closed the original Berghoff in 2006. The back story behind the closing is that Herman Berghoff, the grandson of the original owner of Berghoff, also named Herman, and his wife, Jan, wanted to retire from the restaurant business. The only Berghoff involved in the business was their daughter, Carlyn, who owned and operated the Berghoff catering business. She wanted to continue to concentrate on that part of the business and not run the restaurant. The Berghoff family announced in late 2005 that the restaurant would close on February 28, 2006. Like thousands of other people, we went into Chicago for one last meal at Berghoff and waited in a long line that stretched for a good 100 yards down Adams Street during a typically cold Chicago winter.

The original Berghoff was one of the very few Chicago area restaurants that had unionized waiters. The numbers of restaurants that had union waiters had dwindled to around 10 by the time the Berghoff had closed. Some of the waiters at The Berghoff had worked there for over 40 years. I've heard stories from more than one person that the intent of the Berghoff family was to close the main restaurant under the guise of Herman and Jan Berghoff retiring, but it was more to force the union waiters out. I'm not saying that is true - it's just what I've heard from a couple three people.

Carlyn Berghoff had converted the main dining room into her new catering venture and called it "The Century Room". In April of 2006, she reopened the Berghoff Cafe in the basement of the building offering a lunch menu of sandwiches, paninis, salads and soups. Shortly thereafter, Carlyn Berghoff reopened the historic bar (it holds Chicago Liquor License No. 1 - pictured right) and renamed it 17 West at The Berghoff. And in June of 2006, she quietly reopened the original Berghoff with a smaller and slightly different menu than what her father, grandfather and great-grandfather offered before. This immediately brought on some skeptism from people who really wondered why the closing took place to begin with and angered many - including me - who thought the Berghoff was gone for good and waited for hours for one last meal.

Carlyn Berghoff explained that she was a perfectionist and she had never actually run a restaurant before and the team she had in place had also never really run a restaurant. She wanted to make sure that everything was right before they reopened. And presumably without unionized waiters.

Through all of this, the Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare stayed open. I don't quite remember when the Berghoff Cafe opened at O'Hare, but it had to be more than 10 years ago. They open at 5:30 a.m. for the early morning flyers and stay open until at least 9:30 p.m. - and even longer for some people who are delayed by weather. The menu at Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare is somewhat similar to the one in downtown Chicago - sandwiches, paninis and so on.

There's two parts of the Berghoff Cafe, the part where you order your food at the kitchen counter (left), and the bar area where you can dine and get a beer. There was a short line to order, but a full house in the bar area when I got there just before 2 p.m. after my flight from New York.

I always seem to get the same thing at the Berghoff Cafe - the reuben sandwich. They take fresh corned beef brisket out of a steam tray, cut it thin on a rotary meat slicer, then pile the meat high on thick rye bread before topping it with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing. Then they take it over to the panini press and warm it up for about a minute giving the sandwich nice charred lines on the top and bottom while melting the cheese.

It had been awhile since had been to the Berghoff Cafe at O'Hare and one thing that they added to the ordering line was beer. In the past, you could get your sandwich, but then you had to go to the bar and get a beer. That meant two charges on your credit card for one meal. But now, they have three Berghoff beers on tap including their Lager and Dark beers, as well as their seasonal Oktoberfest beer. I took an Oktoberfest as they placed my sandwich in a styrofoam container. I found a place to sit at one of the communal tables they have in the not-so-large bar area.

The sandwiches at the Berghoff Cafe are always great. First of all, they're pretty good sized so it's always good to have a healthy appetite when you go. Secondly, the combination of the very tasty corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and dressing on the homemade rye bread is absolutely mouth-watering. The bread is a little charred on the outside, but everything is melted together in a fashion that each bite is a gooey pleasure. It's definitely a four napkin sandwich. A large dill pickle spear comes with the sandwich and you can also get chips and some other sides to go along with it, if you want. The sandwich, itself, runs $9.45 and, in my estimation and opinion, is worth every cent. It's much better than getting food at a lot of the other food outlets they have to offer at O'Hare. Unfortunately, a lot of other travelers know that, too. And that's why it's always full at the Berghoff Cafe.

 

So, if you're flying United through O'Hare - as many people seem to do now that they merged with Continental Airlines - with a layover of an hour or more, it's with my high recommendation to take a walk to the Berghoff Cafe and get a sandwich and a beer. Even if you're on the B concourse of Terminal 1, it's worth the walk through the tunnel connecting the two. They also have a shuttle between Concourse C and Concourse F where most of the regional jets arrive and depart. As I said, it's much better than the fast food alternatives that proliferate Terminal 1 and is much better than many of the sit down places in the same terminal. The only bitch I'd have is that I just wish it was a little bigger in the bar area.

Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen - Chicago

A shout out to my friend, Bes Nievera, at Music Direct in Chicago for directing me to Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen, an old-world deli in the south loop on the near west side of Chicago (see map). Manny's has served Chicago's famous and elite as well as the run-of-the-mill "Joe's" and "Jane's" since 1946. It was during our little "tourist" trip into Chicago that I had my first experience with Manny's Deli.

Manny's is the quintessential Jewish delicatessen featuring sandwiches piled high with kosher meats, and large portion hot entrees such as beef stew, liver and onions and corned beef dinners, soups, sides such as knish and kishke, and daily specials with such diverse items as stuffed cabbage, roasted tongue with mushrooms, fried smelts, and lamb shanks. It's truly a cafeteria where you get your tray at the start of the line, then go down and tell the guys behind the counter what you want. And you usually end up with a lot more food than you can eat.

The beginning of Manny's pre-dates 1946, but just four years before when Russian immigrant brothers Jack and Charlie Raskin opened their first deli using home-grown recipes they learned from their mother. The brothers split their business just after World War II as Jack wanted to be closer to the open air markets on Maxwell Street. He set up shop at a place that used to be called "Sunny's" at the corner of Roosevelt Road and Maxwell Street. Money was tight and Jack couldn't afford a new sign. He decided to call his place "Manny's" - after his teenaged son, known as Manny to family and friends - and it only cost him to change two letters in sign.

Manny had worked in his Uncle Charlie's deli prior to working at his dad's place and he was the first cook of the new deli. He had learned how to cook by watching his uncle cook at the old place. Manny eventually took over for his father and the location of the deli bounced around the area until it finally settled into its present day spot just north of Roosevelt on Jefferson in 1964. Manny styled the place after a New York-style delicatessen and business flourished.

Manny's son, Ken, started to work in the restaurant when he was a young kid and took over the place when Manny died in 1983. Today, Ken Raskin continues to run the place, but his sons Matt and Danny (all pictured at right) are involved with the day-to-day operation. Ken Raskin's wife, Patti, as well as their two other children, Stephanie and Jason, come around from time to time to help out when needed.

It was about 2:30 when we finally got to Manny's after a long and somewhat expensive cab ride from Navy Pier. I figured that it wouldn't be that busy at Manny's at that time and I was right. There was no one standing in line when we walked in.

The menu including the day's specials are up on the lighted board behind the counter. We made the rookie mistakes of not grabbing a fiberglass tray as we made our way down the line to see what we wanted to order. One of the line cooks asked us what we wanted and Cindy said, "Gee, I really don't know."

The cook said, "Well, we've got up until closing time for you to figure it out." And I sort of panicked as I took that to mean that they closed at 3:00 p.m. (They don't - they close at 8 p.m.)

I really didn't know what to get either, so I took a little time to figure out the menu. We finally just decided to get a corned beef sandwich. And I knew it would be huge, so I told the guy that we'd just split it.

They sliced the corned beef on the spot with the large industrial slicer (above right). And then they piled it high on a slice of rye bread, topped it with another piece of rye and cut it in half. For good measure, we got a potato pancake as a side and a couple kosher dill pickle spears along with some cole slaw. I got a bottle of water while Cindy got an iced tea.

The next thing you encounter at Manny's as you get to the end of the line is a lady at a cash register. Only she isn't the one who takes your money. She just comes up with the ticket that you'll use to go up and pay at the REAL cash register at the front door. I thought it was a little strange, but I'm sure it's something they've been doing at Manny's for years.

We sat in Manny's main dining area, a well lit room that had pictures of famous politicians and celebrities, as well as a number of articles about Manny's over the years from local and national publications. The formica tables and vinyl padded chairs at Manny's are all right, nothing special. They're along that style of sterile cafeteria furniture.

But we were there for the sandwich and I'm sure we could have zipped it up a bit more with some cheese and maybe some veggies (spicy mustard was available on the table, so that was a plus). But it was just plain, piled high sandwiched between soft rye bread.

The meat was lean, juicy and very tasty. It was, of course, too large to take a full bite. So we just sort of nibbled around the meat and the bread, forking up the tender morsels of corned beef that fell out onto the plate. It was salty (I ended up getting a second bottle of water), but the taste was very, very good. It was some of the best corned beef I'd ever had. And having it thinly sliced as they do at Manny's made it even easier to eat.

The cole slaw at Manny's is "eh!" Nothing really special. But the potato pancake was flavorful and had a nice crust on the outside. They make it with eggs and onions mixed in with the potatoes and then they fry it up. It, too, was a damn fine potato pancake.

Before we left, we looked at all the pictures, articles and memorabilia on the wall at Manny's. Chicago politicians from aldermen to U.S. government officials have descended upon Manny's for years. But no one is more famous than President Barack Obama who has come to Manny's for years starting even before his days as state legislator in the Illinois Senate. Obama visited Manny's days after he won election to the presidency in November of 2008. Here's a picture of him ordering corned beef sandwiches at the same spot where I ordered our corned beef sandwich.

After paying at the cash register on the way out, I sort of wished that we would have driven down. (Manny's does offer valet parking, but there are parking areas on the street and on the side of the building, if available.) It didn't appear any taxi's would be driving by any time soon. I looked to the north and I noticed a cab pulling out of a gas station and heading north. A moment later, I saw another cab pulling out of the gas station and heading north. We started to wander up the street and as soon as we made it to the corner just north of Manny's, I looked over and there was a cab company right behind the gas station. It was shift change just after 3 p.m. and the cabs were gassing up at the BP station and then heading out. We flagged a cabbie at the station, he told us to hop in and he gave us a ride back to our hotel in River North. That was kind of lucky.

It turns out that a corned beef sandwich and a potato pancake is the exact thing you should order if you're a Manny's Deli rookie, like we were. Regulars usually have a good idea of what they want as they go through the line. It's not good to hold people up who are behind you and who can probably recite the menu - along with the daily specials - off the top of their heads. The corned beef at Manny's was just excellent as was the potato pancake. Now that I know where Manny's is, what they have to offer and how the drill works I'm sure my next visit will go even more smooth. I just gotta remember to get that tray before I move on down the line...

Colony Point Deli - Williamsburg, IA

Since this blog is named Road Tips, the purpose should really be to point out some of the more obscure and secret places that I've found in my travels around the Midwest and beyond. One place that I've stopped at for years and years is the Colony Point Deli located in the BP gas station at the Williamsburg (IA) exit on Interstate 80. (see map) They have a great little sandwich place in there and I thought I'd share it with you today.

I have no idea of the history of the Colony Point Deli, but it's just a part of the Colony Point travel stop located right next to the Tanger Outlet Mall off Interstate 80 at exit 220. But it's not unlike many travel plazas that you find on any interstate across the nation. First of all, it caters to automobiles and not trucks, so it's definitely not a truck stop. Secondly, Colony Point is sort of like an upscale convenience store with knick-knack gifts, Amana foods and, of course, a pretty good little deli in the place.

The nearby Amana Colonies feature a handful of very good German-American restaurants (we've been talking about going there to one of the restaurants and doing an entry for Road Tips), a good little bakery called the Amana Bakery that makes breads, rolls and bagels, and the Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse that is famous for their hams, bologna, sausages and smoked pork chops, as well as their cheese.  The Colony Point sells a number of these items for people who aren't willing to venture the 10 or so miles to the north and east to go to the Amana Colonies.   

One thing that Colony Point sells is the Amana pickled ham.  This stuff is like heroin.  In fact, I contemplated making a separate entry for the Amana pickled ham under the "Guilty Pleasures" column of this blog.  They take an Amana smoked ham, cut it into square chunks and then put it pickled vinegar water with onion slices and let it cure.  Oh, man!  It is so addictive.  I've found myself just sitting with a fork, watching TV and eating the pickled ham until I looked down and realized that I'd eaten half the bottle.  Then, of course, I'm wrought with guilt afterwards.

The first time I'd had the pickled ham was at one of the Amana Colony restaurants that I went to with my old college roommate, Billy Wilson.  Billy grew up near the Amana Colonies and every once in a while his parents would invite us to come over from Iowa City to have dinner with them on a Friday night.  The first time I went there nearly 30 years ago, they brought out a bowl of the pickled ham with the family style meal, I had one and I was hooked.  It got to a point where when we sat down we'd order our drinks AND a bowl of pickled ham.  And Billy and I would constantly fight over the last few morsels of this delectable offering from the God of Pigs.  If you would tell me the secret of the taste of the Amana pickled ham is pig urine, I'd still eat it.

Since I was on my way home, of course, I had to pick up a jar to take with me.  I can't tell you how many times I've resisted  picking up a plastic fork and taking it with me so I could eat some on the way home.  I'll admit, I've done that a couple of times.  It's amazing how your dignity vanishes when it comes to the Amana pickled ham.  

The deli area isn't much.  It's a small counter with a menu behind it on the wall, and a small station where the sandwiches are made.  The menu isn't big - they just have the basic ham, roast beef, turkey, etc.  They also have capocolla and hard salami sandwiches.  I really like a good spicy capocolla and Colony Point Deli's capocolla is very good.  

