Review: Jonah’s Seafood House

12 January 2022

A headache of a week so far at work, so for this Wednesday I decided to let off a little steam with a good dinner. I was thinking, where should I go this cool evening? It’s been awhile since I visited Jonah’s Seafood House across the Illinois River in East Peoria — in fact, it was where I spent my first evening in town after rolling in with that U-Haul in October and had a wonderful introduction to the area.

I headed back and the same barman was holding down the bar, and quickly he recognised me. So I knew it would be a good night. I relaxed with a cocktail and poured over the menu. Took awhile to figure out what I wanted for a main, but I knew about the starter quickly, and it came out quickly.

The oysters were nice and meaty, but sadly a bit bland. I really miss intense oysters, I guess that’s asking for a little too much being in the centre of the country. But these were good, and that was a nice start. Then after a rather generous wine pour, my main course arrived…

Another huge dish here of their take on a famous New Orleans shrimp dish. Tasty and filling, but I wish it was actually spicy (as the menu suggested) instead of it being so sweet. I wonder if the kitchen made a tiny mistake here with this dish.

The garlic spinach helped it go down, and it was filling. If I wasn’t in such a good mood I would have called it a night, but for some reason I decided I could use more, so I decided on a rare dessert.

My barman actually warned me about the size, but I figured — it’s a SLICE of cake, right?

SLICE?! This is a BRICK! This is their “Devil’s Double” dark chocolate cake, and damn it is RICH. And of course HUGE. This is crazy! Look at those strawberries and you can imagine how big this SLICE of cake is! My pancreas was screaming at me, even if I didn’t have a nice rye to go along with this…

After working on this for awhile, I had to get a box…and it almost didn’t fit the takeaway box! And it was how much, 8 dollars for this?! You can feed a family with one of these…

That, alas, defeated me, no matter how good the night was. I thanked my excellent barman and the rest of the staff as I took my leave, absolutely stuffed — and carrying a good chunk of a chocolate brick home with me. I am so, so gonna pay for this tomorrow!!!

Aside from the odd shrimp dish, it was an excellent night. Convivial environment, excellent drinks, filling food. I was happy. Again, recommended.

Jonah’s Seafood House
2601 North Main Street
East Peoria, Illinois

PS: If you’re curious, it took me another THREE nights to finish that SLICE of cake…

Review: Dac’s Smokehouse

7 January 2022

Well, I finally got an appointment for my booster shot. There seems to be a shortage of Moderna in the area, and the wait for one was quite long (1-2 weeks). So I decided to switch things up. My first two shots were Moderna into my left shoulder, this time I’ll get a Pfizer in my right.

I figured it’ll take a while — with the post-jab waiting period, so I walked to Dac’s Smokehouse first and placed a takeaway order. I’ve always had good food here, even if people think it’s just a college campus BBQ. It’s probably the BEST college campus BBQ joint I’ve eaten at.

Anyway, walked to the pharmacy nearby and people were staring because I wasn’t wearing a coat — it was 5F (-15C) outside, lol. Anyway, got my jab, no issues in 10 minutes so I headed out and across the street to get my food. They were also wondering why I didn’t have a jacket on…

Drove on home as I got off work a little early to get boosted. Traffic wasn’t too bad so got home at a good time. I opened up my food and smiled…

First of all, the rib tips — the special of the day — was fabulous. Didn’t need sauce, as it was seasoned very well and extremely tasty. Properly good stuff, the photo does this excellent dish no justice. Not quite as good as Big Momma’s last week, but very, very good. The hot BBQ sauce they provided on the side made it even better…again, I’m praising a sauce! What’s happening to me?

The sausages were also quite tasty, worked also better with the sauce. Amazing these words are coming out of my fingers!

And the sides…the cole slaw was good, but the jalepeno cornbread was excellent. You often get jalapeño cornbread that has very little of it, or a pale imitation of the spicy aspect of the jalapeños. Nope, they go full on here, fabulous. And of course the pork rinds…one of the best ones I’ve had in ages, crispy, flavourful. What a nice set of sides!

An excellent Friday night, post-vaccine treat. A quiet weekend now, as an ice storm is headed with temperatures returning to above freezing, so I guess I can turn my heating off at home!

Dac’s Smokehouse
Campustown
1200 West Main Street
Peoria, Illinois

• For those who are curious. The side effects of the booster was far, far less than the 2nd jab back in May. In fact, it was extremely mild, just a little arm soreness — perhaps about the same as the 1st jab back in April. So go get boosted, people, stop regurgitating stupid BULLSHIT rumours on social media!

Tips & Snoot — the Perfect End to This Trip (Review: Big Mama’s BBQ)

29 December 2021

Well, this sudden holiday season roadtrip is coming to an end. I made the snap decision (due to warmer-than-usual weather) to do this trip to get out of town for the holidays, and it kept growing as the weather allowed what was supposed to be a 2-day trip to Chicago to extend into a 6-day circle that added Indianapolis, Owensboro, and St Louis. But now the weather is catching up with me, and I wanted to get home to Peoria before the snow hits…

Darn, that means my plans for a BBQ double on my last day in St Louis will have to wait. But having to head over the river to head north means I can still stop in East St Louis at one of my favourite BBQ places in the world, Big Mama’s BBQ.

