Seafood and sausage paired perfectly at Rudie’s in Nashville

Even for a commoner with a travelling bug like myself, breaking the monotony of dinner destinations that all look, feel and taste the same can be a challenge.  A catchy name, positive reviews and good word of mouth can go a long way to getting on my radar.  When I first started working in Nashville, Tenn., a while back, Rudie’s Seafood, Sausage and Taproom won me over with all three.

Rudie’s was, if not the first, among the first destinations I visited in the trendy revived East Nashville section of the city.  And why not, really?  The Louisiana side of me obviously loves seafood.  The Midwest side of me loves sausage.  Add a taproom to it, and I’m sold.  As is turns out, the folks at Rudie’s take all three very seriously, and it’s apparent they share a passion for food and drink with their customers. 

A commoner dines at the Chinese Tea Garden, Decatur, Ill.

If you’re looking for the Chinese version of classic comfort food, look no further than Decatur Illinois’ prototypical old-school Asian restaurant, the Chinese Tea Garden.

You won’t struggle finding it in downtown Decatur, either.  Just head to Main Street and look for the otherwise out of place storefront that looks like something out of a Chinatown movie scene.

If a trip to the Chinese Tea Garden seems a little like going back in time, that’s because in so many ways it really is.  In fact, for Punky -- who grew up in Decatur -- the restaurant has been a Decatur landmark for as long as she can remember.  The decorations -- inside and out -- haven’t changed in decades.  And the same family continues to run the place the same way after all these years.  So, going there for someone like her is a hometown tradition.

Speaking of the decor, the first time you visit you may think you’ve walked onto a Hollywood movie set for a Chinatown dive.  

Between the general lack of crowds, quaint setting and kitschy Oriental-style decorations, you almost can’t help it.  

As fate would have it, the Chinese Tea Garden has been featured in one movie scene for “The Informant” featuring Matt Damon and based on true events surrounding Decatur-based Archer Daniels Midland’s price-fixing scheme in the 1990s.  See, in a film noir sort of way, the Chinese Tea Garden is the perfect place to not be seen.

Once you’re seated at the Chinese Tea Garden for the first time, don’t even think about ordering anything else to drink but tea.  Seriously, what else would you drink at a restaurant named “Tea Garden?”  Besides, it’s good.  Really good.  It also accentuates the experience.

Even if it’s dinner time, you’re probably going to order off of the lunch menu, which is available anytime.  The Luncheon Special is always a major bargain.  Most entrees are still less than $5 and come with fried rice, an egg roll (perfectly crisp) and soup (usually egg drop).  

You’ll also find most “traditional” Chinese entrees on the menu.  Again think Chinese comfort food.  Nothing here is too spicy or too daring.  Personally, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the beef and Chinese vegetables.  

While Punky went with a similar choice, I was impressed with The Kiddo’s decision to try the shrimp with broccoli, served in a traditional light sauce.   The Kiddo does love her shrimp, and for what it’s worth they were very well prepared … it’s easy to get rubber shrimp at restaurants that don’t focus on seafood, but they got it right here.  

I was so pleased with our overall dining experience that I even let the fam take a picture of me stuffing my face.  

The Chinese Tea Garden isn’t fancy.  It isn’t trendy.  But it does give you feel-good food in a classic setting.  Give it a try.  You’ll probably leave a … umm … fan.

Pequod’s dishes pizza perfection in Morton Grove, Ill.

When it comes to Chicago’s signature deep dish pizza, if you asked 10 residents for their favorite, it wouldn’t be surprising to get 10 different answers.  Some will surely mention places that most out-of-towners have heard of – places like Gino’s East, Pizzeria Uno, Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s that all have helped define and spread the Chicago style.  But for every famous Chicago pizzeria drawing tourists from all over the world, there’s a great low-key neighborhood pizza joint that may be just as good, if not better. 

Pequod’s is one such place that had been on my radar for some time.  Fortunately, since Punky is as much of a foodie as me, it didn’t take much for her to convince me to finally seek out Pequod’s Pizza on one of our most recent trips to the Chicago area.  And for good measure, since we were staying way up in Skokie, we decided to try the original location in the nearby suburb of Morton Grove.     

Pequod’s is no newcomer to Chicago’s culinary landscape; it just so happens that more and more people outside of the Chicago area are being let in on the secret.  According to their Yelp bio, they’ve been in business since 1970, and as I found out while mingling with fellow diners, a lot of those regulars from the 1970s are still coming there. 

Anticipating a long wait on a weekend night, we called ahead the day before for priority seating but then arrived early anyway trying to beat an evening rainstorm (we failed at that, too).  Ultimately, we got seated around our expected time anyway.  To be fair, there is very limited seating at the Morton Grove location, but expansion would only take away from the retro charm of the place.     

By the time we finally got seated, we had studied the menu enough to put our order in right away.  Most Chicago-style pan pizzas take 40-50 minutes to cook, so we were mentally prepared for that eventually.  We started our meal with a good bottle of red wine and waited …

… and waited …

… and waited some more.  The super small bar area was looking more and more inviting all the time, as our waitress seemingly disappeared for the better part of 40 minutes.  I know pizza orders get backed out at a smaller venue like this, but what happened to the salads we ordered?  Or the appetizer of wings, for that matter? 

