Road Tips

The Metrodome - Minneapolis

It was a beautiful evening one night when I was in the Twin Cities recently.  So I decided to go inside and watch a baseball game.

The Minnesota Twins were hosting the Chicago White Sox at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis (see map).  Since replacing the old Metropolitan Stadium in 1982, the Metrodome has been derided and cherished by Minnesota fans - and sometimes in the same breath.

Old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington - right

Because it was such a beautiful early May evening in Minneapolis, it was really tough to go inside to see a game.  But I hadn't been to a Twins game for about three years and I was downtown so I decided to go.

I didn't take my camera with me on this trip, so I didn't get any pictures.  I'm using generic public domain pictures I found on the Internet.  So, no - no scoreboard pictures this time.  But that's OK.  The Metrodome's scoreboard isn't anything fancy or huge. 

(As an aside, I just bought Cindy a little point and shoot Panasonic DMC-TZ3 digital camera for her to use on her trip to Europe.  It's a little pocket-sized that takes some remarkable pictures.  In some ways, it's a better camera than our larger Panasonic digital camera.  It will be perfect to take with me for things like this.)

Outside the Metrodome, the walk ways boil with people who are, seemingly, dawdling as long as possible to keep from having to leave the beautiful weather to go inside to see a game.  They had musicians, beer vendors, a Famous Dave's barbecue stand, a guy selling corn on the cob and a number of guys scalping tickets to the game.  It must be legal in Minneapolis - there were cops standing right there next to the scalpers. 

I passed the scalpers and went to the ticket booth on the NW side of the dome.  I tried to get a seat on an aisle down in the box seat area, but none were to be had.  I finally settled on a seat on the aisle in the Diamond View section, 36 rows up from the field.  You can tell the Twins have been pretty successful on the field over the past couple of years.  The price of the ticket was $42 dollars.  Ouch!

I had a lot of time before the game started, so I walked over to the legendary Hubert's Bar and Restaurant next to the Metrodome to have a beer. (I'll have a post regarding Hubert's in the near future.)  After finishing the beer, I took off with a horde of people who were migrating toward the dome to watch the game. 

After I got inside, I did a quick lap around the Metrodome concourse.  And like many stadiums built in the 70's and 80's, the concourse is too narrow.  There were many bottlenecks that built up until I got around to the right field seating area where no one was sitting that evening.  For some stupid reason, they put these tables for bank and team promotions right across from the concession stands.  The lines to the concession stand were long and backing up against the tables.  It was pretty stupid.

One of the more interesting things I found during my walkabout around the concourse of the Metrodome was a large bobble head doll of Twins star Joe Mauer.  The thing had to be about 24 inches tall and retailed for $475.  That was something I wish I had my camera for. 

Along the way, I stopped to get a cold Budweiser and a hot dog.  It was a horrible hot dog.  One of the worst I've ever had at a major league ball park. (The all-time worst was the one I got at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.)  The bun was dried out and even if you could steam them, it still would have still sucked.  I ended up pulling bits of the bun off, using it as a holder for the hot dog more than anything.  But the hot dog was also overly salty and for someone who doesn't salt food at all, it was way too much.

During my travels, I was looking at a vendor map of the concourse.  Something caught my eye - Beers of the World!  It was near Section 140 along the left field stands, so I walked over there to check it out.  When I got there, I encountered a guy selling the usual "world" beers - Heineken, Corona, Guinness, Newcastle - out of a small glass front cooler.  It wasn't much.  Very overrated.  And very expensive. 

Actually, the best deal on beer I found was a concession stand a hop, skip and a small jump from my seat.  They had the usual Budweiser, Bud Light and Miller Light in 16 oz. glasses for $6 a glass.  But they also had the premium Summit Extra Pale Ale - one of my favorite beers - available in the same 16 oz. glasses for $6 bucks!!  Holy crap!  I'd hit the jackpot!

My seat was right up against the back wall of the lower level of the Metrodome.  It was actually a couple seats off the aisle so people moving up and down the aisle were never a nuisance.  It was down a step, up 10 steps and then about a 30 foot walk to the men's room.  And, of course, next to the men's room was the concession stand selling the $6 dollar Summit Extra Pale Ale's.  It was such a great location, I purposely saved my ticket so I can get the same seat (if it's available) when I go back in the future. 

And being that I was right on the aisle at the top of lower level, I had beer guys going by if I wanted to get a 12 oz. plastic bottle of domestic beer for $5.75.  I wasn't all that interested, especially with the 16 oz. Summit Extra Pale Ales being dispensed a ten second walk away.  That was until I saw that Wally the Beerman was selling beer that night at the game.

Wally the Beerman is an institution at Twin City area sporting events.  He's been selling beer at Twins and Vikings games for 36 years.  He also sells beer at Timberwolves basketball games and at Minnesota Wild hockey games.  He's a personable guy who makes everyone he talks to feel like he's their best friend. 

When I saw him, I exclaimed, "Wally!  You're still here!"

He said, "Yep, they're going to bury me in a beer box just beyond the fence in center field." 

We shot the shit - him not knowing who the hell I was, but probably thinking, "Well, I've probably served this guy a few beers over the years."  And he has.  Wally has over-served me at Twins games for a long time. 

While we were talking, I got a Budweiser from him.  And he was constantly getting interrupted by people wanting to get their picture taken with him or to get one of his 2007 baseball cards.  Yes, that's right - you heard me.  Wally has his own baseball cards.  They have his picture and autograph on the front and his "vital statistics" on the back, including information as how to schedule Wally to work private events.  He gave one to me and this is it on the right.

Between the Summit Extra Pale Ale's and Wally serving me beer, I was getting a little looped.  Wally saved one last beer for me at the end of the 7th inning.  As he handed me the beer, he said, "I saved the last one for ya.  You always treat me well when you come here." 

(Once again, I'm sure he really didn't know who I was, especially since it was three years since I was last in the Metrodome.  But I did tip him heavily and most beer vendors look out for their better customers.)

The last beer was the clincher for me.  I'd had enough.  Wally over-served me once again. 

I left in the 8th inning of the game with the Sox leading 6-1.  They eventually won 6-3.  However, the one big highlight of the night for the Twins was Torii Hunter's great catch (click here to see).  It may have been the best catch I've ever seen live at a major league ball game in all the years I've been going to games. 

I understand a new ballpark will be built in downtown Minneapolis in time for the 2010 season.  I don't particularly like domes, especially on nights when it's so beautiful out.  But the Metrodome has allowed many games to be played in the early spring when it would have been too cold or too rainy - or even too snowy - to play.  Functional, yet drab, the Metrodome will only be missed during inclement weather.

Pepitos - Minneapolis

Pepitos in Minneapolis is one of the finest and best known Mexican Restaurants in the Twin Cities.  The original Pepitos on Chicago Ave. in southern Minneapolis (see map) has been around since 1971 serving up some of the best Tex-Mex food in the Midwest.

Pepitos was started by Joe Minjares and his wife, Sue.  When Joe got out of the army at the age of 25, he had a wife, four kids and little money, but he wanted to own a restaurant.  Joe got some financial help from his father and he bought The Colonial Inn, a long-time bar and pizza place that had been in existence since the 1930's. 

Beer, burgers and pizza were still on the menu a year later when they decided to begin to sell tacos using an old family recipe passed along by Joe's mother, Lupe.  The tacos were an immediate hit and more Mexican food found its way onto the menu.  By 1975, Joe had changed the name of The Colonial to Pepito's - Joe's nickname.  Pepitos quickly became the place to have Mexican food in Minneapolis.

I first ate at Pepitos in 1987 when a colleague I was working with at the time took my then-boss and me out to dinner.  The food was very good.  It was completely authentic Mexican fare. 

When I first started to travel back to the Twin Cities for my present job, one of the first places I sought out was Pepitos.  The place had been renovated and added on to since I'd been there years prior, and it had more of a Mexican restaurant feel to the place. 

