Trip Report: Midwest Tour - Part I
(September 18-20, 2005)
9/18/05 - Little of Consequence
We both arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago Sunday morning within about 10 minutes of each other (Paul from Philly, Storm from DCA), retrieve our luggage, and pick up our rental car, all without incident.
Having both skipped breakfast, we opt for the first "reasonable" meal option (i.e., non-fast food), which turned out to be IHOP.
FOOD REVIEW: IHOP - somewhere on the west side of Chicago, IL
CATEGORY: Breakfast restaurant (chain)
RATING: +1 (on a scale of -2 to +3. See here for explanation of the scale...)
You know what you're going to get at IHOP, and we got it. Storm couldn't resist the Bacon Lover's Omelet, while Paul opted for the Four Cheese Omelet. Both orders came with a short stack of pancakes. Omelets were hot and fresh, and the amount of bacon in the omelet did not disappoint. We could not determine exactly how many cheeses were in Paul's omelet, as they had all melted together. At any rate, it tasted damn good. Service was fast and friendly, with the waitress offering hot sauce before we'd even asked. Of course, we accepted her generous offer and were rewarded with a taste sensation. Pancakes were also fresh, served with those little half-round scoops of butter and hot old-fashioned syrup. Dee-lish.
Once outside of Chicago outskirts, the remaining 3-hour drive to Indianapolis is marked only by Storm's light snoring (as he is trying to sleep off the remaining vestiges of a cold, as well as the leftover jet-lag from his recent trip to Italy).
Check in to hotel, laze around room for several hours while Storm continues his pitched battle with his internal body clock. Around 7 p.m., wake up, run through our new stuff for tomorrow's radio appearance, dash off a last-minute theme song for Tom, and seek out dinner. After a 45-minute search for a harmonica (as Paul has forgotten to pack his), made more difficult that it's 8:15 on a Sunday night, Target comes through for us, and we finally land at BD's Mongolian Barbecue.
FOOD REVIEW: BD's Mongolian Barbecue - Indianapolis, IN
CATEGORY: Mongolian BBQ (chain)
RATING: +1
For anyone who isn't familiar, a Mongolian BBQ is kind of like a salad bar for people who really like meat. You take a large bowl and bring it to the beginning of what looks like a large buffet line, where you pile in ingredients that have been layed out in separate containers on salad bar-type counters. Veggies, meats, seafood, whatever you want to put in your bowl, they don't care. Once you're satisfied (or your bowl is full), you add sauces and spices. They often have pre-made mixes of the usual Asian favorites (spicy Chinese-style, Thai peanut, etc.), but you can also make your own from basic ingredients (soy sauce, garlic, ginger,etc.) Once compiled, you bring it to a chef who stands in front of a large, flat griddle (at BD's, it's round and about eight feet in diameter.) The chef then dumps your food onto the grill (keeping it separate from any other food that's already there) and stirs it about until cooked. Then he dumps it into a fresh bowl for you and voila! The best thing about it, from their point of view, is that if you don't like how it tastes, you really have no one to blame but yourself.
As for our particular meal, it was quite good, especially given that it was late on a Sunday night. Despite that, the ingredients on the buffet line were fresh, and the grill chef was a real character. Our waitress kept the Mr. Pibb flowing, and made sure we had enough rice and tortillas to eat with our creations.
9/19/05 - A Good Day
Woke up around 5:30 a.m. (it hurts having to work actual human hours sometimes) and headed to the station. After a brief warmup, we head into the studio...
Not that we're experts or anything, but having been on Bob & Tom numerous times, we've come to recognize the signs indicating how the rest of the morning is going to go for us. Luckily, all signs were pointing to "favorable": everyone was in a good mood, the pace of the show was moving along nicely, and we were feeling pretty comfortable (and reasonably awake, an achievement for us). Things also got off to an auspicious start, as we spent the entire first 20-minute segment without singing a single song, instead discussing at length Storm's recent trip to Italy, which culminated in his engagement. This discussion managed to encompass scuba divers, the famous Italian city of Cliffville, thieving waiters, the popularity of pie in Italy, and a phone call from Pope Benedict. Did we mention how much we love these guys?