I ordered up a roast beef with provolone cheese on the Amana German rye bread.  They also have a great Amana dark rye, as well as wheat and regular white breads from the Amana bakery.  You get your choice of veggies - tomato, lettuce, onion - as well as either German mustard or yellow mustard, and a vinegar and oil topping.  I ordered mine with all the veggies, oil and vinegar (with Italian spices mixed in) and yellow mustard. Since they're made to order, you have time to walk around and check out what else Colony Point has to offer. (They also have pre-made sandwiches in a case if you don't want to wait.)

Another guilty pleasure in life is Sterzing's Potato Chips.  This is another taste sensation that I acquired while going to the University of Iowa in the early to mid-80's.  I have to tell you, Sterzing's Potato Chips are another horrifyingly addictive guilty pleasure of mine.  Once again, I could dedicate a whole entry for my Guilty Pleasures category on Sterzing's.  But I decided to make it just another part of this entry. 

They make the potato chips in Burlington, IA and have been in existence since 1933 when it started out as a candy factory.  Founder Barney Sterzing began to play around with the notion of making potato chips about the time World War II ended.  The taste and texture of a Sterzing's potato chip is very unique and it's the same recipe they've used since Day 1.   They claim they only use salt and oil in cooking their potato chips, but I have to guess there are small amounts of opium mixed in, as well.  They are just that addictive.  They were a great late night, munchy snack after the bars closed for a guy like me when I was going to college.  But I would always eat too many of those grease-sponged chips that it would make my stomach hurt.  

Barney Sterzing's daughter, Billie, and her husband, Dutch Duttweiler, took over the family business in 1959.  Dutch Duttweiler oversaw an expansion of business that included moving to their present day production facility in Burlington along with an expansion of distribution.  For years, Sterzing's Potato Chips were only available within a 50 mile radius of Burlington, but in the 90's they expanded their distribution and the prominent yellow and red bags can now be found at convenience stores such as Casey's and Kum and Go, as well as many Hy-Vee grocery stores.  

In 1994, the Duttweiler's retired and their daughters, Jill Blackwood (with her husband, Tom) and Judy Arledge took over.  Earlier this year, the third generation family sold their interest in Sterzing's to long time employees Craig Smith and Gary Schmeiser.  Smith started with Sterzing's in 1980 as a route driver and worked his way up to production manager for the plant.  Schmeiser also started as a route driver in 1989, but became the sales manager for the company in 1997.  Smith and Schmeiser aren't planning on any wholesale changes for Sterzing's, saying "Why tamper with success?"

Of course, I had to get a small bag of Sterzing's Potato Chips to go along with my sandwich.  It had been such a long time since I'd had some that I decided to treat myself to some.  

One other thing that makes a trip to the Colony Point Deli a treat are their wonderful home-baked cookies. Of course, they put them right up in front by where you order and pay for your sandwich.  They have all types of cookies including chocolate chip, M&M's cookies, chocolate chips WITH M&M's, white chocolate chip - the list goes on and on.  They also have baked goods including pastries in the case.  I decided to treat myself to a white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookie for a dessert.  Hey, I was on vacation at the time and I thought I deserved it.  

On the other side of the counter where they have the pre-made sandwiches, they also have homemade pies that you can buy whole or by the slice.  A slice of their lemon pie has been calling my name for years, but I've successfully have dodged all attempts by the ladies behind the counter to take a piece with me.   

The lady called out my name when my sandwich was ready and I took all my goodies including the jar of pickled ham, the Sterzing's and a bottle of water to the counter and ordered up the cookie when she asked if there would be anything else.   The sandwich also comes with a pickle spear and each sandwich also gets a peppermint candy placed underneath the sandwich.  

You can get half sandwiches at Colony Point, but I got a full one this time.  And it's pretty big.  They really lay on the vegetables and the Italian spice-infused oil and vinegar tastes great on the lettuce, tomatoes and onions.  I normally don't get onions on my sandwiches from the Colony Point Deli, but this time I did.  And they were fresh and strong! 

The sandwich had three thick slices of roast beef and a thick slice of provolone cheese on top.  The bread was a little dried out - I knew I should have gotten the dark rye bread.  But it was still good.  I like a lot of yellow mustard on my roast beef sandwiches and they slathered it on.  This is not a sandwich that you can easily eat while you're driving down the road.  Even though there is a small dining area in Colony Point, I sat out in the parking lot and ate a good portion of the sandwich before heading back home.  

The sandwiches at the Colony Point Deli aren't going to be as good as what you'd find at a big city deli such as Manny's Deli in Chicago (look for an upcoming entry on that place on Road Tips), but for out in the middle of the cornfields of Iowa and just off Interstate 80 it's a good place to stop, grab a sandwich and other Amana food stuffs, then head on down the road.  While my sandwich was a little dry with the bread and almost had too many veggies (lettuce, especially), it's still a pretty good value.  The Colony Point Deli a great alternative to Arby's, McDonald's or Subway - all of which are also in the immediate vicinity at that exit.  It's all the extras that you can get at Colony Point that makes this place one of my guilty pleasures in life.

McBob's Pub and Grill - Milwaukee

One of my dealers in Milwaukee, Ultra Fidelis, moved out to Wauwatosa on North Avenue a little over a year ago. North Avenue is sort of a mish-mash of funky stores, little restaurants and blue-collar bars. One of the guys at Ultra Fidelis was telling me that there was this great little neighborhood bar on North Avenue a couple miles away from their store - McBob's Pub and Grill - that had one of the best corned beef sandwiches in Milwaukee. "Maybe even the world," he exclaimed. "It's a great sandwich." One evening with nothing to do in Milwaukee, I decided to seek out McBob's and give their sandwich a try.

McBob's is one of those old time neighborhood taps that permeate the Beer City. It has more of an Irish theme to the place, one a number of Irish pubs in Milwaukee. (For a city that is heavy in German heritage, they have an awful lot of Irish-style pubs in Milwaukee.) Of course, St. Patrick's Day is huge at McBob's with corned beef and cabbage, Guinness and bag pipes all mixed in.

McBob's is the nickname for the McRoberts family who started McBob's a number of years ago. However, for the 20 or so years, the place was run by Bob Rubner (pictured right, courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), and his wife, Christine McRoberts (the daughter of the previous owner). In 1995, Brian Hunter came to work for Rubner and McRoberts and later became a partner in the place.

This is where the back story about McBob's turns a little strange.

In 1988, Bob Rubner was living in Vienna, Austria and he happened to come back to a family gathering at McBob's. There, he "re-met" his first cousin, Christine McRoberts, who was seven years younger than Rubner. According to McRoberts, it was love at first sight and two years later they were married in California - a state where it is legal for first cousins to marry. They came back to work at McBob's, eventually taking it over.

Rubner was instrumental in turning the place into a nearly authentic Irish/Scottish pub. He began to cook and came up with their famous corned beef sandwich. He also came up with a number of soups and the McBob's Chili which, I understand, is some of the best in the city of Milwaukee. Rubner also started making Irish breakfasts at McBob's. His "McRobert's Plaid" entree is pretty unique for breakfast - it's 3 eggs topped with peppers and onions, then topped with Swiss and American cheese in sort of a plaid pattern.

Rubner had a great sense of humor and told many stories about a mischievous fictional character "Seamus". Nearly every day, Rubner would come up with a new story regarding the exploits of Seamus. And he was a treasure trove of jokes that he would share with his customers.

Unfortunately, Bob Rubner was also an alcoholic which led to many physical issues. In March of this year, just before his beloved St. Patrick's Day, Rubner couldn't take it any longer and committed suicide. He was 58 years old. McRoberts and Hunter continue to run McBob's, but it's apparent that Bob Rubner is missed by all.

I found a parking space just across the street on busy North Ave. (see map) Like the neighborhood surrounding McBob's, the clientele is a diversified group of ethnic and socio-culture individuals. Young families, older families, young guys and girls with piercings and tattoos, yuppie couples enjoying a beer - McBob's was a literal melting pot of people from all walks of life. I immediately liked the place.

Like most Irish-style pubs I've been to, McBob's has a plethora of signage - both lighted and unlighted - and other paraphernalia on the walls. The lighting is subdued, but still good enough to allow me to read a copy of the Journal-Sentinel in the dining area. The bar took up the east wall of McBob's and it was evident that a number of the regulars were holding those places that evening.

Taking a table along the back wall of the place, a waiter came over to drop off a menu and to take my drink order. I ordered up a Smithwick's and looked over the menu. McBob's is also somewhat famous for their homemade tacos - made with beef or chicken in a 10" soft flour shell, then topped with cheese, onion, sour cream, lettuce, tomato and your choice of three different temperatures of salsa. It sounded tempting, as did the hot roast beef sandwich - comfort food on a chilly and rainy Milwaukee evening.

But I decided to get what I went there for - the corned beef sandwich. Actually, McBob's reuben sandwich isn't much different as they add Swiss cheese and sauerkraut to the corned beef. I had my choice of either marble rye or light rye bread. I took the marble rye. And since it was a Wednesday night, I could get a "deluxe" corned beef sandwich. That meant that I could get a side of french fries with a pickle spear, and a cup of soup. (They have their "deluxe" sandwiches on Monday, Wednesday and Friday's at McBob's.) The featured soup that evening, in addition to their chili, was a creamy chicken and rice - one of the soups that Bob Rubner came up with years ago. While I decided against getting fries, I did order up a cup of the soup.

The soup came out first and it was very good. It had large chunks of chicken and the creamy broth was very tasty. It was a nice start up to the meal.

Not long after I finished my soup, my waiter came out with my sandwich and fries. A generous amount of horseradish mustard was on top of the corned beef which was slow roasted, overly moist and literally falling apart on my sandwich.

The marble rye bread was a little dried out and it didn't take long for the juices from the corned beef to get sopped up in the bread. Because of that, the sandwich suddenly became a mess of soggy bread that was falling apart, large chunks of corned beef that dropped into the basket on top of the chips, and horseradish mustard oozing onto my fingers. I looked for my waiter to get a fork, but he sort of forgot about me. I did my best to not look like a medieval barbarian as I picked up chunk after chunk of corned beef by my fingers and put it in my mouth. By the time I was finished, the waiter finally came around. He asked if I needed anything else and I said, "Yeah! Napkins!"

But the corned beef was simply out of this world. I like a good corned beef sandwich from time to time and this was one of the best I had, exploding bread notwithstanding. The beef was succulent and flavorful. What ever they do to their corned beef at McBob's, I wish I could do with corned beef at home.

With a couple beers, tax and tip, my meal came to just over $22 bucks at McBob's that evening. The corned beef was as good as advertised, the soup was delicious, and while the service (I thought) was a little sub par, it was fully understandable as the waiter was a busy guy with a lot of people coming into McBob's to get food. As a place to hang out and have a beer with friends, McBob's would be a great place to do so. But the food is what makes the place unique. And even though he is no longer with us, the spirit of Bob Rubner lives on at McBob's.

Taylor's Maid-Rite - Marshalltown, IA

If you're a regular reader of Road Tips, you've learned that debates rage across the state of Iowa as to who has the best loose-meat burger.  I'm partial to the Maid-Rite from Newton, many people who grew up in Ottumwa and that area say the Canteen Lunch is the best there is, and there's a large contingent of Central Iowans who say Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown is the best Maid-Rite style sandwich.  On a recent trip between Cedar Rapids and Ames, I had the chance to stop into Marshalltown and have a couple Taylor's Maid-Rite for dinner. 

Once again, a quick primer for those of you who aren't familiar with what a Maid-Rite is.  It's basically a burger, only with steamed loose ground beef.  It's served in a wrapper with a spoon to pick up the loose meat that falls out of the sandwich.  And while you'll find Maid-Rite shops around the Midwest, it's definitely an Iowa phenomenon.  The original Maid-Rite was founded in 1926 in Muscatine.  The second Maid-Rite was founded a year later in Newton and the third Maid-Rite opened in 1928 in Marshalltown. 

Cliff Taylor was living in Newton in 1928 and liked the new Maid-Rite there so much that he decided to open a Maid-Rite in Marshalltown.  He paid founder Fred Angell $300 for the franchise rights for Marshalltown and soon opened his Maid-Rite.  Taylor, his wife and his son, Don, ran the small shop on S. 3rd St. near the downtown area. 

In the late 1930's, Fred Angell had decreed that all Maid-Rite locations add a special seasoning that he came up with to the steamed ground beef.  Cliff Taylor didn't like the seasoning and didn't add it to his Maid-Rites.  Angell tried to get Taylor to add the seasoning, but under the terms of their original contract signed in 1928, no seasonings were mentioned and Angell couldn't force Taylor to add the seasonings.  I believe the same thing was true with the original owner of the Maid-Rite in Newton, as well.  Both the Marshalltown and Newton Maid-Rites used - and continue to use - USDA Choice beef for their Maid-Rite meat with no preservatives, additives or spices.  A little salt is included in the cooking process.

The original Maid-Rites were also designed to be served with yellow mustard, pickles and onions only.  No ketchup.  Taylor's Maid-Rite adhered to that core principal since day one.  And they were militant about it, too.  That's why I was overly surprised to see ketchup bottles on the counter during my recent visit.  It turns out that Taylor's Maid-Rite did a survey a couple three years ago as to whether or not to bring in ketchup.  Over 2000 people responded and by a very short margin ketchup won.  Taylor's Maid-Rite began to provide the condiment to their patrons.

