Road Tips

Palomino - Indianapolis

At the annual CEDIA Expo recently held in Indianapolis, our large group had dinner at Palomino in downtown Indy (see map).  Palomino is part of a group of restaurants run by the Seattle-based Restaurants Unlimited group that includes Kincaid's, Stanford's, Newport Seafood Grill and a number of single location restaurants primarily in Northern California, Oregon and Washington state.  The Indianapolis Palomino is one of the seven including two in the Seattle area, one in L.A. (Westwood), and locations in Dallas, Cincinnati and San Francisco.  Interestingly enough, Restaurants Unlimited founder Richard Komen came up with the concept the highly popular Cinnabon shops that are found at malls and airports across the nation.  Restaurants Unlimited sold Cinnabon in 1998.  

Established in 1988, Palomino could be described best as having upscale Mediterranean-Americana, taking foods from Southern Europe and giving them an American twist to their taste.  In fact, the first Palomino, which opened in Seattle, was called Palomino Euro-Bistro.  Wood-fired ovens and grills were used to make a number of Italian, Greek and Spanish-influenced foods.  Over the years, Palomino tweaked their menu to more of an American signature adding sandwiches, salads and appetizers.  

Amanda Boucher-Fegley is the executive chef at the Palomino location in Indianapolis.  She started at the Indy location as the sous-chef, then became the executive chef in 2008.  In addition to her executive chef duties, Boucher-Fegley is also the training chef for the Palomino restaurants.  

I had eaten at the Indianapolis Palomino once before, years ago when I was working for a previous company and we were invited out to dinner by a manufacturer during a CEDIA Expo over 10 years ago.  I remember it being good, not great, but good enough that I remembered it.  This time, I was pretty apprehensive given that the place was packed with conventioneers and that we were a large group.

Our group was so large - 17 - that we had to sit at two separate tables toward the back of the restaurant.  We had a waitress come over and greet us as we looked through the menus.  She said that she and another person would be looking after us that night.  The only problem was that we saw the other person once the rest of the night.  In other words, the waitress assigned to us had to try and take care of 17 hungry and thirsty guys.  And thirsty was the key word - I wanted a beer and I wanted it right now!

The dining room featured contemporary lighting with brass railings and earth-toned walls with large windows that let in what late day natural light Palomino could get with the tall buildings all around it.  The bar area up front was heavy with the dark wood lighting, contemporary lighting and large windows, as well.  The bar area at Palomino is famous for their "happy hour" drink and food specials.  

Service was painfully slow that evening.  Our waitress was doing her best to keep up, but that didn't matter to me.  I'd had a long day, I was tired, hungry, thirsty and didn't want to talk any longer.  My boss is big on dinner conversation, but I didn't want to talk with anyone.  I wanted to have a couple three beers, something to eat - and quickly - and get back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.  However, it was quickly evident that was not going to happen.  

We had gone out to Fogo de Chao in Indianapolis the night before - it's basically the same Fogo de Chao that I've ate at in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta (although the Fogo de Chao in Chicago is still the best of all the Fogo's that I've eaten at) - and I wasn't certain I wanted that large of a meal two nights in a row.  I thought about the pan-seared scallops as well as the Sicilian ravioli with a spicy meat filling and a ground veal marinara sauce.  Even the Italian sausage and fresh mushroom flat bread pizza sounded pretty good.  But remembering how much I ate the night before, I opted for the petite wedge salad and then went the greens route even further by getting the Steakhouse Salad - slices of sirloin, cooked rare (to my liking), beefsteak tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese on a bed of lettuce and topped with a Worcestershire dressing.  We also got a number of appetizers before the meal including Palomino's wonderful calamari and a couple orders of their very good crab/artichoke dip.

The term "petite" certainly came into play when it came to my wedge salad.  This was the weirdest looking wedge salad I ever had.  It looked like the bibb lettuce was haphazardly strewn around the plate with small chopped up tomatoes and some gorgonzola chunks scattered about.  Seriously - I had not even put a fork to this salad before I took the picture.  It seriously looked like someone had dropped it, picked it up and served it to me.  It was definitely not worth the $9.00 they charged.

The Steakhouse Salad came out not long after I finished my wedge salad and this was the look before I dug in.  This thing cost $19.95.  That's right, that's not a type - $19.95.  I got five or six small sirloin slices off to the side, some greens with gorgonzola and beefsteak tomato wedges and what appeared to be some pickled onions on top.  There was a hard-boiled egg in there, too, but I'm not big on hard-boiled eggs.  The Worcestershire dressing was negligible, at best.  The steak was OK, but like the wedge salad I had earlier, it wasn't worth the price.  

One of my newer Canadian colleagues to my left got the flat bread pepperoni pizza.  Actually, it looked very good with large slices of pepperoni on a thin flat bread with caramelized cheese on top.  He told me that it was very good in taste and offered me a slice.  I didn't really know him that well and I declined.  But, believe me, I was tempted.   

The talk of the table, however, was regarding the pan-seared scallops that two of my colleagues got, and I'm glad I didn't get.  They were wrapped in a thin slice of prosciutto and then laid in a sweet balsamic and fig glaze.  My colleague, Simon, was to my immediate right and from the first bite he declared the food inedible.  "This sweet balsamic sucks!  This is horrible!"  

My other colleague, John, was across the table and he had the same thing.  He took a bite and shook his head.  "I don't know what the chef's trying to accomplish with this, but it didn't work."  He, too, said it was too sweet too go along with A) balsamic vinegar and B) seafood, especially scallops.  

I took a little dip of the balsamic vinegar from Simon's plate on my fork and put it on my tongue.  I had to immediately take a drink of water to get rid of the taste.  My colleague, Todd, had a bite of John's scallops and he made a face.  He said, "You know what this reminds me off?  That really sweet sauce that they put on the steaks at Rosemary's in Las Vegas!"  

The waitress came over and asked how everything was and both John and Simon piped up.  "This isn't working," John said.  Simon said that he couldn't eat his.  She offered to get them something else, but they declined saying that it would take too long for them to get their order when most of us were done with our meals.   

With just one waitress waiting on all of us, I think I only had two beers all night long.  When she came back to see if we wanted dessert or an after dinner drink, I immediately declined and I got up to leave.  We had beer and wine in one of the rooms back at the hotel and I just wanted to get the hell out of there.  We were all ready to go until we found out a couple three of my colleagues ordered dessert.  With groans of dispair, we sat back down while we waited for another fifteen minutes until the desserts came to the table and then watched as they ate them.  I can't tell you the last time I was so happy to get out of a restaurant.

My salads weren't bad - they were just an incredibly bad value for what we were charged for them.  The service was painfully slow, although the young lady did a good job trying to keep up.  But it wasn't good enough.  She needed help, but didn't get it from the rest of the staff.  I remember Palomino to be good in the past, but this trip a perfect storm of tiredness, thirstiness and slow service gave me a bad taste in my mouth for the place.  CEDIA will be back in Indianapolis next year, but hopefully we won't be sentenced to another night like this one at Palomino. 

Gaylord - Chicago

On our little tourist trip to Chicago earlier this summer (see that entry here), we decided to both try Indian food for dinner one evening. We picked out a place that was just off the north end of the Magnificent Mile - Gaylord (see map). It turns out that Gaylord is the place that locals and Indian ex-patriots go for their fix of Indian food.

Actually, Cindy ate at the Gaylord a number of years ago at their Schaumburg location (see map). Only it turned out to be a mistake. She and her friend, Pam, had met in Chicago for a shopping weekend and were staying not far from the Gaylord restaurant. When they went out looking for a place to eat that evening and saw the sign for Gaylord. Only they thought it said, "Italian Restaurant" rather than "Indian Restaurant". When they went inside, they were somewhat embarrassed to find out it was an Indian restaurant. But since neither had tried Indian food before, they were somewhat game to give it a try. And Cindy liked it - a lot. She called me later that evening, "We have GOT to go get Indian food sometime! You would love it!"

If you're a regular reader of Road Tips, you've noticed that I'm doing my best to expand my horizons when it comes to Indian food. So based upon Cindy's glowing review of the place from years ago, I was eager to give the one in downtown Chicago a try.

Gaylord has been around the Chicago area since 1972, but their roots go back well into the 50's back in India. Two restaurant entrepreneurs, Mr. Gai and Mr. Lamba had upscale Indian restaurants in both Bombay (Mumbai) and Delhi. They decided to take their recipes and open similar restaurants around the world. I don't know how many Gaylord restaurants they opened or exactly where, but the first one in the U.S. was located on North Clark Street in downtown Chicago. A couple years ago, Gaylord's downtown location relocated to it's present spot at 110 E. Walton St.

