Hall of Fame Pizza & Wings

We are all quite familiar with the almighty Buffalo Wild Wings who dominate the wing market here in the Quad-Cities. They offer a great variety of sauces and a large menu. However, service can be slow, especially during those crucial game days, so we found somewhere new and decided to give it a shot.

On December 1st, Hall of Fame Pizza and Wings opened a carryout/delivery location in Park View, IA. They also have a full service restaurant with buffet in DeWitt.

It was a Tuesday like any other Tuesday when Richie and Bateman decided to play through all 3 Halo games. Their marathon of gaming called for some sustenance, so they went to Park View to fuel up with wings. (Much better than GU)

Like every other restaurant that exists in a small town, the menu is filled with items with campy names based on a sports theme. I was so disappointed that I missed out on the "Game of Pickle" appetizer, 6 deep fried pickle wedges served with honey mustard sauce, that I made Richie order one a couple days later. I'd put honey mustard on ice cream if it were socially acceptable.
So the pizza menu is pretty much on par with what you'd get just about anywhere else. The specialty pizzas aren't all that special, but they do have one with bratwurst and sauerkraut. They also make calzones, salads, and wraps.

The boys needed fuel for about 8 hours of non-stop nerding out, so they were all about the wings that day. Taking a cue from BWWs, Hall of Fame offers varying flavors and levels of heat for their wings. Richie chose 4 different types, The Heater, Asian Sensation, Hot Barbecue, and Kickin' Honey Mustard.





The wings were bigger and juicier than BWWs, as they are obviously not cranked out in mass production and plunked under a heat lamp. "They were crispy on the outside with a good amount of flavor and heat," says Richie Young, wing connoisseur.

I can't speak of the wings because of my aversion to anything slightly spicy, but I can pronounce the pickles to be perfectly pleasing. One large pickle was sliced into six wedges, breaded, spiced, and fried. The honey mustard was a suitable sweet complement.

While the marathon of gaming lasted well into the wee hours of night, the wings did not. All that was left of the carnage was a full buffalo skeleton, a heap of napkins and 5 empty Dew cans.

Though we have yet to try the pizza, I would say that a visit to the Hall of Fame is in order for all wing nuts.

Van's Pizza

Van's Pizza, Pub, and Grill is a relatively new place in town. It's located in the old Pat McGuire's at 3333 Harrison Street. McGuire's was a well loved Irish bar and grill that had been operating since 1986. The business was sold in 2009, but the offer to keep the name was available to the new owners. Because they already owned an Irish pub across town, they didn't want to open a second in Davenport. So they chose to open a pizza place. Just what Davenport needs, more pizza. This begs the question, can you have too many pizzerias in one town? Well, yes, you can.

However, Van's isn't JUST a pizza place. They kept the bar and have quite a selection of beers for the party boys from Palmer. They also tacked on the 'grill' so they can still serve burgers, appetizers, and other typically blah bar staples.

Suffice it to say, I'd really like a new concept to come to the Quad-Cities.

Exterior was slightly remodeled. Inside, the Irish paraphernalia is gone and replaced with generic bar shit. The menu looks suspiciously similar to the Jersey Grille.

Though I was pessimistic about the quality of pizza coming from this run-of-the-mill pub, it was surprisingly delicious.

The garlic cheese bread was properly garlic-y, blanketed with stringy cheese and spices. They serve it with ranch, marinara, and that green thing. It'll set you back 4.99.

Not wanting a traditional pie, we split a personal sized Iowa Farmhand's pizza.


I was most pleased that the sauce was actually ketchup and mustard mixed together. Makes for a burger-like taste and satiates my sweet tooth. The toppings were loaded on, a bit precariously, I might add. Some pieces were loaded with onion, others with pickles. Also sprinkled on were big chunks of pork tenderloin- this is an Iowa pizza after all. The crust was a good consistency, thin and slightly chewy.
The price wasn't as nice, $8.99, but if you're eating out, I suppose that's on par. A plain cheese is only $4.99 and a one-topping is $5.99.

I would probably make a return visit to try another specialty pizza. However, until the rest of the menu gets some originality, I'll pass on that.