After Cliff Taylor's death in 1944, Don Taylor and his wife, Polly, took over the day-to-day operation. The shop was so small that Don Taylor had to store their fresh daily ground beef in a refrigerator in his basement.  The Taylor's also baked their famous homemade pies in their home and ferried them to the restaurant to serve to their customers.  

In 1958, Taylor built what is the existing location for their Maid-Rite directly across the street from the original shop (see map).  The cooking bins were stainless steel, it offered seating for over 40 people and it was certainly a modern facility for its day.  

Don Taylor continued to run the business up to his death in 1973.  For the next 12 years, Polly and a handful of longtime employees ran the day-to-day operation at Taylor's Maid-Rite.  In 1985, Polly's grandson, Don Short, took over the company.  After running the company for 25 years, Don Short recently ceded operations back over to his mother, Sandy Taylor Short. 

Don Short kept the traditions in place that his great-grandfather and grandfather made famous over the years.  When other Maid-Rite locations were adding items to their menu, Short relied upon just having Maid-Rites, pies and ice cream.  He never brought in French fries because he didn't want to have to clean a deep fryer.  Keeping the steam bins clean was enough work for him.

Those steam bins have caused Short a lot of anguish over the past few years.   In 2006, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (D.I.A.) decided that the bins that Short and other older Maid-Rites around the state used were deemed to be "unhealthy" as they allowed for the cooking of raw meat next to fully cooked meat.  This is a process that Maid-Rites have used for well over 70 years, and they usually have a stainless steel partition in the bin to keep the cooked meat from the raw meat.  Once the raw meat is cooked through, the partition is removed and the meat is all mixed together.  As far as I know, no one has ever gotten sick from this type of cooking method.

It has been said that this ruling by the Iowa D.I.A. was prompted by the head of the Maid-Rite franchise company, Bradley Burt, who wanted all Maid-Rites to have a uniform way of cooking their meat.  In other words, Burt wanted all Maid-Rite franchises to buy the meat already cooked, then frozen, from him and then warm it up in a cooker as needed.  I've had this type of Maid-Rite sandwich and I have to tell you quite bluntly, they really suck.  They have no life in the meat, it's tasteless and bland.  It's like they have sucked the soul right out of the sandwich.

At the time of the initial ruling, the head of the Iowa D.I.A. said that he thought it would be foolish to make the old time Maid-Rites change their method of cooking considering they've been doing it the same way for so long. However, when Chet Culver was elected Governor of Iowa in 2006, he cleaned house at the D.I.A. and installed Dean Lerner as the new director. Lerner immediately ordered the removal of all the existing steam bins in Maid-Rites that were still using them and replace them with a new cooker for the meat - one similar to what Burt was using in his "new" Maid-Rites.

Don Short appealed the Iowa D.I.A.'s decision saying that the new $7000 cookers there were required to install were inadequate and too small for the volume of business they did. He also maintained that a number of Maid-Rites in small towns - including Taylor's - that continued to use the steam bins could go out of business if they had to bring in the new cookers. Last year, a judge ruled against Short's motion saying that even though no one had gotten sick during the two-year appeal process, the ruling was a "reasonable reversal of policy" by the Iowa D.I.A.

A state senator who lived near Marshalltown drew up legislation to allow the original Maid-Rites to continue to use the steam bins and the measure was passed by the Iowa Senate. However, state representatives from the Des Moines area - and who may have been friendly to the interests of Bradley Burt - took the measure out of the bill it was attached to and it was never passed by the Iowa House of Representatives.

In the meantime, it turned out there was some connection between Iowa D.I.A. head Dean Lerner and Maid-Rite corporate chairman Bradley Burt. Citing a conflict of interest on Lerner's part, Short asked the Iowa State Department of Public Health to step in and take over the process of appeal. However, DPH director Tom Newton issued a ruling that Taylor's Maid-Rite was in violation of administrative guidelines for having the steam bins in his establishment.

With the recent election of Terry Branstad as Iowa's governor, Lerner was let go as the head of the Iowa D.I.A. and Rod Roberts was installed as the new director. There is hope among the Short's and other old-style Maid-Rite owners that he will reverse the directive handed down by Lerner. As of now, nothing has changed, and it's business as usual for Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown.

Taylor's Maid-Rite may be the most famous of all the Maid-Rites in existence, not only due to the Short's spearheading this appeal process against the State of Iowa, but for the way they market themselves.  Their web site is simply www.maidrite.com, something that probably has to stick in the craw of the Maid-Rite corporation that has www.maid-rite.com as their web site.  Not only can you order Taylor's Maid-Rite shirts, mugs and glasses on the web site, but you can have their Maid-Rites shipped nearly anywhere in the United States.  The Maid-Rites are made at Taylor's, frozen without pickles or onions (those are included in a plastic container), then shipped 2nd Day Air in a reusable cooler with frozen gel packs inserted in with the sandwiches.  You can un-thaw the sandwiches and then re-heat them in a microwave (sort of sounds like what the current Maid-Rite corporation is trying to get the franchises to do).  Maid-Rites are orderable in quantities of one, two or three dozen at a time.  I understand their mail-order business for Maid-Rites is a big enterprise for them, but I can't imagine that they'd taste anywhere as close to having one at the counter at Taylor's Maid-Rite.

It was just before six p.m. on a cold, rain-swept evening when I pulled into the parking lot at Taylor's Maid-Rite.  There were five people seated at the counter when I got there, but a number of people were walking in and getting Maid-Rites to go.  When the waitress came over, I ordered two Maid-Rites with everything - mustard, pickles, onions. 

I was sort of shocked after I ordered to look up at the menu board and realize that Taylor's now featured cheese Maid-Rites.  This was also something that the Short's recently added to their menu.  You couldn't get ketchup or cheese on a Maid-Rite at Taylor's for, well, since they opened up.  But within the past couple of years, you can now get both.  I was sort of glad I didn't get the cheese on my Maid-Rites, for tradition and old times sake.

The Maid-Rite at Taylor's is not much different from the one in Newton or the Canteen in Ottumwa.  You can order it wet (I got mine a little wet) with a little of the beef broth added to the meat.   It sort of clumps the meat together and gives it a little more of a moist - and flavorful - taste.

And both of the Taylor's Maid-Rites I had were very good.  They have a slightly different taste from the ones I get in Newton or at the Canteen in Ottumwa, but it's all good.  The old steam bins, no doubt, have a lot to do with the taste of the Maid-Rites and/or Canteen burgers.  It would be a shame - and quite probably the death knell - of these places if they were forced to change their method of cooking their beef.  

 While I'm still partial to the Maid-Rites in Newton, and God knows that I've been chastised by people from Ottumwa for that, I think which one tastes the best is all about with what you grew up with.  Now, that's not particularly true for my cousin who grew up on Newton Maid-Rites - he thinks that Taylor's have the best Maid-Rites between all of them and he'd rather drive to Marshalltown and have one up there rather than eat at the one in Newton.   But it really doesn't matter which of the three you try, you'll be indulging in a large slice of Iowa tradition and history.  And Taylor's Maid-Rite is quite possibly the most famous of them all.

A Return to the Canteen Lunch - Ottumwa, IA

Over the past year, Road Tips entries have been picked up by or linked to a handful of web sites or forums on the Internet.  As I keep telling myself that I'd like to slow down a bit from the pace at which I write, the popularity of this blog has risen tremendously over the past few months.  With that said, recently an entry was picked up by an Ottumwa High School alumni site for my original post on the Canteen Lunch (see that post here). 

That entry was received by Ottumwans with much derision and scorn.  Everything from my taste buds to my sanity was questioned in comments on Road Tips and e-mails that I received from Ottumwans who were upset that I dared to say that while the Canteen burger was good, I preferred the taste of the Newton Maid-Rite better. 

Now, I've known a few Ottumwans in my life and one thing I'll say about people from Ottumwa is that they are highly defensive of their city.  Ottumwa is a hard-scrabble river town that has fallen on hard economic times over the past few years.  While it may have been an OK place to grow up, Ottumwa - like my hometown of Newton - is not the same town as it was 30 years ago.  But people from the area seem to be overly protective of all things Ottumwa when it comes to discussions about their hometown.  "Yes, Ottumwa is a dreary town," I can hear them say.  "But it's OUR dreary town!" 

You gotta love people like that.  I view people from Ottumwa as being "glass half-full" kind of people.  They're always looking on the bright side of life. 

Most of the responses and comments I received after the original Canteen Lunch entry had to do with the difference between Maid-Rites and the Canteen burger - which are, basically, the same thing.  The big difference is taste with many Maid-Rites versus the Canteen.   And there seemed to be some confusion as to the "real" Maid-Rites and the "new" Maid-Rites that have popped up over the past 25 years.  So, for the benefit of those who think all Maid-Rites are alike I'd like to give a little background on the original Maid-Rites and the "new" Maid-Rites that are out there.

The original Maid-Rite was founded in 1926 by Fred Angell in Muscatine, IA.  Angell sold his first franchise to a lady in Newton in 1927 for $300.  A year later, Clifford Taylor, a Newton resident, bought the rights to put a Maid-Rite in Marshalltown.  The Muscatine location closed down in 1997, but the Newton (pictured at right) and Marshalltown (Taylor's Maid-Rite) locations are still going strong today. 

In 1982, the Angell family sold the franchise rights to Clayton Blue and John Gillotti who had big plans to take the Maid-Rite chain nationwide.  But nothing materialized as a court battle ensued after John Gillotti died in 1991. Blue - who had left Maid-Rite after defaulting on contract payments in partnership with Gillotti - said that he was the rightful owner of the Maid-Rite franchises.  But the courts ruled against Blue's claim saying that the contract appeared to be tampered with.   

In 2002, the Gillotti family sold the Maid-Rite franchise to Bradley Burt, a former banker and marketing manager who the Gillotti's had brought in years prior to help shore up the sagging Maid-Rite name which had dipped to under 100 locations in the Midwest.  Burt immediately decided that all Maid-Rite franchises needed to have continuity and standardization.  He began to pressure franchise owners over contract issues that were either not enforced or were loosely followed over the years.  He also wanted all Maid-Rites to buy pre-cooked meat from the Des Moines headquarters so there would be a uniformed taste with all Maid-Rites. 

A number of Maid-Rite franchises closed down, worried that they'd either have to move their operations to larger buildings or to buy new equipment to bring their restaurant up to new Maid-Rite standards.  However, the Maid-Rite "outlaws" - including Dan Holtkamp's Maid-Rite in Newton and Taylor's Maid-Rite - continued to do their own "thing", including grinding and cooking their own meat.  The original Maid-Rite locations were grandfathered in to non-existing standards allowing them to continue to operate as a independent franchises without paying royalties or franchise fees to Burt's corporation.

Now, I'm going to interject some opinion in this story at this point.  The Maid-Rite franchises that follow the rules and contractual obligations of the Maid-Rite Corporation aren't very good.  The pre-cooked meat is micro-waved and served as customers order and it's lifeless in taste.  A number of Maid-Rite franchises have opened and closed within their first year.  It is not the same Maid-Rite as many Iowans - or Midwesterners - have grown up with. 

In 1982, Maid-Rite franchises began to pop up in the Quad Cities area.  And even to my "questionable taste-buds" the ones in the Quad Cities aren't very good.  They seem to be following the course put forth by the Maid-Rite corporation, but I believe they are still steaming their own meat.  And the meat they use doesn't taste very good.  The Maid-Rites in the Quad Cities are nowhere as close in taste and freshness as the ones in Newton and Marshalltown.  (Ross' Restaurant in Bettendorf - which used to be a Maid-Rite location years ago - still makes the best Maid-Rite-style sandwiches in the Quad Cities.  And I've come up with a recipe using chicken broth, cooked onions and some seasoning that comes damn close to the taste of Maid-Rites in Newton and Marshalltown.  See that recipe here.) 

One exception seems to be the Marion Maid-Rite, which opened in 1986.  I've had a Maid-Rite there on a couple occassions and it tastes pretty darn good.  It's probably the best of all the "franchise" Maid-Rite's I've eaten at.  (And, to my knowledge, it's the only one that serves beer.  I've never had a beer with a Maid-Rite and I'm not certain it would taste that good together.) 

Burt put additional pressure on Taylor's Maid-Rite in 2006 by writing to the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals to say that Taylor's was not in compliance with state law with the way they prepare and hold their meat for serving.  Taylor's holds cooked meat at one end of the steamer table while they put raw meat in the other end to begin the cooking process.  The Newton Maid-Rite does the same thing, but uses a metal partition between the two sides that can be lifted out and moved across the steamer depending on how much cooked meat they have.  The Canteen Lunch does the same thing in Ottumwa. 

Burt wanted to know why Taylor's was allowed to continue to cook their meat that way, possibly introducing e-coli into the meat - and the Iowa D.I.A. decided that he was right.  Taylor's had been in business since 1928, but there had never been a complaint about food poisoning from their restaurant.  

Long story short - the Iowa legislature got involved and voted to strike down an amendment that would allow Taylor's to continue to cook the way they have for over 80 years.  Taylor's Maid-Rite is still fighting in court.    

If you can tell by now, I'm much more partial to places like the original Maid-Rites, the Canteen Lunch and Ross' in Bettendorf.  They continue to do things the way they've done them for years - and they all taste better than any of the current Maid-Rite Corporation operations. 

So, with that little bit of history out of the way, I had been back to the Canteen Lunch on a couple occasions since my original visit about 3 1/2 years ago.  People from Ottumwa continued to rave about the Canteen burgers, but, once again, I didn't think they were any better than the ones in Newton.  Don't get me wrong, they were very good.  But they weren't the best loose-meat sandwich I've ever had. 