The Gaylord location in downtown Chicago is actually in the basement of the building. The upper part of the building is part of Chicago's history. 116 E. Walton was the home of the original Playboy Club. With the new NBC drama/nostalgia series "The Playboy Club" starting up (and subsequently getting canceled) earlier this fall, along with the recent announcement that Playboy will re-open a Playboy Club in Chicago, people have been flocking to the original location on E. Walton to see where it all started. The only problem is that 116 E. Walton is now a professional office housing, I believe, health specialists. Not many bunnies jumping around in front of that place.

We were seated along the wall toward the middle of the spacious dining room at Gaylord. The sturdy tables were covered with a heavy linen tablecloth and the high-backed chairs were comfortable. We were greeted by a waiter who gave us our menus and we proceeded to look through them to figure out what we wanted. Cindy ordered a glass of red wine and I got a bottle of Kingfisher beer, possibly the most widely distributed of all Indian-brewed beers.

I've found service at most Indian restaurants I've visited over the past year to be spotty, at best. After the waiter brought our drinks, they just sort of forgot about us. It's not that we were ready to order right away, but no one even came over to see if we WERE ready to order. After about 10 minutes, one of the managers, nicely dressed in a dark blue suit, came over and asked us if we were ready to order. I told him we were and I thought he was going to summon one of the waiters. Instead, he was the one who took the order.

We had looked at a lot of things before we ordered. We definitely wanted to get some of the garlic naan, which we did. It was served piping warm and we got some of the unknown sauces Gaylord provided at their salad bar to dip the bread into. The garlic permeated each bite we took of the naan. Cindy hadn't had the garlic naan on her first visit to Gaylord years ago, but she really liked it. I mean, who wouldn't like garlic naan?

I was thinking of getting some sort of a seafood dish, but decided to play it safe and get something along the lines of a chicken dish. I'm still a little gun shy with Tandoori chicken, but they did have a couple entrees that featured Tandoori cooked chicken. There was the Tikka Masala - boneless chicken pieces in a curried sauce; and the Murg Makani with boneless chicken that's cooked in butter, Indian seasonings and a tomato puree. However, I ended up getting the Murg Bhuna, boneless chicken chunks cooked in a somewhat spicy onion sauce.

Cindy made the mistake of asking what beef dishes they had at Gaylord and the manager curtly said, "No beef!" She ordered something from the lamb side of the menu - the Rogan Josh that had tender lamb pieces cooked in an Indian-seasoned tomato/onion sauce. Afterward, she said, "Geez, I forgot that cows are sacred in India!"

Not long after we ordered, our entrees showed up at the table. Both were served with a side of rice and the portions were ample. While I wasn't overly certain of how the consistency of the onion gravy would - whether it would be thick or more watery - I was very happy with my Murg Makani (right). The chicken was tender and flavorful, the onion sauce was wonderful when spooned onto a piece of garlic naan. The sauce had a little bite to it, but nothing that was over-powering. It was absolutely fabulous.

Cindy couldn't come up with anything wrong with her Rogan Josh lamb dish other than it was so filling, especially after piecing on the garlic naan as we were waiting for our dinner. She said the lamb was tender and she offered me a bite. But I'm not big on lamb - never have been for some reason - and I declined.

The service continued to be spotty up until the time we received the check. Once I put the credit card in the folder, the waiter jumped on that with quick efficiency. And it wasn't all that expensive at Gaylord - our entrees were $15 for my dish, $17 for Cindy's lamb entree, and both were good-sized. The garlic naan was $4 bucks and there was a lot there, and our bar tab came to $18 bucks - about normal to a little lower than what we normally spend at a nice restaurant.

The food at Gaylord was just outstanding. I haven't had a lot of Indian food in my life, but I have to say that my experience at Gaylord was fabulous. I'm getting my feet more wet with each visit to an Indian restaurant and I'm starting to get a little more brave with the things I order. Gaylord is definitely on my radar now and I'd really like to go back and try something a little more daring at some point. Something that involves a little more curry than I've experienced during prior visits to Indian restaurants. I'm sure Gaylord could easily accommodate me.

El Sol de Tala - Indianapolis

While it's hard to believe that Road Tips turns six years old later this week, it's even tougher to fathom how much has changed with this blog over the course of time. Some of my early entries failed to find a directional voice and lacked a lot of information other than, "Hey, I was here and it was good!" One of the first entries I had was on one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever been to - El Sol de Tala in Indianapolis. After a recent visit there, I decided to give El Sol their props with a more in depth look at the place.

I don't even remember how I first came across El Sol de Tala but it had to be over a dozen years ago when I found the place in a tough neighborhood on East Washington, east of downtown Indianapolis (see map). Since then, I've visited the original location and a former downtown location a number of times with a number of friends who have never been disappointed in the food they have at El Sol. During a CEDIA Expo about seven years ago, I took two or three colleagues of mine to El Sol and they immediately loved it. The next year, our whole group of about 8 people went to El Sol and they all raved about the place. With the CEDIA Expo back in Indy this year, the first thing my colleague Todd said, "Hey, we need to go back to that Mexican restaurant!"

The name - El Sol de Tala - translates into "The Sun of Tala". Tala, Mexico is a small village over 2000 miles from Indianapolis and the hometown of El Sol owner Javier Amezcua. Amezcua grew up in a very traditional Mexican family of 12, all of whom helped out for meals. Amezcua learned the art of authentic Mexican cooking and brought those skills with him to the U.S. 32 years ago at the age of 26, he opened El Sol de Tala on East Washington as both a Mexican market and cafe. Amezcua immediately had to fight to get recognition because his authentic Mexican food wasn't the Americanized version of Mexican food that people were used to at places like Chi-Chi's or Taco Bell. But he soon won over legions of Mexican food fans with his fajitas, shredded beef tacos, and Mexican seafood dishes - items that Indianapolis natives had never before experienced

After winning over legions of Mexican food lovers in the greater Indianapolis area, he opened up a second location on the north side of Indy in 1995. A few years later in 2003, he closed the north side eatery and opened a downtown location in Union Station in downtown Indy. However, things began to unravel with El Sol soon thereafter.

The downtown location had a tough go for the two years it was open and it eventually shut down in early 2005 when Amezcua filed for bankruptcy protection. The original location shut down for renovations in 2006 and it was supposed to take well less than a year to reopen. However, renovations drug out, and a 2007 lawsuit by Amezcua against a partner put El Sol's future in doubt.

With new partner Ramon Michel, Amezcua reopened the remodeled original East Washington location in March of 2008 after the lawsuit was settled out of court. Amezcua installed his son, Javier, Jr. as the head chef and introduced a number of new entrees to their menu.

While the neighborhood is still dodgy, El Sol provides a well-lit parking lot on the west side of their building. The old stuffed donkey hanging from the wall still welcomes patrons as they enter, but after that much of El Sol de Tala has changed.

The first thing that I noticed was the new Cantina just off to the left of the foyer at El Sol (below left). It features a brick bar and a brick back wall with arched openings with interior shelves for the liquor. The lighting was recessed into the ceiling and it gave the area a nice little relaxing atmosphere. The only problem is that it seemed that no one was working in the Cantina. But that didn't matter as there was no wait for tables on that weeknight.

The dining room (above right) had also changed rather dramatically from my last visit (which had to be the last time we had CEDIA in Indianapolis). First of all the wood beams over the main "courtyard" area of the dining room had been stripped of their paint and left bare to give it an old world look. The lighting was more subdued than before and the chairs and tables had all been upgraded. To me, El Sol de Tala was always about stepping back into old time Mexico each time I went in there. Even with the renovations, it still has that old world feel to the place.

We were seated at a long table near the back of the courtyard area. Our company has grown over the years and some of our Canadian colleagues joined us for dinner that evening. There were 11 of us seated at a table for 14. Three of my colleagues had come early in a taxi and they had already ordered multiple pitchers of margaritas for the table.

Looking through the menu, it struck me that El Sol de Tala features a number of food items that you normally don't find at any style of Mexican restaurant in the Midwest. The menu has such delectable foods such as Panuchos (gorditas stuffed with black beans, marinated pork, pickled red onions and a fiery red habanero sauce), Lomo con Nopales (Mexican spiced boneless pork chops served with cactus and a guajillo chile salsa), and Mixiote (banana leaf wrapped lamb shanks steamed fresh daily in 13 different Mexican spices with guajillo and tequila). I'm especially particular to their pork huaxtla, basically a pork chimichanga topped with chihuahua cheese.

