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Tasty Tuesday–August the Mansion

To celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, Ryan and I went out to dinner at August the Mansion in O’Fallon, IL. It’s a really cool restaurant located in the oldest home in O’Fallon…it was built in 1857!

The interior contains lots of small dining areas with cool details like stained glass, chandeliers, and fireplaces:

We started with whipped brie and caulifower “wings.” The brie came with a lovely rosemary bread and had a pepper peach jam and honeycomb mixed in. The cauliflower (a happy accident that was delivered to our table by mistake), had a maple sesame glaze and was served with a wasabi mayonnaise. Both were outstanding!

They had an extensive drink menu of wine, beer, and cocktails, but what impressed me was the large selection of mocktails (some with clever names like the “Nojito”), they offer. I tried the “Tropical Pink Fizz,” and it was exactly what I expected!

For the main course, Ryan ordered the “Manion Burger,” which has an excellent bacon jam and came with really outstanding shoestring fries. We were a little suprised that they didn’t ask how he wanted it done, but he was happy with how they prepared it. I had the halibut, which came with a lovely fennel slaw and rice pilaf. The lemon beurre blanc really made the dish extra special…I only wish there had been a little more of it!

And because they knew it was our anniversary, they brought out a piece of turtle cheesecake for us to share for dessert!

I love a restaurant in an unusual location!

This was a really fun and unique dining experience, and I’d love to go back someday!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Three

We’ve had another pair of Route 66 dinners in the last week!

First, I made “Bang Bang Burgers” from The Route 66 Cookbook like they serve at Hoppers Pub in . Waynesville, MO. The Bang Bang Sauce was amazing, and an onion ring is a great topper for a burger!

For dessert we had “Butter Spritz Cookies” like they serve at Jubelt’s Bakery and Restaurant, a Route 66 stop a little closer to home in Litchfield, IL.

Next up was a German feast…all items I’ve made before, but with new twists from The Route 66 Cookbook. The main course “Pork Wiener Schnitzel” like they serve at Westside Lilo’s in Seligman, AZ. It was very similar to how I usually make schnitzel, but with lemon pepper added to the breading…I will definitely be using that tip from now on!

To go with the schnitzel, I made Späetzle like they serve at the Rock Cafe in Stroud, OK. I make Späetzle A LOT, but this recipe was very different from what we’re used to. It was still good, and it’s nice to have another option!

I kept the German theme going with dessert, and the recipe for apple strudel was from a restaurant near and dear to my heart…The Berghoff in Chicago. I’ve never made strudel with phyllo dough before…it was light and lovely and the recipe is a definite keeper!

I already have a few more meals planned for our culinary journey down Route 66!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Two

We had two Route 66 dinners and desserts from The Route 66 Cookbook in the last week!

For the second dinner of our Route 66 Summer I made the Super Burger from the Western View Diner & Steakhouse in Albuquerque, NM. What really set the burger apart is the green chile sauce served on top! Also, this was the first time I made the hamburger patties myself instead of just buying frozen ones, and I’m pretty sure my family is never going to let me go back!

And is there a more classic Route 66 dessert than a malt? The recipe for the most chocolatey malt ever (and I’ve made chocolate malts pretty often in the past!) was from the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in South Pasadena…so delicious!

Our third dinner featured Goulash from the Streetcar Station Coffee Shop in Galena, KS. And when I say goulash, I mean the American kind, made with chili seasonings and macaroni. It was tasty, but confusing because we’re used to Hungarian goulash!

For dessert we had a classic Egg Cream like they serve at the Monarch Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in Baxter Spring, KS. Again, confusing, because there is neither egg nor cream in this chocolate soda, but again, super tasty!

We’re looking forward to more culinary travels down Route 66!

A Brief Getaway to the North–Day Three

On the third day of our trip, we set out to see as many things as possible, beginning with the Cathedral of St. Paul in…well, St. Paul! The skyline of the Minnesota state capital is smaller than that of Minneapolis, but I still enjoyed seeing it, and there was something charming and cozy about the city that I really enjoyed!

