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!

Return to The Buzz

We returned to the local coffee shop The Buzz because they have once again expanded, remodeled, and revamped the menu.
The entire cafe moved down into the building just east of its former location. They now have a long counter, bigger kitchen and much more seating space.














What first enticed my return to the Buzz was the banner announcing that they now sold Donuts & More donuts. As luck would have it, they also serve hot breakfasts. The menu offers a good variety of breakfast choices including pancakes, french toast, and eggs. Donuts be damned, I wanted eggs instead.














We arrived around 9:30 and found a few other casual diners hanging out. The owner, Rob, is a very friendly guy and he chit-chatted us up after we ordered.




























The food took awhile, but it was worth the wait. There really is no where else in Eldridge where you can sit down to a nice hot breakfast. I ordered Eggs Benedict and they came with these beautiful golden hashbrowns with a nice crispy top layer. Perfect hashbrowns are a work of art.













The eggs were cooked perfectly and the hollandaise was very rich. Even though it tasted great, I restrained myself and used just a dab.


















Richie ordered a 3 egg omelet with toast. You can choose fillings and he opted for bacon, mushrooms, and cheese. Naturally, he enhanced it with hot sauce.














I have 2 complaints. To the loud woman yakking obnoxiously about your husband and huge house: NO ONE CARES. Secondly, they don't serve breakfast all day. All Breakfast All Day is my motto.


The Buzz is quickly becoming a charming full service restaurant, something this town is seriously lacking. For burgers and bikers, go to Del's. For homemade sandwiches and breakfasts, Buzz on over to the BUZZ.




THUG LYFE

Crabby's

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Richard Squarepants?!

















Richie and Bateman hopped in their boatmobile and bubbled their way to Crabby’s in Coal Valley, located somewhere between Bikini Bottom and the Rock River.














Crabby’s is owned by a distant relative of Mr. Krabs, proprietor of Krusty Krab. Crabby’s is also apparently terrorized by Sheldon Plankton, who burned down the original Crabby’s in 2006. That little green bastard.














Always consistent, Richie ordered a flaming krabby patty layered with jalapenos, an obscene amount of onions, bbq sauce, and cheese. He was somewhat baffled at the lack of crab in the menu. Crab legs were the only option.



























Richie’s chum, Bateman, who is not pink and does not live under a rock, ordered a Chicken Philly. He had never before eaten a Philly Cheese Steak. Maybe he does live under a rock.













Both were quite Squidward about the food, finding nothing special about it. The atmosphere was nice and cozy, like a big log cabin, hopefully Plankton doesn’t burn this one down. Though not highly recommended, if you’re a drinker or pool connoisseur, it might be worth a trip down to sponge up some alcohol and fair bar food.

Wise Guys

"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States"

When you want a good pie, you gotta go some place where they know pizza. Italians are supposed to know pizza. And the Italian mafia are "goodfellas, wiseguys." So a pizza place named WiseGuys (2408 E 53rd) better have some good pizza, or they risk getting whacked.

WiseGuys is another one of the Quad-Cities' style pizzerias that has been around for awhile. Not as long as Frank's or Harris, WiseGuys opened in 96, around the time the 53rd and Elmore corridor was being heavily developed.













As far as I can tell, Wiseguys differs from the others in their crust. It's a little thicker and doesn't have the cornmeal bottom. They do, however, tend to stick to mozzarella and other white cheeses, and they load on the toppings. Not very Italian, but very Quad Cities.



He better be whacking people with that stick










I fully expected a guy name Paulie to take my order in a rude manner and give me the dick eye while I waited. But instead, it was a gangly white teenager surrounded by pretty blonde waitresses picking up their orders. Bummer.

Also sort of a bummer, the lack of creativity in naming the pizzas. I thought maybe I could order the Bugsy Big Boss Bacon or Machine Gun Mushroom. They did have one pizza named the Big Marv which sounds like a pizzafied Big Mac, with 1000 Island dressing, beef, pickles, and cheese. However, I ordered the Inferno- a gut burning pie topped with Italian sausage, pepperoncinis, onions, jalapenos, and hot pepper jack cheese.














The restaurant is no hideout, featuring a salad bar, ample seating and a sports bar-ish atmosphere, but I took our pizza to go, with a side of garlic bread.














Unwrapped it and BAM! My medium pizza looked more like a sidekick than a boss. Richie was expecting an assault on his taste buds, but he didn't seem to find it hot enough. The pizza he uses as his reference point is the Volcano from Poor Boys and I guess this one didn't compare. I have very low tolerance for heat, so I picked my pieces apart to avoid the jalapenos, but I could feel a bit of a burn in my sinuses. Nothing I couldn't handle though.













The garlic bread wasn't nearly garlicky or flavorful enough for either of us.














I liked it. I mean, it's pizza, who wouldn't? It's not the capo di tutti capo, but it's a decent associate. Richie, being the pistol he is, is not from the old country and once again complained that QC-style pizza is overwhelmed with toppings and cheese. I would like to rat Wisguys out for their prices. It felt a little like we were being extorted... more than 30 bucks for a pizza and bread?

If anyone has any suggestions for a good New York style pizza place in the area, give me holler.