After the Canteen Lunch entry was linked to the Ottumwa Alumni site, I told a couple people that I was going to go back and do a more in-depth feature on the place.  I was driving home from Kansas City recently and I decided to go across Southern Iowa on Highway 34 which would put me in the Ottumwa area around 1:30 on afternoon. 

 

The story of the Canteen Lunch starts back in the 1930's when the little eatery was opened in an alley between S. Court and S. Market, just off W. 2nd St. (see map).  The charm and history of the place was more than evident a number of years ago when the City of Ottumwa wanted to build a parking ramp on the spot where the Canteen Lunch stood.  There was such an outcry from the locals that the city decided to build the parking ramp AROUND the small building.  The power of the people! 

The Canteen is very small - only about 12 to 15 seats around a semi-oval counter.  In my previous entry, I noted that there were five ladies behind the counter, each of them were no younger than their mid-50's.  I was criticized for that comment by a couple people, saying that there were younger ladies than that working behind the counter.  On my recent visit, I will stand corrected.  There appeared to be one lady who wasn't under the age of 45 while the others behind the counter had to be well into their 60's.  However, one young lady - looked like she was in her 30's - came out from the backroom at one point.  So, no, not everyone is old who works at the Canteen Lunch.  

Lunch time can be pretty crazy at the Canteen, but since it was well past 1 p.m. when I got in I was able to find a seat at the counter.  Now, I did this little faux pas last time I was in and didn't remember the procedure.  I ordered two "Canteens" with cheese.  The lady said, "We only serve one at a time.  If you want another one after the first one, we'll get it for you."  They keep 'em fresh that way.  I immediately showed that I was not a regular in the place.

She brought the first one to me, wrapped and tucked in the wax paper.  Like any Maid-Rite sandwich, the loose meat was falling off the sides of the bun.  Now, before my first visit to the Canteen Lunch, I was told by a friend of mine from Ottumwa, John Stewart, who now lives in Florida, that I could easily eat three of these things.  On my first visit, I had one (because I'd had one in Newton about an hour before and wanted to do a taste comparison with the Canteen burger), but I had two on my previous visits - which was more than enough for me.  The "Canteen" was large and meaty, very flavorful.  But, once again, quite honestly, it wasn't any better than what I've had at the Maid-Rite in Newton.  They are both very good for what they are and definitely better than any of the Maid-Rite franchise locations. 

A lady came in with a small box and ordered 20 canteens just after I got my first sandwich.  With workman like efficiency, the ladies behind the counter formed an assembly line of buns, condiments, placing meat on the bun and wrapping the Canteens before placing them in the box.  The lady was gone about 10 minutes after she entered the Canteen.  Pretty impressive!

A couple came in and sat down across the counter with me.  The lady ordered a Canteen "moist".  The guy ordered a Canteen "Moist with extra salt."   Wait a minute - these people may be on to something.  The "moist" - yes.  Not so much with the extra salt, however.

The lady went over to the steamer and dug around in the meat, placed some on the bun and sort of dipped it in the juice in the bottom of the steamer.  Ah ha!  That may be the trick!

 I ordered my second Canteen with cheese - moist.  And it came to me with a better flavor than the first one.  The taste sensation in the meat was heightened by just a little bit of the broth that was introduced on the sandwich.  (When I make my homemade Maid-Rites, I throw a little bit of the chicken broth in with the meat when I store it in a bowl in the refrigerator.  Letting it sit for a day or two and then warming it up really makes it taste better.)   That was the knock out taste that Ottumwans have come to love over the years.  It certainly helps to know the local secret when it comes to a place like the Canteen Lunch.  Order them "moist". 

While the decor at the Canteen Lunch isn't anything special or spiffy, I was sort of mystified to see pictures of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Kennedy on the east wall of the restaurant.  On the west wall, there is a large map of the United States where people can put a pin in to signify their hometown.  Nearly every state on the map - including Alaska and Hawaii - had a pin marked and there were a couple hundred pins all over the map.  People do come from all over to enjoy a Canteen burger at the Canteen Lunch.

OK, so there, all you Ottumwans.  Yes, the Canteen Lunch is very good, it's full of history and nostalgia for those of you who grew up there, but I can't say that the Canteen Burger is any better than a Maid-Rite that Dan Holtkamp makes in Newton or one that Don Short makes up in Marshalltown.  They all have great flavor to them and but they're all a little different in taste.   I'm sure it's something that you just grow to like and become accustomed to when you're growing up.  The key to the Canteen burger is keeping it moist with the broth.  And that's how I'll order it up on my next visit to the Canteen when I can get through the Ottumwa area again at some point.    

(Newton Maid-Rite and Maid-Rite sandwich pictures courtesy of Roadfood.com)

Amighetti's - St. Louis

We have some casual friends in the Quad Cities that we run in to from time to time who like to go to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play baseball. Each trip to St. Louis, they always stop at Amighetti's on The Hill for a sandwich. While in St. Louis earlier this year, I decided to stop in for a bite.

Actually, a couple years ago, I stopped into Amighetti's at night to have something to eat. I parked behind the building and walked in the back door. The lights were on, but there were about 7 or 8 older guys sitting around a table. They all looked up at me in unison. It was like I had walked into a mob sit-down meeting. I sort of stopped and asked, "Are you guys open?"

In a husky voice, a guy with a heavy Italian accent replied, "No, we're only open for food during the day." I apologized and did a quick about-face out the door. It was kind of funny and unnerving at the same time.

I did make an effort to get back at some point and I found myself near Amighetti's at the corner of Wilson and Marconi near the noon hour (see map). (There are also two other Amighetti's locations - one in suburban Hazelwood and another in Rock Hill in West County.) I parked in front of Amighetti's Bakery, the original Amighetti's since Louis Amighetti opened it in 1921. A small, traditional Italian style family bakery, Amighetti and his son, Louis, Jr - aka "Junior" - grew the business over the years making breads and pastries, while also making sandwiches that quickly became popular with their customers.

In the late 60's, Junior Amighetti opened a small sandwich shop on the other side of the corner from the bakery. Their signature sandwich - the Amighetti's Special - consists of ham, roast beef, Genoa salami, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, a pepperoncini and topped with Amighetti's secret recipe Italian dressing all on a freshly baked Italian bread. A number of other places have tried to copy Amighetti's Special sandwich, most notably the St. Louis-based grocery chain Schnuck's that has ready-to-eat sub sandwiches in their deli case call "The King of the Hill". I've had a King of the Hill from the Schnuck's not far from our house in Davenport and I can say that it's just OK. I was hoping the Amighetti's special would be better.

I ventured into Amighetti's and a small line had already formed to order at the counter. The dining area was small with a handful of tables. There is a nice outdoor seating area on the north side of the building along with a walk-up window to order. It was pretty hot outside and even though the patio area had a cloth tarp over the seating area to keep the sun out, I decided to sit inside.

The menu at Amighetti's is pretty basic featuring not only their special sandwich, but a number of "build-you-own" sandwiches, as well. Amighetti's also has a handful of salads and some basic pasta dishes to choose from. Everyone in line in front of me was ordering the Amighetti's Special sandwich, so it was no surprise to the young girl when I ordered the same thing when I got to the front of the line. I ordered a half Amigetti's Special with a bottle of water.

Now, the girl behind the counter was neither welcoming or rude - just sort of neutral in her mannerisms and demeanor. She wordlessly turned to a container holding a bunch of the sandwiches, grabbed a bottle of water from one of the other girls and told me how much I owed. With the sandwich and the water, it came to around $5.50 - not a bad price for lunch.

Since Amighetti's makes a lot of sandwiches in advance, the lettuce got a little limp and wilted. In fact, the whole sandwich looked like it was just slapped together with thin slices of meat, a slice of cheese, a couple tomato slices, a smattering of lettuce and onions and topped with a large pepperoncini. I couldn't even discern the homemade Italian dressing on the sandwich. The bread was soft and a little chewy, but didn't add much to the sandwich. It was basically like getting a "King of the Hill" at Schnuck's. I guess I was trying to figure out what was so special about the Amighetti Special sandwich our friends had been raving about for quite some time.

There are a lot of places to have lunch on the Hill and it's no doubt that Amighetti's does a good business for lunch. But I wasn't overly impressed with the Amighetti's Special. In fact, there's a meat market/deli on the west side of the Hill (I can't remember the name of it, but I can drive right to it) that made me a submarine sandwich very similar to the Amighetti's Special a couple years ago and I thought it was very good. It wasn't made in advance like the Amigetti's Special so the vegetables topped on the meat were fresh and not wilted. Amighetti's may be the original, but I think there's others that do it just as good, if not better, than they do.

B&B Grocery Meat and Deli - Des Moines

(Note - B&B Grocery made Road Tips' updated Top Ten List of Best Burgers for 2011.  Click here to see the entry.)

A shout out today to my good friend, Jeff "Burph" Versteegh, who asked me earlier this year if I'd ever been to the Killer Deli inside B&B Grocery in Des Moines.  He said, "They've got pretty good sandwiches there."  Not only had I never been there, I'd never heard of the place.  And after doing some research, then subsequently visiting B&B Grocery earlier this summer, I'm sort of embarrassed to say that it had never, ever popped up on my radar before. 

One of the biggest reasons for my embarrassment is that I grew up near Des Moines and thought of myself as a guy who knew a lot of the out of the way places in the city.  But B&B Grocery never registered before and it should have - they've been in business for 88 years. 

Brothers John and Archie Brooks opened the little south side grocery in Des Moines in 1922 making B&B the oldest grocery store in the city.  Over the years, John and Archie expanded their little store, even opening a second location at the corner of SE 6th and SE Hartford - across from their present location today (see map). 

Archie Brooks passed away in 1957 and his brother continued to run the business with the help of Archie's widow, Gwen, and Archie's two sons - John A and Archie, Jr.  John Brooks retired in 1965 and Gwen retired to Arizona in 1971 leaving her two sons to run the business.  John A. Brooks eventually bought the store from the family in 1977 and along with his wife and sons, they ushered B&B into the modern era by adding homemade deli sandwiches to their butcher business.  Their sandwiches are named "Killer Sandwiches" because that's what a hungry railroad worker asked for when he wandered in one day nearly 30 years ago.   

John A. Brooks sons - Joe and John A., Jr. (right - this picture had to be taken 20 years ago) - took over the family business and continued the family tradition. Joe's daughter and John's sons also work in the family business making 4 generations of Brooks who have worked behind the counter at B&B.  And, reportedly, there's now a 5th generation of the Brooks family who will one day work in the family business.  

Not only is B&B Grocery known for their "Killer Sandwiches" and their old-fashioned meat counter that continues to stock specialty meats and cheese that grocery stores quit carrying long ago, they're also known as having one of the best hamburgers in Des Moines.  That's right - a deli/meat market making their own burger.  While a burger was intriguing on my initial visit, I was there for a good ol' "Killer Sandwich".  

It was just before the noon lunch rush when I walked into B&B Grocery.  I could easily smell the burger meat cooking on a grill as I walked in.  I went past the front counter and down toward the meat counter to check out the menu posted on a board behind the counter.  As I was sort of standing there, I heard this voice next to me say, "What are YOU doing here?"

It was an old friend from my days growing up in nearby Newton, Terry Moss, who was there on his lunch hour picking up a sandwich with a co-worker.  I told him that our mutual friend, Burph, had turned me on to this place and I was there to try it out.  Terry asked, "Are you gonna write about it on your blog?"  Well, of course, Terry!  

I went up to the counter and Joe Brooks was there.  I said, "I hear you guys have great sandwiches." 

He said, "Oh, you bet!"  And he described a couple of them including "Dad's Killer Sandwich" -  roast beef, turkey breast, smoked ham, corned beef, pepper cheese, Swiss cheese, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, Kosher pickles, mustard, Miracle Whip, Tuscan Italian dressing on a soft Italian hoagie roll.  "It's the original 'Killer Sandwich' that my dad came up with."  I immediately signed up for one of those. 

While I waited, I chatted up Terry, catching up on things going on in our lives and checking out other things they had to offer on their menu.  Good God, they had a lot to offer.  They had different sizes of burgers from a single patty all the way up to the 1.3 pound "Quadzilla" burger featuring 4 1/3 lb. burger patties.  They also had homemade breaded tenderloin sandwiches, Italian sausage sandwiches, grilled rib eye and grilled chicken sandwiches and a who list of variations of a "name-your-own" killer sandwich.  My friend, Burph, said that he's particularly fond of the "Zach's Killer" (named after John Brooks' son) sandwich that has more Italian meats on it than the potpourri of traditional meats on a "Dad's Killer".  Oooo...  Another sandwich to try on another trip to B&B Grocery. 

A young girl brought out my sandwich to me and I went over to the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water.  The procedure then it to take it to the counter and pay for it.  While B&B Grocery has a sit down area with a counter and swivel chairs, I opted to take mine to my car and get going for what was going to be a long trip between Des Moines and Manhattan, KS. 

As I unwrapped my "Dad's Killer" sandwich, I could easily see that it was stacked high with the four different types of meat and the three different types of cheese.  The lettuce was shredded and there were pretty ripe tomatoes on the sandwich as well. 

From the first bite I could immediately see why the "Dad's Killer" sandwich has been voted the best deli sandwich in the Des Moines over the past few years.  The bread was light and chewy, the meat was great and the cheese was very fresh.  Even with the combination of the Miracle Whip, mustard and the Italian dressing, it was a "killer" sandwich.  It reminded me a lot of the Davanni's "assorted whole" sandwich that I like to get when I visit the Twin Cities.  And I love those sandwiches tremendously.  But the "Dad's Killer" sandwich was definitely on par with the sandwiches at Davanni's. 

