Paul's Tavern

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Iowa

We continue on with hamburger Month as we head North up the river into Iowa. I was once just outside Paul's Big Game Tavern to take a picture of what I thought looked like a cool Midwest tavern. It was on a trip back from South Dakota where we were exploring the Iowa portion of the Great River Road. You can see an old picture of the place in that post. If I remember correctly it was earlier in the morning when I took that picture but I'm not sure. Either way I had wanted to stop into Paul's since a guy from Dubuque whom I randomly met at Toons told me I had to.


Dubuque, IA

We were just talking and somehow the conversation got into Dubuque then over into food and Paul's was then mentioned. Little did I know then that I was almost there once. I didn't miss out the second time around. We stopped into Paul's on an early weekday around 6p and its a good thing I'm not claustrophobic nor a sufferer of Taxidermy Phobia. Which I guess is a real thing many people have. This is because Paul's is pretty narrow and as you enter your going to see what it said outside you would. Paul's hunting "trophies" hang on the walls, both the left and right side. Stuffed bears and other animals to your left above the people eating in the tiny booths and stuffed mountain goats and other creatures displayed above the bar.

The Views Inside

Paul's is your stereotypical Midwest Mississippi river-town tavern. It's been around since 1948 so this is where the locals go. Not much has changed except the fact theres now government restrictions and regulations to shooting animals such as polar bears. All of the trophies are from the 50's into the early 70's. Paul isn't around anymore but still stops by over the summer when not hibernating at his winter place in Texas. The guy who took the bar over used to bartend there and when the regulars told him they didn't want nothing changed, he listened. Paul's has always been popular for their cold beer and burgers which are still made the same way today as when they first set up shop.


Bartender making our burgers in the Broilator

Paul's uses a "Broilator" which used to be manufactured by the now defunct Norge Company. From Dubuque365.com "This gas fired countertop broiler contains a very well seasoned cast iron griddle. The cook places burgers on this plate and pulls a lever that positions the plate between top and bottom flames. The meat is cooked at a high temperature and does not have to be flipped. The Broilator has been cooking over 100 hamburgers a day for over 62 years! The griddle only holds 8 burgers so when the bar is busy you have to wait your turn." The bartender told me the thing itself was from the 1930's and on weekends when it gets busy theres two people behind the bar. One serving drinks and one making burgers.


Cheeseburger from Paul's Tavern

The burger was what it was. I don't say that to mean it sucked but it wasn't the best ever. Still it was some nice fresh locally butchered beef, albeit lean, in a bun and went real well with the ice cold bottles of High Lifes and conversation with the regulars. The price has changed going up from 25 cents back in 1948 up to $2.45 today. Nowadays they also do sloppy joe's during lunch hours on weekdays and macaroni and potato salad too. The mac was pretty fantastic. After that we took a short 2 minute ride over to Fourth Street.


The Fourth Street Elevator in Dubuque

Also known as 'The Fenelon Place Elevator' I never knew about this classic cliff railway cart they have here. It's listed in the National Register of Historic Places and so they claim it's the shortest/steepest railroad in the world. I'll tell you this much, it's well worth the $2 roundtrip ticket to take a ride up. If you do take the ride, take note now that they don't accept debit or credit cards which I didn't see mentioned at the bottom but was the first thing you saw at the top. I had cash but don't forget, it's a little bit of a walk around and then down

Don't forget...

The Ride Up

I felt like a kid again getting into the car and then ringing the bell to tell the lady up top we were ready to ride. She had to remind me over the intercom that I had sit down before she could bring us up. The ride up was a little more scarier and had me the slightest bit of nervous. I guess it's open year round but man would it be scary if icy and cold during the winter. There's some beautiful homes in the neighborhood it takes you up into, as well as some great views of Dubuque and the Mighty Mississippi from the observation deck.

Looking down from the top

Overlooking Dubuque

Paul's Tavern
176 Locust Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 556-9944



The Fenelon Place Elevator
512 Fenelon Place
Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 582-6496

Carl's Drive In

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Mizzou

Hello Hamburger Friends. We hope you're enjoying our ode to National Hamburger Month this May as we share burgers all month long. We're about to start seven state burger march thru the Midwest as we take a look at places in IL, IN, IA, WI, MN, MI & MO slinging their takes on America's classic most well known signature food item. We took a classic roadtrip from Chicago down the Mississippi Delta then into New Orleans this past Fall. In fact looking back, we were on the road eating for five days and only had one burger the entire time. Easily a record low for me as far as Foodventures go. You can almost always find a good burger place no matter where you're at in America. The first stop on this trip down South was St. Louis where we had to pick up a good friend who was coming along. One of the OG's from the foodventure crew. We only had time for a quick lunch and this was a no brainer for the three of us on the trip. I say this because one of the best burgers in all of America and a "Top Five All Time" of mine is found in da 'lou. Carl's Drive In is located right on Route 66. Classic Americana.