The cathedral was absolutely stunning…it reminded me of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis in some ways, and was very different in others.

After we toured the whole cathedral, we drove by the Capitol Building:

And then made our way back to Minneapolis, where we found a good view of the skyline:

And a local landmark, the Witch’s Hat Water Tower:

I really wanted to see the Northwestern National Life Building, which is absolutely mid-century marvelous!

We drove around a bit more, and saw the flagship Target store and the Mary Tyler Moore statue, but it was so busy downtown we couldn’t find parking to get out anywhere. Then we stopped at the Basilica of St. Mary. It wasn’t open for tours, but we did walk all the way around it, and it too is a grand and beautiful building.

We stopped by Lyndale Park where we saw some lovely fountains and flowers:

And enjoyed a meal with friends at D-Spot. I had a burger with cheese curds on it, and there were wings with lavender…such brilliant and unexpected culinary offerings!

One more stop at Caribou:

And then a little excitement back at the hotel. Just as Ryan, Turkey, and Ladybug were ready to leave to see the Sonic Symphony at the Orpheum Theatre (the main reason we chose Minneapolis as the destination for our trip), the power went out, and then the fire alarm went off. There were rumors of flames, and I did smell smoke, but in the end, they allowed us to return to our rooms, and the power came back on not too long after. It was a weird time, with a wedding party in full dress and various motorcycle clubs standing around the parking lot (the two main groups staying at the hotel that weekend), and later on the balconies of the hotel, but there was a nice sense of community about the whole thing…I just wish our room hadn’t been on the 7th floor, because that was a lot of flights to climb down in the mostly dark (and then back up again…we didn’t trust the elevator while the power was out, even though it was operating!).

Anyway, they made it to their concert in the middle of the hotel chaos, and I’m told a good time was had by all.

Up next: An early start for a long drive home!

Tasty Tuesday–C and C Food for Your Soul

I always love trying out a local restaurant. Way back before the pandemic hit (can you remember a time pre-pandemic?!?), I read about C and C Food for Your Soul in our local paper, and I knew that a restaurant that advertised fresh-made comfort food was a place I wanted to try. And then time lost all meaning, and for a while, I forgot that there were places outside of our house. But Ryan recently happened upon the restaurant’s Facebook page, and I finally remembered that I really wanted to try it out, so on Sunday, he picked up lunch. I got the mojo burger and fries and he had the meatloaf with mac & cheese and deep-fried corn on the cob (yes, you read that right).

The burger was excellent. It had the best qualities of both a smash burger and a thick burger…crispy edges, but still pink inside. It was served on Texas toast, which was different for me, and I really liked the pairing. I also enjoyed that the burger was topped with different lettuces, which was a nice change from the usual piece of iceberg (not my favorite member of the lettuce family). Ryan equally enjoyed his meal…he said the meatloaf was wonderfully BBQ-y, and the piece was big enough for two meals (helpful information when we place an order for a meal for the whole family in the future!). He also loved the sides, especially the corn on the cob. I’ve been told the staff at the restaurant is also excellent, and very friendly…I’m looking forward to going in there myself eventually!

I’m really glad that this relatively new place is hanging on through the pandemic, and I’m looking forward to trying out more items on the menu (I’m really interested in their desserts!), and seeing what other specials they have in the future!

Tasty Tuesday–Gerard’s 1907 Tavern

We were in Bowling Green, KY, for my birthday last month, a town with restaurants that are mostly unfamiliar to me. I knew I wanted to try something different, so after some Googling, I found Gerard’s 1907 Tavern, which is located in a historic building right by Fountain Square Park, and just down the hill from Western Kentucky University. It turned out to be a great choice!

Both the outside and the inside of the building look really cool. I love the exposed brick, the light fixtures, and the ceiling beams…but I especially love the sense of history in the place!