In the Twin Cities recently, I decided to head to Pepitos for dinner.  Pepitos is in a small neighborhood business district and most parking in the area is street parking only.  Pepitos has valet parking if you don't want to walk a block or two after parking your car. 

I got into the place around 8:30 and the hostess sat me at a table next to the big fireplace that had survived all the remodeling and renovation over the years.  On the mantle were Mexican religious artifacts and small family pictures.  It was like I was eating in Joe and Sue's living room.

I was given a basket of chips along with a bowl of spicy salsa.  It was smoky in it's flavor and had a nice little kick to the taste.  The chips were large and didn't last long in the basket.  I also ordered up a margarita while I decided what to order. 

The menu (click on menu on the Pepitos home page) is vast and varied.  As I said, it is authentic Mexican with many dishes made with spicy pork, shredded beef or chicken, and mole sauces.  The tacos that Joe's mom first served up over 30 years ago are still on the menu - either soft-shelled or deep fried with your choice of meat filling. 

I'm such a sucker for deep fried tacos I had to get one.  I also ordered a chimichanga stuffed with spicy pork, black beans and rice.  I knew it would be a lot of food, but I was ready for it. 

The margarita was OK, nothing special.  Not good enough to get another one, so I ordered up a Dos Equis XX Amber on tap.  The waitress asked me if I wanted a big one and I said, "Yeah, sure.  What the heck?"

She brought me out this massive beer glass filled with 24 ounces of beer.  I knew with the spicy pork, I'd be taking large gulps of beer to cleanse the hot spices from my tongue.      

About 10 minutes after I ordered my food, out came my spicy pork chimichanga and the deep fried beef taco.  I had to try the taco first.  While I didn't think it was quite as good as some deep fried tacos I've had in the past, it was still good.

The chimichanga, however, was outstanding.  It was huge and stuffed full of the spicy pork, rice and black beans.  The spicy pork did have a kick to it and my large beer was definitely helping to keep my mouth cool.

I couldn't finish the meal and the waitress asked me if I wanted a to-go box.  No way - this was a chimichanga that definitely wouldn't be as good if it was heated up again.

There are two other locations for Pepitos in the Twin Cities, one on Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis (see map), and one out in southwest suburban Eden Prairie (see map). But both are much smaller and are called "Pepitos Deli".  I'm guessing a lot of the same menu items from the original location are available in the smaller restaurants. 

The bill with tip came to about $32 bucks.  Service was great, food was excellent, margaritas were OK, but not outstanding. Pepitos is definitely on my places of "must eat at" when I go to the Twin Cities. 

The Sanctuary Pub - Iowa City

This was a tough decision - is The Sanctuary Pub a great beer bar with over 15 beers on tap and over 100 bottled beers - both domestic and imports - to choose from?  Or is it a great pizza joint with excellent thin crust pizza and fresh natural toppings?

Actually, it's a lot of both. 

The Sanctuary is known as having a number of good and eclectic beers to choose from, and they're also known as a place to get one of the best pizzas in Iowa City.

One of the things this blog sort of makes me do is to visit new restaurants - or revisit ones that I used to go to, but haven't been to in a number of years.  The Sanctuary is the latter, in this case.  I used to go to The Sanctuary a lot years ago, especially when one of my dealers had his store right next to the pub on Gilbert Street just south and east of downtown Iowa City (see map).  It's been, probably, four years since I was last in the place. 

Opened in 1973 by Daryl "Woody" Woodson, The Sanctuary has long been a hang-out for the counter-culture crowd in Iowa City.  For years, they have had folk, blues and jazz singers come to play on their little stage opposite the bar.  The little pub has a friendly and intimate feel to it, even when the smoke from cigarettes pours out of the place.

But I like A) their beer selection; and B) their pizza.  Many of the interesting domestic and imported beers I like these days, I first tried at The Sanctuary.  The selection of beers - especially those on tap - will change from time to time, giving people a great chance to try a number of great beers over the course of the year.

Cindy and I drove to Iowa City one evening earlier this week to have dinner with her son, Eric, and her sister, Anita.  No one had really decided where to meet up for dinner, so I suggested The Sanctuary.  Anita said she used to come to The Sanctuary to listen to the music years ago.  "This was my hang-out," she said when we met up at the pub.

Since there's no parking on Gilbert Street in front of the place, we parked in a lot just to the south of small complex of stores next to The Sanctuary.  There is also a city-owned metered lot directly behind The Sanctuary, but they quit enforcing the meters at 5 p.m.

When we got inside the front door, I noticed something different - they'd added on since I was last in there.  Or at least I thought they had.  They had a signs pointing to the "pub" area - or smoking area - of the place, and one pointing to the "cafe" area - or non-smoking area.  I had only been in the "pub" area and don't ever remember the cafe being part of the mix. 

We went in and sat at a booth toward the back of the cafe.  It was early, about 6 p.m., and there were just two other couples in there having an early dinner.  The old brick walls were exposed above the high backs of the booths along the wall.  The lighting was the same as it was over in the pub side, low and understated.  But not having to deal with cigarette smoke was a definite plus.

Our waitress gave us our menus, but I went directly to the beer list, which showed the beers they are featuring for the months of May and June.  While the beer selection doesn't change all that much every two months, they do feature some good seasonal beers during that time. 

The first beer I got was a pint of the Three Floyd's Brewery Alpha King pale ale.  Three Floyd's is a brewery just across the border from Illinois in the far SE side of Chicago.  It's not far from a dealer that I call on down there and have told myself that I really need to go try the food at their little brew pub they have.  And having an Alpha King reminded me that I do like their beers, as well.

We ended up ordering two pizzas - the Sanctuary Special, a good ol' standby where they throw everything on it (spicy sausage, pepperoni, ham, fresh onions, green peppers, black olives and mushrooms); and a simple sausage, pepperoni and jalapeno pizza. 

I ended up ordering a Boulevard Pale Ale for my second beer, which is one of my all-time favorite pale ale's.  But I have to say, the taste of the Boulevard was not as vibrant as the Alpha King pale ale.  I went back to the Alpha King after finishing the Boulevard.  Looks like I'll have to get some Alpha King the next time I go into Chicago.

Cindy and her sister were hungry, so they ordered the spicy spinach/artichoke dip.  It was a creamy concoction that had a spicy bite to it.  Served with toasted bread topped with herbs, it wasn't bad.  In fact, Cindy thought it was some of the best spinach/artichoke dip she'd ever had.

After about 20 minutes, our waitress brought out our pizzas - except she screwed up the ingredients on the one.  She had the cook put mushrooms on the one with the sausage and pepperoni.  Cindy doesn't like mushrooms (which is funny - everyone in her family, including her son and daughter LOVES mushrooms), but she was a gamer and said she'd just take 'em off the pizza.

The pizza was exactly has I remember it.  Thin, crisp crust with a thick crust edging.  The toppings and cheese were heaped on top of the pizza.  I remarked, "Why can't they have pizza like this in the Quad Cities?"

(As an aside, Anita was telling me there is a pizza place in Cedar Rapids called "Cranky Hank's".  They bill themselves as having "Quad City Style Pizza", similar to Happy Joe's, Wise Guys and Harris Pizza - all three of which are not very good, in my opinion.  See my synopsis on Quad City pizzas here.  In fact, the name - Cranky Hank's - is an obvious take-off on the Happy Joe's name.)

The food was too much for all of us and we had to split up some of the remaining slices for Eric and us to take home.  But that was fine with me.  The reheated Sanctuary pizza I had for lunch the next day was every bit as good as when it was served hot and fresh the night before. 

I haven't been too happy with Pagliai's in Iowa City the last couple three times I'd been there.  In each case, the pizza crust was burnt and that burnt taste permeated the pizza.  And they've begun to skimp on the toppings.  They've begun to put very little meat on their pizzas.  They've been very disappointing, to say the least.  I used to think Pagliai's was the best pizza in Iowa City, but now I'm not too certain. 