Along with the margaritas, we had the normal chips and salsa, but we also got some of El Sol's tasty Guacamole Ville - their homemade avocado dip made with chunks of tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and lime juice. A bowl of that was $7.95 and we may have gone through six or seven bowls at the table, it's just that good.

I went pretty basic that evening and just ordered up the pork tacos al pastor - I had been wooed on the menu by the shredded beef enchiladas and the shrimp fajita quesadilla. But I wanted something good and simple that evening. A side of chopped tomatoes with onions, guacamole, refried beans and Mexican rice accompanied my tacos. I incorporated a little bit of each with each taco I had. And I have to say like nearly every other meal I've ever had at El Sol, they were pretty damn good.

My colleague, Todd, was seated next to me and he also went the tacos al pastor avenue only ordering chicken on his (above right). He, too, was happy with his meal. "This place has always been great," he said. "The food, the margaritas. When I found out we were coming back to Indy for CEDIA, I knew I wanted to come back here."

My boss, Daniel, was seated next to me and while he's not that much into Mexican food as the rest of us are, he did find something that he really liked - the Poc Chuc. It's a southern Mexican dish with orange and lime marinated pork loin, thinly sliced and topped with a Yucatan pico de gallo sauce called Xni Pec made with red onions, manzano chiles, a bit of habenero pepper and orange juice. Sweet plantains, black beans and guacamole came with it. He said, "It's spicy, but it's good!"

The new guys in the company who had never been there before were also raving about the food at El Sol. One of my Canadian colleagues from Toronto said, "I've been to Mexico a few times and I'm not certain I've had food this good down there on any of my trips."

Count me among the hundreds who are very happy El Sol de Tala reopened. From the first time I've visited there years ago to my most recent visit, I've had nothing but great food at the place. I've eaten at a lot of Mexican restaurants in my life, but I can't think of many - if any - that are better than El Sol de Tala. If you ever get to Indianapolis and are looking for some of the best Mexican food you'll ever have, you have to try El Sol de Tala.

 

(Update - Sadly, for me, El Sol de Tala was forced to close due to bankruptcy and non-payment of rent to the landlord in the summer of 2014.  There's other very good Mexican restaurants in Indianapolis, but I still thought El Sol de Tala was the best - and one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever eaten at.  It was always a treat to eat there.)

Brewery Creek Brewpub - Mineral Point, WI

During our little "stay-cation" this past summer, we decided to take a day trip up to Mineral Point, WI, a little artists town in southwest Wisconsin about two hours from our home. Actually, this was something Cindy has wanted to do for quite sometime with our friend, Marcia. But for whatever reason they'd never been able to find the time to get together to do it. Since we weren't doing anything during our vacation, I decided to ferry Cindy up to Mineral Point to look at the shops.

Actually, Mineral Point was sort of disappointing to Cindy in that many of the shops were closed on Tuesday, or that there were a dwindling number of artists and pottery shops that were even still in existence. After visiting about a half dozen shops and artists boutiques that were open, we decided to have lunch. We found out that a number of restaurants are not open on some days through the week, as well. But one place that was open was just down the street from one of the artist's shop and it was highly recommended - Brewery Creek Brewpub. We decided to give it a try.

Mineral Point is a small, hilly and picturesque town that has a long history in the state of Wisconsin. The city has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1971 and is full of limestone buildings, large and small. At one point in time in the early 1830's, Mineral Point had a larger population than Milwaukee and Chicago, combined. That was due to the lead and zinc mines that dotted the landscape in the area. A number of experienced miners came to the area from the Cornwall area of England to work in the mines, and because of that there is a large Cornish influence in the community, starting with food.

A dish that is indiginous to the Cornwall area in the U.K. is the pasty (pronounced PASS-tee). A pasty is a folded pastry that is filled with beef, chopped potatoes, onions and, in some cases, turnips. Pasties in the U.S. that I've had before in both Mineral Point and up in the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan are usually made in pans and cut out and served in squares.

I wanted to try a pasty again in Mineral Point and the most famous place to try one is the Red Rooster Cafe in the downtown area. But Cindy wasn't too hip on going to the Red Rooster, so we settled on Brewery Creek Brewpub.

The Brewery Creek Brewpub in on the ground floor of what is also a small boutique bed and breakfast that features five rooms above the brewery/brewpub and two out cottages. The building that houses the brewpub/bed and breakfast was originally built in 1854 as a warehouse. At the time the building was the largest in Mineral Point and was used first as a cold storage building, then it became an insulation family and also was the stables for a local veterinarian.

In the mid 90's, Deborah and Jeff Donaghue came to Mineral Point to "do something completely different" with their lives. They came across the dilapidated building on Commerce Street (see map), basically unused since the 1970's and it had no power, no plumbing, no interior walls or stairways, and the doors and windows were all gone. They bought the building with the plan to turn it into the present day bed and breakfast/brewpub. Construction on the building began in July of 1997 and it opened about 11 months later. They named their inn/brewpub/microbrewery after a nearby creek - Brewery Creek.

Jeff Donaghue is also the brewmaster at the small microbrewery located on the main floor next to the brewpub. The 15 barrel brewery has the capacity to brew 3000 barrels of beer annually. Brewery Creek makes nearly 2 dozen year round and seasonal beers.

The menu at Brewery Creek features a number of farm fresh items including locally grown hormone free beef for their burgers, their tomatoes are grown hydroponically in nearby Darlington, the cheeses they use are from small dairies around the Southwest Wisconsin area, and many of the sauces, dressings, salsas and soups are made from scratch.

It was about 1 p.m. when we got into Brewery Creek. The brewpub is sort of small - it seats about 40 people, not counting the seats at the ornate old bar that sits on the north end of the brewpub. The ceiling has exposed beams and the large windows allow a lot of natural light into the room. Antique-style chairs and tables are throughout the place and along the long wall of the brewpub is a restored church pew.

Our waitress came over to drop off menus and give us the lunch specials for the day. We also both ordered up a pint of their pale ale. It was OK, sort of bland and a little flat, but with the price of hops skyrocketing (they're over $16 bucks a pound for just your run of the mill hops) I'm sure that he's not using as much hops in their beers.

Well, I wanted to get a pasty and they did have a pasty on the menu at Brewery Creek that particular day. But I was also enticed by their burgers and their grilled chicken sandwiches. They also featured a bacon/lettuce/tomato sandwich made with sourdough bread and topped with a homemade roasted garlic/mayo aioli sauce. That sounded out of this world.

One of their burgers was a stuffed bleu cheese and bacon burger topped with cheddar cheese that comes from the local Hook's Cheese Company along with lettuce, tomato, red and caramelized onions and their homemade aioli. That's what Cindy ended up getting. She also got a side of their homemade sweet corn souffle. I got a side of their homemade Belgian-style fries to go along with my pasty.

They were a little busy, even for the middle of the week, so it took a little time to get our food. She brought out my pasty and I saw that it was the authentic Cornish-style pasty and not one that is made in a pan and cut out. The folded pastry was light and flaky and it was filled with an ample amounts of large chunks of beef, potatoes and onions. A side of homemade hot sauce came with the pasty to dip the pastry shell into.

The pasty, itself, was a little dried out and lacked the sort of pizazz flavor that I was maybe looking for. But pasties are, traditionally, a food that Cornish people made in tough times. The drab flavor of the pasty was definitely helped with the homemade hot sauce.

But Cindy's burger was absolutely out of this world. Once again, she got something that was much better than what I had. She offered me a bite of the burger and it was juicy and flavorful, the bleu cheese and bacon stuffing was noticeable but not overpowering. The veggies on top were fresh and the roasted garlic aioli sauce was a great complement to the taste of the burger. The bun was also very good - Brewery Creek has a bakery in Madison make their burger buns for them. I still say that a good bun helps make a great burger.

However, the highlight of the meal had to be Cindy's sweet corn souffle. She took a bite and said, "Oh, my God! You've GOT to try a bite of this!" It was baked in a bowl with a flaky crust topping over the creamy sweet corn. And it was just outstanding. Here's a picture of Cindy with a big smile on her face enjoying a bite of the sweet corn souffle.

I was sort of stuffed after lunch - the pasty was very filling and really stuck to my bones. But our waitress came out and said that they had homemade desserts. When she said they had key lime pie, Cindy sort of lit up. She said, "We'll have a piece of the key lime pie with two forks." The key lime pie came with some whipped cream and drizzled raspberry sauce. It was good, but we've definitely had better.

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with Brewery Creek. Oh, the beer was a little flat, the pasty was sort of dried out, and the key lime pie was average, at best. But the burger was excellent and the sweet corn souffle was a grand slam home run. I'd really like to go back at some point and get a burger on my own at Brewery Creek and since it's just off the main road between the Quad Cities and Madison, I'm sure I'll have a chance to give one a try on one of my next trips up to Madison.

