Road Tips

Good-bye to a Great Ol' Gal

It's with a heavy heart that I write today as our neighbor, Barb Fensterbusch, died last Saturday from an aneurysm in her neck.   Her visitation was last night and her funeral is this morning.  You can read her obituary here. 

Barb lived directly behind us and owned the pool that I liked to swim in during the summertime.  Barb, who was a night owl, said she used to peek out the window to watch me late at night.  I don't know if she was kidding or not.  But just knowing Barb as we did, she probably wasn't.

From the first time we met Barb after moving in nearly six years ago, she was always so friendly and charming toward us.  We responded in kind in many different ways over the years making dinner for her, taking care of weeds along the fence row, and helping to keep the pool clean.  She'd let us borrow clay pots for some of our plants, and Cindy would take plants and flowers up to her and plant them for Barb. 

Barb always loved to come out in the warmer months and talk to us over the fence.  We'd would be working out in the yard and she loved to look at our roses, flowers and plants that we had.  A five minute conversation with Barb would always turn into a minimum 30 minute chat. 

We never saw much of her in the winter months, but we'd go up and see her from time to time just to stay in touch.  She had a couple of pictures on a wall in her den from when she was younger.   I used to kid her that she was kind of a unit and that she must have been something before electricity.  (Of course, I got that line from Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack.  Which, by the way, also starred Bill Murray, whose aunt lives across the street from Barb.  No shit!)  

During her college years, Barb was a hat check girl at The Drake in Chicago.  She loved to tell stories about all the famous people whose coats and hats she checked in while she was a 20 year old girl. 

Cindy just loved Barb to death.  It's been pretty tough on her and I feel some sadness also knowing that Barb is gone.  Going to the visitation was pretty tough.  But I have to tell you, seeing Barb in the casket, she looked like she was just sleeping.   I thought at any point she would have jumped up and said, "Oh, are you going for a swim?"  I really have to say she was the best looking dead person I've ever seen. 

As I told Cindy and Barb's daughters, Holly and Judy, yesterday, "If Barb knew you guys were crying over her death, she'd have a fit.  She loved to laugh, she loved people, she loved company.  She would have never wanted people to cry over her."   That's why her funeral service today is being called a "celebration of life".  Barb loved living and she lived it to the fullest. 

Barb's other daughter, Robin, and her husband, Paul, have said for a long time that they were going to move into the house after her mother died.  We like Paul and Robin, but I don't know if they'll be able to pull it off.  It sounds like Robin's brother and sisters may have other plans for the house. 

Either way, it's going to be weird not to have Barb's smiling face, her quick laugh and her gracious manner in our lives.  And just as a neighbor said to us yesterday, "I just wish Barb would have made it through one more summer."   Yes, no one should die just before summertime. 

Barb was a classy lady, through and through.  We're going to miss her tremendously... 

Armand's Pizza - Elmwood Park, IL

When I go into Chicago on business I'm usually in the area for three to four nights.  Each time I go to Chicago there's two places I have to go for at least one meal - Portillo's (for a hot dog and an Italian Beef sandwich); and somewhere for pizza. 

On this trip I found out there's a difference between "pan pizza", "deep-dish pizza, and "stuffed pizza".  Actually, I already knew the difference between "deep-dish" and "stuffed".  A stuffed pizza has dough on the bottom, the ingredients in the middle, then a thin layer of dough on top, topped with sauce and some cheese. 

Deep-dish (right) is basically a thick-crusted pizza where the cornmeal and olive oil dough is baked for about 15 minutes, then toppings are added under sauce and cheese.  Pan pizza is just a variant of deep dish where the dough and toppings are baked at the same time.  But the toppings are usually on top of the cheese and sauce.  Actually, I thought pan pizza and deep dish were the same thing.  Huh uh...

With that said, I didn't have a pan pizza or a deep-dish pizza or a stuffed pizza during this visit to Chicago.  I went to the original Armand's Pizza in Elmwood Park, IL to have a thin crust pizza. 

I've been to the other Armand's locations - in Elmhurst, and in St. Charles.  I had a bad experience at the one in St. Charles a couple summers ago.  The service was bad, the pizza wasn't as good as the one in Elmhurst and I was really soured on the whole Armand's thing.  I was driving through St. Charles a while back and saw that the Armand's out there was closed.  No wonder and good riddance. 

Later that fall I went into the Armand's in Elmhurst around 8:30 to get a pizza and they told me they'd turned off the ovens for the evening.  They're supposed to be serving until 10!  I began to get a bad taste in my mouth for Armand's. 

But I also knew their pizza was pretty damn good and I wanted to try the original location that Mike Caringella opened over 50 years ago.  It was about a fifteen minute drive from my hotel to the original Armand's Pizzeria on West Grand, just west of Harlem Ave. (see map).  I was able to park in the well-lit parking lot on the side of the building.  I walked into the place and it looked like it hadn't been updated in 30 years.  Heavy on the vinyl and dark wood paneling.  A lot of pictures and signage on the wall.  The bar was a nice old area that was sort of cozy.