I’ve made many a stops here over the years, as there’s nothing better than their tips and snoot combination. The rib tips are absolutely gorgeous, helped on by the slightly spicy sauce. Yes, I praised a sauce, which tells you how good it is. And the snoot? It’s like eating a gigantic piece of crackling covered in BBQ sauce. Yes, it’s pig snout, and that’s why it is SO GOOD.

So I drove out there en route home and got there when it opened at 11am — and already there’s a line both inside and at the drive-thru. I’ve been hiking all morning so was happy to take a few more steps and went inside. The aroma is so good both inside and outside…and I’ve always looked at the building across the street with huge sympathy. It’s a prison, and I really cannot imagine being incarcerated and smelling this amazing BBQ on a daily basis… Almost seems a violation of some UN Convention…

Anyway, after a little, I got my food and headed out to my car. I drove on a little ways, so I don’t have to look at prison walls when I eat. I then opened my food…

Oh my, as good as always. The rib tips were larger than usual, but as tasty as ever. The sauce seemed a little snippier than usual, which made an amazing sauce even more fantastic. Yes, I’m praising a sauce again! So good, I can eat several buckets of these rib tips (and I’ve done so before!).

And the snoot? As good as I remembered, the crispiness staying so fabulously crispy, working in complement with the heavy sauce. Now the excellent bacon at Root & Bone the other day in Indianapolis, as good as it was, lost its crispiness with the sauce drenching. Now bacon isn’t as perfect as snouts for this kind of preparation, so today was just a pure joy for me. That wee piece of white bread underneath all this was perfect to soak up the sauce — and to wipe my hands before it all goes into my mouth!

And being prepared, carrying wet wipes with me, you would not have guessed I was eating a pig snout smothered in thick BBQ sauce just minutes earlier. But I won’t forget it for awhile, and hopefully this lasts me until my next trip back to St Louis — and no doubt another stop at Big Mama’s BBQ!

A perfect end to this road trip, to end this horrible 2021 on a good note!

Big Mama’s BBQ
5900 St Clair Avenue
East St Louis, Illinois

PS: Well, of course 2021 had to give me one last middle finger after I got home. I beat the snow back to Peoria, but had to deal with a pipe back-up in the kitchen… And it’s not from the cold weather, but likely a relic of Thanksgiving from my upstairs neighbours dumping grease down the drain — and the system finally decided to clog up. What a great way to end this absolutely crappy year…

Review: Olive + Oak

28 December 2021

After that somewhat disappointing lunch at Chiang Mai, I headed out as the weather improved significantly. A very busy afternoon, I was finally done at sunset as I headed to my hotel. Dropped off stuff and cleaned up (remember I was soaked badly from the storm), and I headed out to dinner.

Again, I risked trusting that rarely-accurate, runs-on-hype Eater and went with another of their wow places, Olive + Oak. It was a hike as it was back very close to where I had lunch. I eventually got there and the nice hostess created a spot for me at the bar. The one thing I will say the staff here is extremely friendly, and far more efficient also than at any of the Chicago places on this roadtrip.

I looked over the menu and decided to do a few small dishes and see how that goes. Enjoyed a cocktail as my first starter arrived — oysters.

Well, a combination of East and West coast varietals they had. Not bad, but the westies were rather tiny and honestly lacked depth despite what you’d think with the size. Juxtapose them and you’ll really see the difference…

The East Coast PEIs were fabulous, meaty and just briney enough to elevate them to the level of excellent. A decent start to the evening.

Anyway, a little switch to wine now and soon the smaller dishes began to appear. First up, the smoked chicken meatballs…

Well, this was a little boring to be honest. Too little smoke, the meat tasted very bland and unconvincing. Too much emphasis was put into the agrodolce, and you know how I generally prefer my ingredients to shine over any saucing. Oh well.

The beets here were sadly a mess. The texture was all over the place, from fibrously hard to wondering whether some pieces came from a can. And worse, they were bland, totally overwhelmed by the cheese. I love beets, but sadly this was a rare time I didn’t care for my beet dish…

And just when I couldn’t imagine my food getting less impressive, the octopus here did it. Sliced thin like they were of very poor quality (and goodness they did taste rubbery), it was completely overwhelmed by the aioli that drenched the plate. That may have worked well with the “patatas bravas” below, but it just destroyed the already poor octopus. Sigh… This would have been a good dish WITHOUT the octopus — and this may be the only time in my life I would pass on octopus, as an octopus lover. Sigh…

Well, that’s more than enough, I was done. Two of my favourite things to eat — octopus and beets — both turned into sad statements, and their omittance from the two dishes would have improved the dishes. If that’s not an indictment, I don’t know what is.