A Tourist in Chicago

Cindy and I went into Chicago for a late summer getaway and we decided on this trip we'd play tourists.  We'd never really done anything really touristy in the past - boat tours, riding the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier, checking out some things that we knew were there, but never bothered to stop and look at.  Actually, one time we did go to the Shedd Aquarium and it was pretty good.  But usually, the weather has been poor in the summer and very cold in the winter, so we've never had a time when the weather was perfect for us to go and do and see in Chicago.  That is, until a late August weekend earlier this past summer - the weather in Chicago was just perfect.

Now, I'm not big on tours where you're forced to be cooped up for more than a half-hour and chained to being there if things begin to get boring.  Call it attention-span deficiency, I guess.  When Cindy proposed taking an architectural boat tour of Chicago, I was a little apprehensive.  I knew Chicago pretty well, I thought I knew the history pretty well, I expected it to be something sort of ordinary and schlocky.  But this was Cindy's idea and she really wanted to do it.  So I decided to bite the bullet and go with her on this boat tour.  

Looking at the forecast in the coming days, it appeared we would have wonderful weather in Chicago during our time there.  I bought tickets in advance on-line from Wendella Boat Tours, located on the lower level at the Michigan Street bridge over the Chicago River (see map).  And when the day came when we were going on the boat, you couldn't ask for a better day - light winds, brilliant blue sky and temperatures in the 70's.  The boat tour would take us up the Chicago River and down the south fork for a bit, then back out to the lakefront and a trip up and down the shoreline of Lake Michigan.  

We took the 11 a.m. tour and the sun was high and bright in the sky when we took a seat on the upper deck of the boat.  We didn't even take into consideration that we were going to be out in the sun for 90 minutes and didn't put any sunblock on our faces (an oversight that we would regret the next morning).  Our tour guide was a man, I'm guessing in his late 50's or early 60's who was a Chicago native and reminded me of the actor Brian Dennahy.  

The boat tour started out going west on the Chicago River and past the Trump Tower (below left), past the twin towers at Marina City (below center), then past the Merchandise Mart.  The guy giving the tour, Bob, was pretty good at pointing out some of the buildings, their architectural style and giving a brief history of each of the buildings along the way.  

Now, I like to think I know Chicago by the back of my hand - and I probably do when it comes to getting around the downtown area pretty easily.  But it dawned on me about 10 minutes into the boat tour that even though I had heard of and been past many of the buildings downtown, I had no idea as to the historical significance of many of the tall buildings that I literally take for granted.  

After taking a jog down the south fork of the Chicago River, going past buildings that housed the Lyric Opera, Union Station, and Boeing, we did a 180 degree turn in front of the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower (above right).  (I, like many others in Chicago, still refer to it as the Sears Tower.)  Bob was pretty interesting to listen to and I was beginning to enjoy myself just lounging back in the sun and listening to his narrative.

Heading back east and out toward the lake, another thing that I didn't know - the Chicago River and Lake Michigan are separated by a lock system.  The lake is two feet higher than the river and we had to sit for about 10 minutes while we were in the lock as water was pumped in from Lake Michigan to allow us to reach the height of the lake.  I always thought that the river flowed unimpeded into the lake.  

Out on the lakefront, it was just beautiful.  There was hardly a cloud in the sky, there was little to no breeze and the lake was almost as smooth as glass.  And I got a look at the Chicago skyline like I had never seen it before with my own two eyes.  We went north past Navy Pier, turned around and then went south a ways before heading back into the Chicago River lock system, then pulled up to where we started and got off.  

I've got to say that while I was overly apprehensive that I could thoroughly enjoy myself on a boat tour like this, the 90 minute tour was well worth the money (about $25 each).  So much so, that I told Cindy I wouldn't mind going on it again.  She was amazed.  "Really?  I'd like to do it again, too!"  But we both agreed that it would be hard to find a day to do it that duplicated the weather conditions of that particular day.  

After the boat tour, we caught a taxi that took us out to Navy Pier.  Cindy has always wanted to ride the Ferris wheel at the Pier and I had decided to do whatever her heart desired during our trip to Chicago.  This was our summer "getaway" as we lost out on a trip to Michigan when the money we had saved up to go had to go toward our new furnace and air conditioner.  

We'd been to Navy Pier before and I thought it to be a tourist trap of the highest quotient.  I wasn't particularly keen on hanging out at the Pier for any amount of time, but with the weather so beautiful, it was a perfect day to do so.  Actually, it had been years since we'd been out there and they had taken a lot of the schlocky tourist trap stores and venues out of the place.  It was sort of enjoyable to walk around the place to see what was new.  

The line to get on to the Ferris wheel was not long and the only touristy thing about it was that they took your picture before you got on, then if you wanted a copy of the picture, they'd charge you $14 bucks (I think it was).  We definitely didn't do that.

Now, Cindy is deathly afraid of heights and I wondered why in the world she wanted to go on the Ferris wheel when she sat there so stone rigid during the slow trip up, around and down. The Ferris wheel at Navy Pier is 150 feet high at its apex and it takes 7 minutes to travel one full revolution.  One thing I didn't know is that the Ferris wheel is open year round (except Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as when there's inclement weather).  I wondered how cold it could really get in the dead of winter along the lakefront and to be up in that thing.  But it did afford some pretty nice views of the Chicago skyline and looking out toward Lake Michigan and the pier complex.

After getting off the Ferris wheel, we took a perimeter walk around the outside of Navy Pier. Even though school had started up for many kids (it seems school started abnormally early this year for many school districts), there was still an abundance of families at Navy Pier that particular day.  Still, it wasn't overly packed and the kids weren't such a nuisance.

We took a cab to go get a late lunch, then back to our hotel to rest up for our evening activities.  One thing I wanted to do was since it was so beautiful out I wanted to go up to the Sears Tower, whoops!  The Wilis Tower and go to their observation deck.  We've tried to get up there on a couple of occasions in the past, but it was either closed for maintenance, or the winds were too high and they had it closed down.  Once again, Cindy's fright of heights came into play and she said, "We'll see..."  Or in our family parlance, that usually means, "No way!"  

After a walk up the Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue on a beautiful evening, then dinner at Gaylord (look for an upcoming Road Tips entry on that visit), we took a cab down to Grant Park to see Buckingham Fountain.  The cab driver didn't understand us very well and let us out on Michigan Ave. rather than taking us to the side streets by the fountain.  We had a healthy five minute walk to the fountain.  And we walked rather briskly as it was getting close to 10 p.m. and we weren't certain when the fountain shut off for the day.  (For the record, Buckingham Fountain runs from 8 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. during the non-freezing seasons.)

Now, this is one thing that I've always wanted to do - go to Buckingham Fountain at night.  The other times we've been in for Chicago getaways, it's usually the dead of winter around Cindy's birthday, or the weather has been cold or rainy (usually both!) in the summer.  The beautiful day had transformed into a beautiful night and there was a number of people doing the same thing we were - hanging out at the fountain and taking pictures.  With the changing kaleidoscope of colors from the lights in the fountain, and the beautifully lit Chicago skyline in the background, Buckingham Fountain at night didn't disappoint.  We wandered around the fountain for about 45 minutes, taking pictures and just staring at the ever changing light and water show in front of us.  I can't believe in all the years I've been going to Chicago I'd never been up close to Buckingham Fountain at night.  

After a brief thought about going up to the Sears Tower (Dammit!  There I go again - the WILLIS tower) for a look-see on the observation deck, we both thought it was best that we go back to the hotel as we were both beat and sun-burned from our day outside.  Chicago is such a world class city that sometimes we take for granted how beautiful and interesting it really is.  It was kind of nice to just slow down for a day, take in some of the sights and learn more about a city that I really thought I knew pretty well.  But at the end of the day I realized that in all my years of traveling to Chicago I had probably only scratched the surface of completely knowing what the city has to offer.

An Update to Nick's Hamburger Shop - Brookings, SD

 

I was driving between Fargo and Sioux Falls recently and had the chance to stop back into Nick's Hamburger Shop in Brookings, SD.  The following is the original post on Road Tips about the place, followed by an update on the "new" Nick's - 

Honestly, I don't know who it was who originally told me about Nick's Hamburger Shop in Brookings, SD.  All I know is that Nick's is literally a statewide institution in South Dakota.  And it was billed as a must-visit.  I was driving between Fargo and Sioux Falls last fall and I had time to stop in to Nick's to try a Nickburger. 

