Road Tips

Back to School

Recently, I was asked to come to Grinnell College and talk to a group of students regarding high end audio equipment.  The person who invited me, Ralph Helt, is a long time friend and a former audio/video dealer from Des Moines.  Ralph is now the head of AV Services at Grinnell College.  When he explained to me the students were really into audio equipment, I jumped at the chance.  These days, it's not often you'll find young adults who are into good audio equipment and good sound. 

First of all, if you don't know much about Grinnell College, it is a small, yet prestigious liberal arts college located in the middle of Iowa - very close to where I grew up (see map).  The college has about 1500 students and most of them come from wealthy families from out east.  About a quarter of the students are from overseas.  But as Ralph told me, "The foreign students are probably more 'American-ized' than the American kids.  They're all neat kids." 

What a lot of people probably don't know is that Grinnell College has a lot of money.  The market value of their endowment assets is close to $1.5 billion dollars easily making it the college with the highest endowment assets in the state of Iowa.  In fact, they have the 36th highest endowment in the United States rivaling the endowment assets of some very prestigious colleges and universities across the nation. 

A lot of the money was generated by the financial prowess of Joe Rosenfield, a Grinnell College alumnus and a trustee of the college.  Rosenfield struck up friendships and financial relationships with Warren Buffett of Berkshire-Hathaway fame, and with Robert Noyce of Intel fame (and also a fellow Grinnell College alumnus) long before those two men became famous.  Rosenfield's savvy investments and relationships with business leaders guided Grinnell College to its present day endowment - the largest per student endowment of any liberal arts college in the U.S.

With that said, the campus at Grinnell College is simply unbelievable.  The buildings are either new or completely updated.  Housing for the students is immaculate.  The athletic facilities are top notch and the equipment they have for teaching aids in the classrooms are top of the line.

Here's an aside to show you how much money the college has - I had to go to the restroom before I did my little talk and demonstration.  I walked into the men's room and was astonished to see that the floors and walls were made out of marble!  A college restroom made out of marble!  I was just blown away.  It was nicer than some public restrooms I've been in at five-star restaurants or hotels.  I almost expected there to be a washroom attendant in the place. 

I was asked to give a lecture about high end audio equipment and was asked to bring along some things to listen to.  The system I assembled and took with me - a Cambridge Audio 840A integrated amplifier, the matching Cambridge Audio 840C CD player, a pair of Focal Profile 928 loudspeakers, as well as Shunyata power conditioners and power cables, and Tara Labs speaker cables - is not what I would call "high-end".  But at just a tad over $10,000 for the whole system at retail, it's a lot higher end than most people's systems at home.  And it sounds damn good for the money.

The group of about 20 to 25 kids, as well as some faculty members and workers at Grinnell College, assembled on a Friday afternoon around 4 p.m. and I gave my presentation on "Audio 101" - a look at the basics of audio.  Then I talked about the differences as to why the gear I was demonstrating was better than the stuff being sold at most mass merchants.  And then we got in to the listening aspect of the presentation. 

The room I did the presentation in had state-of-the-art equipment for visual aids, computers, and industrial audio.  But it wasn't conducive to good sound.  I had a lot of trouble getting the speakers to sound right - getting the image of the speakers to sound like there were no speakers in the room.  After finally moving the speakers out a little further, the image became transparent and the speakers literally disappeared.

We listened to a number of things from classical music, to soft jazz, to hard rock, to world music, to funk and rhythm and blues, to hip-hop.  I was actually pretty impressed with some of the music selections the students brought in to listen to on the system.   And they all had pretty good ears - it was pretty amazing.  They really understood the nuances of what they were listening to.

By the way - I was recently turned on to recordings made by Mapleshade Records, a small eclectic record label out of Maryland that specializes in classical, blues and traditional jazz recordings.  Some of the recordings are breath-taking in their sound.  These recordings are some best I've ever encountered.  And the performances of the artists are absolutely great, as well.  Even if you don't have a good audio system, I still recommend going to their site and at least buying their sampler discs. 

Many of the students rely upon iPods or their computers to listen to music.  I did a demonstration using an iPod hooked into the system and showing them the difference of playing a track of compressed music from a Mapleshade disc on an iPod and then playing the same uncompressed track on the CD player.  The looks of astonishment when I "A-B'ed" the two sources showing the sonic differences between the two was worth the time I put in to this little event.  Even Ralph, who has been associated with audio for over 30 yeas, was blown away by the demo.         

Little by little, the crowd began to dwindle after I did my presentation - which lasted about an hour and a half - and then the subsequent demonstration of the system, along with the inevitable questions and answers.  By the time the last kid left the room, it was 7:45 p.m.  All in all, it was fun and exhilarating to teach these kids about audio.  They all seemed to get a kick out of it.  Let me just say it was a lot better than trying to do the same demonstration to a bunch of tired and bored audio guys. 

The Phoenix Piano Bar and Grille - Kansas City

On a recent trip to Kansas City, Dominic Baker from Focal Loudspeakers and I offered to take one of our dealers in the K.C. area out to lunch.  Not far from his place of business is a little jazz club called The Phoenix Piano Bar and Grill.  I'd always seen the place and had wanted to try it out.  Now was my chance.

The Kansas City jazz scene has been a staple of the community for a number of years.  There are a number of jazz clubs and bars throughout the Kansas City area - many of them are carrying on the tradition that started in the city in 30's.

The building that houses The Phoenix Piano Bar and Grill in downtown Kansas City (see map) sits smack dab in the middle of the historic Garment District.  The building, itself, was built in the late 1800's and was rumored to be a brothel at one time. 

In 1989, Tim Whitmer (right), a world-class jazz pianist, opened The Phoenix as a place for good food and good jazz.  Whitmer brought in a number of great Kansas City jazz musicians to play each night.  Whitmer will occasionally play The Phoenix, but he prefers to allow other area musicians show their prowess. 

As you walk in the door at The Phoenix, there's a grand piano sitting on a small stage.  While the place is not all that large, you get a cozy feeling when you find a seat.  Actually, the tables are jammed pretty close together.  I'm sure it's to maximize the minimal seating area they have. 

The Phoenix draws a pretty good lunch crowd from the downtown offices.  Guys in coats and ties were having lunch and talking business all around us.  Dominic wasn't feeling well, having caught a cold in Japan a couple weeks earlier that he couldn't shake.  So we kept the business conversations to a minimum.

The Phoenix's menu offers a number of entrees including a number of pasta dishes.  They also have steaks and a couple of seafood items to choose from, as well.  Their sandwiches and burgers are pretty basic, but interesting from the description.  They also offer appetizers and salads, as well.

