Cherry Bomb

The Culinary Delights Tenderloin Committee (CDTC) made its final stop recently at the world famous Billy’s (see review below).  This not only marks the beginning and the end of the Tenderloin Tour, but also the end for one of our founding members – Mark Westenberger (commonly referred to throughout the blog as the one who loves Cherry Coke).

Cherry, Mr. Answer, Google Man, Sweet Cheeks, and Cherry Bomb are all names he’s affectionately referred to.  His love of the cherry bubbly, spiky red hair, and ability to get answers in an expeditious and determined manner are the reasons for such fitting namesakes.   We’re really not sure where the Sweet Cheeks name comes from but he’s most proud of that one.  Besides his love of cherry flavored sodas, he also has a love of his loin, as well as some of the tenderloins we’ve tasted along the way.  Amongst those lucky enough for him to call a friend, he has a unique perspective on movie reviews which he’ll be more than happy to share with anyone who asks. 

Anyway, Cherry Bomb is heading off to Washington University’s School of Law in St. Louis in August.  He will be uniquely positioned to take the ‘Tour’ to unequaled heights in this international city. 

Now before you go off and lament the effects of another lawyer in this world, realize that Sweet Cheeks will be one of the good guys.  He is studious and detail oriented, yet has a pleasant disposition that will make ice melt in any Cherry Coke (Pepsi or RC Cola).  We’re quite sure that if he graduates from law school (as long as he doesn’t eat too many tenderloins that is), he’ll be able to garner upwards of $20 per hour due to his stellar personality.   He could truly bring a “Coke and a Smile” to the legal profession wherever he goes and even put the cherry on top!

The CDTC will truly miss Mark’s clever palate and witty reviews as we launch into the next phase of our program – The ‘Best of…’ in Springfield, Illinois!  We’re looking forward to his guest appearance on the blog and hopefully we’ll get an invitation to join his new ‘Loin Crew’ in St. Louis!

Congratulations Mark!  May you continue to drink Cherry Coke with fervor and continue to tout the ways of the Loin – from the remaining members of the CDTC.

Billy's Bar and Grill

Out of all the gin joints in all the world, we had to walk into . . . BILLY’S.  Finally!!  OMG!!  BILLY’S!!  Billy’s, Billy’s, Billy’s, Billy’s . . . BILLY’S!!  Writing this piece I feel like one of Pavlov’s dogs waiting for the dinner bell.  I first stepped across the portal of this hallowed institution in the mid-‘70s and introduced the rest of the Tour to it a couple of years ago.  This led to the now famous Culinary Delights Tenderloin Tour of 2012 attempting to go where no man has gone before in search of the ultimate Pork Tenderloin sandwich.  Full circle.  What can you say?

Walking into the establishment today, located on the curve behind the Bunn Park Golf Course, was like entering a darkened sanctuary.  No, really, the lights were low and the curtains drawn due to problems with the air conditioning.  The overhead fans were doing a yeoman’s duty keeping the place habitable and it was more than tolerable (the A/C came on before we left).

First to arrive, I looked around for a table that could accommodate the five of us and headed that direction.  Before I could get there a somewhat raspy voice behind the bar said, “How many of you will there be?” followed quickly by “What will you have to drink, honey?”  Ah, home at last with Mom waiting on me hand and foot.

I said “Diet Pepsi?”  The response was quick and apologetic, “Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to shop today.  How about a Diet RC?”  RC, now there is a shot from the past.  “That would be great,” I respond.   “Be right up, honey.”  Ah, Mom.

The napkin-wrapped utensils and the RC arrive in two shakes quickly followed by the rest of the party.  After greetings were exchanged followed by the usual banter, the five members took a moment to once again soak in the atmosphere of Billy’s.  The place has changed little since the mid-‘70s when I first sampled their wares.  The dark paneling, the long bar with the games of chance, the indoor shuffleboard along the wall.  This is the classic neighborhood bar, home of the “best pork tenderloins” according to one of those lit from behind signs next to the bar.

“Mom” comes with the rest of the drink orders and now it is time to get down to business.  “Tenderloin with onion and pickle and fries,” I say.  Everyone else simply says what condiments they want.  No need for more.  She knows this crowd and Tenderloins are the order of the day.

While we are waiting, she delivers an order of the special of the day, fried chicken, to an adjoining table.  We eye it like Pavlov’s dogs once again.  It looks great, but it’s not tenderloins.  We wait.  