I opted to sit in the bar and the bartender handed me a menu.  I really didn't need one as I knew exactly what I wanted - a small sausage, pepperoni and mushroom thin crust pizza.  But the menu was similar to the one in Elmhurst with full dinners, pasta and salads.  I've had the lasagna at Armand's before, but I wanted pizza that night. 

Armand's grinds a lot of their meat at the main restaurant.  I was told Mike Caringella's father ran a meat market in the Little Italy section of Chicago and that's where Mike learned to trim and grind his own meats for the restaurant.  After Mike's father passed away in 1972, his mother, Angela, came to work in the kitchen at the restaurant.  She worked there 12 hours a day, six days a week from the age of 67 until just before she died in 2000 at the age of 95.  Her specialty was the Italian Beef sandwiches Armand's sold.  I've been told their Italian beef sandwich is the best in Chicago.  I'll have to try one sometime. 

I was sitting at the bar reading my Chicago Tribune and watching baseball on the television when I struck up a conversation with a guy sitting there waiting for a pizza to go.  He said he grew up on the south side of Chicago and he had his favorite pizza joints down there when he was younger.  "But I moved up here about 10 years ago," he said.  "I won't get pizza from any other place than here."

It turned out the bartender and the guy waiting for the pizza went to the same high school together over 30 years ago, but didn't know each other.  She knew a lot of the same people he knew, but they'd never connected until then.  Small world. 

My pizza was brought out piping hot by one of the waitresses.  I let it cool down a bit and got another beer.  From the first bite, it was ecstasy.  It was even better than the pizza at the Armand's over in Elmhurst.  There seemed to be more toppings, the sausage seemed to be more dazzling, the pepperoni was meat market fresh and the mushrooms were large and flavorful.  It was just out of this world. 

I mentioned to no one in particular, "God, this is great!  Oh, my God!"

The guy sitting next to me waiting on his pizza said, "See what I mean?  There's no better pizza in town than this place." 

There was a lot of toppings on the pizza and I was struggling to finish it.  I got through four pieces before I asked the bartender for a box so I could take the leftovers back to my room.  Having a fridge and a microwave in your room is great for pizza in the morning. 

Armand's also sells a pan pizza (that's where I got the lesson on what is what in pizzas from the bartender) and something called "The Yardstick" - a 36" pizza that they sell a lot of for parties and the like.  That would be something to see. 

Many times, the original location is much better than the satellite locations the restaurant opens up.  Although the pizza at Armand's in Elmhurst is very good, I have to say the one at the original Armand's is better.  God, I'm beginning to have all these places to get good pizza in Chicago.  It's going to drive me crazy trying to figure out which one is the best!   

Goose Island Brewing Co. - Chicago

I've been monitoring a blog site called The Chicago Burger Project for a couple months now.  Regular Road Tips reader Tim Schmidt sent me the link and I've been looking through it trying to find new and unusual places for a good burger in Chicago.  Some I already knew about, others the blog turned me on to.

One place they talked about that I had been to before, but never had a burger at, is the Goose Island Brew Pub in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago (see map).  Goose Island is probably the most well-known of all the brewery/brew pubs in Chicago.  Since 1988, the Goose Island Brew Pub on Clybourn has been the place to get good food with good beer.  Their Honker's Ale is a pretty good beer.  And I've eaten in there a couple three times over the years.

One of our big dealers, Tweeter, opened a new location just up the street from the Goose Island brew pub earlier this year.  During a visit recently, I decided to go to Goose Island and try one of their burgers.  I was done for the day so I knew I could also have a couple beers with my meal.

Parking at the Clybourn location can be a little tricky, especially during the peak hours.  But it was around 2 p.m. when I got there and I was able to park in the parking lot in front of the brew pub.  The main dining area was closed, but they directed me into the bar area.  That was fine with me.  The greeter gave me a menu and told me to sit where I liked.

I took a seat at a high table near the bar and waited for a waitress to show up.  It took nearly five minutes before one walked over to take my order.  She asked if I wanted something to drink first and I told her I'd take a Honker's Ale.  As she was getting to walk away I said, "I know what I'd like to order for food, too."

She seemed surprised and came back.  "Oh!  OK.  What can I get you?"

I was reading on the Chicago Burger Project blog site about the Stilton burger Goose Island serves.  It's a half-pound black pepper-encrusted burger topped with Stilton cheese, roasted garlic cloves, and German mustard served on pumpernickel bread.  I'd never had Stilton cheese before, which is basically blue cheese from England, and I was sort of worried if the combination of the garlic cloves and cheese would overpower the taste of the burger.  I also got an order of fries on the side.

Lincoln Park is actually one of my favorite places to go to in Chicago.  A lot of the older buildings in the Lincoln Park area have been turned into retail establishments or restaurants long after the factories and warehouses in the area moved out.  They've done an excellent job of gentrifying the area. 

The Goose Island Brewery and Brew Pub was opened by John Hall in the late 80's.  Hall, a University of Iowa graduate, had a 20-year career working for a container company and read about "boutique" beers in an airline magazine during a delay.  He decided to open a brew pub in the burgeoning trendy area of Lincoln Park. 

