Outlaw Blues Revisited....

We returned to Outlaw Blues and the opening kinks have gone the way of the dinosaurs and we've been to Outlaw Blues a few times since th original visit and I have to update my review. Service remains efficient and friendly but I've tried a few more of the dishes and I'd like to weigh in on their other food choices. The crab omelette was rated as "Okay, but I wouldn't order it again" by my friend Cheryl who is a fellow food connoisseur but I've fallen in love with the Barbecue Spaghetti which is pasta covered with a tasty meat sauce and then topped with a generous portion of smoked pulled pork that has been lightly tossed with a spicy barbecue sauce.The meltingly tender pork had a wonderful smoked flavor that complimented the Italian meat sauce and reminded me of the barbecue pizza that was served at Pizza Hut back in the early 90's that I liked a lot. John had the BBQ brisket sandwich again since he liked it so much the first time. It is very very good and I always order the lunch portion which is more than enough for either two people or to take home for a GENEROUS second meal--I can't even begin to imagine what the DINNER portion must be like--it must be enough to feed a family of four! The $7.95 dish was more than I could ever hope to eat in one sitting, but it made a dandy lunch the next day after being popped in the microwave for a minute or so! I have to order the appetizer size of the shrimp and grits because I could not even begin to finish the entree--and I'm a pretty healthy eater! They have started getting their desserts from their sister restaurant in Highland and they are homemade and there's always at least one sugar-free choice and they will sell you the whole pie. I would definitely recommend a visit to Outlaw Blues!!

Dining Diva Review: Texas Roadhouse

If you have a peanut allergy, don't even drive by Texas Roadhouse. Peanuts are everywhere and there are barrels of them all over the restaurant and shells all over the floor. Personally I never liked the shells-on-the-floor ambiance because it's sort of like dining in a landfill, (what's next--beer bottles on the floor?) but it seems to be popular with the other diners and the peanuts are always fresh and tasty so I'll give it a pass on the peanut mess everywhere.
The rest of the food is quite good. Delicious fresh-baked rolls with honey butter were delivered to the table seconds after our waiter took our drink orders. They were steamy and tender and when slathered in the butter made it worth the trip no matter what else went wrong--which in our case was nothing. You are also able to choose a specific steak for your dinner from the refrigerated meat case display, so for those of us who like to meet our dinner beforehand, it's a nice touch. My husband despises gristle in his steaks so I like being able to inspect it for him prior to the cooking! We have made several visits to the store in Fairview Heights and several trips to the one in Newport News, VA and they have replaced Outback as my casual dining steak restaurant of choice when traveling. Their steaks are good quality, cooked correctly and served with your choice of several excellent side dishes. They also have excellent fried catfish, which isn't easy to do consistently. The coating is crisp and the fish is flaky and not dried out with a very nice fresh flavor. I'm not a fish eater, but their catfish is some of the best I've ever had!
The service is friendly and efficient and they brew some excellent iced tea in addition to a full bar and a nice wine and beer selection. It's a good place to take the family and it's a good place to take a date because it's not loud like some casual dining places. I've never had a bad meal at the one in Fairview Heights and the Virginia one only missed once--not a bad record!
HERE'S A SAD UPDATE: Since this post I've dined three times at the Texas Roadhouse and each meal is worse than the one before it. The catfish was hideously overcooked on a subsequent visit, everything has become severely oversalted and today for the last straw they served me RARE chicken and then an overcooked steak. The wonderful rolls were also served cold and hard and the steamed veggies were inedible. I'm crossing Texas Roadhouse off of my list of places where I will eat, they've gone the way of the Outback.