Carl's Drive In on Route 66

The old longtime sign at Carl's, not seen up above, was blown down in a storm over the summer of 2011 so they were getting that fixed when we were there (It's since been fixed). Other than that, there was nothing that changed between my two year absence or for that matter since Carl's came about in 1959. A 16 stool burger place for people driving 'The Mother Road' Carl's became thee place to grab a smashed burger, a style that was the norm then, and a root beer to go with it. Despite the demise of Route 66, Carl's still stands today. It was a quiet day when we arrived which was fine for me since the wait can be out the door during warm months. As you can see in the pic below they still do their root beer in the glass and that was a nice change of pace since many of the homemade root beer stops I've been too of late served their RB in paper cups. Knock it off numb nuts. IBC's root beer comes from Carl's recipe. It's the real deal and the perfect non alcoholic pair to a hamburger.

View from my seat

For those unfamiliar with Carl's they do the "30's style" griddled burger to perfection, nobody does it better. It had been a minute since my last visit so I forgot that they too, like Schoop's, pile on the toppings. Everything includes ketchup, mustard, chopped raw onions (grilled avail.), lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. It wouldn't be this popular style without the cheap old regular bun too. I ended up with a double cheese (a must, perfect beef to bun ratio) with everything but ketchup to eat there and took a double with grilled onions, mustard and pickles to go.


Hamburger Heaven found on Route 66 in St. Louis

My buddy who's the mayor down there is a regular and knows everyone in there so I was introduced to each and they're all one big family. I forget her name but the grillmaster in training that day was working the grill, the "heir apparent " as my buddy called her and the burgers were as good as ever. I've had alot of great crispy edged burgers but none had crunch like Carl's, Hamburger Dan's in Springfield IL came close on my visit there, but Carl's kept the crown this trip around.

Classically dressed with mustard, onions and pickles

If you don't know about the crunch you need to taste/hear it. The best bites on these burgers are around the end, the beef crunches like the crust on a tavern thin pizza. My friend insisted we get a "Seth special" as it's called, not on the menu but ask them and they'll know. Named after his buddy, also a regular, it's a hamburger with one of their 'curly q' hot dogs on top with chili smothered over all of it. The dogs are just Hormel foot longs, but they're slithered in a way which makes them curl up when fried. This is so that they fit on the hamburger buns. Not exactly something you want to eat if you have a long trip down Old Route 66 ahead and more like one of those things that a die hard Cardinals fan created outside his trailer. But nonetheless genius in a mulleted man with a Tony LaRussa cut-off T-Shirt kind of way. Great stop, as good as it ever was and that's 'cause nothing's changed.


"Seth's Special" from the secret menu

On the ride down south we enjoyed a Gooey butter cake, another STL specialty, from Gooey Louie's. I've had random acts of fiendness for some ever since. It's a shame I haven't been able to further document (eat) St, Louis but now that I realize this you should stay tuned because I just I'm headed down soon and a report will come not too long after. Please put your computer screens in their upright position and keep them away from your mouth as we continue the ride.

Also found along Route 66 near Carl's and Ted Drewes

Carl's Drive In
9033 Manchester Road
St. Louis, MO 63144
(314) 961-9652



Gooey Louie
6483 Chippewa St
St Louis, MO 63109
(314) 352-2253
Website

Grant's Wonderburger

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

The further away you go from the North over to the southside of Chicago the more old school the city becomes. Many of the old time hamburger favorites of people who grew up in now popular northside neighborhoods are long gone. The old buildings they were in have been torn down or their longtime owners who were always there cooking, have passed. So with them went their places. Lucky for those on the southside some of the longtime burger favorites remain. One of these is Grants Wonderburger over on Kedzie and 111th in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood.


Since 1954 in Chicago's Mount Greenwood Neighborhood

Grant's has been a part of this area of the southside since the day they opened. Aside from the fact they've changed buildings a few times, within a block radius each time, everything else remains the same. You can see that when you read THIS old Tribune article from 1994 about Grant's. Everything they talk about still stands pat today. From the outside you can see the grill in the window as you pass by and inside theres a handful of tables as well as a counter with old school stools which still spin today or at least did the last time I was there a year or so back.

