Cupcakes, Muffins, and More!

Finally! I delightful bakery full of goodies to satisfy my major sweet tooth.
When I first read about this shop Cupcakes, Muffins, and More in the QC Times, I thought two things. "I want to go to there"(30 Rock reference...anyone?) and "she stole my idea for a cupcake shop in the QC!"














So of course I had to rush down there (207 W. 4th st) to try it out. We showed up around noon and waited in a decent line while patrons bought breakfast burritos, muffins, and brownies. There are a couple little tables where you could sit and visit while you eat. I was busy staring at the cupcakes and trying to decide what to get. In hindsight I should have just bought a dozen or two because the cupcakes were only 75 cents each... yes 75 CENTS! A single cupcake at Hy-Vee is like 3 bucks.














I picked out a cherry and a peanut butter creme. Aren't they cute?




Cherry















Peanut butter filled







So sometimes cherry flavored stuff tastes like cough drops, but this was sooo not yucky. The cake part tasted like angel food cake and the frosting was very sweet. It was even filled on the inside with more frosting. what a delectable surprise.

The Peanut Butter Creme was chocolate cake and ganache with PB filling on the side. It was also very good, but I prefer lots of frosting.

If I worked downtown I would stop there everyday for a muffin breakfast and cupcake lunch. Nutritious, no, but delicious, yes! I decided to celebrate by showing off my cupcake hat and shirt and sweet tooth tattoo.














I will be back to try out muffins and cookies!

Doggie Styles Too

You don't have to go all the way to Chicago for a delicious dog. To satisfy your craving for a wiener, check out one of Doggie Styles 3 QC locations- Silvis, Milan, or the newest in SouthPark Mall. (Now you have a reason to go to SouthPark Mall!)
Well I originally went out to Milan to find a place called the Back Door Grill and Chill and instead found out that it is now Doggie Styles Too (576 W. 1st), which was fine by me. It actually opened there last year.
It's a cute little building with drive-up and walk-up windows, plus a dining room around back.














They offer typical drive-in type food but obviously are most known for their gigantic wieners and gyros.














Richie had to try a huge ween known as the HomeWrecker. It's a half pound foot long hot dog with cheese and onions and whatever else you want to pile on top.














He had no problem eating it, but apparently he had some issues digesting it because he is currently complaining about stomach cramps.













I'm not a fan of wieners, but I tried a bite of the dog and it was actually really tasty. All beef and seasoned really well.
I had to try the ice cream because that is my role as the sweets expert.

















So I ordered a Twinkie Sundae. They take two twinkies, split them open like a bun and put three dollops of ice cream on top. You can get hard packed or soft serve and you can choose sundae toppings. As you can see, I went for a naked sundae.













The ice cream was sweeter and more chocolately than DQs, so I enjoyed that. The Twinkies got soggy quickly as the ice cream melted into them, but that just made them so much more delicious and filling! major yums
Doggie Styles also serves a $5 all you can eat breakfast with eggs, biscuits and gravy, the whole works, so I need to go back and try it in the a.m. If you're looking for a mean wiener or sweet treat, give Doggie Styles a chance. Check out their hours and a short QC Times article HERE

Chicago BBQ

So before the Hate record show i picked up Lopinto from work and headed to Smoque. He owed me dinner for some work i did for said record.. plus the last time i was in town we were supposed to go there and as we pull up he realized they were closed Mondays. Smoque is located on the corner of Pulaski Rd. and Grace St.
The eatery is focused on, you guessed it, barbecue.






The inside is pretty cozy, according to Chris we were lucky to get there before 5, as they usually are packed by then. The menu is written on a large blackboard on the side wall, with daily specials and sides. Once you figure out what your flavor of the day is, you step up to order, then have a seat and wait for them to call your number. Chris recommended the sliced beef brisket platter.




So a few minutes after we order here is the feast that arrives. Lets break down each platter. You've got the sliced beef brisket, with extra sauce and cole slaw, which comes with the platter already. then comes the sides, I got bbq beans (baked beans) and cornbread. Chris got fries and peach cobbler. We also ordered baked macaroni which was great, and i usually don't care much for it. You may notice Chris has a beer, did i mention that Smoque is BYOB?

Going...

Going...

Gone

Smoque is not another bbq chain with bottled sauces. They use a combination of sacues, rubs, wood smoke and cooking technique specific to each cut of meat to maximize deliciousness. Everything is made in the kitchen from scratch, from the sauce and rubs all the way to the sides. The brisket melted in my mouth, and the sauce was sweet and tangy but didn't overpower the flavor of the meat itself. The beans had nice chunks of meat in them along with some delicious sauce. the slaw was some of the best I've had in recent memory, and the cornbread actually had corn in it. If you're in the city and have some time to kill and belly to fill, stop by and check out Smoque. And it doesn't hurt to bring someone that's going to pay for your food either.

PIZZA TUESDAY

I decided to declare today "Pizza Tuesday." So I ordered a medium pepperoni from Paul Revere's and a small bubble bread from Winners. Both are in Eldridge and both are locally owned. Paul Revere's is a chain with locations mostly in Iowa. The Eldridge location opened in 1991. It is located next to GiGi's Dance Studio at 1084 E. LeClaire Rd. I imagine GiGi's either smells really delicious or like sweaty pizza.
Paul Revere's is most famous for their 20 inch Terminator pizza. Most people in Eldridge are very familiar with the place, few in the actual Quad-Cities have ventured out to try it, but it's worth the trip. Though, they have a small very 90s looking eat-in dining room. Yes, that's Ryno and Gracie adorning the walls.











