I-80 and I-88 Eats in Illinois and Iowa

I'm attending my college reunion in Grinnell, Iowa and chose to fly to O'Hare and drive. Any suggestions for places to eat nearby to the interstates?

Many thanks,

DF

I'm almost positive that this topic has been covered before in previous posts; I'd run a boolean search of 'I-80' or 'Iowa', etc. and it should come up.

Beyond that, it depends on where you want to eat and what meal you want it to be. If you grab a bite around Chicago, there's Katy's Dumpling House off I-88 in Westmont or Amanacer Tapatio off I-80 in Joliet--by "off" I mean few minutes south of the interstate.

It's generally rough-goings from there, though I see that there's been mention of a bbq place off I-180 that sounds promising. I temporarily reside in Iowa City and can recommend a few places around here--again, however, depends on the meal. This isn't a bad sandwich town, so if you're in around lunch, New Pioneer Co-op or Prairie Table will suffice; if you're in your even more of a hurry, there's a Bread Garden and Chik-Fil-A in the food court of the mall you'll see to your immediate south at exit 240. If you want to linger, there's a pan-asian place in downtown IC called Takanami that, however overwrought with cliches at dinner, does a nice "bento box" lunch service that's fresh and a good deal.

If you're going out for dinner in IC, Motley Cow's the best and most reliable restaurant in the city....just really well-executed no-frills New American cooking

Thanks Chezbrad. I have used the search function. I've been tortured by some of the suggestions that are just too far away from the Interstate (cathy2 is a special offender ) for my quest.

Is the barbecue place Jim's Rib Heaven in Rock Island?

Lagomarcino's in Moline is a great stop for sponge candy and/or a hot fudge sundae. A few miles off I-80, but worth it.

http://www.lagomarcinos.com/

jcat wrote:Lagomarcino's in Moline is a great stop for sponge candy and/or a hot fudge sundae. A few miles off I-80, but worth it.

http://www.lagomarcinos.com/

This is a place that IS on my radar. Do you have any idea how late it is open on weeknights?

Look in this thread: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t= ... agomarcino

Also, look in the threads linked/embedded thereof.

Rob

Hi,

Sorry for being the restaurant tease. I guess my suggestions are just a bit too far to pursue.

If pork tenderloin sandwiches are your desire, then there are some suggestions in this thread. One place getting raves recently was in Morris, IL.

I guess you have seen Illinois Due West of Chicago. Cajun Connection is very close to the interstate. The Ethyl or a Hubcap sized pork tenderloin at R Place is a truck stop at an exit in Morris, IL.

If you went to school in Iowa, then I guess you are a veteran of many a Maid Rite. If not, then it is really something to try at least as a cultural icon.

I look forward to your contributions to the body of knowledge. I am sure hopeful you will find and report on any new additions.

Thanks!

Regards,

I live out in Marseilles, exit # 97 on I -80, but work in the suburbs.

The best Cajun food in the Chicago area, including downtown Chicago, can be found at Rons Cajun Connection in Utica.

www.ronscajunconnection.com

The BBQ--nee, tamale--place was noted here: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=13640

I think the post was started this week.

If you do make a stop in Iowa City, I'd say The Hamburg Inn is one of the best places to try:
http://www.hamburginn.com/
11 years post college and I still crave a Zadar Omlette....
Jamie

On that westbound stretch of I-88 west of the Dixon toll, where the word 'boring' would be a compliment, you'll pass a weather-beaten sign promoting 'Arthur's Garden Deli' in Rock Falls up a few miles.

Yeah, right. A good deli in the wasteland of western Illinois. Well...your cynicism would be misplaced. This place is good, fresh, inventive--a venerable oasis, and has been very, very solid since the 1980's. Do yourself a favor & stop in to take a break from the Illinois State Police cruisers that frequent that part of the interstate.

The chalkboard menu lists about 18 six or twelve inch subs, one more interesting than the next. My favorite, surely not everyone's, is the Braunschweiger (liverwurst) on a fresh toasted roll, with lettuce, tomato, slivered onions, and mayo. Mighty fine.

Check 'er out next time you're through--you won't be sorry.

Dave Feldman wrote:I'm attending my college reunion in Grinnell, Iowa

Dave, when did you graduate? I'm class of '75

RevrendAndy wrote:

Dave Feldman wrote:I'm attending my college reunion in Grinnell, Iowa

Dave, when did you graduate? I'm class of '75

'71. And I had a blast at the reunion.

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I decided to set my sights on Lagomarcino's and I stopped in Moline, just to find as I approached it that the owners were locking the doors of the darkened establishment. I was crushed, especially because the interior was so beautiful. But closed is closed, and I drove the few miles to Rock Island and ate at Jim's Rib Heaven.