View from the stools

Grant's has been all in the family since it's beginning and despite a few additions to the menu for the health conscious, the namesake Wonderburger and their signature curly fries remain the favorites and I'd imagine much like the place itself they also have remained the same. They take a small patty of fresh-ground beef and cook that on a griddle. They come served on a toasted bun with cheese, shredded lettuce, onions and Wonder Sauce. The sauce itself is a sweet and spicy concoction and nothing similar to your normal mayo based thousand island sauce or stuff like that. The curly fries arent to be missed either. Unlike most places that sell them, these come fresh cut skin on and always cooked to perfection. There's no doubt that if I grew up on Grant's I would have a taste for it a few times a month no matter where I was at in life. Check them out.


Double Cheeseburger & Curly Fries from Grant's Grill

Grant's Wonderburger
11045 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 238-7200

Paradise Pup

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

We continue on this May with the celebration of "National Hamburger Month". Today we head over to a place that, surprisingly so, hasn't been featured on S'C'&C since the site first went up back in 2008. That however doesn't mean it hasn't been featured in all sorts of other articles, blog posts and TV shows alike. Paradise Pup on River Road in Des Plaines is a Chicagoland institution. They've been filling the air with whiffs of smoke from their charcoal grill since the two brothers opened the tiny shack about 25 years back.


a longtime Chicagoland favorite in Des Plaines

These days the tiny hut is anything but under the radar. Even before Guy Fieri came rolling thru spitting one word adjectives about the small menus offerings, there was almost always a line out the door. Then again only about 10 people can fit inside the place anyway so it's not as if that means your going to wait forever. However I've seen times when the line is three times the length of the building itself. It's not far from O'Hare airport so this is a nice option for some food if you're ever flying in or going out from there.

The view from the parking lot with the smoke rising

Even though it's called 'Paradise Pup' and there's a hot dog on the sign which they do serve, it's all about the burgers here and that's what 90% of the people that are in line are going to get. On top of the dogs which you can get grilled, they also offer a homemade Italian beef sandwich and a few different variations of a grilled chicken. I have yet to get a beef but the grilled chicken's are the real deal and worth getting now and then. They offer them marinated a few ways, I like the teriyaki version which you can dress yourself with any of the topping options they have for hot dogs and hamburgers. Not to be under looked these are definitely one of the better chicken sandwiches of any variety from around town in my book.


Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Paradise Pup

As good as the chicken sandwiches are, if I'm gonna get one, it's going to be with one of their charcoal grilled cheddar burgers as well. It's the burgers that made this place so well known and create the sometimes 20+ minute waits, especially on nice days during the lunch rush. They're only open until 5p and closed on Sundays so you gotta get your fix in that time span and plenty of people do. They always move quick due to the fact the menu is simple and the grill can hold quite a few of the 1/3 pound fresh never frozen pre-formed patties of beef they use. You get to watch it all happen as you stand over the counter after you pay, waiting for your food to be prepared. If you had never heard of nor been to PP until you randomly drove by one day, you'd have a pretty hard time not stopping in. It would be hard to assume the place be anything but great due to the smell of grilled beef flooding the air and the long line of people waiting to get themselves a taste of it.

Men at Work

Then when you see the big heaping pile of grilled onions and said beef patties cooking away it's already a wrap before you've had a taste. "Everything" on it means lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, ketchup and mayonnaise. It's an odd "everything" but you can have whatever you want and I go with the Chicago style stand favorite cheddar spread (a must in my book) along with grilled onions, pickles, mustard and tomatoes. Each and everytime it hits the spot and the fresh challah bun always does a great job of holding it all together. So as the warm weather nears I know I'll find myself here at least a few times this summer. Waiting in line on a nice sunny day and knowing a char cheddar burger isn't far away has been a part of my summers since I first stopped in here way back in high school. I've been a big fan of their burgers ever since.


Cheddar Burger from Paradise Pup

Paradise Pup
1724 South River Road
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847) 699-8590

Burger de Mayo

--Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

I don't need Cinco de Mayo as a reason to eat my favorite type of cuisine and drink tequila but I must admit, whenever it comes around, that's all I wanna do as far as food and drink. Maybe its all the articles online, in magazines/newspapers and shows on TV etc... For some reason these media outlets think the beginning of May is the only time people want to eat tacos. Well I was at Tony's Foods on Elston yesterday with plans to make something Mexican for dinner since that's what I was feeling like. So I decided to improv my own little Cinco de Mayo/National Hamburger Month creation as I shopped. This is the result.