Hall named the brew pub and his beers "Goose Island" after a nearby island that is formed by a fork in the Chicago River.  It is just west of the corner of Halsted and Division and just south of Goose Island's Clybourn location.

The brew pub and their beers became an immediate success.  Hall's son, Greg, was the assistant brewmaster of the facility.  The original brewmaster was Jim Cibak, who eventually went on to the Three Floyd's brewery in Munster, IN.  In 1995, the Goose Island brewery moved to a larger facility on West Fulton in Chicago.  In 1999, they opened a second brew pub location near Wrigley Field. 

Goose Island currently brews 14 beers with six of them full-time selections and eight seasonal beers.  They now bottle over 600,000 cases of beer annually, making them one of the Midwest's largest craft brewers.  They have the capabilities of being able to brew 1.6 million cases of beer annually. 

In 2006, Widmer Brothers brewery in Oregon - of which brewing giant Anheuser-Busch owns 40 percent of the stock - purchased a minority, yet significant share of Goose Island brewery.  This will allow Goose Island beers to be sold to bars, restaurants and stores through A-B's channel of distributors across the nation and in the United Kingdom.  That will help get their capacity up to 1.6 million cases pretty quick.

After about 20 minutes and another Honker's Ale, my waitress brought out my burger.  I took a bite into it and was pleasantly surprised.  The burger was cooked a perfect medium, the Stilton cheese and the roasted garlic enhanced the taste and didn't overpower the burger.  The Stilton was much milder than other blue cheeses I've had on a burger.  Sometimes I like that forward taste blue cheese gives a burger, but this didn't have it.  And I certainly didn't reek of garlic after finishing the burger. 

I was happy that Tweeter opened down the street from Goose Island brew pub.  I thought that would be a great place to go to when I went in to visit the store.  But it wasn't long after I was there when it was announced Goose Island was closing their doors at the Clybourn location by the end of the year as their lease expired and they couldn't work out a deal with the landlord.  The Wrigleyville location would stay open, however.

Man!  What a bummer!  I was looking forward to more Stilton burgers and beer at Goose Island.  I'm sure parking is a complete bitch up in the Wrigleyville area, so I probably won't head up there any time soon.  Still, having a Stilton burger with a Honker's Ale may be worth a drive-by to see if any parking slots are open.  The burger was that good.   

Beer Crazy - Urbandale, IA

I was traveling through Des Moines calling on a couple of my dealers a while back.  I was at Technology by Design in Urbandale (see map) looking over the remodel of their store.  I noticed a store in their same little strip mall by the name of Beer Crazy.  I asked Brian, the owner of Tech by Design, what that was all about.  Being that Brian isn't much of a drinker, he said, "I don't know.  Some sort of beer shop or something." 

After I left and before I drove out to Omaha, I had to stop in and take a look for myself.  What I found was a little retail location with two rows of shelves fulled with specialty beers.  Behind the shelf area on the north side of the store was a number of products with which to make beer at home.  Although it wasn't a huge place, it was still pretty impressive with the selections they had.

I met and talked with the owner, Mark Naumann (right).  He said he's been a home-brewer for about six years and he's always had a fascination with owning an eclectic beer store, offering beers from around the world as well as beer making supplies.  Mark told me he opened in October of last year.  He told me, "My wife thought I was crazy enough to start a business like this, so I decided to call it 'Beer Crazy'."

Beer Crazy is similar to other stores I've been at that allow you to "Pick a Six" of different beers.  And he had some that I wanted to try. 

The Dixie Brewery was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has just reopened.  It was the first place I'd seen the Dixie Blackened Voo Doo and the Dixie Lager since it had been reissued, so I had to pick some of that up.  I also found some of the Bell's Lager and got some of that.  He also had a good selection of Summit beers out of St. Paul and I got some of the Summit Pilsner.  And I found some of the Tiger beer out of Indochina.  I haven't had Tiger beer in a long, long time.  I was thrilled to find it.   

All in all, I picked up about a case of different beers while I was there.  Each six pack was $6.95.  What a great deal when you want to give different varieties a try.

I make it to Des Moines and Technology by Design about four or five times a year.  I told Mark that I'd definitely be back.  I hope an operation like that can sustain momentum and stay in business.  He's definitely living his dream.   

Bo Ramsey - Davenport, IA

Bo Ramsey, the heralded folk/blues/roots music troubadour, recently played the Redstone Room at the River Music Experience in downtown Davenport.  He was unveiling his new CD, Fragile, which came out the end of March.  We got a copy of it - it's pretty good music. 

I've known Bo Ramsey for a number of years, first meeting him in 1977 when he was part of Patrick Hazell and the Mother Blues Band.  They played my annual pasture party that summer and they were a big hit.  At that time he was known as "Bibby" Ramsey and had only been playing guitar for a couple three years.  But he was such a natural at it that he quickly became one of the anchors of the band.  Here is a picture of the Mother Blues Band from 1977 - Bo Ramsey is in the back with the white hat on. 