The food was excellent. Since it was my birthday, we splurged a bit. We tried an appetizer of fried pickles and jalapeños with a homemade buttermilk sauce. They were delicious, and some of the jalapeños were amazingly spicy (for me, anyway…Ryan was unfazed). We also got drinks. Ryan had an old-fashioned (he approved), and I had a Paloma, which was quite tasty. We both ordered sandwiches for our entrées. Ryan had the Cuban, which he said was prepared just right, and I had the GT burger, which was topped with Henry Bain sauce, gouda, slaw, and tobacco onions. The burger wasn’t as rare as I prefer (unless I’m at Seamus, it never is), but the meat was good, and I loved the combination of toppings. We both had the hand-cut fries on the side, and they came with a great roasted red pepper ketchup.

I’m really glad we had the opportunity to try someplace new, and were rewarded with a great meal in the process!

Tasty Tuesday–Llywelyn’s Pub

It occurred to me recently that even though we’ve eaten at two different Llywelyn’s Pub locations (St. Charles and Webster Groves), on several different occasions, I never actually wrote a restaurant review. So even though I haven’t been there lately, here’s a look at one of our favorite St. Louis area pubs!

There are nine Llywelyn’s locations, and like I said, we’ve only been to two of them. I can’t imagine any of them having a better atmosphere than the St. Charles location, though! Not only is it located right on historic Main Street, it is in a former bank building, and if you’re really lucky, you can even eat in the old vault!

Let’s start with the important stuff…their pub chips are AMAZING. The burgers are good, too. They don’t quite measure up to my gold standard (Seamus McDaniel’s), but they’re close:

I’m not sure that the colcannon pictured with the burgers is on the menu anymore, but it was so good. They definitely know what they’re doing with the traditional pub fare…they also have other favorites, like shepherd’s pie and fish and chips on the menu, and everything we have tried over the years has been excellent. And don’t let the word “pub” scare you off…it’s a very family friendly restaurant, with a full kids’ menu. The Fab Five love eating there, too (especially the one time we were seated in the vault!).

This is a great local spot, and it really has that neighborhood pub feel. The Soulard location even offers a trolley that runs to Cardinals and Blues home games, which is just another great reason to stop by Llywelyn’s for a bite to eat and a beer!

Tasty Tuesday–Three Kings Public House

I have been wanting to go to any of the Three Kings Public House St. Louis area locations for so long. But their prices are high enough that it just wasn’t feasible for our whole family of seven to enjoy a meal there. But when The Bigs were at Kantorei Kamp last week, I realized that Chickadee and I could enjoy a meal out together, without breaking the bank!

We went to the location on Manchester in Des Peres. The interior is just what I was expecting…very pub-like.

The one thing that surprised me, however, was the portrayal of the “Three Kings.” I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the combination of Elvis, Henry VIII, and King Kong!

As I did before we went to Muldoon’s in Wheaton, I studied the menu, so I knew exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to try the house made chips (to compare them with the ones Seamus McDaniel’s makes), along with the Irish cheddar rarebit. They were delicious. For my entrée, I had to try a burger, of course, so I went with the Pogue Mahone, which was topped with a fried egg, carmelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar and Swiss cheeses, all on a pretzel bun. Of course it wasn’t a Seamus burger (what is?), but it was really good. I ordered it rare, and it was almost as rare as I prefer, and the combination of toppings was excellent, if not very messy!

Chickadee and I walked around a bit after we were done eating…the whole restaurant is charming!

There is quite a bar, as well:

I would definitely like to go back to Three Kings. I’ll have to take another look at the menu, though, and see what I would like to order next time!

Tasty Tuesday–Muldoon’s

We just got back from a long weekend in Chicagoland. One of the things I really wanted to do while we were there (if there was time), was eat at Muldoon’s in Wheaton. I’m very happy we found time!

When I was a little girl, this building housed the Wheaton Restaurant, a place where we occasionally went for breakfast after church, because church was just a few blocks away. We were sad when the Wheaton Restaurant closed, but it reopened as Cafe Wheaton, a place we frequented often for dinner when I was in high school/college. It retained the charm of the original restaurant, with an all-new menu (including one of my all-time favorite dishes, Chicken Thomas), and Wheaton history spread throughout the restaurant. There was the story of Wheaton on the menu, a photo gallery of former mayors, autographs from famous Wheaton residents, and photos from throughout Wheaton’s history everywhere you looked. I was even sadder when I heard Cafe Wheaton had closed, but intrigued when I heard it was reopening again as an Irish pub, with yet another new menu, but with the photographic history of Wheaton still on the walls. Ever since I heard about Muldoon’s, I wanted to see it for myself, and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. Even though the menu is completely new, there was much of the restaurant that was familiar, starting with the glass fleurs-de-lis in the entrance!