I have to say that I was very happy with our pizza at the Sanctuary.  Along with the great selection of beers on tap and in bottles, it's one of the more interesting and unique restaurants in the Iowa City area.  And being in business for 34 years now, Woody must be doing something right.

Cooking with Hardwood Charcoal

I've always been a Kingsford Charcoal kind of guy when it comes to cooking on my various Weber grilles.  I know how long it takes to get the coals up to heat, and how to vary the temperature to get the meat to cook just right.

After my recent blog entry regarding Smoked Chopped Pork, a friend of mine from Atlanta, Eric Van Fossen, contacted me and asked me why I never use hardwood charcoal.  Eric is in the advertising industry and he had the Royal Oak account a few years ago.  He learned the differences between hardwood and Kingsford-type charcoal favor the hardwood chunks.  Most notably, hardwood charcoal cooks longer, burns hotter and is void of that petroleum taste you can get from low priced charcoal briquets.

(As an aside, about the only time I've ever experienced a petroleum taste on steaks or chops is when I've cooked them on high and direct heat.  That's why I prefer the "low and slow" and indirect method of cooking.)   

The biggest problem is that hardwood charcoal is expensive.  And for as often that I cook on the grill, it would almost be cost prohibitive for me to exclusively do hardwood charcoal.

Right now, I can get two - 22 lb. bags of Kingsford at Sam's Club for $11.68 a two-pack.  That's about 27 cents a pound.  They last me about six to eight weeks. 

After going back and forth with Eric in a couple three e-mails, I decided to try and find some hardwood charcoal.  I had to look no further than the greatest hardware store in the world (in my opinion) K&K Hardware in Bettendorf, IA (see map).  They had a 10 lb. bag of Qik Joe Natural Hardwood Charcoal for $8.99.  Ouch!  That's 90 cents a pound.  Right there, I knew I wouldn't be using hardwood charcoal all that regularly.

I'd picked up a 5.5 lb. prime rib roast from Weber Meats the day before and decided to put it on the smoker on a Sunday afternoon.  I added the hardwood charcoal to the smoker and got the chunks up to heat.  While that was going on, I took the prime rib roast and covered the top with a rub that consisted of garlic powder, cracked black pepper and some Urzi's Italian Seasoning (dried basil, parsley, marjoram, oregano, sage, dehydrated garlic and dehydrated red pepper).   

As the fire got hot, I added some water-soaked hickory wood chunks, then put the roast on the grill and turned the vents nearly all the way closed.

Well, I couldn't get the heat to go down.  It got down to about 250 (F), but it was about 80 degrees higher than I wanted it to cook.  After futzing with the vents for about 15 minutes and not getting the temperature to go any lower than about 240 (F), I ended up closing the vents on the top and bottom for about 45 minutes.  I then opened the top vent slightly and one of the bottom vents a bit and checked the temp.  It was 170 (F) inside the "bullet".

I let the roast cook between 170 and 190 (F) for about three hours before wrapping the roast in aluminum foil for the final two hours and raising the temperature to 220.  This is what it looked like on the grill before I covered it in foil.

I let it cook for about six hours total - including the first hour of screwing around with the temperature.  I brought the prime rib roast in the house and let it cool on the counter top for about 15 minutes.  I was a little concerned because there weren't any juices coming from the roast as it sat on the cooking tray.

But my fears were quelled when I began to carve the roast.  The juices POURED out of it and it was a perfect medium rare in the middle.  And, oh, the taste.  With the seasoning rub, mixed with the hickory smoke flavor, it was one of the better meals I've ever made on a grill or smoker. 

However, I can't really say for sure the hardwood charcoal helped with the taste.  I did have some problems with regulating the temperature.  But once that got settled down, it seemed to go pretty well.  As Eric said, the hardwood charcoal did last a long time and didn't ash up like Kingsford charcoal would.  But using Kingsford with the smoker, I've never had that petroleum taste, either.

I'm going to have to try some different things on the grill with hardwood charcoal before I can declare it better than cooking with charcoal briquets.  While I'm not too thrilled at the price of hardwood charcoal, it's still an interesting way to cook.  I know there are some who swear by it, but - for me - the jury is still out.          

Roberto's Ristorante - Elmhurst, IL

I've written about Roberto's Ristorante's pizza here last summer, but I've really wanted to try their restaurant in suburban Elmhurst (see map).  Cindy and I went into the western suburbs of Chicago a couple three Sundays ago to do some shopping and I decided to take her to Roberto's for lunch. 

Since 1962, Roberto's Ristorante has been making great Italian food specialties and is famous in the area for their pizza.  The wait for a pizza on weekends can be up to and past one hour.  The pizza is outstanding - thin crust, tangy sauce, loads of fresh toppings.  It's a killer pizza. 

The dining room at Roberto's is very nice, very upscale.  Owner Vito Moreci spent a bundle on a major renovation two or three years ago to update the dining area.  Before that, Roberto's was a pretty casual restaurant, from what I understand.  But it's very elegant inside now.

They have a smoking-bar area as you walk in, then they have two separate dining areas as you move through the restaurant.  Linen table cloths adorn the tables and the decor is very exquisite.  And they also have a great outdoor area right next to a very popular bike path/nature trail.  Most summer evenings, the outside patio is packed. 

When I ordered my first pizza from Roberto's, I got it to go because I didn't think you could eat it in the restaurant.  I read somewhere when I was first doing research on Roberto's that you couldn't order pizza in the restaurant.  When I went to pick up the pizza, the girl at the pizza counter (located just to the north of Roberto's main dining area) told me, "Yes, you can get pizza in the restaurant.  Who told you that (you couldn't order pizza in there)?  There's probably 10 to 12 pizzas in the dining room right now."

But when we got to Roberto's this Sunday afternoon, the menu didn't list any pizza whatsoever.  I thought, "Well, this is weird.  Where's the pizza menu?"

But it didn't bother me all that much.  I wasn't really looking for pizza that afternoon.

It wasn't very busy at Roberto's when we were in there.  It was around 2:00 when we got into the place.  We were the only people in the second main dining area.  There were a few people in the other dining room and a couple people in the bar, but that was it.  Later on, however, two large groups of people came in for a late lunch.  It taxed the two waiters on duty to no end.   

Our waiter was a nice elderly gentleman with a thick Italian accent.  He brought some homemade bread to our table and got our drink order.  I didn't have anything special - water is all I got, actually.  Cindy got iced tea, but said she may order wine with the meal.

Roberto's had a lot to choose from on their menu.  I wasn't certain if I wanted pasta or what.  I wasn't certain if I wanted red sauce or white sauce.  There was just too much to choose from.

Cindy ended up going with the pasta Zsa Zsa with fettuccine noodles.  It was a sliced grilled chicken breast with onions and spinach in a white cream sauce.   I went with the Chicken Parmigiana - a grilled chicken breast covered in mozzarella and a tangy red tomato sauce.   

Just looking through the wine list, it was rather impressive with a lot of west coast wines as well as a nice list of Italian reds and whites.  Their reserve wine list was interesting and had a lot of pretty good prices on some very nice wines.  I was tempted to get something, but passed on getting wine.  Cindy ended up getting a glass of the Ferrari-Carano chardonnay.

After about 15 minutes, our meals came out.  Oh man - the portions were huge!  My chicken breast was just enormous!  Cindy's chicken breast was cut into pieces and didn't appear to be as big as the one I had. 

And even though my Chicken Parmigiana was excellent, once again Cindy got the better meal.  The pasta was homemade and flavorful.  The cream sauce was outstanding and the spinach was delicious.  But both meals were way too much for us to eat.  And since we didn't bring a cooler with us, we didn't have anyway to transport the food home without it being in the car for a long time.  Plus, we still had stops to make at Caputo's, Sal's Liquor, Trader Joe's and Sam's Wine.