Even though they feature lunch specials each day during the weekdays, everything that is on the dinner menu can be had at lunch.  Dominic was thinking that he really needed to eat some spicy food to help stifle the cold, so he went with the Cajun chicken pasta - chunks of grilled chicken on a bed of fettuccine with a spicy Cajun sauce lopped on top. 

Our guest got the Smoked Reuben - smoked corned beef brisket piled high on marble rye with sauerkraut and then grilled.  It looked great.

I went with the Phoenix's Special - ham and lean roast beef topped with Monterey and cheddar cheese, and piled on sourdough bread and served with a side of Gates BBQ sauce.  Even though I'm not a big fan of Gates BBQ sauce, it helped complement the sandwich very well.  The sandwich was large and was very good.

All three of us were more than full when we were finished.  Dominic, who has eaten in fine restaurants all over the world, thought his pasta was delicious.  Our guest told us, "They do a pretty fine job here at The Phoenix."  I have to agree.

I'm sure the place really packs in the crowd for the jazz music that starts around 9 p.m. each night.  But even if it weren't for the draw of the music, I think The Phoenix would more than hold it's own as a stand alone restaurant.    

The Big Ten Network

                                       I've read a couple three articles lately (here, here and here) regarding the negotiation process the Big Ten Network is going through to sign up cable companies for their network before the August 1, 2007 inaugural broadcast. 

         So far, a number of smaller cable companies across the Midwest have agreed in principle to carry the network on their systems, including about 20 in the state of Iowa.  However, negotiations are on-going with Comcast in the Chicago area, and Mediacom across the state of Iowa to carry the Big Ten Network.  A number of other cable companies in metropolitan areas including Indianapolis, Columbus, Detroit, Milwaukee and the Twin Cities are also in negotiations with the league regarding the broadcasting of Big Ten games.

        The major sticking point?  The Big Ten Network wants to charge cable companies $1.10 per subscriber to carry the network.  That's a hefty price to pay for a start up network.  And with on-going negotiations with the NFL Network - who wants to charge *only* 70 cents per subscriber - the cable companies are balking at bringing both channels to their core channel line-ups. 

        Most of the larger cable companies in negotiation with the network want to include it in a premium tier or on their digital tier of channels.  Both the Big Ten Network and the NFL Network have steadfastly refused to allow cable companies to put their respective channels on anything but the basic channel package. 

        Although ABC and ESPN will continue to have the first and second pick of the weekly Big Ten football games, the conference is hoping for a grass-roots effort by the fan base of Big Ten teams to pressure the cable companies to pick up the network.  Especially if, say, the Ohio State/Iowa football game is available only on the Big Ten Network and hundreds of thousands of fans across Iowa and Ohio don't have access to the game. 

        The league also announced that it will have a "plus" channel in case two games are going on at the same time.  "We will be that local," said Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman.  "The passions of Big Ten fans in a given area will be our passion." 

        Even though I like the concept of the Big Ten Network, I'm not too keen on the high per subscriber charge the league is demanding for cable companies to carry the network.  I'm getting this large sense of arrogance on the Big Ten's part that will do nothing but drive up already skyrocketing cable and satellite rates across the nation. 

        Their goal is to get every cable outlet in the Midwest signed up before August 1.  Then they'll go for more regional and national cable companies across the nation later on.  Right now, the only nationwide cable company on board with the league is AT&T Cable.  DirecTV has also signed up to show the channel.  Dish Network continues to negotiate with the Big Ten Network to carry the programming, but an agreement should be in place sometime this summer.

        Each Big Ten school could initially realize income of about $7.5 million from the Big Ten Network.  But the league is hoping member schools will benefit beyond the monetary compensation in terms of exposure for each school's academic qualities. 

        Producers for the network toured Iowa's athletic facilities earlier this week looking for a location for a small studio that would tie into the network's Chicago-based operations.   Not only will the league focus on athletic events other than football and basketball, it will also showcase the academic side of life at member institutions.

       With rising costs associated with college athletic programs across the nation, logic dictates that colleges and universities must realize new revenue streams to help fund their teams.  The Big Ten Network is one of those revenue streams that we all may be helping to pay for sooner than later.  And it will be the forerunner of what will more than likely become a "pay-per-view" society in terms of watching sporting events that were available over free TV just years prior. 

       And like the owners of NFL teams (see prior blog entry here), the Big Ten's Athletic Directors are hoping the network doesn't cave in with their demand of $1.10 per subscriber to carry the network.  The Big Ten Network believes it has the leverage and are hoping for an outcry from cable and satellite customers demanding their companies put the network on their systems. 

       I know the "pay-per-view" aspect of sports is coming, but I don't know if I like the subtle "blackmail" aspect The Big Ten and The NFL Network are using to pressure cable and satellite companies into carrying their channels.   

John E's - Louisville

During my recent trip to Louisville, I took a couple guys from the ADI branch in Louisville and a dealer from Lexington to lunch at a place not far from the branch called b.  Actually, one of the guys from ADI suggested the place and I told him that as long as it wasn't a chain, it was fine with me.

The main part of John E's restaurant is a two story log cabin built in 1850.  Over one hundred years later, the building became a restaurant - Bill Bolan's.  Bolan's restaurant was a classic American supper club/steakhouse and was considered one of the finest restaurants in Louisville. 

In 1983, an employee of Bolan's, John Shanchuk (right), and a silent partner, Ben Edelen, bought Bill Bolan's and renamed it John E's.  Shanchuk has since bought out Edelen's share of the restaurant and is the sole owner today.  His daughter, Jenny, runs the day to day operation of the restaurant. 

Over the years, they've added onto the original log cabin - made with hewn logs 14 to 18 inches thick.  With a new enclosed seating area that was formerly a patio, John E's seats about 300 people. 

And it can get packed rather quickly - especially the week up to and just past the Kentucky Derby.  In fact, the restaurant pays homage to the Derby with pictures and race tickets of each Kentucky Derby from the past 25 plus years.  John E's steaks are what bring 'em in.      

Since we went for lunch, I knew I wasn't going to be trying a steak.  In fact, I really didn't know what I was going to get.  The lunch menu is pretty extensive and they also have a southern-style buffet with chicken, sausages, pasta, vegetables and salads.  The buffet is what brings a lot of people in for lunch. 

The other four guys decided to go with the buffet.  I saw something that just jumped out of me on the menu - the hot roast beef sandwich.  I'd been on the road for a few days and I needed comfort food. 

The hot beef sandwich at John E's is slow cooked beef brisket, cooked in an onion broth.  Then a heaping helping of beef is placed between the top and bottom of a homemade hard roll.  Then it's slathered with gravy and served with a side of homemade potatoes.  It was absolutely a spot-hitter. 