At the recommendation of the waitress, I tried the back ribs (NOT the baby back ribs) and they were meaty and tasty. This is sauce-centric barbecue, not necessarily my favorite style, but the sauce was tangy and not too sweet. The sides I ordered, cole slaw and potato salad was fantastic, especially the potato salad, full of mustard and pickle. I left happy and full.

Dave Feldman wrote:

RevrendAndy wrote:

Dave Feldman wrote:I'm attending my college reunion in Grinnell, Iowa

Dave, when did you graduate? I'm class of '75

'71. And I had a blast at the reunion.

Class of '03 here. Thanks for the report, I was always wondering if there was a restaurant worth stopping at between here and Grinnell.

Love,
John

Well, we narrowly missed another harrowing eating experience after a day of hiking and fishing...we decided to check out what was open downtown Utica on a Tuesday evening...turned out we had two choices: Duff's, an irish bar that was mentioned in the Ron's thread, and Canal Port Bar & Grill, an obviously touristy place. We were hungry and happened to be on the Canal Port side of the street...so, like the donkey between two bales of hay, we went there.

The place has been recently renovated within an inch of its life, including an enormous wood bar, wood paneling, giant windows, and a footcandle rating to rival Moody's (Sparky couldn't read the book he'd brought to amuse himself, even though the sun was shining outside.) Ominously, the one-price $5 children's menu listed burgers, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese...but we were there and hungry. The 'spouse ordered a steak sandwich, I opted for the extremely reasonably priced 1/4 dark meat chicken dinner ($6) and Sparky got mac and cheese. Most menu items ranged from $8 to $20.

I won! Not much has been written here about this genre of fried chicken, but this is the best example I've ever had of it: unseasoned but perfectly cooked fried chicken, minimally battered with flour. The quarter dark was a leg and a thigh, and a sprinkle of salt was all it required: the skin exploded in your mouth with a sound that I'm sure could be heard two tables down, and the meat slid off the bones. Since it's all in the cooking, I don't know how consistent this dish is (though I have high hopes, as reviewselsewhererave about it) but, although the plainest, it was the best fried chicken I've had in a long while. It came with a side of very good homemade creamy cole slaw of diced cabbages and veg. Also very good: the salad dressings, all sour-cream based with minimal mayo and (thank God) no off sweet flavors - blue cheese was the best I've had in a while, with big chunks of cheese in a base that included fresh green onion; the chips came with some kind of sour-creamy dill dressing. The homemade potato chips were likewise very good; thin-sliced and fried hard and great for dipping in the dressings.

Unfortunately, the steak sandwich was one of the poorest of this genre we've seen in a while: a flavorless, pounded flat, oversalted but otherwise unseasoned gristly piece of meat on a doughy bun. Sparky's $5 mac-and-cheese, as we suspected, was disappointing: a fairly small portion of poorly-prepared "blue box" with a side of recently uncanned mandarin oranges. We tried dessert - tiramisu - which was huge, but frozen and suspiciously neat (a la US Foods or Sysco) It wasn't bad for what it was...

I'm guessing this is one of those restaurants that does fried very well - the chicken dinner had a couple options: a dark or white quarter, and a dark or white half (how do they cut chickens into a white half? ) There were also a number of fried fish dishes on the menu...I'd be eager to get another opinion.

Canal Port
(815) 667-3010
200 Mill St, North Utica, IL 61373

mhays,

Pretty much anywhere you go in LaSalle County you will find some good to great fried chicken for a bargain price.

Since I live in the area I have eaten @ Canal Port a couple of times, and have found their food to be decent. The bar also has a good selection of tequila which is important to me.

My favorite dish @ Canal Port, deep fried pork chops.

jimswside wrote:Pretty much anywhere you go in LaSalle County you will find some good to great fried chicken for a bargain price.

Good to know - any suggestions for other chicken places? Canal Port was fine, but not really a post-fishing/hiking with kid kind of place. Wish we'd seen the pork chops, they're the 'spouse's favorite.

My favorite fried chicken spots in the area are:

Cherry Supper Club
110 N. Main
Cherry, IL.

Exit # 73, off of I-80 West go norht & it is about 2 miles into the small town of Cherry. Good fried chicken, salad bar, etc.

Also Carretto's in Ottawa

Carrretto's Bar and Bowling
729 Chestnut
Ottawa, IL.

Good fried chicken, pork tenderloins, etc.

Hanks Farm is also good, exit 93, . You go south, and Hanks Farm is on the west side of the road, a huge old barn converted into a restaurant.

Hanks Farm
2973 N. Route 71
Ottawa, IL.

Rip's is also good, but even further west

www.ripstavern.com