Spring has sprung

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Spring is Mother Nature’s time for renewal and rebirth. This highly anticipated event is even more important this year due to the Pandemic of 2020. Del Webber’s are finally emerging from their homes and venturing out. The downside to this is that you realize what has to be replaced around your house. There is a rusted pile of metal on our patio that was once a grill, our lawn has turned into a pretty patch of yellow flowers, and our perennial landscaping has suddenly turned to annuals.

We set aside a weekday to go Spring shopping. Here are the results. We couldn’t get the barbecue grill; it was out of stock at the hardware store. We couldn’t get the plants; they were also out of stock at the nursery. To salvage this disappointing day of running around for nothing, we wanted to treat ourselves to a special restaurant, but guess what??? We couldn’t get a reservation!!! We remembered another recommendation we received for Mookie’s Steak and Seafood in Crystal Lake. We called for a reservation, and to our surprise, we were able to get in, yay!!!

We pulled into a parking lot jam packed with one car at 5:30 on a Wednesday evening. When we walked in, we saw two people sitting at the bar. Good thing we had reservations! Is this going to be a disappointment too? Read on…

Mookie’s resembles an art deco supper club with muted lighting and 1920’s jazz music playing softly in the background. It is a smaller venue with only about ten booths, a bar, and a back room with tables.

When we sat down our waiter brought us a basket of warm crusty bread. Since we were never there before, he explained some of the items on the menu in detail while Jim was gnawing on the bread.

For our appetizer we ordered the Fried Calamari ($12). It was without a doubt one of the best platters of calamari we have ever had. Crunchy on the outside, but so tender it melted in your mouth on the inside. Our day is starting to look up.

To my surprise Jim ordered something that he had never tried before at a restaurant. He ordered the Stuffed Pork Chop ($20). This was breaded, stuffed with mozzarella, raisins, and Prosciutto, finished in white wine and Marsala sauce. It was served with either soup or salad and a side. He chose the chicken rice soup and Cajun rice. He said the soup was rich and flavorful. He knew Cajun rice wouldn’t go with the pork chop, but wanted to try it anyway. The rice had a kick to it but it only registered a “3” on his Sweat Head Meter. Next to the rice on his plate was probably the biggest pork chop we have ever seen. The combination of the sweet raisins and the salty Prosciutto, along with a perfectly cooked pork chop, made this dish incredible. Our day is getting better all the time.

Nancy ordered the Maryland Crab Cakes ($22). These two, hockey puck-sized cakes were chock full of crab meat. She said they were absolutely delicious, and the mustard mayo sauce complimented the crab. She chose a salad with creamy garlic dressing, of course, and the Mookie’s fries for her side. The fries were actually homemade potato sticks topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. She fell in love with them. The mixed vegetables that came with all entrees were seasoned to perfection. The day is getting even better.

Jim, of course, wanted to have dessert tonight and ordered the Key Lime Pie ($6). OMG! When it arrived, Jim was smiling like a Cheshire cat because the pie was ginormous. I took a spoonful to taste it and let him have at it. It was puckery goodness, and he ate the rest of it all by himself. A great finish to an otherwise uneventful day.

This evening’s meal turned out to be amazing. Kudo’s to the chef. We will definitely be going back there.

FYI: This restaurant is not handicap accessible that we could see. There are a couple of stairs in the front of the restaurant.

The price for saving the day was $70.95. Finding a good restaurant, priceless…

Jim’s take: My pork chop was even better warmed up the next day. The key lime pie is a “must have”.

Nancy’s take: Everything I put in my mouth was awesome, especially the calamari. I think that is a “must have” if you go there.

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com

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