A commoner dines at Uncle Joe’s Deli, Ina, Ill.

If you need proof that billboard advertising works for roadside restaurants, I present to you my first trip to Uncle Joe’s Deli.

For a couple of months, I would be drawn to Uncle Joe’s promise of great barbecue as I passed advertisements along Interstate 57 on the way back and forth from working in Nashville, Tenn.  I was always curious to try it but also a little skeptical.  After all, most delis aren’t known for their barbecue, and if they do it at all it’s almost an afterthought. 

Then, one early Friday afternoon, with time on my side and running out of original lunch options between me and home, I took a chance.  I followed the directions on the last billboard I saw, pulled off on Exit 83 at Ina, Ill., a small community near Rend Lake in southern Illinois, turned right at the truck stop and followed a familiar smoky smell of slow-cooked meat practically to Uncle Joe’s doorstep.    

Finding Phat Bites in Nashville’s Donelson neighborhood

If there ever was a place I’ve found in my travels that could be described as having a bohemian-style identity crisis – but in a very good way – it had to be Phat Bites.  Located behind an Ace Hardware of all things in Nashville’s suburb of Donelson near the airport and close to where I worked for a couple of months, Phat Bites is part deli, part coffee house, and – later in the evening – part dive bar and local music venue.  Somehow, though, it all blends wonderfully together.

It was that odd mishmash of identities that drew me – like so many of their regulars, I suppose – to Phat Bites repeatedly, whether it be for a lunch that was a little out of the ordinary or to serve as a watering hole close to my hotel.  Indeed, the main dining area, which quite literally was carved out of the service bays of an old garage, always seemed to stay busy. 

Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn – masters of mutton …and much more

It’s no secret to anyone who browses this blog that I love my barbecue.  I’m no culinary expert; I’m just a commoner who loves to eat the best each region I visit has to offer.  That means if I’m near Memphis, I’m craving pork ribs.  If I’m in the Carolinas, I’m seeking out the pulled pork.  Texas hill country?  Bring on the brisket.  And Kansas City does no barbecue better than its burnt ends. 

Yes, it seems like every region famous for its barbecue has a specialty.  And if you’ve never been to western Kentucky, you might be surprised to find a vibrant barbecue culture all its own. But while they do the standard pork, beef and chicken quite well, the star attraction is something quite different – they make the most out of barbecued mutton. 

Mutton is simply older sheep than lamb, but if you barbecue it right, the meat loses any toughness one might associate with older livestock, the gaminess is made mellow and taste is as moist as barbecue gets. 

Perhaps no place in western Kentucky is more famous for its mutton – or barbecues it better – than the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro. 

Get a speakeasy feeling from Skull’s Rainbow Room, Nashville, Tenn.

Even commoners surviving on small budgets have to reward themselves with a special meal now and then, so when my co-workers mutually decided to celebrate the end of our two-month assignment in Nashville, Tenn., for a celebratory meal, we settled on a spot in downtown’s historic Printers Alley which is known as much for its striptease as its steaks – Skull’s Rainbow Room.

It seemed like a slightly unusual choice at the time given the diversity of our crowd, but we went for the beef rather than the burlesque, so if you’re looking for a review of the entertainment, you’ll be disappointed you clicked here.  But even if you try Skull’s for the steaks and not the striptease (OK, I admit I was a little disappointed we couldn’t stick around for a show), I think you’ll have a terrific time. 

For starters, Skull’s Rainbow Room is a physical testament to the seedier side of the history of Nashville’s entertainment scene.  As it turns out, the establishment’s original owner and namesake had many famous friends and acquaintances pass through his club – and its appeal went way beyond the classic country and western scene.