Ah, finally, just as the last drops of wine were devoured, the signature Pequod’s salads arrived!!  And they were, without a doubt, worth the wait.  With generous slices of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, as well as a large pepperoncini hidden by all the other fresh ingredients, and a superb homemade oil and vinegar-based Italian dressing to smother it all, this salad was everything you’d want and expect from an old-school pizza parlor.   

Our wings arrived right before the pizza, and frankly if we had it to do over again, we would have skipped them.  The salad was plenty to whet the appetite and by comparison, the wings were just nothing special.  Still, if you’re a wing nut like me and Punky, it’s always good to have the option.

But Pequod’s reputation and strong local following begins with the pizza and its famous carmelized crust.  Once our sausage, mushroom, green pepper and black olive pan pizza arrived, we immediately put it to the test.  And boy, did they ever knock it out of the park.  Suddenly, all our worries about our order and grumbling about the wait were gone.  The sauce is slightly sweet, very zesty and the perfect complement for the sausage, as well as any veggie toppings cooked in the pie.  The carmelization on the edges comes from the overflow of cheese on the side.  Some people don’t care for it because it’s “burnt” but we loved the added flavor and crunch factor it gave the crust.

Punky and I left Pequod’s Pizza extremely satisfied with the meal, even though the service was a little subpar.  We were probably a little more forgiving than usual because of the superior product and throwback-in-time atmosphere.  In fact, compared to other famous Chicago-style pizzas, Punky claimed Pequod’s beat them all.  With so many excellent contenders, I’m not sure I can go that far, but I’d certainly put Pequod’s in my Top Three.  The place is worth seeking out … just plan to make an evening of it when you go.

  

Roaming through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

When you work on the road as much as this commoner does, sometimes you just feel compelled to be a tourist when the opportunity arises.  So, when I was working last year in Cleveland, my coworkers and I made it a point to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Yes, it was touristy.  Yes, it was cheesy.  Yes, it was more commercial than it should have been.  In other words, it was in many ways the opposite of everything rock music once supposedly stood for.  But in spite of it all, it was absolutely worth it.

  

Located on the shore of Lake Erie as part of Cleveland’s revitalized North Shore Harbor, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame site is still relatively new -- even newer than the actual “hall” itself.  The giant triangle has only been a part of the Cleveland landscape since 1995.  But honestly, you really can’t miss it if you’re looking for it.   

The building features seven levels of various attractions, shops, theaters, conference rooms and meeting spaces.  For what I consider to be a great value of under $25, you’ll be able to see most of the permanent displays and many timely, temporary exhibits (the new class of inductees is typically featured prominently).  

As you’d expect, many of the “heavyweights” have permanent exhibits devoted to them, so you’ll have an opportunity to see some iconic pieces of rock history, such as Ringo Starr’s drum kit with the Beatles ...

… and Elvis Presley’s stylin’ gold suit from his 1968 Comeback Special.  

The museum also features several noteworthy exhibits devoted to the musical culture of various cities that helped shape the foundations of rock.  Anyone who knows me knows I’m partial to Memphis’ musical history, so I was especially happy to see a little of it on display.

The museum also touches on the history of other musical genres that influenced many rock and roll hall of famers.

I'm always looking for that one-way ticket to midnight.

Moving past the precursors to rock, I was pleased to see a fair number of exhibits devoted to some more “contemporary” genres of rock and roll (i.e., bands I grew up listening to).  For instance, it doesn’t get much more iconic than Angus Young’s schoolboy outfit or Michael Anthony’s Jack Daniel’s guitar if you spent your youth banging your head to the hard rock of the 1980s.  

And yes, I admit to being pleased that the Eagles -- a guilty pleasure of mine -- was well represented with their own display ... .  

I'm beginning to see why they call him the Space Cowboy ...

… as well as class of 2016 inductee Steve Miller Band, even though Steve Miller himself may still be pretty jaded toward the industry, which reportedly made for a rather awkward ceremony.

Another thing I appreciated about the museum was the fact that you don’t have to be a hall of famer -- or even a long-time performer -- to be recognized for your influence on music and pop culture.  

Where's the flying pig?

Then there’s perhaps the most unusual display I encountered -- and maybe the most prominent at the museum.  As you take the escalator to the building’s higher levels, you’re greeted by the hall of fame’s tribute to Pink Floyd’s The Wall.      

The sheer size of it is impressive, but I couldn’t help but be amused by how out of place and overly commercial it seemed to see a cafeteria style dinner being catered to some corporate outing on the other side of the wall.  

Elsewhere in the museum you’ll find a pretty interesting exhibit on the evolution of radio, how it helped shape rock music, why Cleveland deserves to be recognized as the birthplace of rock and roll, and how listening to music has changed dramatically since the dawn of the 20th Century.  There’s also a gift shop that includes, as one would hope, a vast selection of music to purchase.  

I think it’s safe to say there’s something for every musical taste at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is fitting when you consider the wide spectrum of styles that encompasses what is  generally considered rock music today.  Plus, with ever-changing exhibits, the museum is always worth a return trip to see what’s new or topical.  It’s certainly one attraction by the lake that won’t be a mistake to check out when you’re in downtown Cleveland.