Nick's Hamburger Shop has a long and storied history.  In 1929, Gladys and Harold Nikalson (right) opened the door to their little 20-seat hamburger shop in downtown Brookings.  The method of cooking their burgers was called "tank-frying".  It's similar to the style that 2 Mits Burgers in Elkader, IA uses to cook their burgers - cooking them on a grill with water. 

The Nickburgers were a huge hit with the townspeople and the students at South Dakota State University located just blocks from the downtown area in Brookings.  The burgers were five cents each for the first 12 years Nick's was in existence, and people would pay for their burgers by placing coins in a tin can on the front counter as there was no cash register at Nick's.

When Nick went off to World War II, his son, Nick, Jr., began his career at Nick's Hamburger Shop.  Nick, Jr. eventually took over for his parents in 1947 and began to take Nick's to new levels of success.  Suddenly, business was booming as people would line up to buy Nickburgers by the sack full. 

In 1975, Nick, Jr. retired and he was bought out by Duane Larson, a long-time employee of Nick's.  Larson carried on the tradition of serving the Nickburgers on wax paper and selling them by the sack. 

When Larson was getting ready to retire in 2004, a local colorful character by the name of Dick Fergen bought Nick's.  Fergen was literally raised on Nickburgers as he was a native of Brookings and attended South Dakota State.  While Fergen says he has "big plans" for Nick's, he's committed to upholding the integrity of the burgers that have literally been the same since 1929. 

Many former students continue to come back to Nick's for a number of years long after they've graduated from SDSU.  For many people in South Dakota, Nick's Hamburger Shop is truly a destination.  In fact, Nick's is so famous, there is a book about the place (left). 

I got into Brookings around the noon hour and tried to make my way to the corner of 5th and Main in the downtown area (see map).  I was then surprised to see that Main Ave. was literally torn up, undergoing some major renovation and improvement.  I had to sort of find my way around the construction and was able to park on 5th St. just on the north side of Nick's building. 

My second surprise came as I walked up to Nick's front door.  They were closed.  As I looked in the window, it appeared they were undergoing a massive renovation.  Then I noticed a small sign - they were open next door, albeit serving Nickburgers out of a small trailer in the empty lot next to the building on the south side.  They had a number of picnic tables set up and there was a good sized line of people at the order window, and a number of people milling about waiting for their finished burgers. 

(Update #1 - It turns out that the vacant lot next to Nick's has been there since 1985 when a fire destroyed a couple buildings next to Nick's.  Dick Fergen bought the lots, paved them over and put out picnic tables on the pavement.  In the late spring to early fall months, Fergen puts up a tent on the lot and lets people enjoy the burgers in the shade.

The trailer that Nick's was using during this visit is now used to cook burgers at events around southeastern South Dakota, as well as at South Dakota State football games.)

At the time, I didn't know Nickburgers were small - about the half the size of most hamburgers.  Only after reading about Nick's after I ate there, I then realized that's the reason why some people buy 'em by the sack.  

There isn't much on the menu at Nick's - burgers, chips, homemade pie, drinks and shakes.  You have your choice of a single or double hamburger, or a single or double cheeseburger.  I waited in line for a couple minutes, then ordered a double cheeseburger with everything.  I passed on Nick's famous homemade pickle relish, which uses the original recipe Harold Nikalson came up with in the 30's. 

As I waited for my Nickburger, more and more people began to come up to the small trailer to order burgers.  One was a family of four where the dad had been a former student at SDSU and he wanted to stop and treat his family to Nickburgers. 

After about 10 minutes, my double cheeseburger showed up at the window (you could tell I was a Nick's virgin as everyone else - including women - were getting two, three or four burgers).  I took a seat at one of the picnic tables and chomped into the double cheese Nickburger.  It was moist, flavorful, juicy - all the great adjectives that go with the taste of a very good burger. 

The double Nickburger didn't last long.  It was very, very good.  I wanted to get another one, but the line had now stretched 10 to 12 people deep, with a like number of people who were waiting for their burgers.  I thought, "No, I'll just head down the road and come back some other day.

And I will be back.  I need to eat in the new and improved Nick's at some point in the future.  The trip between Fargo and Sioux Falls is long and boring.  But a nice little short stop in Brookings to go to Nick's Hamburger Shop really breaks up the monotony. 

Update #2 - A lot of things have happened at Nick's since I was last there about three years ago.  First of all, they did get their renovation done and they are up and running in the new and improved burger joint.  The front door has moved from the northeast corner to the southeast corner.  There are new cabinets, counters and seating in Nick's Hamburger Shop, but they still serve the same old burgers - called the "Best in South Dakota" by USA Today in 2010.  

I had an appointment with a dealer in Sioux Falls one afternoon recently and I called him up when I was about an hour outside of the city to let him know I was on time.  He said, "Oh, man!  I've been meaning to call you.  I've got a couple of appointments outside of the office that popped up today and I won't be able to meet until after 5 p.m."

Since it was about 2:00 p.m. and I was coming up to the Brookings exit, I just decided to swing in and get a couple burgers from Nick's.  There were only a couple three people in the place when I got there, it was well past the lunch rush.  They still have their picnic tables with a large canopy tent in the courtyard next to Nick's.  And even though it was a nice day, I wanted to sit inside.

I ordered two double cheeseburgers with everything - ketchup, mustard, raw onions and pickles.  I sort of watched how the girl made the burgers.  They keep the made burgers in a warm bin, then when they're ordered they take them and put them on a flat grill to warm them up before serving.  

The burgers are served on wax paper - no plates, one ply napkins are available on the counter.  It's very no frills.  And they still don't have a fryer, so there's still no French fries at Nick's.

And the burgers were exactly has I remembered them - they aren't very big, so two double cheeseburgers are no problem even for the smallest of appetites.  The burgers were slathered in mustard with a little bit of ketchup (come to think of it, I'm not certain if ketchup was on them at all).  The onions were overly fresh and strong.  They tasted excellent with the burger.  The burgers, themselves, have a good flavor to them.  They've been making them the same way for over 80 years at Nick's and I'm sure their grill is well-seasoned by the hundreds of thousands - no, more probably the MILLIONS - of burgers that have been cooked on it over the years.  They are damn fine burgers.

In addition to getting named the best burger in South Dakota by USA Today and the renovation of the place, owner Dick Fergen was recently named the 2011 recipient of South Dakota's "Retailer of the Year".  Fergen was lauded for his enthusiastic community support, as well as his overall positive and energetic outlook on not only his business, but for life, in general.  There was a plaque prominently displayed on the wall at Nick's, along with a number of pictures and articles about the little burger joint over the years.  

I haven't had many burgers in the state of South Dakota, but I have to say they burgers at Nick's Hamburger Shop are very good.  If you ever find yourself in the Brookings area, it's worth a stop at Nick's.  And not only for the good burgers, but for the history and nostalgia, all of which keeps people coming back year after year. 

 

Colony Point Deli - Williamsburg, IA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mastro's Steakhouse - Chicago

Chicago has a number of world class steakhouses, some of the very finest you'll find anywhere.  When I've had people from Focal Loudspeakers who have traveled with me to Chicago, they always want a great steak.  When Focal's export manager, Jean-Philippe Fontaine, met me in Chicago a few weeks ago for a series of meetings, his first request was, "Can we get a steak tonight?"  We stayed downtown at the Hilton Garden Inn in the River North area (my favorite downtown Chicago hotel) and just down the street a block to the west is Mastro's Steakhouse, part of an upscale chain of steakhouses and restaurants based out of Southern California.  

Mastro's Steakhouse actually got their start in Scottsdale, AZ in 1999, but the lineage goes further back.  Dennis Mastro was the owner/proprietor of a popular Scottsdale restaurant called What's Your Beef.  It featured, naturally, steaks on the menu.  In 1991, Dennis Mastro and his son, Michael, opened Maloney's Tavern in Scottsdale.  Maloney's eventually grew to six locations in three states.  The family also started the Marco Polo Supper Club in the Scottsdale area - an upscale international restaurant that featured Chinese and Italian food, as well as imported lamb from New Zealand, seafood and steaks.  

The Mastro's then opened Cocomo Joe's, an American/Mexican food restaurant in the Phoenix area.  Michael Mastro then partnered with Scott Troilo and his father to open the first Mastro's Steakhouse, an upscale place that quickly became a favorite for people in the Valley of the Sun.  They opened their second Mastro's location in Beverly Hills in 2001.  Mastro's City Hall Steakhouse opened soon thereafter in Scottsdale, as did Mastro's Ocean Club, a high end seafood restaurant.  