The Mother Blues Band played at my party again in 1979, only without Ramsey who had gone on to a solo career with his band, The Sliders.  Ramsey also began a relationship with Greg Brown, producing and playing on a number of Brown's great albums in the 80's and 90's.  In 1997, Brown and Ramsey were nominated for a Grammy as co-producers of Brown's great "Slant 6 Mind" album.

Ramsey has also played with and produced albums with artists such as Kevin Gordon, Pieta Brown and the legendary Lucinda Williams.  He toured with Williams for a while and appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" backing Williams. 

Still, Bo has stayed true to his down home roots and has remained in Iowa making music.  We stayed in contact over the years, running into each other at gigs and the like.  He's played a number of events I've worked over the past few years and it's always great to talk with him. 

Cindy has fallen in love with Bo's music ever since she saw him perform during a 1995 reunion of The Mother Blues Band at the Palmer Auditorium here  in Davenport. In fact, we tried to get him to play our wedding reception back in May of 1995.  But Bo had gotten pretty big by then and even though he gave us a discounted price of $800 to play, we decided that was out of our budget.  Looking back, we should have come up with the extra bucks and had him play.  That would have been a large time. 

Here's a music video Bo did a few years ago with the title song from his 1997 album "In The Weeds".  You'll get a good idea of what his modern music style is from the video:   

Because Ramsey is such a well-known musician in Eastern Iowa, the Redstone Room was filled to capacity when Bo hit the stage with his backup band.  We had a couple of extra seats at our table and a younger couple was looking for a place to sit.  Cindy offered them the seats and they gladly took them.  It turned out the guy was Scotty Hays, a talented guitar player from Wisconsin who is living in the Quad Cities now, and his friend, Jenny.  Although I'd heard about Scotty Hays, I'd not seen him perform before.  He was a very nice guy and we had a good time with them at the show. 

Ramsey's music is almost indescribable.  He has kind of a folk, rock, blues, country thing going on.  He can pick it up and slap it down with up-tempo offerings, or he can lay back and play a haunting slide guitar that conjures up the music he used to hear growing up on the Mississippi River as a young Bob Ramsey.  His style may not be good for everyone, but, for me, it's enjoyable to listen to.

Bo and the band played two sets and ended up about 11:30.  We were able to talk to Bo for a moment after the show.  He's always genuinely happy to see me and is gracious that I take the time to stop by and say, "Hey!"  He's as soft spoken as the day is long, but always the gentleman when he comes around.  He's as great a guy as he is a musician. 

Muldoon's - Wheaton, IL

Special thanx to Road Tips reader Tim Schmidt who once again turned me on to a great little restaurant that serves good burgers in the Chicago area - Muldoon's in suburban Wheaton (see map).  Muldoon's is part of a corporate triumvirate of Irish bars in the Chicago area along with the famous Tommy Nevins Pub in Evanston (with a location in Naperville), and The Kerry Piper in Willowbrook. 

Muldoon's has been in business since 2002 and is a popular lunch and dinner spot in downtown Wheaton.  Parking can be a little tricky around there, especially during the daytime.  I was able to find parking on the street just down the way from the pub.  The place is situated on a corner with great visibility.  It's tough to miss when you're driving by.

It was a beautiful Friday when I got into Muldoon's around 1:30.  I got a seat at the bar and a very personable curly red-haired bartender by the name of Andy handed me a menu.  Sometimes overly friendly bartenders or waiters come off as fakes, but I could immediately tell Andy would be the kind of guy you'd like to have a beer with.  I ordered a Smithwick's while I looked at the menu.

Although other things on the menu looked pretty damn tempting, including the Belle Isle Reuben sandwich, I ordered up a Holy Swiss burger - an 8 oz. Black Angus patty topped with sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions and swiss cheese on marble rye bread.  I think that was what Tim told me to get, so I went that route.  A side of french fries accompanied the burger. 

The interior of Muldoon's has dark wood paneling throughout.  It's actually not a small place.  But with a main dining area and seating in the bar, it still has a nice cozy feel to the place. 

After about 15 minutes, Andy brought out my burger.  It was very similar to the Hackney burger I've had many times before with the burger served on slices of marble rye bread.  (That reminds me, I need to do an in-depth review of Hackney's sometime in the near future.)  And the Muldoon's Holy Swiss burger was every bit as good as Hackney's.  The beef was moist, tender and flavorful.  The mushrooms were fresh, and even though I normally don't like to get grilled onions (because they don't like me) these weren't strong and didn't upset my stomach. 

With a couple of Smithwick's and tip, the bill came to a little over $21 bucks.  I probably over-tipped Andy a little bit, but he was just great.  I really wish I could have stayed and drank beer all afternoon with him waiting on me, but I had to go on down the road. 

So, thanks, Tim!  Muldoon's is a great find and one that I recommend in the western suburbs of Chicago.  I'll definitely be back sometime soon.

Behind the Scenes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

My Indianapolis friend, Steve Somermeyer (left), is quite an interesting guy.  He's retired from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. where he was an engineer.  Steve is also a wine connoisseur and helps make wine at the Chateau Thomas Winery outside of Indy.  And he's been associated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for over 35 years working as a safety official for the garage and pit area during races.  Last year, he was named the Chief of Safety for the Garage and Pit areas.  Not a bad part-time gig for a retired guy.