P.S. The cold leftovers were fantastic.

Earl of Sandwich

Recently, I traveled to Disney World to run the Wine & Dine Half marathon, because any thing that combines my two favorite activities- eating and running- I am there. After a day of generic park food and a seemingly never-ending bus ride full of grouchy children, we disembarked in Downtown Disney with rumbling tummies.

At this point, anything would be satiating, so we decided to stop at the first fast food place. Luckily, we ended up in front of The Earl of Sandwich. The line was nearly out the door, but Disney is nothing if not a great place to practice patience, so we waited...













We had plenty of time to peruse the menu, which was fairly large and tantalizing.













The hot sandwich menu is their pride and joy, because the sandwiches are assembled and then placed in a warm oven, so the flavors can mix and mingle in all kinds of naughty ways.













As we plodded through the line, we paraded by the large offering of exclusive side salads, chips, and desserts. I grabbed a bag of sea salt and vinegar chips for the long journey to sandwichdom.





































































The restaurant was seriously PACKED, so we awkwardly stood aside and attempted to avoid the chaos at the counter. It was too much, so when our number was up, we grabbed the sandwiches and galloped to a table outside.



























I unwrapped my Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken and immediately shoved the warm 'wich into my mouth. Everything about this sandwich was sweet, including the bbq sauce, sweet ham, and pineapple. The bread was pretty incredible- soft, sweetened, and warm.



























My mum went for the Full Montagu which exposed it's innards of roast beef, turkey, lettuce, tomato, two cheeses, and mustard sauce.













I quickly disgusted my mom by dissecting and inhaling my dinner in 3 minutes and we skipped off with blissful bellies into the bewitching World of Disney.

After riding Tower of Terror five times, running 13.1 miles,
eating the best spanikopita ever, and throwing up in the Detroit airport, we finally arrived home to Iowa. I decided to investigate this Earl of Sandwich and found out that it is, in fact, owned partially by the 11th Earl of Sandwich, Lord John Montagu. There are a dozen or so locations around the U.S. and you can link to a weird TLDR story of their origins here.



















I guess if everyone in the world eats your namesake, you might as well 'make it rain' in your wallet. I would venture that The Earl of Sandwich would make it's inventor proud, by offering fresh fast sandwiches to the hungry masses.

Freight House Farmers' Market

A quick update on the Freight House Farmers' Market...

The entire building that previously housed the Freight House Restaurant, then Penguin's, Nan's, and Balls n Pucks, is now open for the year round Farmer's market. Though some of the rooms are sparse, other vendors are sure to fill up the vacant spots.













Antonella's is a pizza place in downtown Dport that also sells pizza by-the-slice at the Market. They traditionally make a Sicilian thin crust with traditional toppings including breakfast-style and the ever popular pepperoni.

Here's Richie munching away...













A nice, light, flavorful pizza













Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't get delicious food and produce at the Market. Be sure to check it out Tuesdays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 8am-1pm.

Bubble Tea

Bubble Tea is located in NorthPark Mall in Davenport. It opened about 7 yrs ago across from the Sam Goody-turned crap store-turned sports memorabilia store. It was opened by a South Vietnamese native who moved to the area when he was 9. According to Yelp, It's now owned by "Jeremiah is The King of smoothie, bubble tea, and coffee making."

I've passed over it since it opened and still have no desire to try the Taiwanese tea laced with tapioca bubbles. Ever since my unfortunate experience with burping Orbitz,



I just can't consume bubbles. However, when I saw this picture of the colorful, delicate club sandwich Richie devoured during a lunch break, I've decided I must try it out. Or at least try a sandwich, hold the bubbles.

















Though the sandwich was delicious and the ingredients fresh, Richie commented that it took a while to prepare. It seemed as though the workers weren't sandwich artists or enthusiasts. Clearly they are better accustomed to creating teas and fresh fruit smoothies, about which he also raves. Fresh fruit, sandwiches, and tea...by far the healthiest place Richie has ever eaten and also the healthiest choice in the mall. I'll report back after my sophisticated palate has given it a try.

Meatheads

Trekking outside of our normal eating zone, Richie and I headed to Schaumburg Illinois to purchase unassembled hip Swedish furniture and cheap but trendy Swedish clothes.