In 2007, the Mastro's and Troilo sold their Mastro's restaurants to an investment group headed by Mark Levy of Chicago-based Levy Restaurants.  The new company - Mastro's Restaurants LLC based out of Southern California - began to expand with more Mastro's Steakhouses in Southern California and Las Vegas.  The Mastro's Steakhouse in Chicago opened in October 2010 with great fanfare and glowing reviews.  (The Maloney's Tavern locations, as well as the Marco Polo Supper Club restaurants were all shut down not long after Mastro's Restaurants LLC took over majority interest in the Mastro family of restaurants.  Cocomo Joe's is still open, however.)  

It was a hot summer evening when Jean-Philippe and I made the two minute walk down Grand to Dearborn Street and Mastro's (see map).  I had picked him up earlier at O'Hare Airport and I was casually dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a polo shirt.  Jean-Philippe had been in North America for a week and had lost his luggage somewhere between France and Canada.  He had to go buy a couple shirts to help him through his travels until he was able to have his bag catch up to him.  (It was eventually found in Seattle and forwarded back to Montreal.  But he didn't get it in time for his flight from Montreal to Brazil later that week.)  So, we weren't dressed up by any means.  

We went into Mastro's and asked if we could get a table for two.  The hostess said, "We can seat you in the lounge."  I thought it was sort of strange that she didn't offer to take us into the dining room until I saw a number of nicely dressed people in there on our way to the bar area.  I figured that the dining room must have some sort of dress code.  The lounge was nice, but not as elegant as the dining room (pictured right).

Jean-Phillipe and I were seated at a table on the wall opposite the large bar in the lounge.  The lighting was very subdued and I had trouble reading the menu.  Our server for the evening - Mary - greeted us and asked if we'd ever been to Mastro's before.  She proceeded to tell us about the restaurant and what they're famous for - aged steaks, primarily.  

Mary was very pleasant, in her mid-to-late 40's and probably said, "Thank you" more than any one person I've ever been around.  When she handed me the wine list, SHE said, "Thank you", like she was thanking me for taking it from her.  When she brought out a basket of bread and set it on the table, she said, "Thank you."  After each time she conversed with us, she ended it by saying, "Thank you", even when a "thank you" wasn't warranted.  I don't know if she was overly polite or laying it on thick to get a big tip.  

Mastro's in Chicago features a dozen different types of steak on their menu.  They have two sizes of filets, two sizes of bone-in filets, two sizes of Porterhouse steaks (including a "double-cut" 48 oz. Porterhouse), as well as ribeyes and strip steaks.  They also had chicken breasts, pork, lamb and veal chops, and seafood.  They also had an extensive list of appetizers and an equally large list of sides that you can order with your meal.  

The wine list at Mastro's was very impressive and actually rather reasonable.  I was able to find a 2007 Franciscan Cabernet for $54 bucks - pretty damn good for a high-end steakhouse in Chicago, I thought.  

It doesn't matter which European I've ever been around, when they come to America they want steak.  Dominic Baker, the former export manager for Focal, ate steak every night we traveled together about four years ago.  Even at an Italian restaurant in St. Louis, he ordered steak.  And the Europeans like their steak cooked rare.  Jean-Philippe was no exception.  He ordered the bone-in ribeye, a 22 oz. steak.  He also got a salad to tide him over.  

I got the 16 oz. Peppercorn New York Strip, rare.  I got a wedge salad and we ordered a side of Mastro's signature Lobster Mashed Potatoes.  One order was more than enough for both Jean-Philippe and I.  

The wedge salad I had was just outstanding.  Usually, restaurants will use processed bacon bits on their wedge salads.  Mastro's actually had chunks of real bacon on theirs.  The bleu cheese dressing was great and the lettuce was ice cold.  It was one of the best wedge salads I've ever had.  

By the time the steaks came out, I was ready.  I couldn't take a picture of my steak because it was so dark in there and the flash was so bright that it blurred the picture.  But take my word for it - the steak was just outstanding.  It was smothered in cracked black peppercorns and cooked to a perfect rare with a cool red center.  Jean-Philippe attacked his steak like it was his last meal.  He was in ecstasy.  "We just don't get beef like this in France," he said, echoing the exact words I heard from Dominic Baker in his previous trips with me.  

The only average thing about the meal was the lobster mashed potatoes.  They were OK, at best.  I mean, they weren't bad, but they didn't knock my socks off.  I knew I should have gotten the gorgonzola mac and cheese or the wasabi mashed potatoes.   

I had asked Mary if they had any ground horseradish to go with my steak.  She brought out a little bowl of horseradish and cautioned us that it was very hot.  She said, "I believe they call this Atomic Horseradish."  I immediately perked up when I heard that.

I said, "The same Atomic Horseradish that you get out in Las Vegas?"  She said she thought it was, but when I took a taste of it, there was no way it was the real Atomic Horseradish.  It didn't overwhelm me and clear out my sinuses the way Atomic Horseradish will do.  But, still, it went fine with the steaks.

After we finished our meal, Mary came over to tempt us with nearly a dozen different types of desserts they featured at Mastro's.  In addition to creme brulee, key lime pie, pecan pie ala mode, and something called chocolate sin cake, their signature dessert is a butter cake, served warm and drizzled with a sweet frosting.  I about came unglued when I saw that.  But I was so stuffed from the meal that I couldn't eat another thing.  

But during the meal, I was telling Jean-Phillipe about Templeton Rye, the Iowa-based rye whiskey that has become overly popular and hard to find.  I asked him if he wanted an after dinner scotch and he said, "Do you think this place would have that rye whiskey you talk about?"  We asked Mary and she said that they did, indeed, serve Templeton Rye at Mastro's.  Jean-Philippe suggested we retire to the bar proper for a Templeton Rye.     

The bar at Mastro's was well-stocked with liquors of all types.  It was also well-lit with a back light that offered a colorful kaleidoscope of lighting at the bar.  We both ordered a Templeton Rye, but when the bartender went to pour from the bottle there was - maybe - a little less than 2 oz. left in the bottle.  He poured a couple out for us into a glass - I took mine with a little ice.  Another bartender took off to the basement to fetch another bottle of Templeton Rye.  He came back about five minutes later and said, "Man, I was sweatin' this out.  I couldn't find any more, until I looked behind a couple other bottles.  This is the last one we have."  This time, the bartender gave us both a healthy shot of T-Rye.

Jean-Philippe loved the Templeton Rye.  He said, "My family were wine makers in France and this has a lot of the similar foundations.  It's somewhat earthy and very full in the taste."  He immediately understood why it was tough to get because it tasted so good.  I told him that I'd gind a bottle of Templeton Rye and bring it to Indianapolis for the annual CEDIA Expo in early September.  (I was able to find multiple places in the Chicagoland region that had Templeton Rye and not only did I get a bottle to take to Indy with me, but I also stocked up on T-Rye to make sure I had a good backstock going into the fall and winter months.)

 Everything I'd read and heard about Mastro's Steakhouse was that it was one of the finest steakhouses in Chicago.  After eating there, I can certainly attest to that.  The steaks were killer, the wedge salad I had was outstanding, and even though the lobster mashed potatoes weren't eye-poppingly great, they were still pretty good.  I certainly couldn't bitch about the price of a bottle of the Franciscan Cabernet, either.  The only thing that sort of took me aback was the price of two Templeton Rye's after dinner - $18 bucks each.  Ouch!   (But, then again, we had the first one one the house since it was the end of the bottle.)  Thankfully, Jean Philippe paid for the drinks after I picked up the check for dinner which was over $200 bucks after a nice tip for the overly polite Mary.  But in many ways it was worth it.  I can't recommend Mastro's enough for a high-end dining experience on a trip to Chicago when you want to splurge on a meal.  

Cannova's Pizzeria - Galena, IL

Thanks to our furnace and air conditioner getting replaced earlier this summer, the money that we had saved up for a vacation up to Michigan was used to pay for the down-payment on the new H/VAC system we had installed.  Instead, we took a week off and just didn't do much of anything.  But we did take a day trip up into Southwest Wisconsin and Northwest Illinois.  We stopped in Galena late in the afternoon on our way back home and decided to get some dinner at Cannova's Pizzeria, a little place that has a long history.

The original Cannova's was opened in Freeport, IL in 1921 by Sicilian immigrant Anthony Cannova.  Actually, the Cannova family ran a grocery store, but had a little pizza tavern in the back of the place.  Anthony ran the place for nearly 25 years before his son, Frank, took over the family business just after World War II.  Frank eventually closed down the grocery store part of Cannova's and focused upon just running his little pizza restaurant.  

The original Cannova's store with Anthony Cannova and two of his children.

