St. Patrick’s Day musings from Springfield, Ill.

We were fortunate enough to have actual St. Patrick’s Day fall on a Saturday this year.  That, along with record warmth in the Capital City, brought out the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration to downtown Springfield I can recall.  And while the powers that be in the city would like to pretend it’s all about the parade, the reality is that’s just an afterthought to the street festival atmosphere that takes over downtown.  Everyone is a little Irish … and a little more inebriated.

Things Discussed at the Brewhaus: Vol. 6

I had started the second half of the Saint Louis/Soulard Mardi Gras blog, but work obligations and unexpected turns in life have kept me from finishing.  But all in all, I can’t complain.  Beside, other than a mysterious and exotic Gypsy, who would listen? 

Plus, it’s probably the journalism major in me, but I’m a stickler for details and want to make sure I get everything right before I hit the dreaded “send” button.  For instance, it takes forever for my archaic computer to upload any pictures, and then it takes me more time to fix and screw-up in spacing that resulted from me posting the picture.   

Anyway, here’s the latest list of Brewhaus conversation starters to tide everyone over.  These are actual topics discussed over the past few weeks.  Maybe you were involved, but in all honesty, even if you weren’t, you probably didn’t miss much.

A Commoner Reviews American Harvest Eatery, Springfield, Ill.

This is my second straight restaurant-related blog about a place to dine that would normally be out of a commoner’s price range.  Go figure.  But in both instances, a special occasion was involved.  As fate would have it, I was blessed by the company of a mysterious and exotic Gypsy for Valentine’s Day dinner at American Harvest Eatery. 

First, a little about the restaurant for the uninitiated or those who aren’t from the Land of Lincoln.  The concept of American Harvest is to showcase locally and regionally grown food as much as possible and incorporate it into a fine dining experience.  The focus is on fresh ingredients from locally owned and family operated farms.  And, the menu features some creative spins on classic dishes. 

A Commoner Reviews Muriel’s, New Orleans

It’s well into February, and the two big Mardi Gras 2012 weekends are fast approaching.  For the first time in about eight years I will not be hosting a Mardi Gras party to commemorate it, nor am I able to make it back to my favorite city to celebrate.  So, one way I’ve been getting my Mardi Gras fix is through the Facebook updates provided by Muriel’s, an outstanding restaurant nested on the corner of Chartres and St. Ann, diagonally across the street from Jackson Square.