The bill was a little high, but pretty reasonable for as elegant a place Roberto's is - about $51 bucks for our food, plus Cindy's wine and a couple of dinner salads to start off.   I tacked on $10 bucks for a tip of the waiter, who was attentive up to the point we got our meal, then sort of forgot about us as he got busy with a big table in the other room. 

When the waiter came back, I said, "I've gotten the pizza here as a take-out before.  I heard, initially, that you couldn't get the pizza in the dining room, but one of the girls at the carry-out counter told me that you could.  But I don't see the pizza menu on the main menu."

The waiter said, "No, no.  You can get the pizza in the dining room.  But we tell people on Friday and Saturday nights that it is probably not a good idea because the wait is an hour to an hour and a half sometimes.  But, no, just ask for the pizza menu if you want pizza next time."

As I was walking out after going to the restroom, I walked through the bar area and there were three people sitting at the bar watching a ball game on the flat screen TV and eating a large Roberto's pizza.  I thought, "OK, next time I come and I want a pizza, I'll get one here at the bar."

Roberto's is a little out of the way, but that's one of the great things that makes this little neighborhood Italian restaurant so unique.  The food is excellent, the pizza is world class and the service is great.  Roberto's is one of those places that you wish was just around the corner from your house.  At least, I wish it were for me...

More on the Big Ten Network

There was a lot of interest in my recent post regarding the Big Ten Network, thanks to a couple three readers who posted the link of the blog entry on some highly visible Iowa Hawkeye sports boards.  Here's a follow-up piece with some more information. 

On the heels of the annual Cable Show held recently in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, the Big Ten Network announced that Buckeye CableSystem, the 12th largest cable provider in the Big Ten Conference area, has agreed to pick up the Big Ten Network when it begins broadcasting on August 1.  Buckeye CableSystem has 150,000 subscribers throughout parts of Ohio and Michigan. 

Given that DirecTV has already signed on with the Big Ten Network, Buckeye CableSystem's agreement now means only two of the top 13 cable and satellite providers in the Big Ten region have signed on to broadcast the network.  The $1.10 per subscriber price has caused a number of the larger providers to balk at signing up for the channel. 

Plus, it's been reported the Big Ten Network will not allow the channel to be shown on anything other than the cable provider's basic channel package - a provision Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman won't confirm as being part of the negotiation process.

However, Silverman is optimistic for the immediate future.  He believes the package deals on the table to cable and satellite providers are fair.  "We have three months (before the first broadcast)," Silverman recently told the Chicago Tribune.  "And Buckeye proves what we're asking for is fair, reasonable and doable." 

However, a recent article in Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal wasn't as optimistic as Silverman.  The article cast considerable doubt on the chances of the Big Ten Network being added to the Midwest's remaining large cable systems in time for the August 1 start-up. 

The NFL Network - which is charging 40 cents less per cable subscriber than the Big Ten Network - hasn't been picked up by a number of large cable providers across the nation. It's being viewed by many providers as "a niche channel with a narrow focus."  However, Time Warner Cable spokesperson Judy Barbao believes the Big Ten Network will have more of a broad appeal - especially in the Midwest.

"We know enough of our customer base (to know) there will be interest in the channel," Barbao told the Columbus (OH) Dispatch.  "Customer interest is another factor in these decisions.  It will be one of the factors we look at, along with cost and (tier) location."

Barbao said Time Warner is very hopeful to sign up with the Big Ten Network at some point.  "At this stage, we have no reason to believe it won't get done." 

By the way, the Sports Business Journal article implied that cable providers outside the eight-state Big Ten region may pay a significantly lower price for the network than those in the Big Ten area.  National and regional cable providers in non-Big Ten states could pay as little as 10 to 15 cents per subscriber to carry the Big Ten Network. 

If this is the case, this will provide the impetus for nationwide broadcasts of the Big Ten Network, broadening the appeal of conference contests, as well as providing live broadcasts for fans of Big Ten teams who don't live in the Midwest.  While that significantly lowers the overall cost for national cable providers such as Time Warner or Comcast, it hits the Midwestern regional providers, such as Mediacom - or more importantly, their subscribers - in the wallet.

At $1.10 a subscriber, and with an edict to keep the network off of digital or premium tiers of cable channels, the Big Ten Network is betting on a public outcry from fans across the Midwest for local cable providers to pick up the channel - especially if it's the middle of football season and fans can't see their favorite teams play. 

I've said for a number of years we're looking straight down the barrel of a "pay-per-view" formula for sports at the collegiate and professional level.  The NFL Network and, now, the Big Ten Channel are both proof that day is a lot sooner than we'd like to believe.

Esser's Best

During my recent trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota, I did a lot of "beer hunting" trying to find beers to fill up my beer fridge for the summer.  I was talking with one of my dealers in Madison about some of the Wisconsin beers and he said, "Actually, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, I think Esser's Best is the best beer made in Wisconsin."

Esser's Best is a product of the Cross Plains Brewery in nearby Cross Plains, WI.  It's a traditional German lager with an amber color and hints of caramel flavoring.  I'd had Esser's Best on a couple of prior occasions and thought it was a pretty good beer. 

I was meeting a guy for dinner at The Avenue Bar in Madison later that evening and while waiting for him to show up, I had an Esser's Best on tap.  The first sip reminded me of how much I liked the beer.  The full-bodied taste of Esser's Best, along with the smooth finish make it a very good beer.  I thought, "Man, I've got to pick up some of this stuff for the beer fridge."    

The history of Esser's Best is rather interesting.  George Esser (right) emigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the early 1850's.  A mason by trade, Esser settled in Madison and began to ply his trade on a number of small breweries being built in the area.  Seeing the brewery business in southern Wisconsin was a growing concern, Esser bought into a small brewery in Monroe, WI.  The partnership didn't last long and Esser left in a dispute with his partner.

However, Esser had his eye on an acreage in Cross Plains - the same acreage Jacob Leinenkugel of the rival Leinenkugel family of brewers was looking at to build a brewery.  In 1863, Esser bought 2 1/2 acres in Cross Plains and began to build his brewery, which he named Cross Plains Brewery.  In October of that year the first Esser's Best beer was brewed in the plant. 

In later years, George Esser's son, Jacob, and Jacob's sons, Werner and Peter, joined the family business.  However, faced with mounting pressure from larger breweries, Werner Esser was forced to shut the Cross Plains Brewery in 1910.  He became a beer distributor and distributed Hausmann and Blatz beer up to Prohibition, and Blatz "near-beer" during Prohibition. 

However, during Prohibition, Werner would fire up the brewing vats at the old brewery at night and brew beer.  He sold the real beer on the black market all through Prohibition. 

When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Werner Esser went back to distributing full beer.  In 1937, his son, Roman, joined him in the business.  And the same year, Esser landed the distributorship of the highly popular Old Style beer. 

Wayne Esser joined the family distributorship in 1958.  In the 60's, Roman and Wayne Esser came upon the original Esser's Best recipe made by George Esser 100 years before.  But since no one was really drinking heavier German-style beers at the time, plus the fact the Cross Plains Brewery had been long gone for a number of years, they put the recipe away for posterity.

Wayne Esser eventually took over the business in 1988 after the death of Roman Esser.  And two years later, Wayne's son, Larry, joined the business marking six generations of Esser's in the family business. 

With the growth and interest in microbreweries and brew pubs in the 90's, the Esser's dusted off the old Esser's Best recipe and approached the G. Heileman Brewery to see if they'd be interested in brewing the beer.  Heileman wasn't interested in the beer, but since the Esser's distributed Heileman products, the company helped them in their quest to get the beer brewed again. 

In the meantime, Heileman re-opened a small brewery they'd shut in Milwaukee a number of years prior and the Esser's contracted with the brewery to brew Esser's Best again in 1995.  The first year was slow - only 240 barrels were brewed.  And a handful of bars and restaurants in the greater Madison area offered the beer on tap.