Frank Cannova moved the pizzeria to Cannova's present day location on Empire Street in Freeport in 1964.  (See map)  Nearly 20 years later, he transferred controlling ownership over to his daughter, Linda Beckman, and her husband, Patrick.  The Beckman's later opened the Galena location in 1994, and a sister, Debbie Rasmus, and her husband, Kyle, opened a location in Neenah, WI in 2005.  And earlier this year, the Beckman's announced that they were looking to open a fourth Cannova's Pizzeria in Monroe, WI, about 25 miles north of Freeport.  I don't know if that place has opened yet.

I understand the menu at all the Cannova's locations is about the same.   All their restaurants use the same recipes for pizza and sauces that Anthony Cannova used when he opened his original pizza tavern 90 years ago. Cannova's Pizzeria features pizza and pasta dishes, as well as a Sicilian steak and an Italian seafood dish with shrimp.  

Many of the shops along North Main Street in Galena were beginning to shut down for the day when we got into town.  Cindy and I walked along the street doing some window shopping and stopping into the occasional store that would still be up open past 5 p.m. (and some stores weren't open at all on Tuesdays).  We had walked past Cannova's Pizzeria earlier (see map) and Cindy said, "Oh, this is the place that Marcia and I had eaten at when we came up to Galena that one day!"  Cindy said she had an outstanding muffaletta sandwich that was made with Cannova's homemade bread on her previous visit.  She told me that she always wanted to go back and try their pasta.  We decided to do just that.

In previous trips to Galena, I remember walking past Cannova's and seeing people eating their thin-crust pizza through the windows.  Although we had pizza on Sunday night, and were planning on having pizza in a couple nights with our niece in Chicago, I was up for getting a pizza at Cannova's.  

 We walked in around 6 p.m. and the restaurant was less than full of people who were eating early like we were that day.  Cannova's  is a small, narrow place with a lot of dark wood paneling and subdued lighting.  The large front windows allow for a lot of light to come in during the daylight hours, but it has a nice comfy and cozy feel to the place.  The only thing that makes the Galena location somewhat different from the Cannova's in Freeport is the lack of the signature grand piano that is played most nights by local musicians during the dinner hours.  

A very amiable, yet hulking waiter came over to greet us after we found an open table for two next to the wall.  He welcomed us to Cannova's in a soft and soothing voice that betrayed his 6'3" and over 250 pound size.  I ordered up a beer from the bar  and Cindy got a glass of wine as we looked over the menu.

Even though I was going to get pizza, I couldn't help but look over the rest of the menu to see if there could be anything that would change my mind.  The pasta dishes sounded wonderful including the meat filled (or cheese filled) tortellini that could be made with Anthony Cannova's original recipe alfredo sauce.  I'm a big fan of tortellini, especially meat filled tortellini as it's somewhat difficult to find restaurants that feature that type of pasta.  

Cindy was set on pasta and she decided to get a half-size portion of Fettuccine Alfredo.  Along with her fettuccine, she got a house salad with Cannova's homemade creamy Italian dressing.  I got the Sicilian pizza, a small, that featured fennel sausage, roasted garlic, pepperoni and a chunky tomato sauce.

Even before I tell you about the rest of the meal, the highlight of the whole evening was the homemade bread our waiter brought to our table along with Cindy's salad.  The bread was just outstanding, so much so that I was worried that I'd pig out just on the bread and wouldn't be able to enjoy my pizza.  The bread is made in Cannova's oven daily and placed on racks just outside the kitchen.  Individual loaves are then sliced and served as warranted.  I told the waiter, "Man, I can't stop eating this bread!  This is wonderful!"

He said, "I know."  He patted his somewhat ample stomach and said, "the bread can be addicting..."  And he gave out a hearty laugh.

Cooked in a brick oven at a high temperature, it didn't take long for my pizza to make it to the table.  Cut into triangle slices, it was swimming in garlic, pepperoni, sliced homemade sausage and large chunks of tomato sauce with fresh oregano all over the top.  Our waiter also brought fresh parmesan cheese in a bowl, along with fresh hot red pepper flakes alongside.  That was a very nice touch and a great alternative to having to use shakers to help accent the pizza.  

Not that the pizza needed any additional taste accent.  The Sicilian pizza was just outstanding.  However, the taste of the garlic was somewhat overpowering.  I couldn't taste any of the homemade fennel sausage on the pizza.  I finally picked off a chunk of sausage and popped it in my mouth.  "Oh, there's the taste," I exclaimed.  The sausage was great.  

Cindy's fettuccine alfredo was equally loaded with garlic and topped with fresh parsley.  She said, "Oh, my God!  This is some of the best fettuccine alfredo I've ever had!"  She offered me a bite after she took a slice of the pizza.  I have to say that the taste explosion in my mouth was almost overwhelming.  She was right, it was some of the best alfredo sauce I've ever had.  And I'm a sucker for a good alfredo sauce.  

Cindy was amazed at the size of the portion of fettuccine alfredo that she got.  "Boy, I'd hate to see what a full order of fettuccine looked like," as she struggled to finish all the pasta in the bowl.  

I too, was having trouble finishing off a small pizza at Cannova's.  The waiter came around and asked if I needed a box for the remaining five or six slices.  I said, "I had so much bread that I knew if I didn't stop eating that I wouldn't be hungry for my pizza.  You're right, that bread IS addictive!"  

He laughed and said, "I'm tellin' you.  You can't believe how many people gorge on the bread before their meal and are absolutely stuffed halfway through their main entree."  

Our waiter brought back the pizza in a to-go box and had wrapped an additional five or six slices of their homemade bread and placed them on top of the pizza box.  "I figured that you'd like to have some more at home with your pizza."  I about kissed him.

Then he asked if we would be interested in any dessert - cheesecake, tiramisu, spumoni.  I howled in protest because I was so full.  Cindy asked him if their tiramisu was homemade.  "Made fresh every day in our kitchen," he replied.  So Cindy ordered a piece with two forks.  And I have to say that even though I was stuffed, the tiramisu didn't go to waste.  It was a little dried out, but still delectable enough that were able to finish the whole generous slice he brought out.  

 We loved everything about Cannova's Pizzeria in  Galena.  The food was excellent, the service above par, the atmosphere was relaxing, the bread was...  Good God, the bread was worth the price of admission, alone! (Although a day later, it had dried out even though we put it in a ziploc baggie.  But it was still good for toast!)  Every day, I lament not having any really great Italian restaurants in the Quad Cities and I really wish the Beckman's would one day consider bringing their great menu to the area.  Until then, we'll just have to make the hour and 20 minute drive up to Galena to get a great pizza and some great pasta at Cannova's.  

 

The Stock-Yard Restaurant - Nashville, TN

On our final night in Nashville, Brian from Lauten Audio was going to take my colleague, Ian, and me out for another dinner.  After looking up the name of the place he was proposing - Wild Bill's Cajun Cafe - we found that most of the food was deep friend Southern-style food.  I don't like to go hog wild with deep fried food and it appeared that nearly everything on the menu was deep fried.  Ian made an executive decision and said, "You know, Brian took us out the last couple of nights.  We should take him out tonight."  And Ian knew exactly where he wanted to go - the Stock-Yard Restaurant, an elegant steak house north of the downtown area of Nashville.

Ian had eaten at the Stock-Yard in the past and said it was well above average for steaks.  Well, this would be the fourth night in a row that I was having steak and I was getting a tad burned out on eating more beef.  But Ian assured me that this would be on par or even above Merchants Restaurant or The Capitol Grill, two of the previous steak houses that we'd eaten at that week.  

The Stock-Yard Restaurant is located in what was the old stockyard area of Nashville (see map).  The building the restaurant is housed in opened in 1924 as the main office for the Nashville stockyards.  The ornate building featured Italian marble and cherry wood in the main entrance area - the same as it is today.  The Nashville stockyards was the main distribution point for cattle, sheep, hogs, horses and mules for most of Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky.  Cattlemen and pig farmers would come to the stockyards to sell their stock, but the main building for the stockyards was a luxurious destination for those men, as well.  The main floor featured a saloon, a barber shop, a private gambling club, as well as a bank and a Western Union office.  Offices were on the second floor of the restaurant, while the lower level was the area where farm animals were auctioned off.  

For fifty years, the Nashville stockyards were an important cog in moving cattle and hogs in the Southeast.  But as transportation and distribution hubs improved in the second part of the century, it became apparent that the Nashville stockyards were no longer needed.  The stockyards eventually closed in 1974.

In 1979, the building reopened as a beautiful restaurant under the ownership of William D. "Buddy" Killen.  If you're familiar with the music scene in Nashville in the 50's, 60's and 70's, there's a good chance you've heard the name of Buddy Killen.  I had not and I was somewhat surprised to find out that he was a famous music publisher, songwriter, producer and musician who had worked with performers such as Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Roger Miller and Joe Tex.  