Finally, our traditionalist begins to softly whine as he senses our order emerge from the kitchen.  If tails were in place today they would be wagging around the table.  At last, Billy’s tenderloins.

There is a mad rush to grab the mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise on the table as everyone prepares their food just the way they like it.  One of the “Kids” in the group whines about the size of his sandwich.  “I always get the smallest tenderloin,” he says with a pout.  Wimp. 

 

I hope the guys at the next table weren’t startled by the groans and moans as we settled into the repast.  This was once again proof that Billy’s served the best tenderloins in the area.  The Wimp had to throw his two cents in that he thought it tasted like they fried the tenderloins in the same grease as the fried chicken and it affected the taste.  What a Wimp!  (I post all the reviews to the blog but we share the burden of writing the reviews.  I’m the “kid” affectionately referred to here as the “wimp.”  Although I could, I didn’t want to mar the authenticity of the author’s summation of this visit by changing the review because all the members of the TT12 agreed to it.  However, I want to remind the writer of this review of the purpose of our tour.  It is that we are to comment and pass judgment on our experiences of the tasty delights.  Two of the five areas we’re judging are size and taste.  Both of my comments on lack of size and familiar taste of chicken grease were warranted comments especially since the daily special was, in fact, fried chicken.  It would be good if the penman knew what is to be criticized before he criticizes those criticizing.)  As usual the serving was ample to more than ample.  The breading was just right and the sandwich was served with your choice of lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise (real mayonnaise).  It was even noticed that the bottled condiments were Gluten-free.  What more could you want?  The fries were crinkle-cut fries, but who noticed.  They were something to fill the gaps between bites of the tenderloin.  At $9.25 for the sandwich, fries and drink, it was not the cheapest we have had, but when you factor in the pleasure quotient this meal is cheap at any price.

As we close the door on the Tour for this summer, what better way could we send our young compatriot off to law school than with one last taste of the best Pork Tenderloin Sandwich in Springfield . . . Billy’s.

Want a knuckle sandwich?

Johnny(')s Restaurant

Those who enjoy their tenderloin with a side of strikes and spares would be hard-pressed to top the fare at Johnny’s Restaurant or is it Johnnys Restaurant.  Although the menu’s and website have it spelled Johnny’s, the sign on the building says Johnnys (notice the picture).  The perplexing use or non use of the apostrophe had us all scratching our heads.  Anyway, located inside King Pin bowling alley at 3115 E. Sangamon Avenue or online at http://www.kingpinusa.com, Johnny’s truly has a one-of-a-kind atmosphere, with great music and the thundering sounds of bowling balls complementing your dining experience. While our schedule did not permit the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Committee to take a spin on the lanes today, we are happy to report we were all quite pleased with our tenderloin experience.

Although the honorable sport of bowling can trace its roots back 2000 years to Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, Springfield residents have only had the pleasure of gracing King Pin’s lanes since March of 1998. Those who enjoy complimenting their bowling with delicious home-cooked food were pleased to see the later addition of Johnny’s Restaurant. However, the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Committee was not aware of Johnny’s reputation for “mean” tenderloins until receiving a tip from a fellow tenderloin connoisseur at an Amateur Bowling Invitational Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa two weeks ago. On the heels of our decisive team victory in the bowling tournament, we walked into Johnny’s today with empty stomachs and high expectations.

We were not let down. Johnny’s tenderloin provides a strong combination of value, taste, and proportion. The service was friendly and prompt; the atmosphere was excellent, with a unique, eclectic character; and most importantly, if we wanted to, we could finish lunch, walk 20 feet, and have a quick bowl. What’s not to like?

 

To get into the details: $6.75 gets you the tenderloin and fries. (Click here for the full menu.) The sandwich comes with the “fixins” of your choice of lettuce, tomato (which was oddly $.25 extra), pickle, and onion. Mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper are also all available. The tenderloin was tender and juicy, with good flavor. It was noted though that the tenderloin had an unmistakable “chicken” taste.  Although it could be said “everything tastes like chicken,” we felt this one hints at chicken because the loin and breasts are probably fried in shared grease.  The fries were crispy and tasty. The bun was toasted, which is always a plus. On the negative side, we did run into a common problem: poor bun-to-loin ratio.

On the whole, the members of the CDTC felt Johnny’s was fantastic and ranked in the Top 3 on the Tour. If you’re looking to grab a loin and a quick bowl, there’s simply no better place.    

Awesome bowling ball stacking skills.