As the demand for Esser's Best began to grow, Wayne and Larry Esser knew they'd need to begin to bottle and distribute the beer.  But they also knew the start up costs for bottling a beer would be substantial.

In 1998, the Esser's sold their distributorship to Frank Beer Distributing of Middleton, WI.  With part of the money from the sale, the Esser's used it to help with the cost of bottling the Esser's Best beer. 

They eventually contracted with Stevens Point Brewery - the same people who brewed Point Special beer, and who now also brew and bottle the Capital Brewery beers - to brew and bottle Esser's Best.  The Esser's then contracted with Frank Beer to distribute the beer in southern Wisconsin.

Cross Plains Brewery also markets a German-style Pilsner - Cross Plains Special - that is similar in taste to Capital's Special Pilsner.  I don't think it's as good as Capital's Special Pilsner, but it's good, nonetheless. 

I picked up a case of Esser's Best before I left Madison the next day.  I wish now that I'd picked up more of the stuff.  I find myself grabbing an Esser's Best more than any other beer that I've been pulling out of the beer fridge lately. 

Esser's Best is still only available in select bars and restaurants on tap, and in grocery and liquor stores in southern Wisconsin.  (For a list of places that offer Esser's Best, click here.)  I have to agree with my dealer in Madison - for the price, Esser's Best may be the best beer brewed in Wisconsin.  I don't know if it's the best overall, but it's damn good beer.  I strongly encourage you to pick some up or try some Esser's Best on your next trip to Madison.   

Ann's Italian Restaurant - Hales Corner, WI

Since 1969, Ann's Italian Restaurant in the Milwaukee suburb of Hales Corner (see map) has been dishing up some great Italian food.  But I found out long ago that Ann's makes some of the best thin crust pizza anywhere. 

Ann's is situated in a small house-like building at a busy intersection on the southwest side of Milwaukee.  If you're not familiar with taking a right off 108th Street onto W. Forest Home, then another hard right onto 108th St. Place before turning into their parking lot, you can pass it pretty easily.  Just like I did when I went back to Ann's recently.

I had an early evening meeting with a dealer that stretched a lot longer than I anticipated.  I had wanted to go see the Milwaukee Brewers play that evening, but it was the fifth inning when I got out of the meeting.  Knowing that would be a waste of time and money, I thought, "Well, I'll just go out to Ann's and get a pizza."

I'd first gone to Ann's, oh, probably 10 to 12 years ago when we were visiting my cousin, John Wehrle, in Milwaukee.  One night, either Cindy or I suggested pizza.  John didn't even hesitate - "We'll go out to Ann's.  It's a ways out, but it's worth it."

And it was worth it.  It was a great pizza, probably one of my all-time favorites.  The crust was crispy, yet light and flaky.  They didn't skimp on the toppings and their sausage was very flavorful.  My stomach was doing jumping jacks as I was driving toward Ann's just thinking of getting one of their pizzas.

After the initial mis-step getting into the parking lot, and subsequently driving down W. Forest Home to turn around and come back, I pulled into Ann's around 8:45 p.m.  I walked in to see the front dining room closed and a waitress vacuuming the floor.  I was greeted by a guy at the stand and I asked if it was too late to get dinner.  He said, "As long as I'm here and the door's unlocked, it's not too late."

Turned out it was one of the owners of Ann's, Jeff Dietz.  Jeff seated me at a table for two in the back dining room and then went off to talk with some people who sounded like they were regulars at Ann's. 

I glanced at the menu which features traditional Italian dishes including their famous homemade Ravioli.  But I wasn't interested in that - it was pizza I was after that evening. 

My waitress, a nice young lady, came over to take my drink order and I told her that I was tired, I was hungry and it was late so I knew exactly what I wanted.  I ordered a small (12") sausage, pepperoni and mushroom pizza.  I also ordered one of their Italian salads, mainly because I was in the mood for one.  And I ordered a cold Miller High Life (when in Milwaukee...). 

My waitress brought out my beer and my salad - a huge bowl of mixed greens with tomatoes, red onions, black olives and anchovies covered with their homemade Italian oil and vinegar dressing.  It was too much food - easily two people could have eaten this one salad.  But I nibbled on about half of it waiting for the pizza to show up. 

About 20 minutes after I ordered it, the pizza came to my table, piping hot.  I ordered up another beer and waited for it to cool.  The first bite brought back the memories of the other two or three times I've been to Ann's - light and crispy crust, sweet tangy sauce, loads of cheese and toppings.  It was pizza nirvana that evening. 

With the salad, there was no way I could finish the whole pizza.  Even without the salad, I'm sure I couldn't finish a 12" pizza in one sitting.  I ate three pieces of the pizza and had her wrap up the rest, mainly because I had a small fridge and a microwave in my hotel room and I could have some for breakfast.  (Pizza for breakfast?  Absolutely.  With a big ol' glass of cold milk, what a great way to start the day!  And long before I had access to a microwave, I used to love cold pizza in the morning.)

The bill for the pizza, salad and three beers came to just under $30 bucks.  Because it was late and I overheard the waitress tell some friends that she would be late meeting up with them, I gave her a $7.00 tip. 

Although I'm sure Ann's regular Italian food is very good, I've only gotten the pizza there.  It is world class on its own.  Even if they didn't do a full menu of Italian food, I'm certain Ann's could make it just on their pizza alone.  It's the kind of pizza I wish we had here in the Quad Cities.   

Woodman's

Woodman's is a chain of super-sized grocery stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.  I was first introduced to Woodman's by my cousin, John Wehrle, when he was living in Milwaukee.  He said, "If Woodman's doesn't have it, they probably don't make it."

The layout of Woodman's stores is one of a massive warehouse style store.  While most grocery stores are in the range of 50,000 to 75,000 square feet, Woodman's stores range in the area of 200,000 square feet and larger.  Cindy hates to shop in the place.  "It's too friggin' big and you can't just go in there and get something and get back out." 

Woodman's began in Janesville, WI, when a young meat cutter, Willard Woodman, opened his first store in 1918.  Over the years, Woodman expanded his store and opened a second location in Janesville.  After Willard Woodman retired in the 60's, his sons, Phillip and Daniel Woodman, expanded Woodman's to a third Janesville location.  This time, it was the warehouse floor lay-out all Woodman's Food Markets employ today. 

Woodman's began to branch out in their selections of food items.  They began to carry ethnic and international foods on their shelves.  Their meat department was four times the size of meat departments you'd find in a normal grocery store.  And being they're based out of Wisconsin, each Woodman's has at least two large cheese aisles.      

In the 1990's, Phillip Woodman orchestrated the purchase of Woodman's by their employees.  There are now 11 Woodman's employee-owned locations, eight in Wisconsin and three in Illinois.  They're planning new stores this year in suburban Milwaukee and in far southwest suburban Chicago.  Phil Woodman remains as the CEO of the stores.    

To me, Woodman's is two stores in one.  There's the huge grocery store that literally has every food stuff available to buy, but they also have one of the most massive selections of beer, wine and liquor in the Midwest. 

Actually, the liquor stores at Woodman's operate separately from the main store.  The keep their own hours and you can't go into the liquor area and pick up beer or wine, then take it to the main Woodman's check-out area.  You have to purchase it before you leave the liquor area. 

As I said, they have a large selection of beer, wines and liquor - and all at a good price.  But be forewarned, they don't take credit cards at Woodman's.  So if you're going to a Woodman's to stock up on some good deals on beer or wine, take cash.  Actually, they do have an ATM in the liquor stores if you do forget your cash, but Woodman's takes a percentage fee from the transaction.

Now, I told you that story to tell you this one -

As I wrote earlier about the demise of Capital Brewery's 1900 beer, I asked the girl at the Capital Brewery if she had any of their Winter Skal seasonal beer on hand.  Since they only brew it from November 1 to February 1, she said they'd long since sold out of it.  However, she was nice to pull a bottle out of the cooler in the brewery's bier stube and she gave it to me. (It was a nice little gesture, considering I just bought four cases of beer from her.)