Finally we perform our new song "A Better Version of You," which goes over better than we could have hoped, and we cruise through the rest of the morning on adrenaline (and the sausage-egg-and-biscuit sandwiches the station provided for breakfast -- Rating +1), working in numerous plugs for the week's tour along the way. Thank-yous all around, and we're back out the door.
Next stop is Static Shack, the recording studio that Tom owns, where we recorded half of Opening Band. We had some time to kill, and the Shack's sound engineer, Alan, had some free time there as well, so we recorded a quick demo of "A Better Version of You" and another relatively new song, "Oh, No!" Finally, we headed off to lunch...
You have to understand there are only a handful of places in the entire USA that are anything like St. Elmo's. It's been in the same spot for over 100 years, and has the classic steakhouse look. Dark wood interior, brick walls, photos on the walls. A gorgeous bar in the front room. But they also have an easy-going, friendly manner that just makes you want to eat steak. The staff couldn't care less how you're dressed -- you'll find diners there in everything from tuxedos to overalls. They know that if you're there, you have an appreciation for the finer things -- and that you have a fat wallet.
So we arrive and meet up with Kristi and a friend of hers, who fit right in with the spirit of the evening. The waiter was super-cool, too; the kind of guy you'd want to go to a football game with. He and Kristi recognized each other, but it wasn't until the next day that she figured out that they both sent their kids to the same school.
Wine and food arrived at just the right times, and it was just killer. St. Elmo's is known as much for their shrimp cocktail as for their steaks, and there were three orders at the table. While the shrimp weren't as large as in previous years, that's not the reason you order it. The secret is in the cocktail sauce, which could probably be tapped to help solve our impending energy crisis. I don't know what they do to the horseradish, but it only takes a small amount, enough to glaze the tip of a tablespoon, to light up your mouth. It's well worth the red face and tears.
Next came navy bean soup, which was a nice, hearty prelude. But even as we downed the tasty little navy beans, our stomachs were thinking about the main attraction. And watching the plates of charred meat arrive on the table was indeed an awesome sight, kind of like watching a space shuttle landing. Storm had their 16 ounce NY strip, which is their "main" cut. Cooked to medium-rare, the flavor of the meat was rich and tangy, tender and toothsome. Paul's 32-ounce slab of prime rib was a little pink for his tastes (not the restaurant's fault, but an ordering error, and Paul didn't want to bother sending it back for a little more charring), but was still outstanding. Kristi had a nice filet, and her friend had the NY strip. We all shared a side of creamed spinach, which was tinted with the appropriate amount of nutmeg.
Wine flowed along with the stories, and we're sure that the other patrons were getting annoyed by our loud jags of laughter. But, hey, the night wasn't about them, was it? Only Storm (of course) was able to finish his plate (including the yummy garlic-mashed potatoes), so all four of us shared a cheesecake, which earned high marks. If you notice how good it tastes after being stuffed silly with steak, it's got to be really good.
9/20/05 - Show Night
Slept in again, basically saving up energy for lunch...
FOOD REVIEW: La Hacienda - Indianapolis, IN
CATEGORY: Mexican
RATING: +2
This is the fourth or fifth time we've been to this little Mexican joint, and there are lots of good reasons we keep coming back. Let us count the ways!
1. Fresh chips and salsa, just the way we 'em. Crisp yellow-corn chips, lightly salted, matched to a lively, chunky salsa. Not too thick and not at all watery, the heat level was nice but not distracting, setting the stage for the flavor of the tomatoes and onions.
2. Pork nachos. Succulent chunks of roasted pork smothering a modest pile of tortilla chips, with delicious white melted cheese acting as a velvety, downy blanket on top. Not to be missed.
3. Queso. Small flecks of jalapeno pepper inhabit the shallow dish that also holds just the right amount of molten cheese to act as an appetizer and also accent the entire meal.