I was back in Des Moines for business later in the summer and had a chance to stop by the Killer Deli at B&B Grocery for one of their cheeseburgers.  It was the middle part of the afternoon when I got in there, but there was still four or five people waiting on sandwiches. 

I asked the 20-something cook behind the counter about the burgers and whether a single or a double would be the best.  He was a young guy of small stature and he said, "I can down a double hamburger, no problem.  You can do a double."  So I ordered up a double with cheese. 

It takes about 15 minutes to make a burger at B&B Grocery, so I wandered around the store looking at stuff and grabbing a newspaper to read.  Finally, the guy yelled out, "Hey, your double cheeseburger with everything is ready!"  He placed the burger wrapped in butcher paper on the counter for me.  The price was only $3.89 - a great bargain for a big cheeseburger.

After paying for the burger at the check out counter, I decided that I wanted to use their little dining area toward the front of the store to enjoy my burger.  The bun was soft and chewy, the burger patties were thick and juicy.  The burger itself was very flavorful and very good.  It had just a little pink in the middle, just the way I like my burgers.  The cheese just oozed off the burgers and it was definitely a four napkin meal.  I may have to add B&B Grocery to my honorable mention list of burgers when I update it at some point. 

As I was leaving, the kid who made my burger was out back behind the store on a smoke break.  He said, "Hey, buddy!  How did you like that burger?"

I told him it was very good.  "Surprisingly good," I said with emphasis. 

He said, "Great!  Glad you enjoyed it!" 

In addition to other awards for having the best burgers, tenderloins and being the best south side grocery store in Des Moines, B&B Grocery has also garnered the "Best Kept Secret in Des Moines" award, as well.   Well, I certainly didn't know about the place until Burph told me and I'm certainly glad I did.  The "Killer Sandwich" was, well, killer.  The burger was excellent.  My next visit, I'll be getting a "Zach's Killer" sandwich.  B&B Grocery is one of those little out of the way gems that I love finding during my travels - even if someone has to tell me about it first.

A Revisit to the Belgian Village Inn - Moline, IL

One of the very first posts I had when I started this blog over 4 years ago had to do with the Belgian Village Inn in Moline (click here to see that entry).   I've come a long way from the style, prose and message from my earliest posts, plus I now have camera phone that can take pictures of the food.  And the huge VandeReuben sandwich is still the big draw at the B.V.I. as it's been for over 30 years.

There's a large Belgian population on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities.  There's a handful of Belgian clubs, restaurants and groups that call the Moline area home.  A local electrician of Belgian descent, Denis Ceurvorst (pronounced cur-VORST), opened the Belgian Village Inn in 1977 on top of the hill of the Uptown neighborhood in Moline (see map).  He and his wife, Loretta, offered a unique sandwich called the VandeReuben - a ham and corned beef sandwich topped with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese all on slices of a homemade bread.  This homemade bread was the key - the loaves were huge!  They were about a foot across and sliced into thin pieces of bread. 

When I first moved to the Quad Cities in 1991, one of the guys that I used to work with took me to the Belgian Village for a VandeReuben sandwich.  I was immediately hooked.  Even though there wasn't a lot of meat, cheese or kraut on the sandwich, the bread was scrumptious enough on its own.  When I would have people come visit me in the Quad's, a drive over to the Belgian Village was a must.  I still have friends who ask, "Where was that place that you took me to that had the big sandwich?"

Not much has changed since my first visits to the B.V.I. nearly 20 years ago.  Denis and Loretta semi-retired about 10 years ago and their daughter, Karen Manning, and her husband, Shawn have taken over the day-to-day operation.  Business at lunch is still brisk, but not as good as it was when the old Moline Public Hospital was in operation just down the street.  The place would be teeming with doctors, nurses and other health professionals from about 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  They shut the hospital down about 12 years ago and have since razed the building.

The one thing that you could never get at the Belgian Village Inn was a VandeReuben to-go.  They have a second location - the Belgian Village Drive Thru - just around the corner (see map) that only does carryout orders.  No matter what they used to tell me at the B.V.I., the sandwiches are not as good from the Belgian Village Drive Thru.

Cindy and I still get over to the B.V.I. about two or three times a year and we decided to head over not long ago on a cold winter night.  We took a seat in one of the many booths the restaurant has in the main dining area.  There's a large three-sided bar that can be full on weekend nights with people waiting to get a table.  There's also a smaller dining area in the back of the restaurant.  The weekends are pretty big at the B.V.I. as they serve prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights.  It's so popular that they sometimes run out of prime rib long before the end of the evening.  And I can attest that it's pretty damn good.

The clientele at the B.V.I. is a mix of young and old, blue collar and professionals, families or couples looking for a quick bite.  It's got a great neighborhood feel to the place and they're always laid back and very welcoming each time we've gone there to eat.

 

One of the things I like about the B.V.I. is their frosty mugs of beer.  When I first started going there years ago, they used to have large frosty schooners of beer.  And they had Old Style on tap.  Then they dropped the Old Style and I had to get Budweiser.  Then they dropped the big schooner glasses and now they have 12 oz frosty mugs.  When we went in that recent evening, I asked for a frosty mug of Bud.  The waitress said, "We don't have Budweiser on tap any longer.  I can bring you a bottle of Bud and a frosty mug."  I opted for a Miller Lite on tap instead.  And the mug was so cold that I swore they were keeping them outside in the well-below freezing temperatures.  Even on a cold night, a frosty mug of beer from the B.V.I. still tastes pretty damn good.

We ordered up a VandeReuben with extra pickles (hamburger dill slices).  I also ordered a side of their very good marinated cole slaw.  Cindy and I can usually eat about 2/3rds of a VandeReuben and take the rest home for leftovers.  That night, Cindy decided she wanted to warm up with a bowl of the B.V.I'.s surprisingly good clam chowder.

I usually cut the VandeReuben into sixths, throw on a ton of dill pickle slices and slather the sandwich with liberal amounts of Boetje's mustard.  Even though the slices of meat are ultra thin, the sauerkraut is sporadic and you can't really taste the cheese, the bread is what makes the sandwich.  It's the exact same recipe the Ceurvorsts and their daughter have used since the beginning.  And it's always damn good.

 The Belgian Village Inn is a tough place to beat for a unique meal, a comfortable atmosphere and good service - all at a pretty fair price.  It's not fancy, it's not pretentious, but it's not low-rate either.  It's one of those uncommon places where people from all walks of life rub elbows and have a good meal.  Winter or summer, it's very tough to beat the Belgian Village.

Johnnie's Beef - Elmwood Park, IL

Chicago is the home of some of the best Italian beef sandwiches anywhere.  Italian beef sandwiches are a passion with many residents of the area and when you ask a person from Chicagoland which one they like the most, more often than not they'll mention Johnnie's Beef.  Johnnie's Beef has two locations, the original one in Elmwood Park (see map); and the one up in Arlington Heights (see map).  While in Chicago recently, I stopped into the Elmwood Park location for an Italian beef sandwich and a hot dog. 

Actually, I first went to the Johnnie's Beef in Arlington Heights last summer.  While I thought it was good, I was told by an acquaintance in the Chicago area that the one in Elmwood Park was better - much better - than the one in Arlington Heights.  But he also told me, "It's best to know what you want before you go in.  The guys at the counter can get kind of surly."  He described a time when he was there and a lady dawdled for about 15 seconds over what to have and the guy at the register just skipped her.  "She didn't order and she left," he told me. 

The original Johnnie's Beef opened on North Ave. in 1961.  (The one in Arlington Heights opened in 2003.)  In a city where Italian beef can be a passion with many people, it quickly became one of the favorites.  But they're also famous for their lemon-flavored Italian ice.  I hear more people may crave their Italian ice more than the Italian beef sandwiches.  It's basically shaved ice with a lemon flavoring.  I understand it can be habit forming.   

There was a line of people standing out the door when I got to Johnnie's around 1:30 on a cold afternoon recently.  If there's a line and the door is shut do not make the mistake of keeping the door open like one lady did who was standing in front of me.  I heard a gruff, "Inside or out, lady!  Close the door!" come from inside Johnnie's.

At Johnnie's, they are rather snooty and provincial when it comes to their Italian beef sandwiches.  God knows you do not order cheese on your Italian beef at Johnnie's.  And my friend is right - know what you want and keep the line moving.  The guy taking the orders at the cash register can be a little brusque.  I didn't find that to be the case at the Arlington Heights location, however. 

I noticed a lot of people ordering the combo - Italian beef with an Italian sausage.  I've tried the combo at Portillo's in the past and found the sausage really detracts from the taste of the beef.  I ordered an Italian beef, both kinds of peppers, dipped; and a hot dog, everything.  I got a bottle of water to go along with it.  They pretty much make up the sandwiches right in front of you.  And it doesn't take long.  They pull the beef out of the tanks full of tender thin slices and beef gravy (au jus, for the novice Italian beef aficionados).  I'm guessing those tanks have been in use since Johnnie's opened up nearly 50 years ago.  And I'm sure they have something to do with the succulent taste of their sandwiches. 

Johnnie's is small and there's no place to sit inside.  (The Arlington Heights location has a dining area inside and out.)  In the summertime, there are some metal picnic tables outside, but they're usually full of people enjoying the Lemon Ice that Johnnie's is famous for.  I had to take my Italian beef back to the car.  Thankfully, I had a blanket in the backseat that Cindy had pulled out of the trunk before we took off to go somewhere just so she would be warm.  I draped that across my lap and used a "smeg towel" as a bib that I keep in my car for multiple uses. 

(As an aside - I learned to keep a towel in the car from an old rep friend of mine from Georgia years ago.  He called it a "chicken" towel.  "You get yourself a hand towel from a Holiday Inn," he explained to me one time, "and you use it to clean your hands and face when you're eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in the car.  Then the next time you're at a Holiday Inn, you just trade towels."  While I don't eat fried chicken in the car, I've found a towel is handy to clean up any "smegma" spills in a car, hence my term "smeg towel".)

While I honestly don't remember the sandwich at Johnnie's in Arlington Heights as being outstanding, I have to say the one at the original Johnnie's was pretty damn good.  I liked the bread as it was alternately crispy and chewy, and it certainly didn't fall apart from being dipped in the beef gravy.  The beef was tender and had a nice garlic after-taste to it.  The giardiniera was spicy, but far from overpowering.  It was a very good Italian beef sandwich.

The hot dog was above average, but I don't put it on the same par as the one at Portillo's.  Because most of the hot dogs in Chicago are from Vienna Beef, there's not much difference between places and their hot dogs.  But it was good, too messy for a car, but good.

Is Johnnie's Beef the best place to get an Italian beef in Chicago?  I'm not certain, but it is very good.  I still like the consistency of Portillo's - not to mention the convenience of having tons of locations all over the Chicagoland area.  But Johnnie's is better than Mr. Beef, Buona Beef or Al's (I think Mr. Beef is severely overrated).  I can see why people keep coming back to Johnnie's.  But make sure you know what you want before you get to the cash register. 

The Tavern - West Des Moines

 

One place that is one of my favorite pizza places in the whole world is The Tavern with three locations in the Des Moines area.  But The Tavern also does a good job of making one of my all time favorite sandwiches - the Grinder (a.k.a Gizmo's).  I was in Des Moines recently and decided to go to The Tavern not far from my hotel in West Des Moines.

The Tavern is an institution in the West Des Moines area.  The original Tavern began during the Depression of the 30's, not long after the end of Prohibition.  But it was the mid-40's when John and Mary Rilei bought the small tavern in the Valley Junction area of West Des Moines (see map).  It featured a pool table, a bar and a small seating area.  It wasn't long after they opened when they began to serve their own version of what was a Des Moines favorite of the time - the Guinea Grinder.  It wasn't much longer before the Rieli's added thin crust pizza to the menu.  The response was overwhelming.  Before long, the kitchen was expanded, the pool table was gone and more seating became available for the tons of people coming in to have John and Mary's food.

John Rilei passed away from cancer in 1970 and Mary decided to keep the business going.  She ran it another 18 years before selling it to long time friend Chuck Celsi, the son of Italian immigrants.  Mary Rilei continued to live upstairs overseeing the day-to-day operations with Chuck's blessing.  Chuck expanded the menu to include some of his mother's famous recipes and also expanded the original Valley Junction location a couple years later.  A second Tavern - The Tavern II - opened in West Des Moines in 1995 (see map); and Celsi opened a third location - The Tavern South - on Army Post Road in 1997 (see map). 

My first visit to The Tavern was a memorable one back in the late 70's when I was with a group of guys I used to play basketball with.  After an organizational meeting we attended for a men's basketball league in West Des Moines, we walked down the street to The Tavern for a couple beers.  We started off having beers only, then we saw someone bring out one of their pizzas.  Someone in our group said, "Hey, that doesn't look bad."  We ended up ordering a large pizza and a large order of their great homemade onion rings between the four of us and I've been hooked ever since. 

The Tavern features thin crust pizza with loads of fresh toppings including the big chunks of sausage that I like.  One of my favorites is their "Sting" pizza - seasoned Italian sausage, jalapenos and hot pepper cheese.  Oh man!  It definitely gets your attention!  They also feature a Grinder called the "Sting" that has jalapenos and is topped with pepper jack cheese instead of Mozzarella.  That, too, is one of my favorite sandwiches to have when I'm at The Tavern.

