Dining Out- Week of November 21st, 2005

I realized I was sitting in Cold Stone Creamery with my eyes closed in order to fully focus on the 24 Karat Cake. This monthly creation features carrot cake batter ice cream, walnuts, graham cracker pie crust and caramel. The ice cream was marvelous by itself but I did open my eyes to make sure to get walnuts for crunch and graham cracker pieces for that granular courseness.

Here is why this will be many portions for me: 1,090 calories, 495 calories from fat, 54 grams of fat and 23 grams of saturated fat. And this is one of the lower cal creations!



Frozen treats continued in the form of custard at Kopp's. In keeping with the holiday season there was a magnificent Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie (pumpkin custard with praline pecans and bits of cookie) and as a departure from the usual richness a tart Cranberry Medley (cranberry custard with orange/cranberry revel, oatmeal cookie pieces and walnuts).



Texas Roadhouse
Waukesha


Killer Ribs (appetizer portion)
Pork ribs slow cooked in blend of seasonings and house BBQ sauce; served with steak fries

It wasn’t how easy the meat fell off the bones; it was how easy the bones pulled out of the meat. This pork struck a great balance of bite and tenderness and the sauce was smoky with just an underling tone of molasses type sweetness. The fries reached beyond average by the dusting of some great seasoning.


Baked Sweet Potato
With optional marshmallow and caramel toppings

It may be listed under 'sides' on the menu but it might as well be dessert. The steaming sweet starch was brought to fun status with the addition of more sweetness from the melted garnishments.


Fried Catfish
Catfish fillets breaded in seasoned cornmeal and deep fried; served with creole mustard sauce

A thick coating with great crunch and just enough spiciness held a moist and mildly sweet fillet.


Décor: A busy country look duplicated in 34 states by this chain. Much too loud.
Service: An hour wait for table, wait to see waitress, wait to place order, wait to get order. Open three days it is still clearly rough.

4 out of 5 stars



Depot Restaurant
Richmond, Illinois


The Omelet with tomatoes and green peppers was mostly forgettable and the hash browns had the prerequisite juxtaposition of crispy and soft. What was memorable were the floral curtains, smiling waitresses, long counter and banter of regulars.



Mary's Market Cafe & Bakery
Algonquin, Illinois


Vegetable hash? Hmm…that sounds intriguing. And it could help make up for the consumption of Thanksgiving treats the day before. With potatoes, carrots, peppers, mushrooms and seasoning it did the trick. What about that Fudgemelt you say? Hey! It was free and this chocolate chip cookie with white chocolate chips and walnuts was enjoyed over a couple days.



Also in Algonquin the nuns in St. Roger Abbey sure know how to bake. This Marie Therese showcased flaky buttery layers covered in crunchy crystals of sugar and held a wonderful apple filling. It completely outshone the Almond Star.



A refreshing departure of stripmallvilleland in West Dundee this old building houses Pretzel Palace. The Toffee Pretzel and Mint Chocolate Pretzel are good, but it is the Cranberry Pecan that amazes. Crunchy, tangy, soft, hefty, sweet and savory all at once.



I’ve driven through Richmond dozens and dozens of times but Anderson's Candy Shop never seems to be open. The White Peach Truffle was a mouthful of spring.



The Red Geranium
Lake Geneva


Grilled Boneless Pork Chop
Grilled hickory smoked pork chop; served with sautéed mushrooms

It had a minor smokiness and was juicy; but didn’t have a great impact of taste to be above average and the cold mushrooms detracted.


Décor: Would you believe a lot of geraniums?
Service: Impassive yet satisfactory

3 out of 5 stars