Last week, I was in LaCrosse, WI, to meet with a dealer.  The dealer was at a job site and was late for the meeting at his store.  So while I waited, I decided to trek down the road to the Onalaska Woodman's store (see map) and check out what they had for beers on their shelves. 

As I walked in, I looked at a cart full of discounted and priced to move wines and beers.  And to my amazement, there were seven six-packs of the Capital Winter Skal.  And even more amazing, they were $4.99 each.  Considering that a six pack of Capital beers run any where from $7.69 to $8.99 a sixer, $4.99 was a significant deal!

Not to be too piggy, plus the fact that I'd just brought home close to 10 cases of beer from Wisconsin the week before, I grabbed a case box and loaded up four of the six-packs.  With tax, the case cost me $21.06.  That's significantly better than paying close to $29 bucks a case at the Capital Brewery or $32 bucks most every place else for a case of Capital Beer.  Plus I got some Winter Skal.

In both 2005 and 2006, Winter Skal garnered the award and designation of a Grand Champion beer in the United States Beer Tasting Championships.  It is amber in appearance, and has a forceful and flavorful hoppy taste with a smooth finish. 

When I told one of my beer snob friends that I had picked up a case of Winter Skal last week, he sniffed, "Aw, it probably isn't going to be any good.  It's well past its prime selling time." 

I told him that because the Winter Skal is such a hoppy beer, it will still be good tasting for months after it's been brewed.  It's very similar to Boulevard's Irish Ale in texture, body and taste.  I've had Irish Ale in my beer fridge for up to six months after they've brewed the last of it and it's still good. 

Woodman's always has nice little surprises when I walk into any of their liquor stores.  The Winter Skal was another of many great buys I've found over the years at Woodman's.  Woodman's is highly recommended if you're ever hunting for beer in Wisconsin. 

The Chancery - Milwaukee

I had a lunch meeting with one of my Milwaukee area dealers and his wife recently.  He was working at a house in the south Milwaukee area and he suggested we meet up at The Chancery off of I-894 at 27th St. (see map).

The Chancery is a family oriented sports bar that has seven locations in the greater Milwaukee area.  Each location has their own specific decor and theme. 

The Chancery is owned by Joseph DeRosa, who opened the original Chancery in Racine, WI in 1972.  One by one, Joe opened more Chancery restaurants around the Milwaukee area and eventually started the DeRosa Corporation to oversee The Chancery restaurants, as well as a number of other restaurants.  DeRosa's corporation also owns Eddie Martini's, an upscale steakhouse; Sticks and Stones, a fine dining restaurant; and Jose's Blue Sombrero, a Mexican restaurant on the site of the original Chancery in Racine.

From 1988 to 1997, DeRosa also owned the historic Smith Bros. Fish Shanty in Port Washington, WI.  (See my review of the Fish Shanty here.) It's one of my very favorite seafood restaurants.

As I mentioned, each Chancery has its own unique decor.  The one on S. 27th in Milwaukee has kind of a ocean side fish shack motif.   In fact, the menu has a number of shrimp, seafood and Cajun items to choose from.  But the menu also has a number of burgers, sandwiches, and salads to choose from, as well as main entrees such as steaks and pasta.

As I waited in the lobby of The Chancery for my dealer and his wife to show up, I couldn't help but notice a letter from a law firm in Atlanta who was representing the singer Jimmy Buffett.  Evidentially, the Chancery used to have an item on their menu called "Cheeseburger in Paradise", obviously named after Buffett's famous song.  It was a "cease and desist" letter telling them they had to change the name of the burger because Buffett owned all rights to the name "Cheeseburger in Paradise".  Since it was conspicuously hung in the lobby area, you could tell that Joe DeRosa was happy to get a letter like that.

And there was no "Cheeseburger in Paradise" on the menu.

I also noticed they have a chart against the wall for children under 12 to stand next to to see how much they would pay in pennies to eat on given weeknights.  If a kid is 41 inches tall, they pay 41 cents.  51 inches, they pay 51 cents.  Etc., etc. 

And I looked around the spacious bar area at The Chancery as I waited.  They had a large selection of beers on tap behind the semi-circular bar.  And they also had a lot of televisions throughout the bar area, as well. 

My guests showed up and we ended up going up some steps into the dining room, across a balcony area, then down some steps to a side room where we sat in a circular booth.  The tables were spacious and the seating was roomy. 

Although I dearly wanted a beer, it was a business lunch, so I just went with water - although they did have a pretty good selection of beers to choose from.  After going over some business things for about 45 minutes, we decided we'd better order some lunch. 

My dealer got a grilled chicken sandwich, his wife got a seafood quesadilla and I got the reuben with a side of their onion straws.  When the waitress brought the food about 20 minutes later, it was evident The Chancery was famous for their big portions.  My reuben was piled high with corned beef and sauerkraut; my dealer's chicken breast looked like it was about 12 oz. in size; and his wife's quesadilla was huge.  There was no way we could finish our lunches.

My sandwich was very good.  The corned beef was tender and flavorful.  And I really liked the onion straws.  They were light and flavorful, as well.

The Chancery was a good deal - with tip the bill for the three of us came to just a little over $30 bucks.  There was too much food, however.  I didn't take my leftovers with me since I was traveling.  But as a place to get a good sandwich that seems to be kid friendly, it's a good value.

State Street Brats - Madison

While in Madison recently, I decided to go downtown and have lunch at State Street Brats - a literal institution for Wisconsin students and government workers for years.  State Street Brats was named one the Top 25 Sports Bars by Sports Illustrated a couple years ago.  (Read my entries on the ones on the list that I've visited here, here and here.) 

State Street Brats is famous for their "red brats" - a grilled bratwurst, then split down the middle and served on a homemade bun.  Red brats are different from their "white brat" counterparts as they are made with beef and grilled, while the white ones are made out of pork and boiled in beer.  Both are very good.

Red brats were invented in the early 1930's by George Bishop.  Bishop's beef brat was embraced by two young guys - Seymour "Shorty" Kayes and Walter "Lammy" Lamm - who were just starting their first restaurant on State Street in Madison, The Log Cabin.  "Shorty" and "Lammy" are widely credited as bringing the Red brat to Madison.

In 1953, "Shorty" and "Lammy" moved their business to a larger building down State Street - the present day location of State Street Brats (see map) - and renamed it The Brathaus.  In 1989, the Brathaus' name was changed to State Street Brats.  And a lot of old Madison-ites still refer to the place as The Brathaus.

Present day owner Kelly Meuer (right) keeps up the tradition that "Shorty" and "Lammy" held dear to their hearts when they owned the business.  State Street Brats is still a packed place before and after Wisconsin football games, and is always busy during lunch and on weekend nights.

Since State Street Brats is on the State Street pedestrian walkway (only buses and delivery trucks can use the street), there's no parking available immediately around the place.  However, there's a parking garage off of Frances St. that is directly behind State Street Brats that's easy to get into and out of. 

The interior of State Street Brats is dark in the day time, and full of kitsch, memorabilia and, of course, televisions.  There are a booths and long tables to sit at on the main floor of the place.  It's kind of fun to just grab a beer and look at the stuff they have on the wall.

The menu is pretty basic - brats, sandwiches, burgers, salads and some Mexican food.  They have something like 15 beers on tap at any given time including a handful of seasonal beers brewed in Wisconsin.  There's no wait staff at State Street Brats, so you order at the service counter at the bar. 

It had been a couple years since I was last in State Street Brats, and a lot longer since I'd had food there.  It wasn't quite as busy as I walked in just before the noon hour.  I took a quick look at the menu and went and ordered a double red brat and a glass of Capital Brewery's Maibock beer.  As I said, they grill the brats, slice them down the middle and then serve both of them on a homemade bun. 

One of the bar guys brought my double red brat out to me in a basket.  They have a condiment counter, but I opted for just some German mustard as not to kill the taste of the brat.