Buddy Killen started out playing bass in a comedic group at the Grand Ole Opry.  He worked as a session musician and songwriter in the 50's.  He became involved with Tree Publishing which published songs that became country classics such as "Green Green Grass of Home", "Dang Me" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E".  One other famous song that Tree Publishing published was "Heartbreak Hotel" which, of course, became a platinum selling hit for Elvis Presley.  Killen was solely responsible for bringing that song to Tree Publishing. 

Killen eventually became the owner of Tree Publishing in the 70's, growing it into the largest publishing house in the world with 13 offices worldwide.  Sony/CBS bought out Tree Publishing in 1989 and Killen started a new company - The Killen Music Group - that published and recorded a diverse list of musical acts from country to rap to contemporary Christian music.  Unfortunately, Killen died in 2006 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 73. 

 Killen's vision for the Stock-Yard Restaurant was to bring back some of the old time flair to Nashville.  Killen used three levels of the restaurant for dining areas and brought back the old time bar area.  The old shops on the main floor became dining rooms.  The offices on the upper floor became large banquet rooms (pictured right) and the lower level where the auctions were held became private dining and banquet areas.  A few years before Killen passed away, he sold his interest in the Stock-Yard to Charles Patel.

Being that the Stock-Yard Restaurant is only about a block away from the Cumberland River, the bottom level suffered severe damage during the great Nashville Flood of 2010.  We were told the downstairs area is still not fully cleaned up and renovated yet, but they hoped to have it reopened by the end of the summer.    

One of the great things about the Stock-Yard restaurant is that they offer free shuttle service between the restaurant and downtown hotels.  Ian said that he had taken advantage of that in the past and suggested we do the same.  I called over to the restaurant and made reservations for three at 6:30 that evening with a shuttle van to come pick us up at our hotel at 6:15.  Brian met us at the hotel and we hopped in a Stock-Yard van for a short ride to the restaurant.  Ample parking is available around the restaurant if you wish to drive, but having a van come to our hotel to pick us up and take us back was too good to pass up.

After checking in with the hostess at the front, we were taken down a long hallway on the main floor to a dining room back in the southwest corner of the building.  The room we were in was probably an office of some sort years ago as it only had room for about five tables with four chairs each.  Two other parties were in the room dining at the same time.   

Our waiter came to the table to drop off menus and to introduce himself.  For some reason, I could have sworn he said his name was Isaac, but according to the name on the bill, his name was Steven.  Either way, Isaac/Steven was the guy who was going to take care of us that night.  

Steak rules the menu at the Stock-Yard Restaurant.  They specially cut their steaks, age them, then cook them over hickory charcoal for that great flavor.  They had 11 different types of steaks to choose from on the menu (12, if you count the special they had that evening - a 16 oz. barrel cut filet).  The restaurant also features a number of seafood entrees as well as chicken dishes and pork chops.  

Ian looked through the extensive wine list and found a nice French wine that he thought we'd like.  He ordered that up from Isaac, I mean, Steven, and then we were ready to order dinner.

I had been looking hard at the Filet Mignon au Poivre - a 10 oz. filet rolled in peppercorns and topped with a  creamy madeira sauce infused with mushrooms.  I asked Steven if there was a way that I could get the madeira/mushroom sauce with the 16 oz. barrel cut special they had that night.  He said, "Absolutely, sir!"  I ordered that rare.  

Well, that got Ian thinking, as well.  He said, "I'm intrigued by this barrel cut steak, too.  What exactly is a barrel cut?"

Steven explained that it was a nearly round cut that they have from the tenderloin, taking most of the outer layer off the meat to make it look like a little barrel of steak.  They had a 10 oz. barrel cut on the menu, but the 16 oz. was the special that evening.  Ian ordered that with the au Poivre sauce and got his medium-rare.  

Not to upset the apple cart, Brian also ordered the 16 oz. barrel cut with the au Poivre sauce.  "Not to be a copy cat, guys," he apologized.  "But that just sounds damn good!"  

For starters, we ordered some of the calamari and an order of escargot in a garlic butter sauce with homemade croutons.  I wanted a salad with that, so I ordered the iceberg wedge salad.  Ian ordered up a Caesar Salad and Brian passed on the greens, concentrating only on the seafood appetizers.  A number of large sides are available with the dinners including mac and cheese, sauteed mushrooms, 1 lb. loaded baked potatoes (that could probably feed three people), creamy spinach with crispy shallots, and asparagus with a hollandaise sauce.  We settled on two sides - the sauteed green beans with red peppers, and their famous five cheese potatoes au gratin.  We were set.  

The appetizers came out and the escargot was extraordinarily great.  The butter garlic sauce was just so sinfully good that I was taking some of the homemade bread that Steven brought to the table and was soaking up the sauce from the serving bowl.  The calamari was excellent, as well.  I usually like to dip my calamari in some marinara sauce, but it was so good on its own that it didn't need anything to go with it.

My iceberg wedge came out next.  It was a large wedge of lettuce topped with large chunks of hickory smoked bacon, and a creamy bleu cheese dressing with large chunks of bleu cheese.  It was also excellent.  

By now, you've probably noticed that I don't have any pictures of the food.  The room was very dark and the only way that I could get a shot of the food was if I used my flash on my camera phone.  The only problem was that it was too bright for good shots, and it disturbed people sitting around us.  I thought I'd just do my best in trying to describe what I was eating that evening.  

After a bit, our steaks came to the table.  The steaks were coated with a thick layer of cracked black peppercorns and swimming in the creamy madeira sauce with large chunks of fresh mushrooms.  Now I wish I would have gotten a picture of my steak because it looked great.  And it tasted even better.  The center of my steak was a cool red and tender as all get out.  The peppercorns gave the steak a nice zippy taste and the sauce and mushrooms were an excellent taste combo with the beef.  It was just an excellent, excellent steak.

I also have to say the sides were very good, too.  I like sauteed green beans and the ones at the Stock-Yard Restaurant were top notch.  They were fully cooked, yet still had that little "snap" to them when you bit in.  And the 5 cheese potatoes au gratin - oh man!  Those things were so great, but - oh! - so rich.  I could only eat a couple bites of the potatoes or I would have blown up.  

I didn't think that I could eat another bite until Steven showed up with the dessert tray.  I about got up and punched him.  Between the appetizers, the wedge salad, the 16 oz. steak WITH the madeira sauce and mushrooms, and the bites of the green beans and the potatoes au gratin, I was stuffed.  However, Ian kept hounding me, knowing my penchant for a good Key Lime pie.  He kept egging me on and I kept saying, "No!"  Finally, he ordered a piece of the Key Lime pie fully knowing that I'd have a couple bites, and a piece of the Southern pecan pie.  Brian wanted the pecan pie more than the Key Lime slice.  And since it was still rather early - around 8:30 - I ordered an espresso, something I rarely get.  I don't drink coffee or many caffeinated beverages any longer, but I do like an espresso or cappuccino from time to time after a good meal.  But if its too late it keeps me up from the caffeine buzz.

I did have a couple bites of the Key Lime pie and it was, also, very good.  And, of course, very rich.  I just wanted to stop and burst on the spot.  

When we were finished with the meal, Steven arranged for transportation back to our hotel.  We were talking with the driver on the way back and I asked him about the free transportation the Stock-Yard provides.  He said, "We started doing it a few years ago when some of the big name national steak houses (Morton's, Ruth's Chris, The Palm) came to town.  They are all downtown and it's sort of a walk from there to here.  So we provide the free shuttle service.  It really helps our business."   

Ian remarked, "Yeah, and you can drink a lot and not have to worry about driving."

The shuttle driver exclaimed, "That, too!  I seem to take a lot of drunk people back to the hotels after dinner."  

We ate at some very fine steak houses during our time in Nashville and it would be difficult to say which one of the three good ones were the best out of Merchants, The Capitol Grill or the Stock-Yard Restaurant.  Each had excellent food.  They all had great wine lists.  The service was top notch.  But for some reason, I liked the Stock-Yard the best for the overall quality of appetizers, salad and steaks.  The service was also top-notch.  It was off the beaten path, but was a great find on Ian's part.  I don't know when we'll be back to Nashville, but if we're there for more than a couple days, the Stock-Yard has to be high on the list to return to.  (Photo courtesy of infousa.com) 

(Update - At the end of June in 2015, the Stock-Yard closed after the building was bought by some developers from North Carolina who planned on turning the 3.3 acres the restaurant and surrounding land sat into high-end apartments and condos.)