I was out in Indy for a dealer event and the next day I went out to see Steve at Chateau Thomas and to pick up some wine.  He told me, "You know, you ought to come out to the race track sometime when I'm there and I'll give you a tour that a lot of people don't get to see."

Well, considering that I've been a big fan of the Indianapolis 500 since I was little, plus I've attended the race about a dozen times over the years, I couldn't pass up that offer.  I had to be back out in Indy a couple weeks later and it turned out that Steve would be out at the track getting ready for the 92nd running of the Indy 500.

(As always, click on the pictures to get a better view.)

I got out to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway around noon after finishing with a morning appointment and going back to my hotel to change into my jeans.  Steve met me in the parking lot near the garage area and off we went into "Gasoline Alley".  I'd been in the garage area before on a few occasions the day before the race, but never during the set up and when the teams were arriving. 

Steve got started at the speedway 38 years ago a year after he attended a race there.  He thought it would be kind of neat to be part of the behind the scenes action at the track.  He told me that while most people who work as safety personnel at the track will initially get jobs of directing traffic, taking tickets, and parking cars, he knocked on a number of doors before finding the right person to put him in the pits during his first race.  Steve told me, "It usually takes a long time for a person to move up from the menial jobs to a position in the pits or garage area." 

Steve said was talking to a guy in the pit area his first year and he asked how long Steve had been working safety at the track.  Steve said, "Oh, this is my first year."

The guy said, "First year?!  It took me 20 years before I could work in the pits for the race!"

We took a walk around the garage area looking at some of the set up teams getting ready for the race teams to come in later in the week.  The Penske race team was getting set up in their garage slots.  The rubber mats were on the floor and they were getting all their Snap-On tools and tool chests moved in. 

Here's the sign above the garage for two-time winner Helio Castroneves.  The drivers and the bulk of the race teams were scheduled to be in later in the week for the opening of rookie orientation.  There will be 12 rookies trying to qualify for the race this year mainly because of the merger between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car (formerly CART) series earlier this year.

This an area of suites called "Legends Row" named for multiple winners of the Indy 500.  These are suites that overlook the garage area and are rented out by corporations during time trials and practices leading up to the Memorial Day race.  There are 18 suites available on first and second floor of Legends Row.

Here's the suite named after A.J. Foyt, the first of three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500.  Foyt's win in 1961 was one of my most early remembrances of the Indy race.  Steve's work in the garage area over the years has given him access to a number of the legendary drivers who have driven in the Indy 500.  Steve told me a great story of A.J. Foyt giving him a good-natured hard time after he was named the head safety guy for the garage and pits.      

The garage area was pretty cool, but what Steve wanted to show me was the inner workings of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway control tower, also known as "The Pagoda".  The Pagoda is the central nerve center for the races, not only overseeing the race, but all other facets of the race day operation.  The line of bricks coming out from the Pagoda are some of the original bricks from the old speedway race track, which is affectionately nicknamed "The Brickyard".  This yard wide line of brick extends from the start-finish line on the track, through the ground floor of the Pagoda and out into the hospitality area of the track.

The Pagoda, which was completed in 2000, is 10 stories tall and is styled after the original design of the tower that was in use from 1926 to the mid-50's.  It serves as not only the main control center for the race, but as a VIP area for the Hulman family, owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and for Bombardier, the Canadian transportation manufacturer.  Bombardier has the advertising rights for the Pagoda and also has hospitality suites on the 10th floor of the building. 

Steve took me up to the 9th floor which is the floor on which he works during the race.  The picture at the top of today's entry shows Steve at his work station.  This picture is what Steve sees when he stands up and walks to the window.  This is the start-finish line.  Pretty cool vantage point. 

Also on the 9th floor next to the room where Steve works is the room where the race officials - headed by Indy Racing League's Chief Operating Officer Brian Barnhart - works the race.  On the other side of the 9th floor facing the track is where the announcers for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network broadcast the race.

Steve took me to the backside of the 9th floor that looks out over the back stretch, the garage area and has an expansive view of downtown Indianapolis in the distance.  He introduced me to his boss and then showed me where government agencies such as the FBI, TSA, and the FAA, as well as state and local law enforcement, work the race.  Without giving up some probably sensitive details about what security measures the U.S. government provides for the race, let's just say I'm satisfied with their efforts to keep 350,000 to 400,000 people safe on race day. 

Steve then said, "Hey, I want to take you up on the roof."  He had left his master key back in his office near the garage area, so he tracked down a guy with a key to the door.  We walked up a couple flights of stairs and went out onto the roof.  The roof is where some of the race team spotters work during the race.  It also has television cameras up there during races.  The above picture is the garage area at the speedway.