I'm glad I got the hot beef because, quite frankly, the chicken, sausages and pasta the guys brought back to the table didn't look all that great.  One of the guy from ADI even commented, "I always get the buffet when I come here because it's such a good deal ($8.95 - all you can eat).  But that hot beef sandwich looks damn good.  I'll have to try it next time."

I told him, "It IS damn good..."

Lunch with tip came to about $65 bucks.  Not too bad considering you got a lot of food with your meal.  I was stuffed after I finished lunch.

John E's has a long time reputation for their steaks, pork chops and seafood.  I paused to look at their dinner menu and thought I'd like to come back sometime to give their steaks a try.  The prices weren't outrageous, and the dinner items looked pretty cut and dried.  But just based upon their lunch, I'd have to say John E's is a mighty fine restaurant. 

Harlan's - Davenport, IA

Harlan's is a place that I'm sort of surprised I haven't talked about earlier.  It's one of our favorite places to go for comfort food - breakfast or dinner.  It's been an old stand-by in the Quad Cities for well over 50 years. 

When U.S. Highway 6 was one of the main east-west roads through the nation, the Triangle Truckport was one of the busiest restaurants along the busy highway.  Harlan Hagberg opened the Triangle in 1953 in, basically, a triangle that consisted of Highway 6 (later Kimberly Road), Hickory Grove (the main road into Davenport from Highway 6 at that time), and Fairmount Ave. (see map).

In 1960, a severe blizzard hit the Davenport area and a number of trucks were snow bound at or near the Triangle Truckport.  A photographer for the Davenport Times, the forerunner of the Quad City Times, took this picture (click to enlarge) showing the tangled mess of trucks around the truck stop.  Legend has it (mainly from Harlan's) the picture won a Pulitzer Prize for journalistic photography.  But a quick check of former Pulitzer Prize winners doesn't turn up any indication of this picture winning any award.  Still, it's a pretty impressive photo.

When Interstate 80 opened in 1962, the Triangle Truckport was located too far away from the super highway to have trucks stop in like they used to.  So Harlan Hagberg changed it from a truck stop to a family restaurant and renamed it Harlan's Fine Foods.  They continued their reputation of good, home-cooked meals at a fair price.

Over the years, the place expanded with little additions here and there to increase seating capacity.  For a number of years, the Hagberg family lived above the restaurant.  Eventually, they made the upstairs living quarters into office and warehouse space. 

In 2000, Harlan's son, Jeff - who had taken over for his father a few years earlier - built a newer and bigger building  just to the east of the existing restaurant.  The move effectively tripled the capacity of the restaurant.  With the move, they tore down the old restaurant and used the land for more parking. 

And with the move, the biggest mistake they made was that they weren't prepared - staff-wise - for the large crowds that came to the new Harlan's for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Service and the food suffered for a while, but Jeff Hagberg got it figured out and the restaurant quickly became a better version of what it was before.

Home-cooked meals is the theme at Harlan's.  Their menu is comfort food to the "nth" degree.  Breakfast is served all day long with a few items, such as omelets, only available until 11 a.m.

On nights that I don't feel like cooking and I'm in severe need of comfort food, we like to go out to Harlan's and get either a hot beef sandwich or a hot pork sandwich.  It's a sandwich piled high with meat on white bread and served with a scoop of homemade mashed potatoes in between, then smothered with a rich beef or pork gravy.  It's out of this world. 

By the way, speaking of Harlan's potatoes - they do make all their potato dishes - mashed, hash browns, french fries, etc. - from real potatoes.  They say they go through two tons of potatoes each week. 

Cindy and I just went out there last night for dinner after running some late day errands.  Both of us got hot beef sandwiches - I got a full order and Cindy got a half order.  We both got salads - Cindy likes Harlan's homemade creamy garlic dressing and I like their Russian dressing. 

Sometimes we'll get soup, as all their soups are homemade.  They make a very good vegetable beef, along with good chili and chicken noodle soup. 

They always have daily specials at Harlan's, along with a breakfast special through the week of a couple eggs, two pieces of bacon, toast, hash browns and coffee for $2.99.  It's a good bargain and it really packs in the older crowd in the morning.  But I do like their omelets and a side of homemade corned beef hash when I go for breakfast. 

Prices at Harlan's are pretty reasonable - we got out of there last night with the hot beef sandwiches ($5.99 for a full - $4.49 for a half), two salads, and drinks for a tad over $20 bucks with tip. 

Once they got rid of their growing pains after they moved to the new building about 7 years ago, Harlan's continues to serve some of the best comfort food I've had anywhere. 

Krieger's Sports Grill - St. Louis

I had to travel on a Sunday night to St. Louis recently.  It turned out that it was opening night for the St. Louis Cardinals and I didn't want to stay downtown with all the people there.  I ended up booking a room at the Hampton Inn - Forest Park.  Since I got there kind of late, I went next door to Krieger's Sports Grill for dinner.

Krieger's first opened in 1991 in suburban Chesterfield by Brian Krieger and his partner, Vito Churco.  Krieger ran the day-to-day operation and Churco was the business and marketing guy.  A year later, they recruited Churco's cousin, Sal Alu, into the business.  The three are still in charge today.

In 2002, Krieger's began to franchise locations throughout the St. Louis and southern Illinois area.  There are now 9 company owned locations and 5 franchisee locations, including one in Des Moines.  They're looking to expand franchises into Kansas City, Wichita, Springfield, MO and other mid-sized cities in the Midwest. 

Krieger's has a pretty extensive menu.  They're mainly known for their St. Louis style pizza - thin crust with fresh toppings covered with Provel cheese.  But they also have good burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers, along with main entrees including pasta, steaks, chicken and ribs.

The Forest Park location next to the new Hampton Inn is the newest of the Krieger's restaurants.  I don't know if it's a franchise location or not, but it appears similar to the other Krieger's I've been in.  It seems to be bigger than most of the other Krieger's though.  And the crowd it gathers - at least on a Sunday night - is a decidedly younger crowd.

I settled in at the bar to watch the baseball game with a packed house of younger adults.  Like the other Krieger's there's tons of televisions throughout the place and there's a projection screen above the bar.  I sat and ordered a beer and a menu from the very busy wait staff behind the bar.

A guy seated next to me was having a Krieger's cheeseburger, which smelled and looked very good.  But a girl on the other side of me was sharing a Krieger's St. Louis style pizza with her friend.  I was torn.  I hadn't had a good St. Louis style pizza for quite a while, but I wasn't certain I wanted a pizza that evening.