The Tavern II seats about 375 people so waiting is usually never a problem.  It's split into two large rooms with a small private room toward the back of the place.  As you walk in, there's a large bar area to the right and that's the room the hostess sat me in the night I was there recently.  I wasn't really in the mood for pizza, but I did think a "Sting" Grinder would be a spot-hitter.  I ordered one of those along with a dinner salad with The Tavern's homemade creamy Parmesan. 

For as extensive of a menu that The Tavern has, I haven't ever tried anything OTHER than the pizza, Grinder sandwiches or their great onion rings, and I've been going there for over 30 years.  In addition to pasta dishes, chicken Parmesan and beef Deburgo on the menu, The Tavern also has a number of sandwiches, salads and appetizers to choose from.  The Tavern is also offering Chicago "deep dish" style pizzas, too.  But I usually just go for the thin-crust pizza and the Grinders.  Both are very good.

After finishing my salad, my waiter brought out the "Sting" Grinder with a side of fries.  Over the years, I think the size of the Grinder at The Tavern has shrunk while the price has gone up.  But I've got past that long ago.  The "Sting" Grinder is cut in half and oozes cheese, seasoned Italian sausage and jalapenos.  While the jalapenos get your attention, they don't overpower the taste of the sausage which is the key to the sandwich.  The bread is sort of crunchy from the high temperature cooking process to melt the cheese, but not hard or burnt tasting.   It didn't take me long to devour the "Sting" Grinder.  And, as always, it was great. 

The Tavern is a good bet - at any of their locations - to have a good meal if you're in the mood for pizza or a Grinder.  Usually, people say the original location is the best, but I think all three Tavern locations do a fine job.  The Tavern is another example of good, down-home Italian food that you can find in the Des Moines area.   

Blues City Deli - St. Louis

I promised I'd give my sister-in-law, Becky, a "shout-out" for suggesting the Blues City Deli in St. Louis if it were good.  She said, "Oh, goody!  Well, I know you'll like it, so I'll be looking for my name in your blog."

She also told me that she couldn't believe I'd A) never been there before; and B) that I'd never even heard of Blues City Deli before.  She said, "Good God, you'll love the place.  It's got all these old time posters and pictures of old blues performers all over the wall.  And they've got those muffuletta sandwiches that you like so much.  You've got to go there and let me know what you think."   

BluesCity Deli gets its name as sort of a homage to the blues music tradition and history in the St. Louis area.  But the food on the menu at Blues City Deli also pays tribute to other blues hot spots such as Memphis and New Orleans.  Not only is owner Vince Valenza a student of blues music, he is also a musician (drummer) who has played blues and roots music for a number of years.  Blues City Deli features live blues music twice a week on Thursday evenings and on Saturday afternoons.  Sometimes, you'll find Vince Valenza back on the drums playing with the blues artists that show up.  

Valenza opened Blues City Deli in 2004 with little culinary education.  He knew over 20 years ago that he'd love to open a restaurant, but didn't know the first thing about running one.  A friend of his ran an Italian restaurant on the north side of St. Louis and Valenza asked him if he could come to work part time to learn the restaurant business.  Valenza did everything - bussed tables, washed dishes, waited on the tables, worked on the prep tables, purchased food, whatever it took for him to learn the business.  

While on a business trip to New Orleans, Valenza saw that the music scene and food were bonded together.  That's when he first realized the concept that would one day become Blues City Deli.  Valenza's dream became reality when he opened on November 6, 2004.  Since then, he's garnered a loyal following of municipal, professional and blue collar workers who flock to his little deli during lunch. 

Blues City Deli is located south and west of the downtown St. Louis area in the Benton Park neighborhood, not far from Soulard and the Anheuser-Busch brewery (see map).  It has limited hours, primarily opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m., except on Thursdays when it closes at 8 p.m.  I believe he may stay open later through the week during the summer months. 

It was about 11:30 a.m. when I made my way to Blues City Deli.  I was warned that a line forms early and that a 15 to 20 minute wait is normal during the lunch rush.  Lines snaking out the door are common.  I was able to find a parking spot on the street, just in front of a St. Louis Fire Department truck where a battalion of firefighters were picking up a bunch of sandwiches to go.  A short line had formed inside the very small deli and by the time I'd ordered and gotten my food, it had grown to 20 people deep.  

Standing at the counter was Vince Valenza, always adorned with his bowler/fedora style hat.  Vince is known to chat up the customers, make suggestions to add to their sandwiches and to talk about some of the memorabilia that he has on his walls.  And Becky was right - the old posters, pictures and other memorabilia was pretty interesting.  I found myself being surprised or amazed at some of what was on the wall.  It was sort of like Vince had his own museum inside the deli.   

The menu board is located on the wall behind the small counter.  There's a number of people feverishly working in the kitchen area making up sandwiches and salads.  It's what I would call organized chaos going on behind Vince Valenza as he took the orders.  

Even though there were a number of delectable and intriguing sandwiches to choose from, I'd already had my heart set on the muffuletta sandwich.  The "Valenza Special" muffuletta is an 8" sandwich with Genoa salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and mozzarella cheese, topped with Blue City Deli's own olive salad spread and then placed on fresh baked round Italian bread.  A whole one would have been way too much for me, so I ordered a half from Vince.  I got a bottle of water from the cooler by the counter to go with the sandwich.  All together, the bill came to under $9.00 bucks.  Vince game me a number tag to hold on to so they'd be able to identify me when my sandwich was ready.

While I waited for the sandwich, I took a look around at all the posters and pictures on the wall.  It was sort of tough to get close to some of the pictures and a lot of tables and chairs - quickly filling up with people - were jammed into the small space Blues City Deli occupies.  I made the conscious decision to come back some time, preferably in the middle of the afternoon, to be able to look more closely at the memorabilia and hopefully it wouldn't be as busy.  That way I'd be able to ask Vince about some of the things that he had and the stories behind them.  

One of the workers came out with my sandwich and handed it to me.  I weaseled my way out the door, past the ever growing line of people standing in wait.  I found a table out on the sidewalk and took a seat. 

It's been years since I had what I would call an authentic muffuletta sandwich.  And that was at the "home" of muffuletta's - the Central Grocery in New Orleans.  I've had a number of muffuletta's since then, but none of them ever came close to the one I had at Central Grocery.  Until now.  The muffuletta at Blues City Deli was very good.  Sometimes, the bread is too doughy and hard in other muffulettas I've had and it detracts from the taste of the meats, cheeses and olive spread.  The muffuletta bread at Blues City Deli was chewy, yet light.  The toppings of meat and cheese were plentiful.  But what made the sandwich was the homemade olive salad spread.   The olives were very fresh, it was good and oily, and there was plenty of it on the muffaletta.  It may have been the best muffuletta I've had since my first one in New Orleans all those years ago.

A half muffuletta at Blue City Deli was still too much for me.  Actually, one of the quarters of a regular muffuletta would have been enough for me.  I was able to eat one, eat part of another and then call it a day.  Since I was traveling I didn't have a way to store the muffuletta, and there was such a long line of customers stretching out the door and down the sidewalk that I didn't want to go back in, butt in line and ask for a container.  

Since my first visit to Blues City Deli, I've been in St. Louis a couple more times this summer.  Both times, I found myself near Blues City Deli during the lunch hour.  And when I pulled up in front, there was a line that was probably 25 to 30 people deep stretching out the door, down the sidewalk and down the side of the building.  I didn't have time to stop and wait that long for a sandwich.  Although, it was certainly tempting.  

So, yes, Becky.  It was good.  Very good.  And I loved the stuff on the walls.  Thanks for the tip.  I can't wait to get back to Blues City Deli to try one of their other sandwiches and to take a closer look at the stuff Vince has on the wall.  But I'm going to wait until after 2 p.m. to do so. 

Maid-Rite and Hy-Vee Team Up

Thanx to Chuck Ellis who passed along this article announcing the partnership of Hy-Vee food stores and Maid-Rite sandwich shops that will place the loose meat sandwiches in at least five of the Hy-Vee convenience stores within the next few months.  The first one opened Monday in Omaha at the Hy-Vee convenience store on 156th St. (see map)

Hy-Vee has over 220 grocery stores in soon-to-be 8 states in the Midwest, with the first Wisconsin location going up in Madison in 2008.  They have 77 convenience stores that sell gas and "get-and-go" items.  With the high price of gasoline, a number of convenience store owners and companies have turned to alternative sources of income to shore up profits. 

Maid-Rite franchised stores have been been adding locations at the pace of one every two weeks.  The Maid-Rites in the five Hy-Vee convenience store locations will be franchisee owned and will seat about 25 to 30 people.  Normal start up costs for a Maid-Rite franchise is about $275,000 dollars.  However, the ones that are going to be located within the Hy-Vee convenience stores will only cost about $150,000.

Already, a number of Maid-Rites have opened up in Wisconsin-area convenience stores owned and operated by the Riiser Energy corporation of Wausau, WI.  Riiser Energy runs over 25 R-Store convenience stores in Central and Northern Wisconsin, and hopes to open 60 Maid-Rites in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan by 2016.    

Hy-Vee is the powerhouse grocery store chain in the heart of the Midwest.  Maid-Rite is a brand that has been around since the mid-1920's when the first Maid-Rite opened in Muscatine, IA.  However, since the Maid-Rite chain was bought by a group of investors headed by Bradley Burt in 2002, the quality - in my opinion - has dropped tremendously. 

The biggest reason is that Burt has mandated that all franchisees buy the loose meat directly from the Maid-Rite corporation.  Burt found that there was little uniformity between the over 80 Maid-Rite shops when he took over.  He set out to change that.

Maid-Rite cooks the loose meat at their facility, they freeze it, then ship it to individual franchises.  The stores defrost the meat, then heat it up on the bun in microwave ovens before they're served.  Burt says this allows for uniformity in the quality of the Maid-Rite.

Yeah, as in uniformed shitty tasting sandwiches...

What I would call traditional Maid-Rites, such as the one in Newton, IA, they cook their loose meat in big steamer bins.  The meat is made fresh - and in the case of the Maid-Rite in Newton, it's ground on site.  The result is a loose meat sandwich that is moist and flavorful.  I've found the corporate franchised Maid-Rites to be dry, dull and flavorless.

(Newton Maid-Rite.  Picture courtesy of Jim Burke) 

We were back in Newton recently for the funeral of my uncle, and we went to the Newton Maid-Rite for lunch.  Dan Holtkamp, who has owned the Newton Maid-Rite for 38 years, told us that he and Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, IA, and the Marion Maid-Rite in Marion, IA, are holding out from using the corporate made meat.  "The way they're doing it is not a real Maid-Rite."

My cousin, John, was at the Maid-Rite in Newton the day before we ate there and he was talking to a gentleman who used to own two Maid-Rites in Eastern Iowa before the Bradley Burt takeover of the chain.  The former Maid-Rite owner told John that he didn't like the direction the Burt organzation was taking the Maid-Rite name. Instead of cow-towing to the new corporation mandate of serving frozen meat that was thawed, the guy told John he just shut his doors.

He told John, "Once every couple of weeks I come to the Maid-Rite here or to the one in Marshalltown.  They're the only two true Maid-Rites that are left."   

Dan Holtkamp is holding out as long as he can.  Since the original Muscatine Maid-Rite closed a few years ago, the Newton Maid-Rite is the oldest continual Maid-Rite location in the world.  Dan's corporation, Dan Mister, owns the Newton Maid-Rite.  He's set to retire soon and possibly sell it off to another person, hopefully someone who can keep the in-store cooked Maid-Rite tradition alive.  But to me, the corporate franchised Maid-Rites are soul-less shells of what Maid-Rites used to be.       

AM PM Deli Grocery - New York

There are hundreds of great delicatessens in Manhattan.  It's tough to find one that isn't good.  Some of them also are called bodegas, which is a deli within a convenience store.  One place that my colleague, Todd, found was a place at the corner of 37th St. and 9th Ave. called AM PM Deli Grocery (see map).  We went there for sandwiches the day we were setting up for the AES convention in New York. 

AM PM's menu is an eclectic mix of cold and warm sandwiches.  They have a limited menu of regular hot meals and they serve breakfast from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily.  But we went for the sandwiches since it was lunch time.

I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted because everything looked so good.  I ended up going with the 9th Ave. Special - a sandwich heaped with Genoa Salami, Capiccola, cheese, and a mixture of green olives, anchovies, and pimento with oil and vinegar on an Italian roll. 

AM PM Deli Grocery also had a good selection of beers, but we were working and we thought it would be tough enough to keep our energy up after eating the sandwiches.  So we grabbed some bottled water and energy drinks and went back. 

My sandwich was outstanding.  A little salty, but it was just fabulous.  The salami and cappicola was so fresh and tasty.  I don't know if I was just famished or if the sandwich was so good, but I finished it rather quickly.

The next day, my boss, Daniel, showed up just before noon flying in from Montreal.  He announced that he was hungry and was going to go over to one of the food carts at the convention to get something.  Todd said, "Daniel, we found a great bodega a couple blocks from here.  We can get you a sandwich from there." 

Todd was going to run and get the sandwiches and I ordered one of the other sandwiches I wanted to try yesterday - the Italian Sub - Genoa salami, cappicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and hot peppers with oil and vinegar.  It's very similar to the 9th Ave. Special I had the day before, but on a sub bun and with hot peppers.

When Todd brought the sandwiches back, I bit into my Italian Sub and I was hooked.  The peppers were sort of like jalapenos, but were more like the spicy peppers they put on Italian Beef sandwiches back in Chicago.  Oh man!  We're they great on that sandwich!  The sandwich was just out of this world. 

Simon got a specialty sandwich with corned beef, turkey, and pastrami.  It was topped with cole slaw and Russian dressing.  He said it was "interesting", but very good.  But I certainly liked my sandwich.

