When last we spoke, we finished a very nice meal at Chez Leon. The next day we had a meeting in the morning, and then had another good lunch at Bellagio (or Il Bel Lago, there seems to be variations on the spelling) in Creve Coeur on Olive St. Road. We had taken lunch there before, and since we were preparing to head south to FOJTY’s new location we opted for a return visit. We were not disappointed. It’s a very comfortable space, nicely run with attention to service and food preparation. The interior is soft, with one wall given to the wine rack. Very pleasant and warming. It can be a roll of the dice to return, but in this case we were rewarded with a very nice lunch. We were kind of early, but in the “noon someplace” spirit, a martini appeared at the table along with a passable glass of chardonnay. Our server didn’t play the recording, just got the drinks, recited a few “specials” of the day, and left us to our conversation. The lunch menu is pretty varied with many luncheon salads (add chicken, salmon, etc.), sandwiches, pizzas (mercifully not called the overused “flatbreads” so trendy these days), pastas, and entrees. So finding something appealing isn’t hard although it takes a little browsing. Of course everything reflects the Italian heritage (which stems from the famous Giovanni’s on “the Hill”). I eschewed risotto for once, and went for the Fusilli Quattro Formaggi, consisting of Parmigiano, Fontina, Gorgonzola, and Romano Cheeses with ham and peas in a cream sauce, and MFO selected a daily special of Tilapia in a light marinara sauce, and a side salad. Bread had appeared almost as soon as we did. I selected a Sangiovese which although chosen out of the DWTHYL school of wine paring went pretty well. I noted that each dish that went to a table was either served by or accompanied by the floor guy who I assumed was one of the owners. My pasta was just right (okay, I’ll say it, al dente) and the cheese sauce had a just the right amount of bite and the peas and ham plentiful. Portions were such that I had some to go with on the next leg of the journey. MFO’s fish was lightly touched and set off nicely by the sauce. I would like to try dinner there sometime, but both our lunches were excellent.
Thus satisfied in soul and body by the lunch we started south toward the little town of Jackson, Missouri. Of course I thought it was Stonewall, but no, I was corrected by the local historian in the car, it was Andrew…It’s a typical small town, next to Cape Girardeau, home of SEMO (south east Missouri college), so it has a college touch (i.e., many bars and places to eat. We met FOJTY and wife at our motel and then took a tour of the town(s) and went to Buckner Brewing Company for dinner. It’s kind of a sports bar place in one of the old buildings near the river. Second story seating provides a nice view of the Big Muddy, which was living up to its name due to the recent rainfall in the area. They feature their own beers with the typical selections, a Pale Ale, Ambers, Wheat Beers, and seasonal selections. Food runs to what would be expected, starters of all kinds (including “ozark mountain fried pickles), gourmet pizzas, salads (add….) and their featured burgers.. Buckner Burger
A half pound of ground beef cooked to perfection over a hickory fire with our secret burger baste, served on a toasted Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, and red onion. Add your choice of American, Swiss, Cheddar, Pepper jack or Smoked Cheddar cheese.
We tried a glass of their beer (I did the pale ale which was nice and “hoppy”) and wound up getting the burgers. They were cooked nicely and had pretty good flavor and were pretty much two handers. Seasoned fried accompanied them. Nice place to go if you find yourself in town…
The next morning we visited the new digs which are located in the country with lots of open spaces, a far cry from their previous situation in Clayton. There is at least one member of the family that really likes it there
After saying our goodbyes, we once again got in the Momster and pointed east. Since we were sort of “south” we took a little more leisurely route through the river town of Cairo, Illinois, which is the confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi. Since I was PIC at the time, several photo ops went wanting, such as the restaurant in town with the sign: ‘Frog Legs every Friday Night”. The town itself (at least on the highway part) is pretty vacant. From there we pretty much traversed Kentucky through Lexington with some of those screwy houses.
We remained overnight in Huntington, dining on carry out Bob Evans (conveniently situated next to the hotel) while we watched the Lakers finally close out the NBA season. I think training camp starts next week.
Next day was the final leg, bringing us back home to dear old Southern Maryland. A long drive of course requires snacking, and just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean you can’t do it in style…
For which we were
DFD(riving)
Sports Postscript (including rant)
Most sports oriented folks know that this weeked was the US Open Golf Tournament in Pebble Beach. Having had the privledge of playing that last year, it was particularly fun to watch with all the "I was there!!" comments. The field included Phil and Tiger. However, NBC chose to anchor their coverage to pretty much "Tiger and those other guys". The preliminary rounds featured Tiger who at that point was 8 or 9 strokes off the lead, hitting a routine wedge into some hole at the expense of Dustin Johnson (current leader). Anyway, after each round they went into extensive discussions on "what Tiger has to do to win", as if he was entitled to the win. And, after he shot his 66 on Saturday they were foaming at the mouth. Well, guess what? He tied for fourth. And, poor Dustin shot an amazing 82 and pretty much fell apart.. It's why they play the game folks..
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