And it was very good.  I don't know if I like them better than the pork or "white" brats they serve, but they're a unique taste - more like an all-beef hot dog.  And with the cold Maibock, it was a great lunch.

Total bill for the double red brat and the beer was $10.75.  Sort of expensive, but it was good.  Still, just going to State Street Brats is worth it.  There's a lot of history and tradition in the place and it's certainly not to be missed when you travel to Madison.         

The Demise of Capital 1900

I've been on the hunt for beers while on the road lately, getting ready to fill the beer fridge for the summer months.  While in Madison recently, I stopped by the Capital Brewery in suburban Middleton (see map) to pick up some of my most favorite beers.  I wanted to pick up a couple cases of Capital's Special Pilsner (my favorite beer of all); a case of the Bavarian Lager; and a case of 1900, a light pilsner brewed from a late 1800's, early 1900's Wisconsin beer recipe. 

When I went to look for the beer in the new Gift Haus they have at the Capital Brewery, I couldn't find the 1900.  I asked the girl in the shop if they had any 1900 in back.  She said, "Oh, honey.  We haven't made 1900 in almost a year." 

I was crestfallen.  1900 was one of my favorite beers.  It's been around since 2000 when a number of Wisconsin breweries entered a contest to replicate a pre-Prohibition Wisconsin pilsner recipe that many breweries of the day used to make their pilsner beers at the turn of the 20th century.  Each brewery was able to give their 1900 recipe beer their own signature. 

Long story short - Capital's 1900 recipe won the contest.  Brewmaster Kirby Nelson decided to bottle the beer and market it by simply calling it "1900".  It was a great tasting beer, not as heavy bodied as the Capital Special Pilsner, but had a great finish to the taste.  I was told by Kirby Nelson once that it was as close to an original Old Style beer from 100 years prior as anything.

When asked about why they weren't brewing 1900 any longer, the girl told me, "Since we started to brew our Island Wheat beer, we didn't have the capacity to brew the 1900 any longer."

I told her I was bummed.  She said, "Yeah, I was too when I found out we weren't going to brew it any longer."

Her story is similar to the one I told here about Leinenkugel's Northwoods Lager, another great beer that I really liked but they quit brewing to introduce Leinie's Sunset Wheat. 

See a pattern forming here?

Wheat beers are the rage with many of these small breweries and - I'm sorry - I just don't like wheat beers.  But a lot of people do and they seem to be selling. 

Instead of getting a case of 1900, I ended up getting one of the first cases of Capital's summer seasonal brew Fest.  I asked her if they had any of the Winter Skal left, as I didn't pick any up this past winter (it's only available in Wisconsin and I hadn't been in Wisconsin since last November).  She said, "No, I'm sorry.  That's been gone for a while, as well." 

I wheeled the cases out to my car and brought the dolly back in to the gift shop.  She said, "Hey, come with me.  I've got something for you."

I followed her into Capital's Bier Stube and she went behind the bar and pulled out a Winter Skal from the cooler.  "I knew we had a few left in the cooler.  Here's one on the house since we don't have the 1900 left and you weren't able to get Winter Skal this year."

I took it and thanked her for the gift.  And I had it that evening in the hotel room.  It was very good. 

I am bummed about the demise of Capital's 1900 beer.  It was a great beer to drink anytime.  But, it's not like there are no other beers to drink.  Just like anything, I'll have to get used to having no 1900 to drink.      

Smoked Chopped Pork

I'm really starting to love the Weber Smoky Mountain smoker I got a couple months ago.  The last couple things I've made on it have been pretty damn good.  A couple weeks ago, I did some racks of baby back ribs on it.  Other than the fact that I could have cooked them a little slower at a lower temperature, they turned out great.

Last week I smoked a whole pork butt on the Weber and then chopped it up for sandwiches.  It turned out great, as well.   And I wanted to share this with you today.

Cindy doesn't eat pork very often, which causes a major consternation for me - mainly because I love pork on a grill.  I'm not bragging when I say the best thing I cook on a grill is a good ol' fashioned Iowa pork chop, usually with indirect heat over a pan of water to keep 'em moist and tender.

Sometimes, I'll make a pork chop for me and a chicken breast for her.  She said not eating pork has something to do with her blood type - or at least that's what this "witch doctor" from Moline told her a few years ago.  After she eats pork, she'll say that it made her feel "woozy" and out of whack.  She's convinced that pork causes her to feel like that. 

I told her that I wanted to smoke a pork butt - the shoulder part of the pig - and then chop it up for sandwiches.  While she didn't do cartwheels when I told her this, she didn't say no.

I got a 4.75 lb. pork butt from the store and brought it home.  I let it set on the counter for about a couple hours raising the temperature of the meat to room temperature.  Then I made up the following concoction for the rub:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tblsp. paprika

2 tblsp. garlic powder

2 tblsp. cracked black pepper

1 tblsp. onion powder

(To make it spicy - add a teaspoon of cayenne powder.)

Mix all together in a bowl and set aside.

I started the fire in the Weber "Bullet" and let the coals get up to speed. As soon as I was happy with the way the coals were burning, I dumped a bunch more on top. 

(As an aside - I never try to add more coals to the fire once the meat has been put on the grill.  The initial burning of the charcoal sometimes adds a "petroleum" taste to the meat if you add charcoal as you're cooking.)

Then I put the top on, closed the air ducts and got the temperature down below 200 degrees (F).  I went into the house and patted the rub mixture all over the pork butt.  I placed the pork butt - fat side up - on a large piece of aluminum foil on the grill with the foil "bowled" around the pork butt so it would keep the juices from flowing into the water below.  I added some pre-soaked (in water) wood chips - a combination of maple, apple and cherry wood - onto the fire. 

After I got the temperature regulated to hover around 170 to 190 degrees (F), I just let it go.  I checked it every 45 to 60 minutes, adding more wood chips from time to time, and either boosting or lower the temp via the opening or closing of the air ducts at the bottom and top of the "Bullet", making sure it didn't go over 200 (F).

I read somewhere the way to smoke a pork butt is for every pound the roast is, that's one hour of smoking at 225 to 250 (F).  I'm a proponent of the "low and slow" method of smoking, which meant that for a nearly 5 lb. pork butt, it should take about 6.5 to 7 hours at an average of 180 (F). 

For the last hour and a half of cooking, I enclosed the pork butt shoulder in aluminum foil to help keep the moisture from escaping.  After nearly 7 hours of smoking, I checked the internal temperature and it was a tad under 150 (F).  Time to take it off.

Here's a picture of what it looked like on the smoker before I took it off.  (Click to enlarge)

Now, my friend Scott Schroeder asked me after seeing pictures of the beef tenderloin I did at Thanksgiving last year, why in the world would I take pictures of what I make on the grill?  Actually, it's more of a tease for my Canadian colleagues - all of whom just love beef, pork, barbecue, etc.  I e-mailed the photos just to tease them and some other friends, as well.

Everyone was jealous...

Here's a picture of the pork butt just as I was getting ready to cut off the top fatty portion before chopping it up.  The top fatty portion had cooked down to about 1/4" to 1/3" in depth after being about 1/2" to 2/3" before cooking.  And because the meat is so tender, the layer of fat is very easy to cut off.  You can almost peel it off the top of the pork butt.

And talk about tender - I cut off a chunk of the meat and it melted in my mouth.  Oh baby!!  It was just killer.  Then I began to just take chunks and chop them into small pieces, shredding some along the way.  It was literally pulling apart in some places on the pork butt.

And here's what it looked like - the big pile of meat sitting in it's own juices ready to serve.

Cindy got home from her class soon thereafter and we had sandwiches.  Topped either with barbecue sauce or HP Sauce, the smoked chopped pork was just outstanding on a bun.  Sometimes I even surprise and amaze myself. 