This picture is looking north along the front stretch of the track as it comes out of the north "short chute" and goes into turn four.  I've sat in turn four a couple times in the past and they're great seats.  But for the past few races I've gone to (2004 being the last one), I usually sit in the Tower Terrace.  The Tower Terrace seats are the ones straight ahead in the picture and underneath corporate hospitality suites.  You get to see a lot of great pit action from the Tower Terrace. 

And this picture is looking south going into turn one.  The scoring tower is prominent in the picture.  Steve told me, "If everything is going smoothly and I don't have anything pressing at the time, this is where I like to watch the start of the race.  It's just awesome to see." 

Steve told me that I needed to come out sometime when the cars were running.  He said, "Now that's pretty cool to see when they're out practicing."  I was all set to go to the race this year, but logistics didn't play out in my favor.  Steve said that we really needed to come out to the Brickyard 400 in late July.  He said, "Come out a couple days early and I'll take you up to the tower again when the teams are practicing."

We went back to Steve's office and talked for a bit.  It was evident he was getting busy and I had to hit the road.  I gotta tell you, this was a neat thing to see.  I have to thank Steve once again for the behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway operations.  I don't know if I could ever get tired of seeing that again and again.         

Smokin' T's Barbecue - Long Grove, IL

I put on a new dealer in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago recently.  I offered to take him out for dinner after we consummated the opening order and he said, "Do you like barbecue?"  Oh, man!  Do I!  He suggested a place not far from his place called Smokin' T's Barbecue. 

Tom Stoner and Tom Gescheidle - the "T's" of Smokin' T's - are both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America.  While at a wedding in Texas, both Stone and Gescheidle professed a love for barbecue of all types - Memphis-style with the dry rub; North Carolina-style with the pulled pork and vinegar based sauces; Texas-style with great beef brisket; and St. Louis-style pork ribs.  They decided to open a restaurant that featured a little bit of everything that is holy in barbecue.  Smokin' T's was born in 2007. 

From the outside, the place doesn't look like it would be a good barbecue joint.  It's situated in a cottage-type building that is part of a shopping area in a growing section of the Long Grove/Kildeer area at the NW corner of Old McHenry Road and Route 22 (Half Day Road) near the Kemper Lakes Golf Course (see map).  We walked in around 6:30 and the place was half full.  It isn't all that big - about 30 to 35 seats total.  But it has nice decor and is definitely family friendly.

The only problem is that Smokin' T's doesn't sell beer and I really could have used a beer after a long day and before the drive back to the hotel.  Oh well...  That's OK, I could get a Coke with my dinner.

The menu is posted on a board near the front counter.  A pleasant young girl asked us if we'd been in before.  My new dealer said, "Oh, yes.  Many times.  But this is my friend's first time here." 

The girl then proceeded to tell me about Smokin' T's and how they don't try to "regionalize" one style of barbecue.  She said, "We have a little bit of everything." 

And they certainly did.   Ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken - they had a fine selection of different styles of barbecue from around the nation.  My new dealer suggested trying the combo platters - two, three or four different types of meat with two sides.  I ordered a combo platter with the ribs, pulled pork and Smokin' T's "Chicago" version of brisket - sliced Black Angus beef short ribs.  I also got the baked beans and the cole slaw.  My dealer got the exact same thing, only he got the homemade corn pudding and fries.

We got our food and sat down at a table.  On the table they have three different types of sauce - a North Carolina vinegar barbecue sauce; a Memphis mustard sauce with black pepper; and Smokin' T's "original" sauce which was sweet with chopped onions.  I'll have to say the North Carolina vinegar sauce was great on the pulled pork and the ribs.

The St. Louis-style ribs were sort of fatty and boney.  I wasn't impressed with them at all, although the taste of the meat was fine.  My dealer also said he'd had better ribs in Smokin' T's before.  But the pulled pork was just excellent.  Great taste, moist, tender.  Adding the North Carolina vinegar sauce just helped accentuate the smoked taste. 

And the Black Angus beef short rib brisket was double excellent.  Also very tasty, tender and had a nice smoked flavor to them.  The Smokin' T's "original" sauce went well with the brisket.      

Smokin' T's baked beans were OK, nothing special.  Even adding the original sauce or the mustard sauce didn't zip 'em up enough.  And I didn't care much for the cole slaw which seemed sort of bland.  My dealer said, "Oh, man.  Get the corn pudding next time.  It's out of this world.  It's an old recipe that one of the guys has had in his family for years and years."

OK, duly noted for the next visit.  And there will be a next visit.  I wouldn't call Smokin' T's all that cheap - it was over $40 bucks with drinks and tax.  But the portions for the meat were huge.  It was definitely worth the price compared to other barbecue places I've been to.  So, yes, Smokin' T's gets a double "thumbs up" from this barbecue connoisseur.   

The Drake Relays

The 99th running of the Drake Relays was held recently in Des Moines at Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University.  My cousin Tom Wehrle had an extra couple of tickets and asked if I wanted to join him, his brother John and his friend Bobbie for one of the days.  I was going to be in Des Moines anyhow, so I said I'd go.