Just a block from the massive mall was a smaller strip mall populated with boring overpriced stores and an epic Dick's. (teehee.) Within the parking lot of this plaza stands a small burger joint called Meatheads.

















Meatheads is run by the mastermind behind Potbelly's and Einstein Bros. Bagels, so I would expect rapid growth over the next few years. They started in 2007 and now have 5 locations in Bloomington and a few Chicago suburbs. They seem to be an aspiring Five Guys-type joint, except they offer a few more options.

Considering the Merriam-Webster definition of meathead as a "stupid or bungling person," it may not seem like a smart moniker. Or if you are old or lame enough to remember Meathead as Archie Bunker's annoying liberal son-in-law, the name may not scream appeal. Then again, Potbelly's hasn't seemed to deter anyone from eating their hefty sandwiches.

Meatheads is all about the meat...and fries...and atmosphere. The meat is never frozen angus, fries are fresh cut from whole potatoes!, and the restaurant decor is very sleek, modern, and clean.



























We walked in and gazed up at the giant menu above the counter. It seemed a little daunting and confusing at first, but then I realized they just offer a lot of people pleasing build-your-own burger options.














Richie opted out of choosing his own toppings and went with a Meatheads Signature Burger, the Texas Ranch with a side of Cajun fries. However, he still had the choice of a fried or grilled burger. Pretty neat eh? (He went with grilled.)













I built my own chicken burger with mustard, tomato, and pickles. In hindsight, a pineapple would have been really good on it. Then I went big and requested a side of chili cheese fries as well.













Richie enjoyed his burger. Said it was cooked and seasoned well. However, the fries stole the prize. Medium-cut, perfectly fried, and dusted with Cajun spices. Laissez le Bon temp rouler!


















My chicken sandwich was also spot-on and the toppings were crisp and fresh. The chili-cheese fries were fan-freaking-tastic, as evidenced by this photo of me gorging myself.



























Prices were fair, slightly more than fast food, but with much better quality of food, it is definitely worth it. If you find yourself in the mood to PIMP MY BURGER
















give Meatheads a try. Don't forget the fries! Peep the menu HERE

Mr. B's Cafe

Mr. B's in Hoopeston Illinois is the latest conception of L & M's old lunch counter. We decided to assay it to see how the new proprietors are managing.


On this blustery morning, we blew in for a breakfast binge. The interior has changed only a little. They now have a shiny fluted sheet metal wall with handy coat hooks behind each stool. The long lunch counter and stools remain intact.

The menu is up on the wall with the grooved slots and individual letters that was probably painstaking to piece together.
Fox News...what else?


I ordered an egg sandwich with ham and a side of hash browns. I don't know why I ordered a sandwich, considering I can't eat bread, but it seemed more substantial than just requesting an egg.

Richie wanted to order a Haystack, which rivals Ross' Magic Mountain as a giant mound of breakfast foods erupting with cheese and gravy. Apparently, we arrived after the gravy robbers and the sausage gravy pot was depleted. So 2 eggs and bacon would suffice.

Our meals came out as they were finished. I dissected my sandwich and was pleased to find that the ham wasn't some limp slice of Buddig. It was a thick seasoned cut from a ham steak. A true Iowan favorite.

The hash browns were also pleasing, a nice golden crust enveloped the mid-layer of potatoes. They were crispy and light rather than greasy.

Richie devoured his scrambled eggs and bacon, but apparently a couple corners of his stomach were still empty.

How can anyone resist homemade pie? They had 5 or 6 flavors to choose. Richie ordered a slice of apple and was easily talked into making it a la mode. It was very sweet and they warmed the pie before plopping the scoop of ice cream on top, so the ice cream and apples coalesced into a sinful cinnamon soup.

I am a cake stan, but the Crunch bar pie was calling me, so I got a slice to go. And go it did, right into my mouth on the car ride home. It was creamy with a light cocoa flavor and chunks of Crunch bar. Scrumptious.


We were all impressed with the food and service, and I would opine that it has improved since the new owners took over. Bravo Mr. B


Goodbye long shiny checkered diner!