Now, St. Louis style pizza is an acquired taste.  The crust is cracker thin, and the Provel cheese is more creamy than the rich, stringy texture of mozzarella.  (For my previous observations on St. Louis style pizza and other pizza places in St. Louis, click b.)  I had a former colleague who I worked with in St. Louis call St. Louis style pizza as "cheese on a cracker". 

But I like it and that's what I ordered.

Actually, Krieger's St. Louis style pizza is OK - not the best I've had - but it's consistently OK.  And this one was no exception.  The toppings - sausage, pepperoni and mushroom - were a little sparse, but the cheese was creamy and the crust was crunchy thin, just the way I like it. 

With the Cardinals getting spanked by the New York Mets at the new Busch Stadium just down the road, the crowd began to dwindle out of Krieger's by about 9 p.m.  I couldn't eat a whole small pizza, so I had the girl put it in a box for me to take back to my room.  I ate the remaining three pieces on my way to Springfield the next day.

Krieger's is the one of the best sports bars in St. Louis.  Their menu may not be as eclectic as what you find at Ozzie's, but the food is still pretty good.  I've drank many a beer at various Krieger's around the St. Louis area and I'm sure I'll drink many more.    

(Update - This particular Krieger's is now the Highlander Pub and Grill.  See my entry on that place here.  There are only two Krieger's left in the St. Louis area - one in St. Louis and what is, I believe, the original Krieger's in Chesterfield.  I've been to the one in Chesterfield probably two or three times since this entry was made in 2007 and it's still pretty much the same above average food and service.  It's a great place to catch a sporting event.)

Brown Derby International Wine Center - Springfield, MO

As I've been on the road a lot lately, and with Spring now here, I've begun to do some "beer-hunting" to refresh our fridge in the garage with a supply of good beers.  One of my favorite seasonal beers is Boulevard Irish Ale and it's available from January until April.  It's somewhat heavy compared to most Ale's that I drink, but it has a rich caramel/toffee toasty taste to it that I like.

Finding Boulevard Irish Ale can be sort of tough.  I usually only find it in the Kansas City area and parts of Missouri.  During a recent trip to Springfield, MO, I stopped in to a Brown Derby store to pick some up. 

Brown Derby's history dates back 60 years when Mr. John A. Morris began to sell beer and alcohol in a small place in Springfield.  Given the area was smack dab in the heart of the Bible Belt, Mr. Morris had a rough start in gaining a foothold with all those pious tea-totalers in the community.  In order to "class up" the liquor store, he named it after the famous upscale restaurant in Los Angeles.   

Here's a little bit of interesting trivia.  In the late 50's, John A. Morris' son - Johnny Morris - began to sell bait and tackle out of the back of his father's liquor store.  His little business also began to take off and in 1972 he incorporated the Bass Pro Shops company.  Yes, it's the same Bass Pro Shops in Springfield that I've written about here before.

As time went on and Springfield grew - along with the tourism that came to the Ozark area - Brown Derby opened a larger location near their original location on S. Glenstone in Springfield (see map) in 1969.  They also began to address the exploding wine business that was taking hold across America.  In 1971, Ron Junge - who married John C. Morris' daughter - joined the business and helped transform Brown Derby from a sleepy liquor and beer store into the present day "Brown Derby International Wine Center".   

Today, Brown Derby's International Wine Center sports a 5000 square foot atmospherically-controlled wine cellar that has over 70,000 bottles of wine from all over the world. Brown Derby has won a number of awards, including an award from Food and Wine Magazine as one of the Top 10 places to buy wine in the U.S.

From their humble beginnings in the Ozarks to the International Wine Center, Brown Derby has seen tremendous growth in the Springfield market.  They've also expanded in the number of stores in the greater Springfield area.  They're now up to 14 locations around the city.  That's pretty impressive in an area of 150,000 where a lot of the people disdain alcohol and everything it stands for. 

The other Brown Derby's do sell wine, but don't have the selection the main store has.  Their beer selection is very good - and very pricey.  A six pack of Boulevard Irish Ale was $8.49.  (I've since found more at Friar Tuck's in Bloomington, IL and it was $7.49 a sixer.)  I wasn't going to bitch, however.  Finding Boulevard Irish Ale outside of Kansas City is a tough proposition on it's own.

I didn't have time to check through the wines during this visit, but their prices are a little higher than what I find in Chicago.  But with such a great selection and a captive audience in SW Missouri, they can get by with adding a couple three bucks on to a bottle of wine. 

Along with Bass Pro Shops, the Brown Derby International Wine Center is always a "must stop" when I'm in the Springfield area.   

The Return of Atomic Horseradish

It had been a while since I had gotten any Atomic Horseradish - the delectable and extremely pungent concoction that I first had about 20 years ago.  We like it on steaks and I have a great recipe for horseradish encrusted salmon.  It's great to stick in mashed potatoes and bloody mary's, too.

When I've ordered it in the past from a couple different places, I've had it shipped when it sits somewhere over the weekend.  Because Atomic Horseradish is so strong, they say you can only have it out of refrigeration for up to 72 hours.  There's been times when I've ordered it and it's been five to six days before it's gotten here.  It loses a lot of it's "zip" when it's kept out of the cold. 

We were down to the last couple of jars of a twelve pack I bought about a year ago and what we had left of the horseradish had lost it's zip.  I ordered some from Cosmic Chile from Montana over the weekend a week ago, just to make sure that it could be sent out on Monday and be here within three days.  It didn't get here until Friday.  But, thankfully, it has been cold enough between here and Montana so the horseradish wasn't out of the cold all that much. 

I decided to get a couple of New York strips for dinner on Friday night.  With it, I made up a side of mashed red potatoes with garlic, cream cheese, chives and horseradish.  Very easy to make.  (Cube and boil about four or five small red potatoes for 20 minutes; drain the water and put the potatoes into a mixing bowl. Then add a quarter stick of butter; 4 oz. of cream cheese; two or three cloves of garlic - chopped; two to three tablespoons of chopped chives; and a heaping tablespoon of ground horseradish.  Or if you have Atomic Horseradish, an even teaspoon.  I'm serious - it's that strong when it's fresh!  And then mash 'em all together.  Serves two very easily.)

I cooked the steaks on the Weber grill, and made up the potatoes.  Cindy got home from working out and we had a bottle of the Chateau Thomas Pinot Noir (a very surprisingly good wine, by the way).  We got the steaks on the plate along with the garlic/horseradish mashed potatoes and dug in.

From the first whiff of the Atomic Horseradish, I knew it was overly fresh.  And the first bite of my steak with a dollop of Atomic Horseradish on it confirmed it.

