Food, Glorious Food

Over at Off Topic, one of the best threads of the day asks “If you could eat dinner in a restaurant every night for a week, what restaurants and what would you order?”

Here’s my response (sticking to the immediate area):

Monday – Al and Irene’s Rib Haven, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Best ribs I’ve ever had, and I’ve had ribs all over the country. A law school friend who grew up in the South (and who prided himself on his abilities with a smoker) said Al and Irene’s sauce was the best sauce he had ever tasted. I’ll take a full rack and add in home made cole slaw and skin on fries for the complete meal.

Tuesday – El Dorado Mexican Restaurant, Coralville, Iowa. Fast, cheap, and good. I’ll order the beef and chicken fajitas.

Wednesday – Taste of China, Iowa City, Iowa. Again, fast, cheap, and good. (Kinda like myself.) I’ll order chicken with garlic sauce, pork egg foo yung, and chicken low mein.

Thursday – Lou Henri’s, Iowa City, Iowa. A great, eclectic diner. Thursday’s are vegetarian days, so I’ll go with a tomato, onion, broccoli, and cheese omelet, with home fries and wheat toast.

Friday – Pagliai’s Pizza, Iowa City, Iowa. A large pepperoni and beef. Sprinkle with garlic sauce and your ready to go. And what do you know – it’s fast, cheap, and good!

Saturday – Hamburg Inn, Iowa City, Iowa. The magazine articles on the wall proudly proclaim the time a decade ago or so where it was named one of the nation’s best hamburgers. There are also pictures from when President Reagan ate there (and was waited on by Ruddle – Ron left her a crappy tip). I’ll have a half-pound bacon cheeseburger with fries. Might add a bowl of chili too.

Sunday – Little Amana Restaurant, Williamsburg, Iowa. Traditional Amana food served family style. I’ll order the Harvest Fest – three meats (usually on a Sunday it’s Fried Chicken, Oven Baked Steak, and Pork Chops) served all you can eat. The sides are mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, kraut (mmm, kraut), and bread. Not cheap or fast, but very, very good.