A Burger with some Mexican Flair Good for all Months of the Year

Bolillo Rolls and fresh ground sirloin from the butcher counter

What Else You'll Need

- Chorizo of your choice (pork or beef)
- Mexican Crema
- Guacamole
- Pickled Red Onions (I used this recipe)
- Refried Beans
- Queso Rancherito (crumbling cheese)
- Cilantro & Limes

Preparation

I used an old martini mixer to form the fresh ground sirloin into patties for the grill. The pickled red onions are best made ahead or at the very least a few hours before so take note of that. Other than that the guacamole was Tony's fresh made stuff and the refried beans I bought on the way home. I amped up the crema by adding some fresh chopped cilantro, lime and chili powder and cooked the chorizo in a skillet with chopped onions and jalapenos and set aside. After all that you can pop the buns in the oven and warm them up while grilling the burgers. Once ready start by layering the bottom part of each bun with the crema followed by some guacamole and then the pickled red onions. Place some of the hot refried beans on the top part of the bun and then shred some of the rancherito on top of that so it melts.

Assembled Buns

Once ready for the meat, place the burger patty on the bottom bun and then add the chorizo to the top part and pat it into the refried beans so it all holds together.


My own Mexican inspired Burger Creation

Serve it with whatever you want alongside it and drink anything you want while you eat it. Just don't forget to wear a bib.


Happy Grilling Y'all!
________________________________________

Bonus Recipe!

Hard Shell Hamburger Tacos

I came across a thing on SE about a place in LA that serves hard shell ground beef tacos with pickles mixed in and I was surprised I hadn't thought of that myself. So instead I took it a step further and decided to whip up some hard shell tacos with the characteristics of a hamburger. They're real easy and tasty too if I may say. These are very easy as long as you've ever made "white people tacos" before. All I mean by that is your usual ground beef mixed with spices and maybe some chopped onions and jalapenos addd into the mix which is what I do when I make it.

Ingredients

- Ground Beef
- Taco Seasoning (Optional)
- Corn Tortillas
- Deli Pickles (diced up)
- Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (diced up)
- Shredded Cheddar
- Taco Sauce
- Mustard
- Veggie Oil

Directions

In this case the taco sauce replaces the ketchup on a burger so you mix that in once the ground beef is browned, season it and add in some yellow mustard to the mixture. Let it cool down a little and then add the diced deli pickles and make sure to be generous. Take the mixture and place it in a corn tortilla which you can then fry on each side until done. Add lettuce, tomato, onions and cheese and you got a hard shell hamburger.


Hard Shell Hamburger Taco
________________________________________

See ya next time @chibbqking

Inovasi

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

In case you haven't seen it in Yahoos useless news feed yet, May is National Hamburger Month. Last year we decided to honor thy beef patties in buns by having hamburgers featured all month long during it's celebrated month. We'll do the same this time around and get the party started at a place not really known for parties or anything else except some really nice homes near or right on Lake Michigan. We head North up US41 to check out 'Burger Night' at Inovasi which is every Tuesday at the casual complementary restaurant/bar which features upscale American cuisine made with local ingredients.


a popular new spot in Lake Bluff

Inovasi just received one of the more "self rewarding" awards an eating establishment can get when they received a "Great Neighborhood Restaurant" award from the folks at LTHforum. I say self rewarding because for the most part the places that receive these awards are lesser known and well less money goes into the place. Inovasi is one of a few of Chef John DesRosiers' projects that have popped up around Chicagoland. Even before it was nominated, when I ate here in the bar area I thought to myself "If any place that gets lots of press already and has become trendy deserves a GNR, Inovasi might be it"

View of the bar area inside

Reason being is the prices are right, better than they have to be to be considered "cheap" in the Northshore and also it's a great place to have in your neighborhood to be able to walk on over to and have some really well executed dishes and maybe some drinks (great selection) and chat with your neighbors and many there were doing that each time I've visited. I could see most people in there knew each other, and many were just hanging watching TV at bar having a beer and some food. I'd like to have this place and it's food and drink menus as one of my local options. The cocktails were real nice when I tried them and the beer selection is great with cans and cows as options alongside an assortment of micro bottles and taps too including a few from Lake Bluff Brewery down the street. Appetizers are exactly what you want from your local "casual contemporary" tavern.


Fried Chicken Wings

Take for example the wings which come from a local farm and are fried to perfection and served with a tasty Asian inspired dipping sauce. The price is right and they taste great too, some of the better bar wings I've had from anywhere. I'm looking forward to being able to further explore the menu here but so far both visits of mine have been on a Tuesday which is burger night. The menu offers burgers which come from Q7 Ranch in Marengo, IL which makes its ground beef from natural free range grass fed sustainable beef. Not only is the beef quality top of the line but the way they're offered is too. You can get them char grilled or the old fashioned way of flattened until seared and then griddled. Aside from Edzo's down the lake, no other place I know of does them both ways. I for one really enjoy having the option since sometimes you feel like one, other times you feel like the other.