In fact, I liked it so much that we went back three more times during the show.  I didn't want anything other than the Italian Sub the rest of the week.  It was that great.  It was definitely nothing like I've ever had in the Midwest.

I'm sure AM PM Deli Grocery had some other outstanding sandwiches, but sometimes I get into something so far that I can't let it go.  The Italian Sub at AM PM was one of those meals.  I would crawl back to AM PM Deli Grocery for one of their Italian Subs.   

Gino's/Gino's Italian Deli - Madison

I don't know why I haven't written about Gino's in downtown Madison, WI before now.  It's one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the Midwest. 

Located on famous State Street in downtown Madison (see map), Gino's has been in business since the early 60's.  Virginio "Gino" Gargano was a teen-aged Italian immigrant who came to the U.S. with his brothers on the advice of his uncle Carlo Caputo, a local store owner.  Gino opened his restaurant on State Street just down from his uncle's store when he was just 21. 

Gino's brothers, Peppino and Biagio,also opened restaurants - Peppino's on Capital Square in downtown Madison (see map), and Bellini's (formerly The Monastery) on East Washington Ave. (see map).  Their children run those respective restaurants today. 

According to the locals, Gino's is a local institution - long known as the restaurant where many married couples had dinner during their first date while going to the University of Wisconsin.  The ground floor area of the restaurant is pretty much the same way as it was 40 years ago. 

What is now the upstairs dining area was the living quarters of Gino when he first opened the restaurant.  Gino once said that he "slept with his work" and there were times he didn't leave the building for days. 

The last time we ate there was about a year ago after the Iowa/Wisconsin football game.  We went there with Scott and Marcia Schroeder, and Dave and Pat Heusmann during our annual road trip for Iowa football.  Given that Iowa won the game, we were in good spirits and decided to live it up for the evening.  Cindy came up with the Gino's recommendation and we went with it. 

Cindy and I had first eaten there a number of years ago during a weekend trip to Madison.  Actually, we sort of just fell into the place, not knowing the reputation or history of Gino's.  I had meatballs and pasta that first visit, and the meatballs were the best I'd ever had.  Dissecting the meatballs, I found spices and large chunks of garlic throughout.  The meatballs I make at home are based off the meatballs at Gino's. 

That evening a year ago, they sat us upstairs in the "newer" section of the restaurant.  (It was Gino's old apartment from years ago.)  I had their lasagna which was very, very good.  And very cheap - $9.95 for the the serving which was very generous.  Cindy had the broccoli chicken alfredo that she liked very well, too.

I don't quite remember what Scott and Marcia had - something with a red sauce, if I remember right - but Dave and Pat got a Gino's pizza.  I had always wondered about their pizza and I was glad they got it.  Dave said it was just "outstanding" and "awesome".  It looked great.  I'll have to get it sometime and let you know how it was.

I've been going to Madison for a number of years and just outside the Beltline Highway on Verona Rd. is a place called Gino's Italian Deli (see map).  I'd never stopped in and I decided to do that on my way out of town back to the Quad Cities. 

Gino's Italian Deli is a small market with a deli meat counter where they'll make sandwiches.  In the summertime, they put tables outside and people can sit and eat out there.  But they also have a big freezer area where they have ready-to-eat meals.  One of the things that caught my eye was the lasagna. 

It came in two sizes of pans - a six serving size for $16.50 and a 12 serving size for $31.00.  The instructions were to cook it at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes.  I didn't have anything planned for dinner that night, so I grabbed one of the six serving sizes.  I thought that $16.50 was a little expensive, then I realized that we could eat on this for at least three meals. 

I went up to the counter and asked the check out lady if this Gino's Italian Deli was the same people as Gino's downtown.  She said, "It's the same family." 

I asked, "Is this the same lasagna as they sell at Gino's downtown?" 

She looked at me and said, rather coolly, "I said it's the same family."

Well, that didn't tell me anything other than there's some sort of relationship within the family with Gino's downtown and Gino's Italian Deli.  And she was kind of bitchy about it.  I sort of wondered about it after I bought it.

However, any fears I had went away after I cooked up the lasagna when I got home.  I don't know if it was exactly like the lasagna at Gino's, but it was still pretty good.  I'll definitely pick up another pan of lasagna from Gino's Italian Deli the next time I'm up in Madison.

But the original Gino's in downtown Madison is worth a visit.  The old time charm, the good food, the comfortable ambiance - it all makes Gino's one of those great little restaurants that you'll want to visit again and again. 

Davanni's - Twin Cities

I don't eat at Pizza Hut any longer.  One of the big reasons (other than their pizza sucks) is that they no longer serve their "hoagies" - a sandwich with Italian meats, topped with mozzarella cheese, Italian dressing on Italian bread, then baked for about 10 minutes in an oven.  They were absolutely great. 

It's tough finding a good old hoagie like the ones they had at Pizza Hut.  But I think I found something close at Davanni's located throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. 

Actually, I had seen the Davanni's restaurants before in my travels around the Twin Cities, but I'd never stopped in.  I was recently reading a Sports Illustrated article on Joe Mauer, the very good young catcher for the Minnesota Twins.  Mauer, a bachelor, said that one of his favorite post-game meals was picking up a hoagie from Davanni's and taking it home.

On my recent trip to the Twin Cities, I was in between appointments and hungry at lunchtime.  I found a Davanni's in suburban Plymouth and stopped in.  At Davanni's, you order at the front counter and they take your name to call you when the food is ready. 

I ordered an Assorted hoagie - ham, salami and smoked ham with mozzarella and Italian dressing on Italian bread then baked.  I got the Assorted "Whole", which is basically two five inch submarine style sandwiches.  You get your choice of bread and I usually get mine on the regular white hoagie bun.

About ten minutes after I ordered they called my name and I went up to the pick up counter and got the sandwich.  I took it back and dug in. 

It was everything that I remember about the old Pizza Hut hoagies.  The bread was crisp and warm, the meat was plentiful, the Italian dressing was tangy - it was a very good sandwich.   

Davanni's also serves pizza, lasagna and calzones, along with a number of assorted hoagie-style sandwiches.  Honestly, from the pictures at the restaurant that I saw, the pizza, lasagna and calzones didn't look as good as the hoagies. 

Davanni's Assorted hoagie was a definite "spot-hitter".  I've been back to Davanni's many times and I usually eat at the one in Edina, the location in Bloomington, or the one in Eden Prairie.  Actually, all of the Davanni's I've eaten at are basically the same.  The Assorted sandwich is always great.  

Guinea Grinders

Every time I go to the Iowa State Fair I have to get a "Guinea Grinder". Guinea Grinders are basically 1/2 ground Italian sausage and 1/2 ground beef, cooked with a tomato sauce with spices, loaded into a small loaf of Italian bread, topped with mozzarella and baked in an oven or broiler until the cheese is melted.  They're damned good. 

In this politically correct age, it's no longer called a Guinea Grinder.  There are two stands that sit side by side to one another at the State Fair - Carl's Gizmo and the former Original Guinea Grinder, now called "Jennie Grinder" after the inventor of the sandwich. 

A little history on the Guinea Grinder.  It was reportedly invented in Des Moines over 60 years ago by Jennie DePhillips, who owned the Original Guinea Grinder restaurant in Urbandale.  Jennie died a few years ago, but her stand is still doing business at the fair each year.

In 1946 after he got out of the war, Carl Cardamon opened up his first eatery at the Iowa State Fair that featured Guinea Grinders.  But Jennie DePhillips had the copyright to the name "Guinea Grinder" so he had to call his sandwich something else.  He called it a "gizmo".  Carl died in 2001 and his daughter, Carla Wood, her husband and son run the Carl's Gizmo stand at the State Fair.

Since this was the 60th anniversary of Carl's Gizmo at the State Fair, the Des Moines Register recently ran an article that takes a more in-depth look at the history of Carl's.  You can read the article here.

I like the Gizmo's at Carl's better than the Jennie Grinder at Jennie's.  The sauce is more flavorful, the buns are better.   Also, Carl's offer up jalapeno pepper slices to put on the sandwich that gives it an extra kick.

Actually, Guinea Grinders are very easy to make.  The mother of an old girlfriend in Des Moines taught me how to make them years ago.  You take a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage, cook both on a stove top in a pan.  Drain the excess grease/water, and add 16 oz. of your favorite spaghetti sauce and a small can of tomato paste.  Add spices including chopped garlic, Italian seasonings and whole fennel seeds.  Let cook for an hour or so.  Place on a small sliced loaf of Italian bread or a Kaiser roll, put mozzarella on the top, and toast for about 3 to 5 minutes in a broiler oven and serve.  It's that easy. 

And as I said, you can zip them up a bit by adding jalapenos or hot pepperoncinis to the sandwich before it's toasted.  That's my favorite way to eat them.

Some people like to sautee up some onions and green peppers and add them to the meat sauce.  That's fine, too. 

Even though I haven't made any for a while, they are great to freeze and reheat in the microwave for lunch or a late night snack. 

But I'm torn in being politically correct and calling them Italian Sausage sandwiches (which they really aren't) or Guinea Grinders.  It's easy just to call them a "Grinder".

Bob's Drive-Inn - Le Mars, IA

Le Mars, IA is one of those great little Midwestern towns that are all over northwest Iowa.  You can take any of them - Spencer, Carroll, Estherville, Emmetsburg, Spirit Lake - and they're all just wonderful towns to drive through.  The streets are wide and clean, the houses are grand and spacious, there's still that "small town" feel to most of these towns. 

And most of those towns have a drive-in restaurant that is a signature of the town.  Le Mars' signature drive-in is Bob's Drive-Inn.  Bob's was started in 1949 by Bob Kass, and is run today by his son, Myles.  Myles hopes that one day his kids take over the business.

Having dinner in Le Mars the night before, I found myself driving back through town after calling on a small account in Sioux Center (another nice little NW Iowa town).  It was lunch time, I wanted to stop at Bob's, so I did. 

Bob's signature sandwich is what we would call a Maid-Rite in Central and Eastern Iowa, but is known as a "tavern" in NW Iowa.  Others call them "loose meats'.  They're all basically the same thing - a loose meat beef sandwich that's either steamed or pressure cooked with spices.  (Picture courtesy of Michael Stern)

Bob's "tavern" is moist and has a good flavor.  It's not like the Maid-Rites which tend to be more dry and crumbly.  The meat on Bob's "tavern" kept it all together in the bun and a spoon wasn't needed to clean up the meat that usually drops out (which takes a lot of the fun out of the meal). 

Since Bob's "taverns" weren't all that big, I had what they called a "tavern dog", an all-beef Wimmer's hot dog with a load of "tavern" meat on top of the dog.  I had them add mustard and onions.  The hot dog was great and the loose meat on top gave it a unique flavor - nothing like I'd ever had before.  (Picture courtesy of Michael Stern)

For years, the buns that Bob's used for their "taverns" and hot dogs came from the legendary Vander Meer Bakery in Le Mars.  One of the truly famous bakeries in NW Iowa, Vander Meer's sadly closed their doors at the end of last year.  I don't know who is supplying the buns at Bob's these days, but they were still pretty good. 

As the sign says, Bob's is open daily. (But I'm sure, knowing small town Iowa, they're closed on the major holidays in the winter).  It's worth the stop if you ever make it through Le Mars.  Or even if you have to make a side trip, it's still worth going out of the way.   

Tenuta's Italian Deli- Kenosha, WI

Tenuta's Italian Delicatessen in Kenosha, WI is one of those places that I could have categorized as a "Deli/Sandwich Place" or a "Wine and Liquor Store".  It is a little bit of everything. 

I was first in Tenuta's a few years ago after reading about it in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  It's primarily a deli, but it also has a great selection of beer and wine, plus it has a ton of Italian specialties. 

Tenuta's started in 1950 by John Tenuta and his wife, Lydia (see map).  Tenuta's originally was nothing more than a malt and ice cream shop that also featured a small deli.  John's son, Ralph, took over the promotion of the place and suddenly Tenuta's took off.  Tenuta's has expanded many times over the years and has a large selection of wines from all over the world, as well as a large number of Italian food items. 

John and Lydia Tenuta with their son, Ralph (right)

Tenuta's makes and markets a lot of their own spreads and condiments, such as their own muffaletta olive spread, giardiniera, and a hot olive/pepper spread.  You can order a lot of the things they sell directly from Tenuta's by clicking here.

Tenuta's deli area is very good with tons of great Italian meats and cheeses.  They make different style of panino sandwiches and also offer their own muffaletta sandwich called the Muff-a-lotta.  It's good, but not as good as the original muffaletta sandwich served at the now-closed (due to Hurricane Katrina) Central Grocery in New Orleans (considering that a muffaletta is more of a French/Cajun/Creole concoction). 

The Central Grocery in New Orleans before it was closed

When you walk through Tenuta's, you can kind of see where it's been sort of expanded here and there, as there isn't really any rhyme nor reason why some aisles stop and then start up again on the other side of the deli. 

Tenuta's is a neat place.  Check it out if you ever get up to the Kenosha area.

Quad City Maid-Rites

There are 11 Maid-Rite sandwich shoppes around the Quad Cities (see list).  I've eaten at about a half dozen of them and I can tell you this - they're not very good. 

It's like the meat is burned or something.  Not charred, but...  Well, have you ever cooked a piece of beef, a burger or something, but cooked it at a low heat temperature for a long time?  That's how the beef from the Maid-Rites here in the Quad's taste.  It's not something that is pleasant at all. 