4. Chicken soup (tortilla soup). Alan at the Static Shack had advised us several times to try the soup, and finally we did. We were rewarded. Storm had been suffering from a pretty bad cold, but several bites in he could feel it beginning to retreat. The bowl was HUGE, and filled with a carnival variety of tasty bits. Generous strips of chicken jostled for space with chunks of avocado and tomato, diced onion and pepper, flavor-sopped rice, crisp bits of tortilla, and plump little flecks of corn flour. The whole ensemble lazed in a stock that was rich with their combined flavors, as well as a lively mix of Mexican spices. To top it all off, it only cost $4.00.
We spent the afternoon back at Static Shack, this time going over some background parts for a new song by Pat Godwin, to be performed on Bob & Tom tomorrow morning. Pat is a truly unique dude; he is absolutely what-you-see- is-what-you get, friendly and excitable, and a great storyteller. More on this new song in a little while...
Finally, our tour started proper at our first show, at Radio Radio near downtown Indy (Fountain Square). This was a new space for us; nice stage, comfy-but-not-cramped vibe, and smoke-free (a bonus for us). While we had to shake a little rust off (as we've basically performed twice in the last 2.5 months), we were happy with the way things went overall. Attendance was kinda light, but the people who were there were enthusiastic; plus, it was a Tuesday night, and considering our last experience in Indy (total attendance: 0), we counted it as a small victory.
Stay tuned for Part II, which will include pirates, spies, too many burritos, and what happens when you "eat it" in front of 5 million people...
(September 18-20, 2005)
9/18/05 - Little of Consequence
We both arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago Sunday morning within about 10 minutes of each other (Paul from Philly, Storm from DCA), retrieve our luggage, and pick up our rental car, all without incident.
Having both skipped breakfast, we opt for the first "reasonable" meal option (i.e., non-fast food), which turned out to be IHOP.
FOOD REVIEW: IHOP - somewhere on the west side of Chicago, IL
CATEGORY: Breakfast restaurant (chain)
RATING: +1 (on a scale of -2 to +3. See here for explanation of the scale...)
You know what you're going to get at IHOP, and we got it. Storm couldn't resist the Bacon Lover's Omelet, while Paul opted for the Four Cheese Omelet. Both orders came with a short stack of pancakes. Omelets were hot and fresh, and the amount of bacon in the omelet did not disappoint. We could not determine exactly how many cheeses were in Paul's omelet, as they had all melted together. At any rate, it tasted damn good. Service was fast and friendly, with the waitress offering hot sauce before we'd even asked. Of course, we accepted her generous offer and were rewarded with a taste sensation. Pancakes were also fresh, served with those little half-round scoops of butter and hot old-fashioned syrup. Dee-lish.
Once outside of Chicago outskirts, the remaining 3-hour drive to Indianapolis is marked only by Storm's light snoring (as he is trying to sleep off the remaining vestiges of a cold, as well as the leftover jet-lag from his recent trip to Italy).
Check in to hotel, laze around room for several hours while Storm continues his pitched battle with his internal body clock. Around 7 p.m., wake up, run through our new stuff for tomorrow's radio appearance, dash off a last-minute theme song for Tom, and seek out dinner. After a 45-minute search for a harmonica (as Paul has forgotten to pack his), made more difficult that it's 8:15 on a Sunday night, Target comes through for us, and we finally land at BD's Mongolian Barbecue.FOOD REVIEW: BD's Mongolian Barbecue - Indianapolis, IN
CATEGORY: Mongolian BBQ (chain)
RATING: +1
For anyone who isn't familiar, a Mongolian BBQ is kind of like a salad bar for people who really like meat. You take a large bowl and bring it to the beginning of what looks like a large buffet line, where you pile in ingredients that have been layed out in separate containers on salad bar-type counters. Veggies, meats, seafood, whatever you want to put in your bowl, they don't care. Once you're satisfied (or your bowl is full), you add sauces and spices. They often have pre-made mixes of the usual Asian favorites (spicy Chinese-style, Thai peanut, etc.), but you can also make your own from basic ingredients (soy sauce, garlic, ginger,etc.) Once compiled, you bring it to a chef who stands in front of a large, flat griddle (at BD's, it's round and about eight feet in diameter.) The chef then dumps your food onto the grill (keeping it separate from any other food that's already there) and stirs it about until cooked. Then he dumps it into a fresh bowl for you and voila! The best thing about it, from their point of view, is that if you don't like how it tastes, you really have no one to blame but yourself.
