Bring on the Bell’s.
May 15, 2009 at 3:39 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
I was recently heartened to learn that Illinois once again has access to the malty, hoppy nectar of the gods that is Bell’s beer. No longer must you cross state lines in search of your Oberon or Double Cream Stout, Illinoisians. For that I salute you… and am starting to think moving back to Chicago might not be such a bad idea.
But I love San Francisco. Even with the ridiculously high rents, the permafog and the crazy old ladies carrying live chickens in brown paper bags on the bus, there are very few things that could tear me away.
And Bell’s is that good. Yes, it’s so good that anytime I go back to the midwest, I take an extra suitcase to fill with 6-packs. And I always end up trying to sneak past with a bag that’s over the allowable luggage weight, so I’ve learned to force my mother to park at the airport and accompany me to the check-in counter – in the event that I need to sacrifice a few bottles from the overstuffed, oversized suitcase to make it on the flight, I know that they’ll find a good home.
So now that Bell’s has made it back to Illinois, I’ll no longer need to abscond with my mother’s car to drive in a blizzard over to Indiana and pick up my annual stash replenishment… but I’ll still be forced to hoard my stash, parceling out bottles to those I deem worthy of the rich brown elixr throughout the year.
So, in the spirit vested in me by the news of Bell’s return to Illinois, I entreat you to join me in finding a way to bring the Third Coast to the West Coast – let’s get some Bell’s Beer in our local bars and spirits retailers. And let me walk down the street to pick up a six-pack of Bell’s Amber instead of traveling halfway across the country to replenish my ever-dwindling stash.
Are you in?
Drop-dead gorgeous, Martini FAIL.
January 3, 2008 at 5:30 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
Jason’s At Gray’s Mill
211 N River St
Montgomery, IL 60538
(630) 801-1492
We all know those people who are absolutely drop-dead gorgeous from a distance, but when you get up close there’s just something missing… a tooth… intelligence… knowing how to pour a drink?
Jason’s is located in a gorgeous old stone building with a nice, historic interior, but at the bar, they served the WORST chocolate martini I’ve ever consumed (and before I learned the way of the gin and tonic, I consumed a lot of them). In the far western suburbs, for $8, I expect better than bottom shelf vodka. I expect to taste some chocolaty goodness. I DO NOT EXPECT HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE SYRUP IN MY CHOCOLATE MARTINI.
And when I complain to the bartender, I expect you to make me a replacement sans the abrasive taste of the mass-produced chocolate syrup drizzled in the glass. I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO TELL ME “WELL, THAT’S HOW WE MAKE THEM.”
Yes, the building is historic and beautifully maintained, and I’m sure it’s quite possible that the food is good, especially in comparison to other dining establishments in the area (e.g., Select Restaurant). But in my book, the arrogance of the bartender upon serving a vile drink combined with the “music” featured on a Saturday night (a bunch of high school kids having what sounded like a band rehearsal accompanied by the squealing glee of their girlfriends*) does not a classy experience make.
*Yes, they were indeed high schoolers. I knew one of their brothers.
Garden of the Gods
September 8, 2007 at 2:01 pm Filed in:Travel No Comments
Thousands of acres of old growth forests.
A mountain range and majestic sandstone bluff formations.
In Illinois?
Garden of the Gods is in the southernmost part of the state, a region rich with geologic history – about 320 million years ago, much of the state of Illinois was beachfront property, replete with reefs along the coastline and all form of marine organisms that later produced massive sandstone formations. When the glaciers melted, it caused all sorts of trouble for the exposed sandstone mountain range known as the Shawnee Hills, producing the bizarre formations known as Devil’s Smokestack, Anvil Rock, and Camel Rock, amongst others.
Fast forward 319.999999 million years…. much of the area surrounding the Garden of the Gods, including much of the land now known as the Shawnee National Forest was degraded by erosion after the land was cleared for farming. Yet remarkably, largely as the result of unfavorable topology and partly as the result of the designation of the region as first a National Forest under FDR and it’s subsequent designation as a wilderness area, Garden of the Gods has been largely untouched by human hands… at least more so than in most other parts of the state.
And I can’t even fathom how beautiful the foliage is in autumn.
The car-accessible Pharaoh campground is perched atop the cliffs, and a two minute walk to a fantastic vista of the entire valley. And did I mention: $5 a night? But be forewarned, there are only 12 campsites, and it’s first come-first serve, no reservations accepted. If you’re more adventurous than my ex, back-country camping is permitted as well.
This ain’t no sanitized KOA campground, though: ticks and copperheads can be found in the area, and due to the elevation of the forested campsites, the probability of summertime thunderstorms must be taken into consideration when planning your trip.
Yeah, it’s about a 7 hour drive from Chicago. But aside from my parents’ backyard, it’s the best place I’ve found to go hiking and camping in the great state of Illinois. You say you like camping, and you can pack out what you packed in? Get your ass down to Garden of the Gods. Otherwise, there’s always a site for you here.
Random acts of deliciousness
April 1, 2007 at 1:06 pm Filed in:food&drink No Comments
Who would ever have imagined, a little taqueria inside a grocery store in the midwest would serve up such crispy, juicy, perfectly seasoned chunks of meat fresh off the grill… wrapped in fresh tortillas, topped with cebollitas and cilantro, side of rice and beans… and near-perfect salsa verde that makes your lips tingle gently for hours afterward.
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 851-7777
The carne asada at Casa Blanca was the final straw that permanently turned me after 14 years of being a vegetarian. But sadly, to this date, I still haven’t found any better.