I literally lost my breath.  My nasal passages instantly cleared.  I was pounding on the table from the over zealous taste sensation I was experiencing.  It was the real stuff.  I don't know why I put myself through the pain, but Atomic Horseradish is absolutely the strongest - and best tasting - horseradish I've ever experienced in my life.

As I said, I put a heaping tablespoon of Atomic Horseradish in with the potatoes.  It was too much.  You couldn't taste the garlic, couldn't taste the chives, couldn't tell if there was cream cheese in with the potatoes.  It's that strong when it's fresh.  Cindy even thought it was too overpowering.   

All of the sudden, I'm afraid to eat the stuff.  But once I know what to be weary of, I'll be fine.  The initial "hit" took us both by surprise. 

Atomic Horseradish is not for the meek.  Those who are not used to overpowering horseradish should take only very small amounts of the stuff when it's fresh.  I'm telling you, there is nothing like it any where.  If anyone says, "Oh, it can't be that hot."  Well, it is.  And I have convinced and converted a lot of horseradish lovers to Atomic Horseradish over the past few years.         

LoRusso's Cucina - St. Louis

While recently traveling with Dominic Baker, the chief engineer and international sales manager for Focal loudspeakers, we took one of my better dealers in the St. Louis area out to dinner.  The dealer suggested LoRusso's Cucina on the famous "Hill" in St. Louis.  I had never been to - or heard of - LoRusso's Cucina.  But according to one of the guys, it's one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. 

Rich LoRusso is a third generation Sicilian whose grandmother baked bread in a backyard oven on the Hill when Rich was a young boy.  With is wife, Terri, they opened LoRusso's in 1986.  They bill the restaurant "Not Your Usual Italian Restaurant". 

Although part of the Hill, LoRusso's is further west of the bulk of the Hill area restaurants.  Located on Watson Road west of Hampton and near Arsenal (see map), it's no wonder why I'd never seen or heard of LoRusso's in the past.  Well, I was excited to try a new Italian restaurant in St. Louis. 

LoRusso's has ample parking on the west side of their building.  And it's well lit, too.  It's a short walk to the front door of LoRusso's.  Once inside, you're greeted by a hostess just inside the front door.  Actually, Terri LoRusso was the one who seated us at a table for six just inside the main dining room. 

The atmosphere is similar to many Italian restaurants/supper clubs that I've eaten at in the past.  Lots of dark wood walls, dimly lit, but not too dark.  The tables are spacious and give you a lot of room, but not too large where you can't carry on a conversation with the person directly across from you. 

The dinner menu is vast and varied.  They also feature a number of nightly specials of either a seafood or pasta dish.  That evening their seafood special was a pan-seared scallop dish served with a white wine and lemon sauce.  That sounded good. 

In fact, a lot of stuff sounded good.  The tutto mare is always a great St. Louis Italian dish and I'm sure LoRusso's did a fine one.  They also had a tortellini with tomatoes, peppers and chicken dish that evening for their pasta special.  Their regular tortellini looked great, too.  And they had a cannelloni dish with tubes of pasta stuffed with beef, veal and spinach.  Oh, man!  I was having troubles and I wasn't even halfway through looking at the menu.

The rest of the menu featured chicken, beef, and veal entrees.  I was so torn on what to get, it all sounded so wonderful.

But before we ordered, we decided to get a bunch of appetizers.  Being that it was Dominic's first trip to St. Louis, we had to order the local favorite, toasted raviolis.  And we also ordered a couple plates of the Scampi Spinachi - jumbo shrimp grilled, then served over a bed of cooked spinach leaves and drizzled with a spicy lobster broth.  And we also ordered up the Calamari and a plate of the grilled eggplant - thin strips of eggplant lightly grilled and served with roasted peppers, mozzarella, olives and sprinkled with asiago cheese.  We were hungry.

When it came to ordering dinner, I let everyone order before me - mainly because I STILL didn't know what to get.  One of our guests ordered the scallops special, and another ordered the tortellini special.  One guy ordered the tenderloin Mudega - marinated and breaded tenderloin medallions topped with prosciutto, wild mushrooms and a white wine sauce.  And the other guy ordered the Ziti con Vodka - ziti served with Italian sausage in a spicy vodka sauce. 

Dominic ordered the Pescatore Linguini - linguini with shrimp, scallops, mussels in a tomato sauce.  And when it came to me, I was still in the dark as what to order.  Our waitress finally talked me into getting one of their house specialties, the Chicken Joshua - a marinated chicken breast, grilled and topped with Fontana cheese, served with grilled asparagus with a tomato white wine sauce drizzled on top.  Sounded great. 

In the meantime, I also ordered a couple bottles of wine from LoRusso's very extensive wine list.  We got a couple of the 2001 Jordan Cabernet's from the reserve wine list - a great old standby wine that never fails to please.  And it was reasonably priced at $80 a bottle.  I've seen this priced at well over $100, upwards to $130 a bottle, in restaurants. 

The food came and the presentation looked great.  We all dug in.  Everyone said their food was superior.  Except me - it always happens.  The chicken was overcooked and tough.  The asparagus was limp and tasteless.  It was not a good meal. 

But the rest of the dishes looked and smelled wonderful.  And from the expressions of satisfaction from everyone, it turns out I had the dud meal of the evening. 

I wasn't going to complain, but one of the guys - the one who recommended the place - told the waitress that my dinner was sub-par.  He said, "I've eaten here for over 15 years and have never gotten a bad meal at this place.  This guy brought us here this evening and his meal was not up to LoRusso standards." 

I was somewhat embarrassed that he made a fuss, but he said, "No, no.  Rich is the kind of guy who would rather be told about a bad meal than to have one slide by." 

The waitress left and Terri LoRusso came over to apologize.  She said that Rich was not the chef that evening, it was their second line chef.  I told her that it was no big deal, the chicken was a little over-cooked (actually, it was WAY over-cooked).  She asked if she could comp us on desserts and we couldn't say no - although we were all just stuffed. 

She had the waitress bring out the dessert tray and she tempted us with tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate cake, and other scrumptious looking items.  I went with the tiramisu, which - I was told - is made by an old lady especially for LoRusso's.  It was good, but not as good as the tiramisu at Missouri Baking Company. 

The bill for the six of us - including wine - came to just under $500 with tip.  These guys deserved the meal.  They're a good dealer for me and good guys.  We had a great time and even though my dinner was not that great, I'll be back to LoRusso's.  But I won't be ordering the Chicken Joshua.

