Mixed emotions

It was a beautiful fall afternoon. The leaves on the trees were changing colors and the air was fresh and crisp. We just finished taking down our Halloween decorations and our stomachs started to grumble. Our friends told us about a restaurant in Sycamore. We sped off to Nat’s on Maple to have lunch and check out the fall colors.

On the right track

Huntley has been selected as a stop on the new Chicago to Rockford train line. Since our “station” in life is to be your timely restaurant critics, we “engineer” our articles and try to keep them “on track” even if we have to “blow the whistle” on some of the restaurants. Our “next stop” will be near the Cary “depot” and dining at the Tracks Bar and Grill.

Unhappy Anniversary

The following story, sadly to say, is absolutely true. It is not exaggerated or fabricated. Please read on.

Our 50th wedding anniversary was almost upon us. We decided to go “all out” in celebrating this momentous occasion. After much reflection, we chose to book a river cruise, mainly because we fit their passenger demographics and there is an abundance of beautiful scenery to view while sailing. The location for this dream cruise was to be in Europe and start in Prague with a two-day hotel stay, and then bussed to Nuremburg to set sail down the beautiful Danube River all the way to Budapest, stopping in Regensburg, Passau, Engelhartszell, Krems, Vienna and Budapest. We reserved the cruise, booked our flights, (we were even able to use our mileage points on our flights) and visions of Medieval Castles and old European architecture danced in our heads.

Tropical breezes

Every year we spend two glorious weeks with our best friends, who live in California, on the tropical island paradise known as Aruba. Right around now we start to get afflicted with island fever. What better way to temporarily cure this “fever” than by going to the Bahama Breeze Island Grill in Schaumburg.

Cruisin’ for food

Everyone needs medications at some point in their life. Our little puppy, Rosie, is no exception. Her medications are necessary to keep away those nasty fleas and ticks when she goes outside. We have tried everything, like putting her pill into liver sausage, peanut butter, or her (and Jim’s) favorite, the aerosol squirt cheese in a can. In the end, she will succeed in spitting the pill out on the floor while staring defiantly at us. The irony of this is, when she does go outside, her main diet consists of ants, spiders, and the occasional lightning bug. On our way to the vet to pick up her pills, we passed by a restaurant in Gilberts named Cruisin’ and decided to try it.

A sticky situation

It’s been a while since Jim and I had Chinese food and sometimes our bodies start craving MSG. Anyone can find a Chinese takeout restaurant, but it is much more difficult to find a good Chinese dine in restaurant. While driving through Crystal Lake to buy some donuts, we spotted the Kirin King-Asian Cuisine and decided to drop in and check it out.

The site is an older building and has housed several different restaurants during the past years. When walking in, there was a gigantic fish tank with lots of salt water fish swimming around (their sushi must be really fresh). There are a lot of steps to get into the restaurant and also into their dining area, so obviously this restaurant is not handicap accessible.

Steakhouse in disguise… with onions

Now that beef prices are at an all-time high, of course, Nancy has a recurring taste for steak. To stop her incessant whining, I cleverly suggested that we go check out a steakhouse. We have passed by this restaurant a number of times, but never gave it a second thought until today. “To the Mini-Mobile Nancy,” and we headed out to Addison’s Steakhouse in McHenry.

When we arrived in the strip mall, we were surprised that the restaurant had outdoor seating by the shopping center’s fountain. We decided to dine indoors due to the Florida like weather we’ve been experiencing.

We wanted to shake up our restaurant reviews and not go to the same old places that have liver and onions as one of their daily specials. Boy did we find it!!! This very eclectic venue is in the downtown Crystal Lake area with a menu that would stump Rod Serling. We are referring to Cantina 52.

Flying broccoli

We have been having a rough couple of months (health wise), and both of us needed a fun date night with dinner and a show. What better way to combine both of these than at a Japanese hibachi restaurant. We literally have to lock Rosie in her crate since she is an escape artist and opened the latches and got out twice!!! Feeling confident that she was secured, we jumped into the Mini-Mobile and headed out to Arlington Heights to dine at Rokbonki Japanese Steakhouse.

Oliver O’ Oliver

Those of you who grew up in the Chicago area will probably remember a TV show on WGN that was a staple of our childhood. We are referring to the show of all lunchtime shows, Bozo’s Circus. We ordered tickets when Nancy got pregnant, and we received them when our daughter was seven years old. One of Bozo’s sidekicks was Ray Rayner posing as the clown, Oliver O’ Oliver. The reason why we are babbling on about this show is because one of our loyal readers suggested Oliver’s Bar and Grill in Woodstock and we had no idea how to start this article. The best we could come up with was this lame Bozo’s Circus reference.