As for our particular meal, it was quite good, especially given that it was late on a Sunday night. Despite that, the ingredients on the buffet line were fresh, and the grill chef was a real character. Our waitress kept the Mr. Pibb flowing, and made sure we had enough rice and tortillas to eat with our creations.
9/19/05 - A Good Day
Woke up around 5:30 a.m. (it hurts having to work actual human hours sometimes) and headed to the station. After a brief warmup, we head into the studio...
Not that we're experts or anything, but having been on Bob & Tom numerous times, we've come to recognize the signs indicating how the rest of the morning is going to go for us. Luckily, all signs were pointing to "favorable": everyone was in a good mood, the pace of the show was moving along nicely, and we were feeling pretty comfortable (and reasonably awake, an achievement for us). Things also got off to an auspicious start, as we spent the entire first 20-minute segment without singing a single song, instead discussing at length Storm's recent trip to Italy, which culminated in his engagement. This discussion managed to encompass scuba divers, the famous Italian city of Cliffville, thieving waiters, the popularity of pie in Italy, and a phone call from Pope Benedict. Did we mention how much we love these guys?
Finally we perform our new song "A Better Version of You," which goes over better than we could have hoped, and we cruise through the rest of the morning on adrenaline (and the sausage-egg-and-biscuit sandwiches the station provided for breakfast -- Rating +1), working in numerous plugs for the week's tour along the way. Thank-yous all around, and we're back out the door.
Next stop is Static Shack, the recording studio that Tom owns, where we recorded half of Opening Band. We had some time to kill, and the Shack's sound engineer, Alan, had some free time there as well, so we recorded a quick demo of "A Better Version of You" and another relatively new song, "Oh, No!" Finally, we headed off to lunch...
FOOD REVIEW: Loon Lake Lodge - Castleton, IN (just north of Indy)
CATEGORY: American Bar & Grill
RATING: +2
We were saving our appetites for dinner, but had a great meal despite that. We each had a cup of the soup of the day (which was as large as most places' bowl), which was an incredible, hearty prime rib soup. Sure, it was made from last night's leftovers, but so what? Chock full of hunky bits of meat and root vegetables, the peppery brown base had a taste that both popped and melted on the palate. Storm had a lunch salad that was exceptionally fresh, with a dressing that tied it all together nicely, while Paul had a cajun chicken pasta that could have been a bit more spicy for his taste, but generally did what it was supposed to do.
While the food was very good, a lot of the enjoyment was the setting and company. Tom had invited us to join him for lunch, which was also the show's weekly "Internet meeting," so there were about eight of us around the table--Tom, show producer Dean Metcalf, show regular Pat Godwin, and several other "behind-the-scenes" cast and crew--and everyone there was a cut-up. Sure, some internet-related business was discussed, but mostly it was good-natured ribbing, busting on people who weren't there, and interesting battle stories from Tom and the other characters at the table. While the on-air personalities are well-known to fans of Bob & Tom, what people don't know is how much fun everyone in their organization is. The waitress wasn't exempt from the proceedings, and stood toe to toe with each and every one of us. A great meal, and a great time.
We spent most of the afternoon bumming around at the Static Shack again, because they have two awesome pinball machines there, set to play for free and with the tilt turned off. Copious time killed until:
FOOD REVIEW: St. Elmo Steakhouse - Indianapolis, IN
CATEGORY: Steakhouse (duh!)
RATING: +3
You have to understand there are only a handful of places in the entire USA that are anything like St. Elmo's. It's been in the same spot for over 100 years, and has the classic steakhouse look. Dark wood interior, brick walls, photos on the walls. A gorgeous bar in the front room. But they also have an easy-going, friendly manner that just makes you want to eat steak. The staff couldn't care less how you're dressed -- you'll find diners there in everything from tuxedos to overalls. They know that if you're there, you have an appreciation for the finer things -- and that you have a fat wallet.