D'Arcy's Pint

The next stop for the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Committee (CDTC) is a well-known Irish pub called D’Arcy’s Pint. Located on the near southwest side of Springfield (661 S. Stanford St.) and online at http://www.darcyspintonline.com/, it is billed as a “cozy, neighborhood-style pub,” which features “traditional Irish fare and American classics.” We were eager to see how D’Arcy’s tenderloin stacked up, because if we were analyzing the traditional horseshoe sandwich fare, they would be at the top of the list.

One of the CDTC members of the group could not partake due to an early lunch.  (What’s up with that? Another missed email or what?) Nevertheless, the remaining four members were joined by two lovely and adventurous females from our respective offices. The word adventurous is used liberally in this sense, because our companions didn’t adhere to peer pressure and order the loin. Instead, they basked in the pleasure of a ham ponyshoe and vegetable ponyshoe. After much discussion, the CDTC voted to allow them to stay.

After entering this “cozy, neighborhood-style” pub, we were politely told the wait would be approximately 20 minutes. Lo and behold, after the passing of only 10 of those long minutes we were seated by a striking young lady. One member of the CDTC was so smitten, the only thing he could say was “wowwy.”

Greetings and salutations were thrust upon us after we were seated by a pleasant waitress and her young Protégé. Our waitress took our drink orders and Protégé took the food order. D’Arcy’s is well-appointed with all the standard photos and posters from Ireland, along with a substantial bar area. It’s very clean and can accommodate many patrons.

Our colleague known for his love of cherry-flavored drinks ordered the pre-mixed cherry Pepsi, but we failed to provide the Effervescence Test on the product. After further review, the cherry Pepsi was not held in as high esteem as the handmade cherry Coke from Yesterday’s. Strike one.

The tenderloin itself was priced on the “proud” side at $7.95, which only includes potato chips. French fries were an extra $1.99. Comparatively speaking, these prices were a bit high. Strike two.

Soon after our order, Protégé brought in the loins. At first it appeared a well-balanced plate, but upon further review we noticed the loin was thin and only a handful of French fries were added. All the usual condiments were supplied – the onion and sandwich pickles were well stocked, while the beloved pickle spear made a generous contribution. 

 

Protégé was asked for “mayonnaise” and brought a Miracle Whip derivative, which was clearly salad dressing. After much debate amongst the CDTC about the authenticity of the salad dressing/mayonnaise the wait staff was asked and provided proof of this faux pas. It was in fact salad dressing…ugh! The CDTC debated the problem of an authentic Irish pub, sewn in the Catholic tradition of their country, serving salad dressing when it’s well known to all that Catholics don’t eat anything but real mayonnaise. When asked, our waitress expressed a fondness for Miracle Whip and claimed to not notice any difference between Hellmann’s and generic mayonnaise. She was clearly in need of a mayonnaise appreciation class. Swing – foul tip.

The bun was nicely toasted and well-proportioned for the size of the loin. The loin was thin, lean and juicy. The breading was crisp and golden brown, but lacked seasoning. Service was superb and Protégé will soon make a very fine waitress. However, after the meal, upon making further inquiry into the salad dressing/mayonnaise incident, it was revealed by wait staff that real mayonnaise packets were readily available. Strike three! 

All-in-all, D’Arcy’s Pint provides excellent service in a cool and comfortable atmosphere. However, the loin experience was somewhere between average and acceptable and pricey. Stick with the Horseshoe Sandwich!

Humphrey's Market

Although we normally make our Tenderloin Tour stops at the end of an exhausting week, we adjusted this week and went early.  Our stop today took us to Humphrey’s Market located at 1821 South 15^th Street in Springfield, IL.  You’re more than welcome to visit them online at http://www.humphreysmarket.com/store/ but you’re not going to find much more than their weekly circular.  Humphrey’s has been in business for nearly 80 years as your neighborhood grocery store where you can get the best produce and finest meats in the area.  There was also a nice little article published in a local news reader on this quaint little grocery store that you can find at http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-8862-inside-humphreyrss-market.html.  Because of their incredible selection of meats, the Tenderloin tasters were incredibly excited about this station on the tour. 

The dining area at Humphrey’s is a small space off the deli counter that has 6 tiny tables, 3 with  4 chairs each and 3 with 2 chairs each.  There isn’t enough room on the table to have all 4 diners with their lunch tray on it.  There’s no waitress so you place your order at the deli counter and wait for them to fix your plate before seating yourself.  The drinks are self serve so you never have to wait for a refill.