Great Tata’s

When searching for restaurants to review, we seem to have fallen into a somewhat disturbing pattern. Unfortunately, our “golden years” are spent going from one doctor visit to another. We find ourselves googling for restaurants that are close to our next doctor appointment. Upon searching for restaurants in the Elk Grove Village area, our trained eyes spotted something totally different.

Size doesn’t matter

One afternoon Jim had a taste for Italian food. I told him that my bowling buddies, “The Pin Pals,” found a place in South Barrington that we enjoyed. Us girls work up quite an appetite since our bowling skills leave a lot to be desired. We hardly get any strikes and a three-game series usually takes about three hours. We feel like it’s not our fault since the bowling alley refuses to put up the bumpers for us.

Check in at Checkers

A long, long time ago, in a suburb far, far, away, there lived two young foodies. They traveled near and far in search of new restaurants. This was a big adventure since there were no cell phones or GPS, they had to rely on Jim’s map reading skills and Nancy’s nagging. They ventured from their comfortable Hoffman Estates home all the way to what they considered the boonies of Woodstock. The reason for this trip was a restaurant called Deeter’s which featured excellent German/Swiss cuisine.

Move ahead a few millennia, and lo and behold, these two young foodies are now ancient and use a GPS in conjunction with Nancy’s nagging. As fate would have it, they now live in the boonies of Huntley, and Woodstock is their close neighbor.

A Fireside lunch

Being the consummate foodies that we are, there is a meat market on Route 47 in downtown Elburn that we love to take a road trip to. We usually have a few items on our shopping list, but we always wind up buying lots of other “necessities.” These include four different kinds of hot dogs, bratwurst, thuringer, and pre-made pork schnitzel which is to die for. This shopping spree usually works up quite an appetite, so we decided to go a little further to Sugar Grove to try the Fireside Grille.

Potato pancake palooza

Getting a puppy is fun and exciting. However, once she comes home, that’s when the fun begins. First thing: housebreaking. We hung a string of bells on the patio door and taught Rosie to ring them when she has to go out. Unfortunately, she loves the outside and rings those bells every 15 minutes. If we don’t take her out, she sits in front of us and looks at us as if to say, “do you feel lucky”?

Wine and dine

Sometimes social media can be a good thing. We discovered that there was a new Portillo’s open on Randall Road in Algonquin. We are addicted to their chocolate cake and have waited in the drive through for half an hour just to get a couple of slices. While in line, we noticed that right next door was another new restaurant called Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. It was lunch time and we were hungry, so after buying our cake, we went next door for lunch.

The good ol’ days

The new year is a time for planning ahead as well as reminiscing about the “good ol’ days.” Our thoughts wandered to our youth when there were drive-in restaurants and hot cars. Nancy grew up in Franklin Park and was the proud owner of a Ford XL with a 429 cu. in. engine with dual quad Holley carburetors. This was her pride and joy and her parents’ worst nightmare.

2023 B.E.L.C.H.

How time flies when you’re having fun!!! After 12 years, 249 restaurants, and 4,380 cholesterol pills, we’re still alive and passionate about what we do. It’s not easy to constantly stuff fatty foods in our faces and live to tell about it. The truly amazing thing is our pictures are in the paper that is circulated around Huntley, and no one has suspected a thing.

A much-needed treat for new pup parents

You have probably realized by now that Nancy and I are not the brightest people in the world. Both of us are in our seventies, and we decided it would be a good idea to get a little puppy. How much work can she possibly be? So, after two weeks in Aruba, resting up for this momentous occasion, we came home and picked up a nine-week old Maltese/Shih Tzu puppy named Rosie. We now realize why puppies are so cute, because that is the only thing that keeps them alive!!!

Going old school

Lately, Jim and I have been reviewing restaurants that cater to senior citizens. Because of this, we received a letter from one of our loyal readers recommending an “old school” favorite. With empty stomachs and pockets to match, we took our reader’s advice and decided to try Andy’s Restaurant in Crystal Lake.

Once upon a time

Once upon a time in Crystal Lake there was a family business called Frank’s Barber, Toy, and Hobby Shop. Think about it. You could get your son a model airplane, your daughter a Barbie doll, and get a haircut all in one place. This is one stop shopping at its finest. Curiously enough, this place is no longer in business. The Giangrande family took over the location and it is now da Baffone Cucina Italiana.

Not a mis-steak

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.

Fifty years ago, after dating for six weeks, I asked the moron to marry me. My parents said it was a “mistake,” and made us wait a year to marry. To celebrate us proving them wrong, we decided to commemorate our 49th year anniversary with an elegant meal at St. Charles Place Steakhouse in St. Charles.