(Update - I have since been back to LoRusso's on a couple of occasions and DID NOT get the Chicken Joshua.  I got a pasta dish one time that was outstanding and in the summer of 2011 my wife and I went there with our friends and their son after a Cardinals game.  I had the meatloaf special that evening that rivaled the taste sensations of my meat loaf.  Everyone raved about their food.  The Chicken Joshua from my first visit was obviously an anomaly and I was going to do a proper update - complete with pictures - but I accidently dumped all the pictures from LoRusso's as I was trying to save them on my computer from my phone.) 

Putting Spring on Hold

About a month ago, I wrote that our weather was just beautiful and spring was coming early.  Temperatures were any where from the mid 60's to the lower 80's for about three weeks.  Leaves were starting to come out, flowers were beginning to bud.  We were seeing growth on the many rose bushes we have around our place.  And thanks to a lot of rain in March, the grass in our yard was greener and more thick than at any time since we've lived here.

Then a cold snap hit about 9 days ago and temperatures have struggled to break out of the 30's and 40's for day time highs and nighttime temps have routinely been in the 20's.  And yesterday, it snowed across the state of Iowa dumping over 6 inches of snow and creating havoc for thousands.

History shows there is always one big spring snowfall in late March or early April in Iowa before it's all over until later in the year. We were lucky here - we only got a dusting over night (right).  But it was still a reminder that the weather can change pretty quickly in Iowa.   

For all the initial growth that has happened on the plants, it's now virtually stopped.  The small leaves on the rose bushes have whithered, the tulips and irises in our gardens won't be coming up this year, and the flowering trees and bushes have stopped in mid-bud.

With all this crazy weather happening, I was reminded this morning that tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the Iowa City tornado.  On April 13, 2006, a massive tornado skipped across Iowa City resulting in millions of dollars in damage to buildings and landmarks.  Most of damaged area in Iowa City is rebuilt, but the trees still show the scars of the tornado. 

The good news is that the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow and the snow will be long gone with temperatures into the 40's.  And it's supposed to get back into the 60's next week and everything should return to normal.   

Jack Fry's - Louisville

While I was in Louisville recently, I had an open evening.  So I met up with my sister, Nancy (whose birthday just happens to be today), and we went to Jack Fry's, a local favorite in Louisville. 

Jack Fry's is truly an institution in Louisville.  Jack Fry opened his doors just after Prohibition ended in 1933 and ran it until he sold it in the late 70's.  Given that the area around Jack Fry's was going upscale with shops and restaurants, Jack Fry's abandoned their old formula of beer and sandwiches and went to a gourmet menu with an extensive wine list.  Today, owner Susan Seiller and executive chef Shawn Ward have turned Jack Fry's into a four-star restaurant in the heart of the bohemian Bardstown Rd. area south and east of downtown Louisville (see map).

From the outside, Jack Fry's isn't much to look at.  Inside, it's cozy and warm with dark brown walls filled with pictures from Louisville's past.  There's a number of photos to do with the Kentucky Derby and other past events in Louisville's history. 

Jack Fry has a guy playing soft jazz on a piano.  It's not too loud and provides a wonderful audio backdrop to conversations going on in the restaurants.

Jack Fry's has two sections - the main room up front where the bar is located; and the back dining room that features booths and tables.  We were seated in the back dining room right by the hostess stand. 

The booths were roomy and comfortable.  Even though Jack Fry's is a small place, you don't get a claustrophobic feel when you're seated.  We were greeted by our waitress, Ashley, who was adorned in a tux minus the jacket.  I wanted to get a bottle of wine, but I'd had a long day and I needed a cold beer.  My sister ordered up a glass of chardonnay to start out. 

Jack Fry's menu is what I would call American-bistro style.  While not a huge menu, it's interesting enough that I had trouble trying to figure out what I wanted.  The appetizers looked great - shrimp in a red eye gravy with shittake mushrooms and tomatoes poured over grits was one that caught my eye.  And they did have foie gras on the menu at a time when many restaurants aren't serving that delicacy any longer.

For dinner, I went with the house specialty - a veal chop stuffed with Fontana cheese, wild mushrooms and sage.  My sister got the old stand-by - Jack Fry's filet mignon served with prosciutto.  And I ordered a bottle of the 2003 Franciscan Cabernet to go with our meal. 

After we both finished a house salad, Ashley brought our meals to us.  The presentation was wonderful, the portions were good sized and the taste was wonderful.  Actually, I didn't think I had a stuffed veal chop as it didn't appear that anything was stuffed into it.  However, my last few bites found the stuffing and it was very good. I also had a side of fingerling potatoes, asparagus and brussel sprouts (the brussel sprouts I didn't like).   

My sister's filet was cooked to perfection.  She also had a little herb potato cake on the side that she said was very good. 

For dessert, I was very stuffed but I was talked into sharing the creme caramel - vanilla custard with a caramel topping and a burnt glaze on top, sort of like a creme brulee.  It was sinfully great.  But, OH!  So rich! 

My sister told me that Jack Fry's was famous for their gourmet burgers.  In fact, they even feature them as a main entree on their dinner menu.  I told her that I had to be back over this way the next day so I'd try to stop in and get one.  Well, it turned out that I didn't have time to stop in, but I'm sure I'll be back in sometime in the next couple three months.

Jack Fry's is pricey - with tip the bill came to $180 bucks.  But the food is great, the service is impeccable, and the place has loads of history.  Before I left, I had to walk around the bar area up front to look at the pictures and memorabilia they had on the walls.  Jack Fry's is truly a neat place and one that I'll definitely go back to.   

(Click here to see my visit to Jack Fry's for one of their gourmet cheeseburgers.)

2007 Mississippi Valley Blues Fest Line-up

They recently announced the line-ups for the 2007 Mississippi Valley Blues Festival to be held June 29, 30 and July 1 at LeClaire Park in downtown Davenport.  And once again, I'm afraid it's going to be another underwhelming festival.  I'm just hoping for some pleasant surprises along the way. 

Actually, the two biggest names that I'd like to see are Robert Randolph and the Family Band; and the return of Little Charlie and the Nightcats.  But I wouldn't mind seeing Tom Principato, Albert Cummings and Kelly Richey, as well. 

Robert Randolph and the Family Band play a mixture of blues, funk, soul and gospel.  Randolph plays a 13 string pedal steel guitar, an instrument more akin to country music than it is to the blues.  The band - all related to Randolph - started as the church band for the Randolph family church back in New Jersey.  He has three albums out and has also played Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival. 

Little Charlie and the Nightcats were just here in the Quad Cities a couple weeks ago.  I understand they put on a helluva show - one that some tell me was one of the best shows they've ever seen from a touring blues band.  I've seen Little Charlie and the Nightcats play three or four times before and their infectious "jump blues" style of play, along with Rick Estrin's stage presence and harmonica playing make Little Charlie a must see for any music fan.