As I said, Cindy doesn't like to eat pork, but she sure devoured the sandwich.  She said, "My God!  This is great!"  And to show how much she liked it, she ended up taking some of the meat and a bun to work TWICE in the days after I made it up.  And she never once complained about being woozy or out of sorts after eating this pork.

I asked her over this last weekend if she liked the smoked chopped pork and she said, "Yeah, I really did.  You need to make that again."

I'm getting a lot of confidence working with the Weber smoker that I'll definitely do another one, soon.  Only the next time, it will be bigger!         

Fogo de Chao - Chicago

I love Brazilian steakhouses.  The ones I've eaten at in the past are all so fun and all so good.  The food is cooked "churrasco" style on skewers over open flames like the Brazilian "gauchos" did years ago.  The meat is always so flavorful and I always over-eat.  But it's damn good. 

Recently, with Dominic Baker from Focal Loudspeakers, we invited one of our Chicago dealers out for dinner at Fogo de Chao, an excellent Brazilian steakhouse in downtown Chicago.

Fogo de Chao (fo-go dee shoun) is a small chain of upscale Brazilian steakhouses.  As I said, the meat is cooked on a skewer and delivered to the table and either cut off or pushed off the skewer onto your plate.  If you're looking for a meat overload, this is the place to go.

Fogo de Chao started in Brazil in the late-70's when two sets of brothers - Jair and Arri Coser; and Jorge and Alexio Ongarotto - pooled their money together from working in restaurants as waiters and opened their first restaurant in Porto Alegre.  Soon thereafter, they opened two more in Sao Paulo.

A large amount of Americans traveled to Brazil for business and pleasure during the 80's and came across Fogo de Chao.  Jorge Ongarotto said, "And they always (asked), 'You never thought to go to the U.S.A. with this concept?'" 

None of the two sets of brothers spoke a word of English.  But they met and hired a Dallas-based lawyer who spoke Portuguese to help with the start up of their U.S. operations.  They soon decided to base their U.S. office in Texas.

"Texas was similar to our state, Rio Grande do Sul," Jorge Ongaratto said in an interview in 2003. "[Between] the cowboys and the gauchos, there are a lot of similarities. We felt at home."

The first U.S. Fogo de Chao opened in Addison, TX in 1997.  It took the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex by storm.  Offering 12 to 15 different types of meats from pork, beef, chicken and lamb, Fogo de Chao offered a flat rate "all you can eat" style of eating that also included a massive salad bar.

Today, there are 8 U.S. locations and 4 Brazilian locations.  Two more U.S. locations will open later this year and one additional Brazilian restaurant will open later this month. 

The Chicago location is right downtown at the corner of Erie and LaSalle Streets (see map).  There isn't much parking around the area, but Fogo de Chao has valet parking available for $15.00 bucks.  And compared to some of the parking rates at the garages downtown, it's a good deal. 

Dominic and I waited in the bar area for our group of 3 guys to show up for dinner.  The decor of Fogo de Chao is an elegant mix of contemporary and traditional wood features throughout the place.  And because of the wood paneling and floors, it gets pretty loud in the place.

Our guests showed up and we were seated toward the back of the restaurant, next to a large group of 30 or so in for a company dinner.  Our waiter, who had to shout the instructions, told us it was a flat fee of $45.00 per person including the salad bar (salad bar on it's own was $20.00). 

Before we went to the salad bar, I ordered up a bottle of 2002 Jordan Cabernet from Fogo's vast wine list.  They have their wine cellar next to the dining room and it was pretty impressive to look in to see the large selection of wine on hand. 

And what a salad bar it was.  I was warned by one of our guests to not fill up on the salad bar - they purposely place a lot of items on the bar so you couldn't eat a lot of the main meat courses.  The salad bar on its own was something else to see.  But along with the salad bar were a number of vegetable and fruit side dishes you can include with your meal.

When I got back to the table, I found a little disc next to my place setting that was green on one side and red on the other.  When it's turned to the green side, the waiters descend on you with skewers of all different types of meat.

The first thing I had was Picanha (right) - the house specialty of Fogo de Chao - which are a half moon pieces of center cut top sirloin seasoned with sea salt and garlic.  The waiter will ask you how you'd like your meat served to you - rare, medium rare, medium, etc. - and he'll cut a large chunk off the skewer.  Or if they're small pieces, he'll just pull one off the skewer and put it on your plate.

If you don't turn the little disc over to the other side, which is red and means, "No!  I don't want any food at this time!", another waiter will come up with another skewer of meat.  And those guys literally come out of nowhere with more meat.   

We had Frango - little chicken drumsticks or small chicken breasts wrapped in bacon.  They served us Alcatra - unseasoned top sirloin cut from the skewer.  Costela de Porco - succulent seasoned pork tenderloin.  Linguica - small pork sausages that were pretty damn good.  Fraldinha (left) - seasoned bottom sirloin, or skirt steak, cut off the skewer.  Cordeiro - either small individual lamb shanks or a full leg of lamb cut from the skewer.  And, of course, Filet Mignon - either small bacon wrapped individual filet's or slices of meat directly from the beef tenderloin. 

One of my guests was Jewish and didn't eat beef or pork, so we had them make him a special skewer of Frango chicken breasts without the bacon.  The waiters at Fogo were more than happy to oblige.

After a while, I'd had enough.  I hadn't been that full from eating in a restaurant since my first night in France last year.  I wasn't quite as full as that one night in St. Etienne, but I was damn close.

Other than the fact that it was too loud in the place - and we had too much food - Fogo de Chao was as fun as any Brazilian steak house I've been to.  The bill for the food, a couple bottles of wine and the tip came to a shade over $500.  But I was happy to pay it.  These guys are my up and coming dealer in the Chicago area and they deserved the great meal. 

Actually, I'd like to go back sometime just for the salad bar.  It was as world class a salad bar I've ever seen.  One could get stuffed just on the salad bar alone. 

As we were heading back to our hotel Dominic, who just LOVES steak and has eaten at a Fogo de Chao in Brazil, told me, "This was better than the one in Brazil." 

Bad Hotels

Thanx to my buddy, Al Kern of Iowa Public Radio, who sent me this link of photographs people had taken of horrendous hotel rooms they've encountered in their travels:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18297117/

There are truly some bad ones shown in there.  Thankfully, I've never really run across any room as bad as those shown on the web site. 

We've stayed in hotel rooms that truly stunk - the Travelodge in West Lafayette, IN (now closed, thankfully) is one that sticks in my mind.  The smell of mold was unbelievable.  We thought about calling the local health department. 

The Super 8 non-smoking room we stayed at in Ann Arbor, MI one time smelled like they'd had a bachelor's party in there the night before complete with cigars.  When we went to ask to change rooms, the desk clerk informed us there were no other rooms to have.   

Oh, and the room we spent a night in at a Hampton Inn in Omaha (also since closed down) smelled like someone had gotten sick on the floor and they had done a crappy job of cleaning it up.   Cindy couldn't sleep that night because the smell was nauseating.  And, of course, we couldn't get another room there, either as they were all booked up. 

In each instance, we couldn't have changed hotel rooms because the other hotels were booked solid in the area.  The first two examples were during Iowa football trips (to Purdue and Michigan, respectively); and the other time, it was late and I wasn't about to go look for another hotel at midnight.

I've stayed in some rooms that were downright tired, but nothing of the order of broken plumbing or exposed electrical work, door locks that didn't work or just completely nasty bathrooms (like the one on the right).  Most of the places my company lets me stay at are well above the level of what the other rooms have been in the past. 

But, Cindy will never let me forget the night we stayed in a Ramada Inn in Berkeley, CA (now ALSO closed - see a trend?).  She was just downright scared.  The room wasn't that bad, but she was worried about the neighborhood, especially since the hotel corridors were all exposed and had no security doors to keep the "ne'er-do-wells" out of the halls.  We made it through the night, but she's never let me hear the end of it. 

Since then, we'll spend the extra $20 to $30 a night and stay at a nicer place...