I actually met the owner of the Maid-Rites here in the Quad's one time.  I was introduced to him by Tom Kakert after an I-Club golf outing a few years ago.  He was a nice guy, we had a good time drinking a couple of beers, but I didn't get drunk enough to tell him that even though he was a nice guy, his Maid-Rites sucked.

But then again, people around here seem to like the taste.   The restaurants always seem to be busy.  And they serve full serve breakfasts and other food like hot beef sandwiches at the Quad City Maid-Rites.  If they concentrated on just the Maid-Rites, they'd probably get it down like they do in Newton and Marshalltown.

Palmer's Deli - West Des Moines

When I go to Des Moines and I'm in hunger for a great deli sandwich, I stop off at Palmer's Deli in West Des Moines (see map).  Palmer's is a pretty good sized deli with a lot of sandwiches to choose from.  They also have a great salad selection and I especially like their pasta salad to go along with a made to order sandwich. 

I usually get the roast beef on dark rye - the roast beef is rare and lean, full of flavor.  Top it off with lettuce, tomato and either a hefty slice of meunster or swiss cheese, the sandwich is tough to beat.  I like their tuna salad sandwich there, as well. 

In doing some research on this piece, I found there are actually THREE more Palmer's Deli's in the Des Moines area - One downtown (see map), one on Ingersoll near downtown (see map), and one out in Urbandale on Douglas (see map).  I'm sure all of them are as good as the one out in West Des Moines.  It's pretty tough to beat Palmer's Deli for a good sandwich.

Maid-Rite Wannabe's...

There are a number of places across Iowa that have tried to make loose meat sandwiches on par with the Maid-Rites.  A couple of them have gotten pretty close - and surpassed some Maid-Rites.  But others have tried and failed. 

Interestingly, in Northwest Iowa loose meat sandwiches are known as "taverns", mainly because they're served primarily in taverns in that area.  The most famous of the places that sell the "taverns" is the Miles Inn in Sioux City (see map), home of the "Charley Boy".  The Miles Inn is a typical midwestern blue collar neighborhood bar.  It's not much to look at on the outside and probably even more bland on the inside. 

Their loose meat sandwiches are unique in that they don't taste quite like a Maid-Rite, but have some sort of special seasoning that I can't quite put my finger on.  My original guess is that they put mild pork sausage in with the ground beef.  I have a friend in Sioux City, Scott Pflanz, who thinks they put jalapenos in with the meat.  But it's not that spicy.  I can't say that I really care for the taste, but they were worth going in for.  I'd have to give them 3 Bears out of 5. 

Another diner that serves loose meat sandwiches and gets rave reviews from anyone I've talked to about the place is the Canteen in Ottumwa, IA (see map).  I haven't eaten at this place yet, but as I said, everyone I've known who grew up in the Ottumwa area talks with great passion about how good the "Canteens" are.  Located down a little alley way, The Canteen doesn't seat any more than about 20 people.  The little old ladies are still there serving 'em up like they have for years and years.  I need to go try one of these sometime, but unfortunately (or fortunately, if you've ever been to Ottumwa) I don't get down that way very much.  I may have to make a special trip, however. 

A place that I personally like is the Snook Inn in Newton (see map).  Long owned by the Snook family, it was recently sold to Rhonda Versteegh, who has pretty much kept it the way it's been all these years. 

What's kind of funny is that Snook Inn is located right across a double alley from the Newton Maid-Rite.  And Snook's "beefburgers" are a different cut of beef than the Maid-Rites.  The seasoning is different.  It's good, but still not as good as the Maid-Rite.  Actually, I like to go in for breakfast.  Rhonda does the usual diner fare for breakfast (they're only open until 3 p.m.) and I usually get two eggs, a beefburger and a couple pieces of toast for breakfast.  I'd give Snook Inn 3.5 Bears.

One of the more famous, or I should say infamous, places for loose meat sandwiches was Tom and Roseanne Arnold's Loose Meat Diner in Eldon, IA (see map).  Back when Tom and Roseanne were married, they were building what was supposed to be the largest house in the state of Iowa near Eldon (which is also famous for being the site of the house that was used as the backdrop of Grant Wood's famous painting, American Gothic).  They decided to open a diner in Eldon and had some family and friends of Tom's run the place.  I think the place was open for about a year before Tom and Roseanne's marriage went sour, they quit working on the house, they closed the diner and got a divorce.

I never ate there, but people who did said it wasn't very good. 

But probably the best non-Maid-Rite place for loose meat sandwiches is Ross' Restaurant in Bettendorf, IA (see map).  I understand that Ross' used to be a Maid-Rite shop years ago, but owner Harold Ross had a falling out with the Maid-Rite people and told 'em to bugger off.  He continued to make the loose meat sandwiches - called "Rossburgers" - and they've sold hundreds of thousands of them. 

The Rossburgers are similar to the Newton Maid-Rite, maybe just a little more dry than the ones in Newton.  But flavor-wise, they're very similar.  I'd have to give Ross' 3.75 Bears. 

The restaurant is now owned by Harold's daughter and son-in-law and is a late night magnet for the after hours bar crowd.  They're also famous for their "Magic Mountain", a concoction that was made by Harold's son-in-law when he was, no doubt, drunk and hungry at 2:30 in the morning.  It starts out with Texas Toast with Rossburger meat on top.  You put either french fries or hash browns on top of that, then cover it with melted cheese.  You can cap off your mountain with snow - actually, onions, in this case.  For the real hardcore drunks, you can get the "Volcano", which is a Magic Mountain with Ross' spicy chili on top.  I think they sell more of the Magic Mountains and Volcanos between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. than at any other time.  I've had a couple Volcano's - and I wasn't even drunk.  And they aren't too bad.  Filling, to say the least.

Ross' Rossburger is about the closest thing to a true good Maid-Rite that one can get.  When I get a hankering for a Maid-Rite and don't want to wait to make one myself, I get in the car and go to Ross' - the cure for the Maid-Rite crave in the Quad Cities.

Kopperman's Deli - St. Louis

Kopperman's in St. Louis' Central West End is a great old-time Jewish deli.  And they literally have too much to choose from.  They do salads, sandwiches, sell meats and cheese.  They do breakfasts and bagels.  And they have one of the most extensive menus of any deli I've ever been to. 

Kopperman's has these huge sandwiches that include a side of either cole slaw or potato salad.  It's almost too big to bite.  Their roast beef is always lean and cooked perfectly medium rare.  I love their roast beef on rye, with a slice of muenster cheese with lettuce and tomato.  Heavenly. 

Kopperman's offers outdoor seating during warm weather.  There's on street parking around Kopperman's.  I can't remember if they take credit cards - I've always paid in cash there. 

Italian Beef in Chicago

Italian Beef sandwiches and Chicago are synonymous.  There's a number of places from chains to hole-in-the-wall joints that sell the things.  For those who don't know, Italian Beef sandwiches are shaved pieces of roast beef that's been cooked in italian spices (primarily oregano/basil/garlic based) and served on a hoagie style bun with either mozzerella or provelone cheese, sweet green peppers or spicy giardiniera (kind of a spicy pickled vegetable concoction) - or in my case, with all three.  And I like mine dipped in the broth of the meat, knows as "gravy'" to Chicagoans. 

I've eaten in a few of them and here's my take on a couple three -

Mr. Beef on Orleans street in downtown Chicago is not affilated with a couple other Mr. Beef's around the city.  But it is probably the most famous of the Italian Beef places in Chicago.  It's not a big place and there's scant parking around the place.  I've been lucky in that my visits have been during the middle part of the afternoon and there have been parking places out front that were open. 

A lot of celebs come to Mr. Beef when they come to Chicago - Jay Leno being the most prominent who always talks about Mr. Beef. 

Actually, compared to others around town, I think Mr. Beef is good, but somewhat overrated.  I don't think it is as good as Johnnie's Italian Beef out in Elmwood Park (see map).  Johnnie's is a pretty plain place, too, but I like their sandwiches better than Mr. Beef.  Their peppers and giardiniera are better than Mr. Beef - more of a spicy, pickled flavor that I like.  And their bread is more soft than Mr. Beef's, too.

Of the chains in the Chicago area, the two that stand out are Portillo's and Al's #1 Italian Beef.

I like Portillo's better than Al's in that I think Portillo's bread is fresher and more soft, their beef is more tender and they have better peppers and giardiniera than Al's.  Actually, I think Portillo's is even better than Johnnie's OR Mr. Beef, believe it or not.  And it's tough to beat Portillo's Chicago style hot dogs. 

I've been told the original Al's down on Taylor Street in the heart of Chicago's Little Italy area is the best of the Al's.  I haven't been there, but I'll have to make it a point to give it a shot some time that I'm in there.

But, really, if you think you have access to good Italian Beef sandwiches where you're from, I'm more than sure that any one of these places I've mentioned is BETTER than the Italian Beef sandwiches you have in your area. 

Maid-Rites

Maid-Rites are truly an Iowa phenomena (or is it phenomenon?).   Started in 1926 in Muscatine, Iowa, legend has it that a customer told the owner while he was eating one, "These are made right!"  Obviously, the name stuck, even though people in Muscatine couldn't spell correctly. 

Maid-Rites are pretty simple - they're just loose meat sandwiches.  Instead of cooking up the ground beef in a patty form, the beef is either steamed or boiled in broth.  That's it.  They're served on a bun and they're wrapped up in wax paper because when you eat the damn things the beef falls out all over the place.  But as soon as you're done with the sandwich, you've got almost enough meat on the paper for ANOTHER sandwich.  But you just eat that up with a spoon and call it done. 

Some people like the sandwiches dipped in the broth to make the buns wet.  Personally, I like mine dry. 

Maid-Rites have evolved into a loose affiliation of independent franchisees over the years, with no one Maid-Rite being the same.  One in one town is different from the one in another town.  Some serve things other than Maid-Rites, others are just Maid-Rite shops.

In the late 90's, a company bought the rights to the Maid-Rite name.  This company became Maid-Rite Corporation and they thought they'd make a buck selling franchises to unsuspecting suckers who saw a gold mine at the ones in towns across Iowa.  The only problem is that the corporate owners wanted uniformity with all their franchisees.  And that included the way the Maid-Rites were made. 

Instead of making the meat on site at each restaurant, the meat was made at a location in Des Moines, frozen and sent out to each franchise.  Then instead of warming the meat up in a steamer, they would micro-wave the Maid-Rite - a major no-no in the eyes of Maid-Rite aficionados. 

The new Maid-Rites also started serving broasted chicken. Chicken!  In a frigging Maid-Rite?  No way.  And then the flagship operation in Clive, IA sold PIZZA for a while!  PIZZA!  In a MAID-RITE!  What in the hell are these geniuses thinking?

They've actually put a few out there in towns across Iowa.  But I'm tellin' ya - check out the list of corporate franchised Maid-Rites on their website and stay away from them. 

Wait a minute - just to tell you how bad they are - they opened one in Coralville, IA on the infamous strip.  About six or seven months later, it closed down.  The new Maid-Rites have absolutely no soul to them. 

Now, the long time Maid-Rites seem to be going well.  Even the ones in the Quad-Cities (see my blog), which really are not as good as the ones in the other towns, seem to be doing well. 

The most famous of the Maid-Rites is probably Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, IA.  And I think that's only because they were smart enough to grab the www.maidrite.com domain name.  They actually ship Maid-Rites across the nation.  One can only imagine how they taste when they get to L.A. or NYC.

One of the more unique things about Taylor's Maid-Rite is that they don't serve ketchup, kind of a tradition thing that I think dates back to the fact that the original Maid-Rite owner in Muscatine was cheap and didn't serve ketchup at his Maid-Rite.  That tradition is still held by the Taylor family today.

By default (since the original Maid-Rite in Muscatine closed a few years ago), the oldest Maid-Rite is the one in Newton, IA (see Roadfood.com's review).  It opened up in 1927 - a year after the first Maid-Rite opened in Muscatine. (Taylor's Maid-Rite opened in 1928 - it is the oldest family owned Maid-Rite in existence.)

I'm nearly 50 and the Newton Maid-Rite has been owned by only two guys during my lifetime - Bud Holland and Dan Holtkamp. 

I'm partial to the one in Newton, since I grew up outside of town and grew up on Maid-Rite's.  I think the one in Newton is the best of all the Maid-Rites that I've eaten in.  I asked Dan one time what he did to make the meat so good and he said that the Newton Maid-Rite has been buying meat from the same supplier for over 40 years.  He grinds it himself in the basement of the place, and the steamer has to be about 45 years old (I think they moved into their present location around 1960).

It's tough to duplicate a Newton Maid-Rite and God knows I've tried.  But I've come up with a recipe that I think comes about as close to the Newton Maid-Rites that one can get.  Hell, even if Dan told me that he cooked the meat in pig's urine, I'd still eat the things. 

Dan also makes good chili in the winter time and my favorite meal is a Maid-Rite and a bowl of chili - and when I'm done with the sandwich, I take the leftover meat and pour it into the chili.  Killer...

Another good Maid-Rite is the one in Marion, IA.  The Marion Maid-Rite is more of a full service restaurant including diverse items like pizzaburgers, pork sandwiches, salads, which I think is somewhat blasphemous.  But they get points back from me as they're the only Maid-Rite that I've ever been in that serves beer.  The Marion Maid-Rite opened in 1986 and their Maid-Rites are arguably as good as the ones in Marshalltown and Newton. 

There are some other non-corporate Maid-Rites around the state of Iowa and into Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin, but Maid-Rites are purely Iowan.  I'm just glad the corporate Maid-Rite guys haven't made the ones in Marshalltown, Newton and Marion change the way they're making and serving their sandwiches.

Geez, now I'm hungry...