I hadn't been to the Drake Relays in 30 years.  It's been an annual ritual for the Wehrle family since the mid-60's when John ran on the Newton High School track team during the relays.  My uncle Jack kept getting tickets and finally moved his front row seats up to the near top rows at the finish line.  They were great seats.  After Jack moved to Florida, Tom kept getting his tickets.  I'm sure Tom will get tickets forever, as well. 

It was a blustery, yet sort of warm morning when we got to the track.  However, a strong cold front came through in the late morning and the winds came up out of the northwest and temperatures dropped 16 degrees to the mid-40's.  Had it been raining, as they initially said it might, it would have been a truly miserable day.  Sort of like the first time I went to the Drake Relays in 1965.  It was cold - in the low 40's - and rainy.  I had just turned nine years old and I wasn't happy being cold and wet.  After the morning session ended, I ended up going off with my sister Nancy who was a freshman at Drake at that time, and we went to see Mary Poppins at one of the downtown theaters.  It's funny how I remember stuff like that. 

Since my last visit 30 years ago, Drake Stadium has undergone a stunning transformation.  In 2005, the stadium was completely renovated to conform to national and international parameters for track and field.  Much of the original stadium was torn down and the track was made wider.  They moved the stands back so the spectators wouldn't be on top of the runner in the outside lane.  It's quite the showplace for track and field.  So much so that it will host the NCAA Men's and Women's Track and Field Championships in June of this year; and will host the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2010.

I got to the track and into my seat just as the first event of the day was beginning.  The crowd was understandably sparse as most of the early events were preliminary races for the high schools.  Still, it allowed me to get a good look of the stadium and all the upgrades they've done. 

Sometimes I amaze myself with the pictures I get.  Here's a shot of Davenport North's A.G. Bradford effortlessly going over the last hurdle during her preliminary race in the 100 yard hurdles for high school girls.  Bradford later won the 100 meter hurdles final, as well as winning the 400 meter hurdles in a record time later during the relays.  She was named the outstanding high school girls performer for the meet.

The sun came out for a bit before the cold front moved through brightening the track.  One thing that I noticed is that the sun sort of washed out the televised images on the scoreboard.  Tom said, "This scoreboard sucks.  It's too small and you can't see the results very well."  I remember the old scoreboard to be nice and large at the north end of the track.  But with the renovation, they've put a bunch of corporate tents along the north end where the scoreboard used to be.  For as nice a facility Drake Stadium is, the scoreboard does, indeed, suck.

And a couple of other things that I noticed after not being around for 30 years.  First of all, the P.A. announcer was horrid.  He got names wrong, he got leaders in races wrong, he was all over the place with his announcing.  They're going to have to do something for a new announcer by the time the NCAA championships come around. 

And I also remember the relays being run like clockwork.  There was little to no deviation of time for the schedule of races.  It used to be that they had to stop the meet for a few minutes to allow the schedule to catch up as they were ahead of schedule many times.  The day I was there they got woefully behind in the afternoon session.  I believe they were supposed to finish around 4:00 p.m and clear the stadium for the night time session that started at 5:30.  But they didn't finish until about 4:35.  It would have been fine if it were sunny and 65, not cloudy, windy, spitting rain and 44. 

After the morning session, the tradition in the past was to go to Noah's Ark for lunch.  But with little time in between sessions, we just ended up going up the street to the infamous Peggy's Tavern.  Peggy's is a legendary Drake University watering hole that has served thousands of students over the years.  It's truly a dump.    But they've got a captive audience during the Drake Relays as it's the only bar in the area of the stadium.  And they featured $5.00 16 oz. tap beer.  Ouch!

We went back for the afternoon session, most of which comprised the preliminaries of the 4X400 meter relays for high schools, colleges and universities.  Tom said, "Now, this is what we pay money to come see."  It is very fun to see the baton hand-offs after each leg.  It's somewhat controlled mayhem at times.  The above picture shows the runners lining up in order of their positions on the track to receive the baton. 

Tom had tickets for the evening session which was going to feature some pretty good races.  But given that it was in the low-40's and I had a three hour drive home, I didn't want to stick around.  Given the centennial Drake Relays is next year, I hope Tom has an extra ticket or two again.  I wouldn't mind going back.  And hopefully the weather will be a lot nicer.

Charlie Beinlich's - Northbrook, IL

On a recent trip to Chicago, I was talking about good burger joints with one of the sales guys at the Tweeter store in north suburban Deerfield.  He said, "Have you tried Charlie Beinlich's?  They have great burgers!"

I'd never heard of Charlie Beinlich's and he categorized it as an old type of neighborhood tavern that sort of stood up through the test of time with shopping centers and office buildings being built up all around it.  He said, "It's not far from here.  It's right across from that little mall on Skokie Boulevard, just south of Lake Cook."   

It was close to lunch time, so I went east on Lake Cook Road and turned right on Skokie Blvd.  Down a ways on the right was Charlie Beinlich's (see map).  I pulled into the large parking lot and walked inside. 

It immediately reminded me of an old time supper club/tavern in the northwoods of Minnesota or Wisconsin.  There was a lot of fishing decor throughout the place and the walls in the dining/bar area were made out of knotty pine.  I was greeted by a waiter and I asked if I could sit at the bar.  He said, "No problem.  Have a seat!"