My server/bartender was nice, and did a fantastic job serving the section, so that’s one thing very good about this place — an excellent front of house. Sadly, the back of house couldn’t meet the quality of the front, not even close.

My bad luck with St Louis restaurants seem to continue…why is it Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Louisville do so much more for me when St Louis is the big city in the middle? I guess I just have to keep trying. Alas, that needs to wait for next time. Heading home tomorrow before the snow hits…

Sadly, skip this one, folks. Come for a drink, but there are probably better food options nearby.

Olive + Oak
216 West Lockwood Avenue
Webster Groves, Missouri

The Saddest “Fresh Herbs” I’ve Ever Seen… (Review: Chiang Mai)

28 December 2021

I decided to head out of Owensboro before dawn as the weather report seems to hint at a drenching today. Luckily it was so warm or else it would have been a blizzard. This was one reason I planned this winter roadtrip, to take advantage of the unseasonable warmth — not that I enjoy this unpleasant heat, but it makes it doable driving-wise.

Again, I took the small roads, making several stops as I head back into Indiana and Illinois en route to St Louis — and of course got completely soaked during several stops. By the time I rolled into St Louis — the 4th state of the day as I crossed the river into Missouri — I was hungry.

Now I’ve been led astray more times than once by Eater — especially its St Louis rendition — but since I had so little time to research this trip I unfortunately went with it… Now let’s see how well this works. Today’s lunch destination is somewhere they’re raving about, Chiang Mai.

I absolutely love good Thai food when done right, so I was looking forward to this. I relaxed with just a cup of coffee as I ordered. After a little my main course came out…huh? Where’s my starter?

Anyway, my main was moo daeng rice — basically barbeque pork, very closely related to charsiu. The pork was of good quality and overall it was a simple but okay dish. But honestly it was something I could have gotten in most places (well, outside of Peoria, that is…). There’s nothing very special about it, and the sauce was a tad too sweet.

Then my “starter” arrived, the sai oua sausage. Now this was not the same as what I’ve seen online, the portion seems quite smaller being cut. In any case, it was good, but nothing special. Some links seemed undercooked, which made me think this was prepared at different times.

But the biggest factor that soured me to this experience? The dish was supposed to be graced by “fresh herbs” according to the menu. This? Huh? This was really something that violated the ethos of south-east Asian dining, the lack of herbs. Perhaps it’s a supply issue, but then don’t write that on the menu! The 2 stalks of dodgy parsley, plus that partial head of a cabbage (?!) just made me wonder if people writing about this place has any idea of what real food in that part of the world is like…

Anyway, that’ll do for lunch I guess. Took awhile to settle up, and I headed out into the now-dry afternoon. Nothing special, to be honest. It was okay, but I really had hoped for something that reminded me of Thailand. Instead it made me miss Thailand more…

And really, the “fresh herbs” on that sai oua dish was a cry for help on a dish, probably the saddest south-east Asian dish I’ve seen in my life. Even if the sai oua were absolutely mindblowingly spectacular, the dish would have failed by the “fresh herbs” that still has me shaking my head days later.

Sigh…

Chiang Mai
8158 Big Bend Boulevard
St Louis, Missouri

Doin’ the Owensboro BBQ Double…

27 December 2021

I left Indianapolis after a short but productive stay and began my treck south-west. Snaking through a lot of the state that too few people visit, I also gained an hour as I eventually crossed back into Central timezone. And finally, across the river and I rolled into Owensboro, Kentucky.

One of my favourite places to visit, Owensboro is of course famous for not just its barbecue, but also its specialty — BBQ mutton. Whenever I get near this place, I have to stop. Now each of those stops have been either of the two legendary BBQ shops in town — Old Hickory Bar-B-Que in the centre of town and Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn towards the west. But on this day, I was lucky with timing, and decided to do the Owensboro BBQ double…

I stopped at Old Hickory, where I have had good and so-so experiences in the past. It was strangely quiet, so I took a few things out with me. First up, mutton ham.

Honestly very plain today, a little disappointing. Sad, as last time I was at Old Hickory everything was so good and the aroma was to die for.

The mutton ribs were also poorly hacked at this time. Tasty, but they obviously gave me mostly bone today. Kinda disappointed with this visit, to be honest…

Luckily that wasn’t the end, as I also dropped into Moonlite — which was closer to my hotel. Last time in town it was actually Moonlite that was a little disappointing, but not today. Not at all.

The mutton loin was spectacular, and they obviously gave me a larger portion than I ordered. Rich and flavourful, perfect with or without sauce. Maybe a little too rich!

And they had run out of their mutton ribs so I went with good ol’ pork ribs, and they were fabulous. They were far busier and was running out of almost everything, which maybe says something about which of the two joints locals are favouring?

Anyway, it was definitely worth a stop here in Owensboro for all this. A nice enjoyable BBQ double, even if one fell a little short this time. It’s always great to make an Owensboro BBQ stop.

Old Hickory Bar-B-Que
338 Washington Avenue

Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn
2840 West Parrish Avenue
Owensboro, Kentucky