The sandwich comes on its own or you can do it as a meal which includes 2 side items and a drink.  This meal only cost $6.49 and with no waiter or waitress to tip, it’s the best deal on the tour.  If you wait for the lunch special on Saturday, you can get this fine saucer of pork for only $5.99.  We placed our orders and 3 of the 4 of us opted for fries and baked beans as our sides.  The fourth stuck with fries only, damn traditionalists.  The three stalwarts anticipated an interesting afternoon due to the tasty helping of real barbeque beans.

The baked beans were incredibly tasty with whole pieces of bacon mixed in.  My fries were soggy but the rest were awarded freshly fried tater sticks when they had their orders filled.  There wasn’t much talk of the fries which leads a reasonable man to think they were just okay and nothing special.

The tenderloins came to order with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle, mayo and mustard as add-ons.  The bun was a regular bun with seeds and there was no toasting or butter added for flavor or color.  Unfortunately, the tenderloin wasn’t freshly cooked either so it was a little cool.  This is a real downside to the Humphrey’s deli system where most of their food is cooked ahead and kept in an inefficient warming system.  However, the pork patty was large and heavy.  It is the thickest cut of meat we’ve had on the Tour and it was juicy.  The breading had a hint of spice that snuck up on us like a ninja in a Jackie Chan movie.

The flavor of this sandwich was wonderful and on the verge of epic greatness.  The sandwich is a top 3 on the tour and has the possibility of giving Billy’s a run for its money but some major changes need to be made first.  There needs to be an adjustment to the presentation and preparation of the bun, the tenderloin needs to be kept warm or freshly cooked, and the sides need to have a freshness about them.  The experience was different than the rest as far as spaciousness for dining and privacy, the ordering process, and being tended to by wait staff instead of waiting on ourselves or each other.  And before we left, one of our diners was able to do his weekly shopping before completely leaving the premises.  We’ll definitely be visiting Humphrey’s Market again and it’s in contention for the final review.

Charlie Parker's Diner

Thanks to a high-profile feature on the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” there’s a good chance you’ve heard about Charlie Parker’s Diner (700 North Street and www.charlieparkersdiner.com), our most recent stop on the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Tour 2012. Since opening in 1991, this charming Quonset hut has won critical acclaim and devoted customers by serving some of Springfield’s best breakfast food. In fact, it was Charlie Parker’s “Breakfast Horseshoe” that brought Food Network’s Guy Fieri to town in 2007. As he quickly learned, Charlie Parker’s huge portions require a certain amount of “food bravado” and an empty stomach. As you know, the Culinary Delights crew is never short of food bravado, and it was with that spirit that we descended upon Charlie Parker’s today, to see how their breaded pork tenderloin stacked up with its local competition.

Upon entering the premises, we immediately took note of Charlie Parker’s policy towards camping, which is “No Camping at Anytime.” While we can’t imagine why anyone would want to build a campsite inside a small Quonset hut restaurant, we must say we were a bit turned off by Charlie Parker’s militant, anti-camping stance. The gentlemen of Culinary Delights prefer to reserve the right to pitch a tent where they see fit. However, after a bit of discussion we resolved to not let our differences in the value of the outdoor lifestyle come between us and a potential tenderloin delicacy.

Unfortunately, we were also disappointed by the tenderloin. Although the loin was an improvement over last week’s fare at Yesterday’s, and was a decent and hearty sandwich, it simply didn’t stack up against the heavyweights such as Billy’s and Westwoods. It had many things in its favor: a generous size; a tasty bun; plenty of “fixins” (pickle, onion, tomato, lettuce with mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper available as needed); and a very reasonable “basket” option with the sandwich and two sides for only $7.95. (A sandwich and chips will run you $5.95.) But, as a whole the group found the tenderloin lacking in flavor and very dry. It wasn’t the worst sandwich we’ve had; it just wasn’t the best.

The sides were also fairly underwhelming. The fries were soggy, and the fruit and mac and cheese were adequate but not exemplary. The tater tots were the lone saving grace – very crisp and just as you might remember them from your fondest school cafeteria memories.

Although we were not impressed with Charlie Parker’s tenderloin (or the restroom, which was a bit of an experience), we must encourage our readers who possess food bravado to still visit this restaurant. The breakfast food is delicious, the service is excellent, and ambiance is perfect. We also want to note the restaurant’s liberal beverage policy. As we were leaving, our lovely waitress insisted we take complimentary cold beverages to go, due to the dangerously high temperatures outside – a very nice touch. We won’t be back for the tenderloin, but we’ll definitely be back, and we’ll remember to leave our camping gear at home.