Dave's Burger (Offered Tues. nights)

I like the char grilled ones here because the burger is cooked to order and the beef is full of flavor. So far I've been able to sample three different offerings from the burger menu and enjoyed both of the char grilled ones to the old fashioned but Serious Eats loves the bacon loaded offering served griddled and seared, that will be tried on my next visit. Shout out to Daniel Zemans who's article about burger night at Inovasi was what brought it to my attention. My favorite thus far is 'Dave's' which is a char grilled offering topped with artisan Wisconsin cheddar, emmentaler cheese, horseradish creme fraiche and raw local sweet onion. It came cooked to a perfect medium rare and while I love grilled onions on a burger, I love when they have a fresh sliced of raw onion almost as much and Dave's burger shined because it paired with the beef was a magnificent taste that brought me back to the burger everyone ate as a kid at family bbq's or parties and camp trips. Except this was Chef DesRosiers' take on that, not your average uncle's.

The insides

The beef is what its about with these burgers and it's a blend of brisket, chuck, flank, and short rib which is aged for 25 days and then ground and delivered to Inovasi. They don't stop there though, the fries are wonderful and some of the best you can get alongside your burger. They cut them a little thinner than most places that make fresh cut fries do and I like that because this makes most every cut spud a crispy one. They use organic Kennebec potatoes which I've had before and loved, this time around was no different. The buns come from Labriola Baking Company. Not sure if the fries are on the everyday menu but if not I suggest they be served alongside some fancy melted cheddar spread for patrons of the bar.

Fried Kennebec Potatoes

Another offering I really loved from the char grilled options was 'The Chicago Italian Burger' which came with hot giardiniera, grilled onion, celery salt and mozzarella cheese. A fantastic homage to the city that many people who live in, don't have an idea of where Lake Bluff is.


The Chicago Style Italian Burger at Inovasi

On my last visit I went in expecting to try the old fashioned burger loaded with bacon but was tempted away when I saw a burger being offered that wasn't on the menu the first time I came in. I forget the name and exactly what was on it. I tried tweeting the chef to see if he could remind me but he's been busy with another opening of his in Highland Park. I look forward to trying Moderno one day. But anyway, this was an Asian inspired burger that came with not only the Q7 griddled patty but some pork atop it and also crispy chicken skin and little pieces of duck confit? I forget exactly what but there was a whole lot of stuff going on.


Burger Special on Burger Night (Tuesdays)

I didn't like this one as much as the others because the beef was lost in the shuffle. I think this one might of been made when someone ordered 'the hobo' which is described as "made with whatever we have laying around" It wasn't bad and I ate the whole thing as fast as I do anything else I like, but it tasted more like a pork sandwich than a hamburger. Again, not a bad thing.

Get in me belly!

Since each of my visits have been with others, I've been able to try a few of the offerings from their regular menu. I haven't had any complaints and the only thing that's gone remotely wrong on my visits was when the automatic hand dryer wasn't working so I was forced to use paper towels to dry my hands #WhitePeopleProblems. I've enjoyed an excellent salad as well as their Rhode Island Calamari which comes stuffed with Spanish chorizo and then grilled. I also took a taste of their organic grilled Irish trout with local grown pea shoots, red organic quinoa and shaved celery salad. All those were great, especially the fish as are the Klug Apple Donuts, fried to order, what a great bar snack.

Fresh Salad

Rhode Island Calamari


Organic Grilled Irish Trout


Fried Klug Apple Donuts

So as you can see, even me, the guy who loves the "old school, been around forever grease pits that serve some signature item" really likes a place like Inovasi. You can go there for a beer and and maybe steak & eggs (I gotta try that!) or plan to have a special persons birthday party while celebrating in the dining room. Either way your going to get great service and some damn good modern American cuisine off a menu created by one of Chicago's top chef's. Then on top of all this when you see the bill, it's not as if it needed to be that, when it could of been more and most around this way wouldn't complain. I've been to places with much less that cost more. It's not cheap but it's casual enough to where you can head on over one night you don't feel like cooking. Even if your from Chicago I suggest you do, you can make a day out of it and take the Metra and then spend some time on the beach before heading over to Inovasi for dinner.

Lake Bluff, IL

Inovasi
28 Center Avenue
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
847-295-1000
Website