Meat so soft you could drink it…

Maybe it was because I was halfway into my flight of beer samples, but when my server asked if everything tasted okay, I responded with, “Words cannot describe the happiness in my mouth right now.”

That right there should be more than enough to convince you carnivores out there to step into Champaign, IL’s Black Dog Smoke & Ale House. Not far from either Holiday Inn that we use (albeit a little farther from the Stoney Creek Inn), Black Dog is in downtown Champaign and is almost a literal hole in the wall; I drove past it twice on the first visit. It’s a barbeque joint in a small college town that can’t be missed.

• Killer barbeque that melts in your mouth? Check.
• Always packed with locals? Check.
• To-die-for cornbread? Check.
• Home-made infused tequilas? Check.
• Rotating cast of seven craft brews on tap? Check.
• A 7-sample flight of those tap beers for only $12? Check!

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A Program Developer's Take on Things (pg 1 of 5)

Disclaimer: Former BER program developer, Sandy Anderson, has kindly provided her list of favorite restaurants around the country and the following descriptions are verbatim from her notes with the addition of formatting and hyperlinks by myself. Enjoy!

Sandy's Restaurant Reviews - Updated Version for Fall 2000

I always enjoy the opportunity to try out innovative, fresh cooking (or maybe decadent, wonderful cooking). So I thought I'd pass along some of my favorites - if you have favorites, I hope you'll let me know, and I'll add to the list.

Albuquerque (Santa Fe), NM

My favorite is the Coyote Cafe (map) in Santa Fe - incredible southwestern food and well worth a trip to Santa Fe. They also sell some of the spices and sauces in their gift shop.

Alexandria, VA

Try Le Gaulois (map) for great country French cooking. It's in Old Town on King Street - great fireplace for a cold winter day.

Anaheim, CA

If you're int he mood for Italian, consider Pavia in the Anaheim Hilton (map). The prawns were incredible. Tutto Mare (map) in Newport Beach offers upscale contemporary dining at reasonable prices. They always feature a wide assortment of fresh seafood and shellfish. You can eat to your heart's content and then shop until your plastic melts at Fashion Island (map) right next door. The sushi restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel (map) has excellent sashimi and roll assortments created by a talented crew from the Land of the Rising Sun using only the freshest ingredients. Try the Ahi roll or California Roll - they're outstanding.

Atlanta, GA

Buckhead has a number of restaurants that are outstanding, but one of my favorites is Cafe Tutu Tango (map), which serves incredible tapas. They also have one in Orlando.

Boston, MA

If you like seafood, try Legal Sea Foods (map). There are several of them in the Boston area.

Chicago, IL

The list is unending, but some of my favorites are Cafe Spiaggia (map) near the Drake Hotel (map) serving Italian, the Cape Cod Room in the Drake Hotel with incredible seafood soups and chowders, Prairie in the Hyatt on Printers Row (map) where I had a portabello salad, and Cafe La Cave (map) near the airport for wonderful seafood and/or Italian food. A new favorite is Maggiano's (map) for Italian food - the portions are oversized so plan on sharing or eating a lot - there are multiple locations, including downtown, Oak Brook, Schaumberg, and Arlington Heights.

Once a Funeral Parlor, Now a Bar

I've got no photo for this place, except one of the menu, so I'll pass on that. When in Springfield, IL and walking around down near the capitol building, make sure to swing in to Norb Andy's Tabarin (closest guess on translation is "tavern," but I have no idea which language). Monday night $5 martinis are super strong (try the caramel apple martini; girls at the bar said it was their absolute fave). I only found this place because my presenter had to pee, so we stopped in the only place that seemed open on a Monday night. Cool partially-underground bar with an Irish/nautical theme. Opened under new ownership just about a month ago, so stop in and buy some beer or other beverage.

Jeremy, the owner, is super nice and is a skilled bartender. Tell him you work with Josh, the guy from Gainesville, Florida, as in "The Gainesville Murders." He may remember the conversation.

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A Cup of Tasty in Champaign

Welcome back for a new year of tasty treats! I wanted to start off the year with a favorite from last year. If you are in Champaign, IL, fear not. Head to Jarling's Custard Cup and your worries will melt away before the frozen custard melts in your mouth. It's not too far from the airport and it has so many flavors your eyes will glaze over when you see the selection board. My personal faves include the rootbeer float and anything involving raspberries. Just make sure you bring cash, since they don't take credit card.

Actual Food. From Vegans.

Hol-eee Shee-it.

Once every couple of months, I decide to become a vegetarian (again).
But because I am as fanatical as a cult member, being a vegetarian always seems like the sissy way out. After a couple of days, I try to be a vegan.
It never works, though, because vegan food tastes like doormat. A few weeks into my new vegan leaf-turnover, I get angry and belligerant, say, "Fuckit", and order me some baby back ribs.

But on Wednesday night, I went to the Chicago Diner, whose slogan is "Meat-Free since '83" (where can I get a t-shirt?) and had the BEST GODDAMN VEGAN MEAL OF MY LIFE.
It was amazing!!

Get the rueben. It looks like a rueben, smells like a rueben, and tastes exactly like a greasy, corned-beefy, glorious rueben. But it's vegan! It slops all over you. And it comes with gorgeous sweet potato fries. And then I had a peanut-butter cookie dough "milkshake" that was actually better than any real milkshake I've ever had!

And the waitresses are hot.

Chicago Diner is in Boy's Town, downtown Chicago. Go go go!

I could actually be a vegan if I could eat here every day.

Tasty Italian in East Peoria

Right across the parking lot from the Stoney Creek Inn in East Peoria, IL is a nice little Italian restaurant. Basta East Port has extremely reasonable lunch dishes (sandwiches, pasta, entrees, and salads all under $10, and generously portioned!) that taste amazing. I had a grilled chicken and portabella sandwich which was accompanied by a small cup of penne with marinara sauce.

Anyone who craves simple pasta on the road should definitely stop here--the pasta was super flavorful, and while the sandwich was a bit drippy from the mushroom's marinade and pesto spread, it was damn fine. The restaurant is right on N. Main Street, next to the shell station in front of the hotel, so easy walking distance. They also have a similar dinner menu, although at higher prices, and a decent selection of wines and beer.

The Place: Basta East Port, N. Main St. East Peoria

The Food: Sandwiches and Pasta, Entrees too!

The Price: Lunch menu is almost entirely $10 or less, Dinner is generally under $20

A note on the hotel room... it was adorable and had a teddy bear living in it when I arrived. He liked the look of my lunch as well.