I've seen blues guitarist Tom Principato once before and he put on a blistering show.  The Washington D.C.-area guitarist is a little bit of everything - gospel, jazz, rock, country - but is pigeon-holed as a blues guitarist.  And he said he doesn't mind that one bit.  In fact, he likes to call his style of hybrid music "American music".   

Principato first started in the business as taking over for blues great Jimmy Thackery in a band called Crawlin' King Snake.  The band eventually turned into a Chicago-style blues band called Powerhouse and Principato was on his way.   

I've heard about blues guitarist Albert Cummings but have yet to see him play.  Cummings is a 30-something native of western Massachusetts whose previous day job was as a designer and builder of high dollar custom homes throughout New England.  Cummings recently released his fourth CD and will be traveling this summer across America and parts of Europe.

Kelly Richey has been described as a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Janis Joplin.  Richey is based out of Cincinnati and fronts a three-piece band that plays homage to great guitarists such as Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.  She would be a good one to see.

Other than that, there really isn't anyone else I'd like to see.  Chubby Carrier will be playing here again, and I think I've seen him play three or four times at various places.  There's a "Blues Harp Blowout" scheduled for Saturday evening featuring Mark Hummel, James Harman and Paul Oscher, but I'm not huge on guys playing harmonica. 

I know booking the bands has to be a tough gig, given that you need months of advance notice to try and get performers to come to the area.  But still, I'm not too enamored with the line-up again this year.  Maybe that's a good weekend to head up to Summerfest in Milwaukee.

O'Charley's

I've been on the road an awful lot lately. That's why I haven't been posting all that much.  It's been a lot of early mornings and late nights over the past couple of weeks.  But I've eaten at a lot of places during that time and will be sharing those experiences with you over the next few days.  One of the places I've eaten at recently was an O'Charley's restaurant just off of Interstate 65 in the Indianapolis suburb of Southport (see map).

O'Charley's began in Nashville in the late 60's by Charley Watkins.  Watkins' restaurant catered to families with good food for the adults and fun food for the kids.  Around the mid-80's, Watkins sold out to a group that developed O'Charley's as a chain.  O'Charley's has grown to over 230 restaurants in 17 states, primarily in the Southeastern part of the U.S.  O'Charley's ownership group also owns the upscale Stoney River Legendary Steak House restaurants, as well as the Ninety-Nine restaurants, which are located primarily in the Northeast.

I've eaten at a couple of O'Charley's restaurants before, but I've gotten either a sandwich or a burger.  Actually, the food's not too bad, but I view O'Charley's as nothing more than an upscale Applebee's and sort of a family version of T.G.I Friday's.  Their menu is diverse with steaks, chicken, pasta, seafood, sandwiches and burgers.  What helps draw the families is the "Kids Under 12 Eat Free" promos they run from time to time. 

A restaurant that has a diverse menu usually doesn't do all of them very well.  O'Charley's is sort of like that.  The food is good, but it is far from outstanding.  It's the type of place one would go where they don't exactly know what they're hungry for, but can easily find something to suit their tastes on the menu. 

I was working one day with one of the outside sales guys from A.D.I. Distributing and he had set up a dinner meeting with one of his dealers at an O'Charley's on the south side of Indianapolis.  Since I was traveling to Louisville later that evening, it worked out good for me.  But if I were making the dinner plans, I would have never opted for an O'Charley's.  However, the dealer was the one who suggested O'Charley's, so I was along for the ride, so to speak.

After ordering some drinks, we began to talk some business.  Our waitress kept coming back and checking on us to see if we'd like to order dinner.  We got hot and heavy into conversation and she was overly patient when we kept telling her to come back - we hadn't even looked at the menu yet.

When we finally got down to ordering food, it became apparent that O'Charley's had a lot of things to choose from.  I was sort of looking at the sandwiches, but the other guys had steak on their minds.  (Actually, I was hoping to get to Louisville that evening so I could have an Impellizeri's pizza - I'll have to go back to Louisville and tell you about that place.)  I thought, what the hell - the A.D.I. guy was paying for the dinner, so I ordered up the Louisiana Sirloin - a 12 oz. sirloin with Cajun seasonings and topped with a garlic-herb butter sauce. 

The other guys went with the 10 oz. filet, and the 12 oz. rib-eye (O'Charley's signature steak).  The other guy had the Steak House quesadilla - chunks of blackened steak in a quesadilla with jack cheese, and smoked jalapenos, onions and peppers. 

Normally, I don't go for steaks at a place like O'Charley's, but I have to say the Louisiana Sirloin was good - better than I thought.  It was tender, cooked right, and the seasonings were not overpowering.  Gathering from the way the other guys were downing their food, their steaks and the steak quesadilla weren't all that bad, either.

O'Charley's is one of those places that I wouldn't seek out to have a meal.  But in a pinch, the food is good, the menu is extensive and they have cold beer.  It's geared more toward families - as evidenced by the wide range of ages in the restaurant that evening.  And even though I was looking forward to a good pizza in Louisville that evening, O'Charley's wasn't a complete bust.   

Bravo! Cucina Italiana - Overland Park, KS

On a recent visit to Kansas City, I had a meeting with my big dealer there one evening.  After the meeting, we went to Bravo! Cucina Italiana for dinner. 

Bravo! Cucina Italiana - or Bravo! for the regulars - is a small chain of 34 restaurants located mainly in the eastern and midwestern part of the nation.  There are two in Kansas City and we went to the Bravo! restaurant located in the upscale Town Center Plaza shopping complex in the Overland Park/Leawood area (see map).

Bravo! is an Ohio-based corporation headed by CEO Chris Doody.  Bravo! is part of the Bravo! Development Group of restaurants that also includes the Tuscany-style offerings of Brio, a 20 plus chain of restaurants across the eastern and middle part of the U.S.

Bravo! is more of a "ristorante" style of Italian restaurant complete with linen tablecloths and authentic Italian decor.  The "Cucina Italiana" - Italian Kitchen - part of their name signifies the traditional style of Italian cooking that goes on in the restaurant.  The kitchen is in full view of the diners, similar to traditional upscale Italian restaurants.

According to their web site, Bravo's interiors are consistent with ancient Italian architecture down to the imported Italian marble floors, the Venetian-plastered walls and other hand-crafted Italian reliefs.  I didn't really pay that much attention to the decor the night we went.  It seemed to be nice, but sort of loud in the place.

There were five of us who went to dinner that evening.  We were seated at a table in the back corner offering us a side view of the goings on in the kitchen.  It also afforded us a much quieter surrounding so we could continue to discuss business over dinner.