The menus, like the cloth napkins on the tables, felt fancy, but a look inside let you know that you were really in an Irish pub:

We started with an order of “Harp Strings,” which are onion strings with honey mustard sauce. They were delicious…I think I could have eaten the whole order myself! For our meal, I ordered the Dagda’s Harp burger (which had the delicious Harp Strings on it!), with a side of homemade chips. I also enjoyed a drink called the “Dublin Donkey,” which is a twist on the more famous “American Mule.” Ryan had the pretzel bacon melt and Turkey ordered his favorite kind of burger (not pictured), one with a fried egg and bacon on it. Bunny tried something completely different, and had a black and bleu salad. The rest of the children ordered off of the children’s menu, and they enjoyed their dinners, too. Everything was delicious! Turkey said his burger was the second best one he’s ever had (of course, the Seamus burger is number one), and Ryan and I agreed with him…our burgers were excellent. The homemade chips were just as good as the ones Seamus serves, too. And Bunny’s salad was amazing…I think everyone but Turkey and Moose tried it and enjoyed it. The menu was quite extensive beyond these options, including classic pub fare like shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, many kinds of mac-n-cheese, American favorites like meatloaf and chicken, and even taco platters!

I’m so glad we decided to give Muldoon’s a try. I have to admit, I was a little nervous going in, partly because I knew it wouldn’t be Cafe Wheaton, and partly because I knew that there was no way it could be as awesome as Seamus. While it wasn’t quite as good as Seamus (nothing ever will be!), it’s definitely a close second, and even though it’s not Cafe Wheaton, it was still familiar, and brought a flood of memories back. It was a great dinner out on vacation!

Tasty Tuesday–Hi Pointe Drive In

A few weeks ago, I finally had a chance to go to the Hi Pointe Drive In, located next to, you guessed it, the Hi-Pointe Theatre on McCausland Ave. in St. Louis, where the old Del Taco used to be. This is a fairly new sister restaurant to Sugarfire Smokehouse, which has several locations in the St. Louis area. The brightly colored Hi Pointe, built from shipping containers, is impossible to miss…especially with the addition of a spaceship out front!

I loved all the signs inside, both menus and artwork. They also help you figure out what you’re supposed to do. Start by grabbing a drink (great local selection of soda by Excel, as well as local beer), unless you want a draught beer, which you get at the end of the assembly line, and then place your order. After you pay, find a table, and they’ll bring your food to you…pretty simple!

The whole space is full of funky charm:

Of course, the real reason I was there was for the food. While Ryan ordered a standard burger (which is prepared smashed-style) with bacon, and a chocolate shake, I had to try the specials. It happened to be National Pretzel Day, so I got a burger that had gouda cheese (one of my favorites!), beer cheese sauce, chips, and onions, served on a pretzel bun, plus an “Elvis Pretzely” shake, which had peanut butter, bacon, and bananas! The burger was amazing, but the shake was too heavy on the peanut butter for me, so Ryan and I ended up trading. The chocolate shake was perfect (check out the fat straw that came with it…totally necessary, too!), and he liked the one I ordered, since he’s a bigger fan of peanut butter than I am.

This is a fun restaurant with tons of personality. The food is great, and if you follow them on Instagram, you’ll quickly see that while their standard sandwiches and burgers are fantastic, what they really specialize in is coming up with over-the-top specials. Burgers with ingredients you’d probably never have thought of, brunches that will leave you drooling, and other sandwiches that are fresh takes on old standards. It was a bit spendy, so I don’t think we’ll be able to go very often, but it’s great to see another successful restaurant in the Dogtown area!