I can't get Richie to eat pizza from anywhere else. So why does it stand out among the multitude of pizza joints? The sauce isn't sweet, it's very greasy and garlicy, and it's very cheap.


















The special today was a medium for 10 bucks. They also offer the greasiest, most buttery breadsticks around.






PR pizza (top) and Winners bubble bread (bottom)









But today we decided to try the bubble bread from the newest pizza place in town, Winners.
















Winners opened in March of this year. It took over the old Maid-Rite on LeClaire Rd, almost directly across from Paul Revere's. The inside is sort of retro beach themed, I guess. I mean, they have a checkerboard floor and surfboard on the wall. Anywho, the parking lot is almost always full- a good sign.


















Winners pretty much offers the same food as PR- pizza, pastas, and sandwiches. They do have some different specialties like mac n cheese pizza, which i have yet to try. Their pizza tastes similar to homemade pizza if you know what I mean. Satisfying, but nothing special. We heard the bubble bread was yummy so we tried it out.
















As you can see, it wasn't bubbly at all, so that was a bit confusing. It's really what I would call "cheesesticks", but that wouldn't be.. retro? They are basically grease and cheese on thin crust. they were pretty good but honestly, we prefer PR's breadsticks. If you're looking for a place to dine in with the fam, check out Winner's. (285-pizza) If you want to pick up a yummy no frills pie, check out Paul Revere's, (285-9000) TATER DID!

Belgian Village Inn

Head to the Olde Towne center (560 17th Ave) in Moline for a unique restaurant in the old Belgian neighborhood. For a full history of the Belgian Village Inn and the surrounding area, check out this article by Bill Wundram. The inside of the building is very small and cozy, with dark wood booths, and flemish decor.


































The original owners, the Ceurvorsts bought the current location in 1977 and began to serve soup to the Belgian immigrants. The workers demanded bread, so they started baking HUGE loaves to go with the soup. Naturally it progressed to sandwiches served on this HUGE bread, which they still bake daily. The most famous sandwich is the VandeRueben- rye bread with thousand island dressing, corned beef, ham, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese. you can also get it on their delicious raisin bread. This thing is massive and not meant for one person. Not even one obese person could polish this off in one sitting.













It doesn't come with sides, but of course you can order fries, potato salad, soup, etc. if you like.

I ordered a Sweet Turkey Melt- mild rye with honey mustard, turkey, provolone, and grilled onions. It was about half the size of the VandeRueben, but still more than enough for me.


















The menu also includes typical pub fare such as tenderloins, burgers, and brats. I definitely recommend getting something on their delicious bread.

Soooo while I was dissecting my sandwich, I found an odd little plastic thing in my onions. I thought maybe I won a prize? It was a little plastic lid they use on mayonaisse. I told my waitress and the owner Shawn Manning (son-in-law of the original owners) came over to apologize and comp the sandwich. I told him I was going to eat it anyways because it's just plastic and I'm sure I've eaten some plastic before. So despite that little find, I enjoyed the Melt and took half home in a doggy bag.















A carry out only Belgian Village is located on 19th Ave. Supposedly both locations sell over 200 Vandereubens daily- on a slow day !

Donuts & More

For a cozy little place to eat a doughnut, drink a coffee, and read the papes, check out Donuts & More at 1717 Brady Street in Davenport. I haven't found much history info from a basic Google search, but I know it is locally owned and has been there for years. They sell doughnuts out of the small restaurant and also supply a few local retailers and gas stations.
































We stopped by around 10 a.m. and the pickins were gettin slim. They don't have doughnuts you would find at Wal-Mart or Casey's, who obviously appeal to the future diabetics of America by smothering them in frosting and stuffing them with cremes. Donuts & More has lemon or strawberry jelly, one bavarian long john, a few danishes, but mostly just flavored doughnuts and holes. The flavored doughnuts are *expletive*-ing good. Plain and simple. Richie ate a vanilla and orange.













I got a dozen holes- 4 each of double chocolate, strawberry, and sprinkles. I really can't pick a favorite child though chocolate would probably be the step child because it's more of a dessert than breakfast pastry. As you can see, it was a rainbow of deliciousity.









All of that goodness only cost like 3 dollars.

IN the fall they have pumpkin donuts so, oh yes, we will be back. Probably before then. Don't expect a Krispy Kreme experience- they aren't open all day, the coffee is nothing fancy, but they have a drive thru and very sweet worker ladies.

Ross' Restaurant

You can't have a blog on Greasy joints and not include Ross' Restaurant in Bettendorf (430 14th st). Ross' is a 24/7 family diner that opened in 1944 by Harold Ross. His daughter now owns and operates it. Ross' is popular with truckers, drunks, and old fogeys. We don't fall into those categories, we just like yummy fatty food.






Cool mural and decor on the walls. cool chick in the booths








The restaurant is known for their Magic Mountains, of which there are many varieties but the breakfast one is the best. They start with a piece of texas toast, add hashbrowns, a sausage patty, scrambled eggs, and cheese sauce or breakfast gravy...or both. The dinner varieties are similar but with different meats, french fries, and chili.





A lovely shade of yellow not found in nature





Richie has conquered many a mountain before. (sadly it will be the only mountain he will ever conquer) This one was no exception.






He added ketchup and tabasco. ~gag~



























I have had a breakfast mtn after running the Bix 7 and let's just say it didn't sit well with me.
Soo I got some fried pickles! I'm on a pickle kick lately. and no i'm not prego. it comes with ranch for dipping.







I twist my Picklestache while devising evil plots!

















They have lots of pie choices that are written on a daily specials board. We chose lemon crunch which has lemon custard and a yummy streusal topping.
















Dieters beware, no one goes to Ross' for their salad. I also recommend the chili cheese fries!