Dining Diva Review: Outlaw Blues Restaurant and Saloon, Fairview Heights, IL

Hubby and I had lunch at the brand-new Outlaw Blues in Fairview Heights and it was a mixed bag of delights and disappointments. The restaurant is painted a deep plum shade which is surprisingly attractive when you get over the surprise of the fact that they really did paint it purple. Our server, Keith, was very pleasant and our drinks arrived quickly and they make very good iced tea. The menu items are an eclectic mix of barbecue favorites and Cajun/Southern staples with a twist. The delicious complimentary bread was a freshly baked biscuit and sweet cornbread with a very unique presentation that was original and interesting--they were served in the cast-iron skillet that they were baked in and each quarter of the pan had either biscuit or cornbread batter placed in it before baking. The biscuit was moist and tender and the cornbread was moist and sweet--just the way I like it! John had the barbecue brisket sandwich and I had the shrimp and grits which come in your choice of scampi or creole. I ordered scampi but they sent creole which meant they must have remade it in a hurry and didn't do well. The butter sauce was totally devoid of any garlic flavor and the shrimp, while large and fresh, were as bland as boiled chicken breast. They were purported to be served over cheese grits but my grits were obviously instant and had no salt, cheese or flavor--some of the worst grits I've ever had. They were topped with a teaspoon of finely shredded yellow cheese that I mixed in to the grits along with the 'scampi sauce' and a good helping of salt and pepper. John's sandwich was another story altogether. Overflowing the fresh bun was a more than generous serving of barbecued beef brisket with a deep smoke ring in the meat. He shared a big slice of the brisket with me (as I had to wait for my lunch to be corrected) and it was delicious--everything brisket should be and as I waited for my shrimp and grits, I was wishing I had ordered the same thing! When I tasted my totally flavorless (albeit fresh)lunch, I really wished for that brisket sandwich! Luckily the sandwich was so enormous he couldn't finish it so I did polish off what he left behind. Keith was apologetic and very nice but the kitchen needs to learn how to make cheese grits and scampi sauce! I'd give it another try just to have that brisket again along with the skillet of biscuits and cornbread--but I'll wait till they iron out the 'just opened' kinks!
I'll update you when I go back for another try!

DINING DIVA REVIEW: Blue Springs Cafe and Diamond Mineral Springs--It's not fancy but is sure is good!

Blue Springs Cafe is located right off of I-70 in Highland and they have a sister restaurant in Grant Fork (pop. 250) off Highway 160 so I am just about smack in the middle of the tow of them and they have the same food and decor--Country Kitchen. One is in a former Stuckey's and the other in a big old farm house. Nothing fancy here, but it's all fresh and homemade--including pies made just like your granny used to make--homemade crust and all! The food could be awesome with a little imagination, but it's the solid no-frills home cooking you used to find every Sunday afternoon after church at your grandma's house. Service varies, but the food is always fresh, and everything is served family style and every entree comes with bowls of real mashed potatoes and gravy, beets, cole slaw, homemade biscuits, honey and whatever sides come with the meal on the plate, usually stuffing with the turkey and roast pork. They have a standing selection of menu selections that are posted on the wall in several places. Fried chicken that is crispy and juicy, fried fish, gizzards and livers, roast pork loin that comes with stuffing in addition to all the sides, same for the roasted turkey dinner. Roast beef, chopped steak, and other family favorites round out the selections Beer and wine is available and make sure you save room for the amazing homemade pies made totally from scratch--lemon, chocolate cream, coconut cream, and an assortment of fruit pies--blackberry, cherry, peach and more! Saturday they have a steak special at the Blue Springs Cafe--filet mignon, salad, choice of potato, bread, glass of wine for 13.99 and it's GOOD!! The service is friendly and fairly efficient and the atmosphere is pure country kitchen. They give you more food than anyone could possibly eat--the last time I ate dinner there, I had lunch for 2 days out of the doggie bag I took home, but pack up half your dinner and make sure you get a slice of the best pie I've had since Grandma Dean passed on 40 years ago.

Food 3.5 stars

Service 3 stars

DINING DIVA REVIEW: Rotelli's Pizza & Pasta

We had lunch at Rotelli's in Stuart, Florida on Black Friday and it was a delightful experience! They are a small regional chain that has stores in several states in the Southeast. It was very tastefully decorated and smelled great when we came in. It was fairly empty because everyone was in the Wal-mart and mall stampedes and this worried me until the food arrived. John and I had the daily lunch special which is a cup of soup or a salad with a half sandwich and a large slice of cheese pizza. I chose the pasta fazole and John took the Italian wedding soup and he had the chicken parm as his sandwich choice while I tool the eggplant parm. My soup was thick and full of beans and pasta and had a nice flavor, but the Italian wedding soup was a star--delicious broth and filled with tiny meatballs and both were served piping hot. The sandwiches were on fresh Italian bread and had been baked and were excellent and the pizza slice was truly excellent with plenty of cheese. My mother had their chopped chicken salad which was ice cold mixed greens, ripe avocado pieces, fresh cooked bacon bits, tomatoes and a generous size grilled chicken breast sliced fresh and topped with their basalmic vinaigrette and fresh croutons. The iced tea was freshly brewed and tasty and the meal was delicious all the way around. The lunch special was a steal at 6.99 and the salad was 9.99. Service was cheerful and efficient and tea refills were prompt and automatic--we didn't have to ask! Rotini's is a gem in the strip mall and was located next to the ColdStone Creamery so we had dessert there!

If you go:

Rotelli's Pizza & Pasta
2181 SE Federal HwyStuart, FL 34994
(772) 403-2200‎

Food 3.5 Stars
Service 3.5 Stars