The dinner menu is truly traditional Italian with pasta dishes, pizza, wood-fired steaks and chicken, and seafood.  The wine list was a little less than desirable, but we did end up getting a bottle of the Sketchbook Cabernet from California that was recommended by one of my guests.  It did the job. 

Since I'd never been there before (and, subsequently, didn't realize it was a chain), I looked at a lot of possibilities.  Their Pasta Bravo! dish looked interesting - pasta with grilled chicken chunks and mushrooms with a red pepper sauce.  They also had a chicken Marsala dish that was grilled above wood, served with a white wine Marsala sauce and served on top of a bed of Tuscan mashed potatoes.  They both sounded pretty good to me.

However, one my guests absolutely RAVED about the Bolognese Lasagna.  He said it was the best lasagna he'd ever had.  He talked about how good it was, I had to get try it. 

One of the other guys got the Lobster and Shrimp ravioli.  Another person got the special that night - grilled sea scallops with pasta.  And one other person got the sauteed crab cakes. 

We were also served a generous dinner salad that we ate along with an appetizer of a Spinach and Artichoke dip.  Our waiter - a 50's-ish gentleman - was attentive.  But he was almost too attentive and too overbearing for my liking. 

Our food came and while the portion of lasagna I received was generous, it was no where near the size of the lasagna I've gotten from Lunardi's in Davenport.  And I have to say that it was good, but I liked Lunardi's lasagna much better. 

The grilled scallops looked great and my guest who ordered them said they were.  And the grilled crab cakes were reportedly very fresh and very tasty.  But the dish I should have gotten is the Lobster and Shrimp ravioli - chunks of lobster and full shrimp on a bed of mozzarella cheese ravioli with a white wine sauce poured on top.  I was offered a bite and I have to say it was very good.

But as attentive and hovering our waiter was before the dinner was served, he all but disappeared after our meal was served.  A couple of the guys wanted water refills and some fresh cracked pepper.  He finally showed back up after we were all nearly finished with our meals. 

All in all, Bravo! was nice, but there are better Italian restaurants in the south Kansas City area that, I feel, are more authentic and have better food.  But as a corporate entity, Bravo! does it well and it doesn't seem to have the "cookie cutter" feel that one gets from some of the larger Italian chain restaurants.  Since most of the Bravo! restaurants are located in or near large shopping complexes, I'd say it's worth a visit when you're out shopping. 

Chandler's Crabhouse - Seattle

During my recent trip to Seattle, we were able to eat a couple of meals out.  The first meal at MorMor's Bistro was disappointing.  But the second meal at Chandler's Crabhouse along the waterfront in Seattle (see map) was just outstanding. 

Chandler's is part of the Seattle-based Schwartz Brothers Restaurant group that includes the upscale Daniel's Broiler steak house and Revolution Bar and Grill that is part of Paul Allen's Experience Music Project museum in Seattle.  (A beer lover's dream - Revolution Bar and Grill has a custom made beer delivery system that allows them to have 50 beers on tap.)  Chandler's is equally as impressive a restaurant as the other two Schwartz Brothers restaurants.

The decor at Chandler's is sort of new age/art deco.  They also have great views of the marina and harbor next to the restaurant.  The wait staff is young, hip and well-versed in the food and wines they serve.

And the wine list was impressive with over 150 different wines to choose from.  Many were from the impressive Washington state wineries which are fast becoming known as making some great wines.  The other wines came from Oregon and California with less than 15 wines on the list coming from overseas. 

One of my colleagues picked out an '04 L'Ecole no. 41 Cabernet from the Columbia Valley of Washington.  He said he had read about it and wanted to give it a try.  After the waiter brought a bottle out, a couple of us smelled and sipped the wine.  We were all in agreement that it was a very good wine and asked him to bring two more bottles.  At $69 bucks a bottle, my boss didn't flinch when we ordered the extra wine. 

Chandler's menu changes nightly as they always get the freshest catch of the day.  They're known for their seasonal crab entrees and they looked good.  But at $45.95 a dinner, I thought I'd better look at something else.

I ended up getting a half-dozen of the Stellar Bay oysters-on-the-half-shell from Cortes Island, British Columbia (just up the way from Seattle).  They are one of the few types of oysters that I can remember because they're always so big, meaty and juicy.  And these were no exception.  They were unbelievable great.  So good that I almost got another half-dozen.

We also had a plate of Spicy Fried Calimari that was being passed around.  They were served with a chili oil and an excellent lime-cilantro chutney. 

Dinner was a tough choice.  I really wanted the crabs, but business hasn't been great lately and with my boss seated next to me I didn't think it would be appropriate to get the most expensive thing on the menu.  A couple of my colleagues seated near me went with the King Salmon on a bed of cous cous with smoked mozzarella and a roasted pepper relish.

My boss, who was burned by getting the steak the night before at the MorMor Bistro, took my advice - When in the Pacific Northwest, get fish.  When in the Midwest, get beef.  He got the Dungeness Crab Cakes servied with marinated apples, rice and green beans with a watercress vinaigrette. 

I went with a safe choice - the medium priced ($28.95) Hawaiian Ahi Tuna, medium rare.  It was served on a bed of sticky rice with baby bok choy.  And it on the side was a miso green peppercorn sauce.  It sounded wonderful.

When my tuna came to me, I was literally floored.  I'm used to having the tuna come as a 3/4 inch to 1 inch tuna steak.  This was actually large chunks of tuna - looking more like remnants and end pieces rather than a steak slab.  But they were all cooked to a perfect medium rare.

Oh, and the taste.  Unbelievably great.  I don't know if it was the freshness of the tuna, or they used chunks of tuna instead of a steak cut, or if it was the green peppercorn sauce you could dip the tuna into.  It was probably the best piece of tuna I'd ever had. 

Everyone elses meal was just as outstanding.  One of my colleagues (who has a lot bigger balls than I do) got the Alaskan Dungeness Crab and he said it was as good as he remembered it when he used to live in Seattle.  The guys who got the King Salmon were blown away at the taste. 

And my boss loved his Dungeness Crab Cakes.  But he was able to coax me into trading a bite of my tuna for a bite of his crab cakes.  After taking a bite of the tuna, he got this look on his face of great surprise.  He said, "Shit, man.  My crab cakes are very good, but I should have gotten the tuna!"  He's right.  His crab cakes were good (from the bite I had of them), but the tuna blew them away.

Chandler's is not cheap - the bill with tip came to about $95 person - but it was some of the finest seafood I'd ever had in my life.  Seattle is one of those places where I'd like to be able to spend more time some day and Chandler's would definitely be on my list of places to eat when I come back.