So we arrive and meet up with Kristi and a friend of hers, who fit right in with the spirit of the evening. The waiter was super-cool, too; the kind of guy you'd want to go to a football game with. He and Kristi recognized each other, but it wasn't until the next day that she figured out that they both sent their kids to the same school.Wine and food arrived at just the right times, and it was just killer. St. Elmo's is known as much for their shrimp cocktail as for their steaks, and there were three orders at the table. While the shrimp weren't as large as in previous years, that's not the reason you order it. The secret is in the cocktail sauce, which could probably be tapped to help solve our impending energy crisis. I don't know what they do to the horseradish, but it only takes a small amount, enough to glaze the tip of a tablespoon, to light up your mouth. It's well worth the red face and tears.
Next came navy bean soup, which was a nice, hearty prelude. But even as we downed the tasty little navy beans, our stomachs were thinking about the main attraction. And watching the plates of charred meat arrive on the table was indeed an awesome sight, kind of like watching a space shuttle landing. Storm had their 16 ounce NY strip, which is their "main" cut. Cooked to medium-rare, the flavor of the meat was rich and tangy, tender and toothsome. Paul's 32-ounce slab of prime rib was a little pink for his tastes (not the restaurant's fault, but an ordering error, and Paul didn't want to bother sending it back for a little more charring), but was still outstanding. Kristi had a nice filet, and her friend had the NY strip. We all shared a side of creamed spinach, which was tinted with the appropriate amount of nutmeg.
Wine flowed along with the stories, and we're sure that the other patrons were getting annoyed by our loud jags of laughter. But, hey, the night wasn't about them, was it? Only Storm (of course) was able to finish his plate (including the yummy garlic-mashed potatoes), so all four of us shared a cheesecake, which earned high marks. If you notice how good it tastes after being stuffed silly with steak, it's got to be really good.
9/20/05 - Show Night
Slept in again, basically saving up energy for lunch...
FOOD REVIEW: La Hacienda - Indianapolis, IN
CATEGORY: Mexican
RATING: +2
This is the fourth or fifth time we've been to this little Mexican joint, and there are lots of good reasons we keep coming back. Let us count the ways!
1. Fresh chips and salsa, just the way we 'em. Crisp yellow-corn chips, lightly salted, matched to a lively, chunky salsa. Not too thick and not at all watery, the heat level was nice but not distracting, setting the stage for the flavor of the tomatoes and onions.
2. Pork nachos. Succulent chunks of roasted pork smothering a modest pile of tortilla chips, with delicious white melted cheese acting as a velvety, downy blanket on top. Not to be missed.
3. Queso. Small flecks of jalapeno pepper inhabit the shallow dish that also holds just the right amount of molten cheese to act as an appetizer and also accent the entire meal.
4. Chicken soup (tortilla soup). Alan at the Static Shack had advised us several times to try the soup, and finally we did. We were rewarded. Storm had been suffering from a pretty bad cold, but several bites in he could feel it beginning to retreat. The bowl was HUGE, and filled with a carnival variety of tasty bits. Generous strips of chicken jostled for space with chunks of avocado and tomato, diced onion and pepper, flavor-sopped rice, crisp bits of tortilla, and plump little flecks of corn flour. The whole ensemble lazed in a stock that was rich with their combined flavors, as well as a lively mix of Mexican spices. To top it all off, it only cost $4.00.
We spent the afternoon back at Static Shack, this time going over some background parts for a new song by Pat Godwin, to be performed on Bob & Tom tomorrow morning. Pat is a truly unique dude; he is absolutely what-you-see- is-what-you get, friendly and excitable, and a great storyteller. More on this new song in a little while...
Finally, our tour started proper at our first show, at Radio Radio near downtown Indy (Fountain Square). This was a new space for us; nice stage, comfy-but-not-cramped vibe, and smoke-free (a bonus for us). While we had to shake a little rust off (as we've basically performed twice in the last 2.5 months), we were happy with the way things went overall. Attendance was kinda light, but the people who were there were enthusiastic; plus, it was a Tuesday night, and considering our last experience in Indy (total attendance: 0), we counted it as a small victory.
Stay tuned for Part II, which will include pirates, spies, too many burritos, and what happens when you "eat it" in front of 5 million people...
Paul and Storm.
1 Comments:
Congratulations, Storm! Much happiness to the two of you. :)
~Lena
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