Now, the menu at Charlie Beinlich's is pretty sparse.  In fact, the only menu you'll see is the one they have in the corner on the wall behind the bar near the kitchen area. (Click on the picture at the right to see the menu and other pictures of Charlie Beinlich's).  And no prices are listed, either.  If you have to ask how much a certain item is, well, then you don't need to be going to Charlie Beinlich's.   

Charlie Beinlich's has been around since 1950 when a young Charlie Beinlich opened the doors.  Throughout the years it has been known as a go to place by the lunch-pail laborers and the North Shore millionaires.  Beinlich died in 2003, but the restaurant is still going strong today run by members of Beinlich's family.  And I'm not certain if the decor or the food has changed since Beinlich first opened up.

Charlie Beinlich's meat is brought in fresh each day from Lakeside Meats, a butcher/deli/grocery shop in Winnetka.  The cooks at Charlie Beinlich's grind the meat in house for the burgers.  That's a good sign in my book. 

I ordered up the Cheeseburger Deluxe - a half-pound cheeseburger with everything (lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, pickles and your choice of grilled or raw onions - I went with raw) that comes with a side of fries and cole slaw.  I topped it off with Swiss cheese. I had some other dealers to see and I knew it would be a long day, so I just got a Coke to go along with it.

The noon time crowd was beginning to come in while I was waiting for my burger.  There were construction guys, guys in suits, regular guys, rich guys - all coming in for a great burger at Charlie Beinlich's.  I immediately liked Charlie Beinlich's knowing that the blue collar crowd and the white collar titans of business could co-exist in the place.

My burger came up and I dug into it.  It was good.  Very good.  It was flat top grilled a perfect medium with a little pink in the middle.  The bun was fresh and tasty.  I always say a good bun is what makes a good burger and Charlie Beinlich's were very good.  The fries were also good, but the cole slaw was a little bland.  That's OK, between the burger and the fries, I was plenty full by the time I got done.

With tip, the bill came to about $11.00.  A little pricey, but it is Chicago.  But it was very good and I'll be going back sometime.  Please note that Charlie Beinlich's doesn't take credit cards and is not opened on Sunday or Monday.  And I understand that it gets sort of packed on Saturday's.  But it's a cool place with great burgers.  Definitely a must-return place.

Noah's Ark - Des Moines

Noah's Ark is one of those old time restaurants that has been a large part of my life.  As a kid growing up, it was always the "cool" place to eat in Des Moines when we'd go there.  And now as an adult, it's still one of my all-time favorite places to visit.  Not only is the food good, but the nostalgic value is still certainly very high.

Noah's Ark began in 1946 when Noah Lacona opened the doors at 2400 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines (see map).  Over the years, Noah became one of a number of colorful characters who headed restaurants in the Des Moines area along with guys like Babe Bisignano (Babe's Restaurant), his brother, Chuck Bisignano (Chuck's Restaurant), Frank Bonanno (Bammie's Restaurant), and Joe Guidicessi (Christopher's).  Lacona's grandson, James, is the current manager of the restaurant. 

Noah's Ark is famous for serving the first pizza in Des Moines.  And over the years, the recipe hasn't changed a bit.  Thin, crispy crust dusted with flour on the bottom; large chunks of sausage; and a wonderful tangy tomato sauce make this one of the best pizzas in Des Moines.  Noah's may be the first place I ever had a bite of pizza, so it's always a treat to go in and have one.

I got into Des Moines one evening recently in time to grab a pizza from Noah's.  There's plenty of parking behind and just to the west of Noah's, as well as on Ingersoll Ave.  It was around 8:30 when I got in there, so it wasn't a problem to park.  I was shown to a booth in the restaurant and the hostess handed me a menu.  Noah's Ark serves typical Italian food for the Midwest.  Nothing too dazzling or provocative.  And it's primarily southern Italian style with the emphasis on red sauces and the like. 

They also serve steaks and chops at Noah's Ark, but I was going for the pizza.  The waitress showed up and I ordered a small (10") sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom pizza.   It had been a while since I'd had a pizza from Noah's, so I was really looking forward to the taste sensation.

Looking around at Noah's, I don't think the place has changed all that much from when I first visited in the 60's.  It still has the dark wood walls with the comfy booths and spacious tables.  While it's definitely not modern, Noah's has aged very well.

My waitress brought out the pizza - exactly as I remember - thin crust with flour on the bottom, big chunks of sausage, tangy sauce, wonderful pepperoni.  The taste was as I always remember.  And the small is more than enough for one person.  I definitely didn't go away hungry.

Noah's Ark is one of those restaurants that I've just sort of taken for granted all these years.  It's not spectacular cuisine and I'm sure there's even better pizza and Italian food at other restaurants in Des Moines.  But the one thing remains about Noah's is their consistency.  You'll never have to worry about getting a bad meal there. 

The World's Largest Barbecue

I saw this article in the Chicago Tribune yesterday and had to share it with you.  I'll bet the firemen had hunger pangs for hours after putting out the fire.