Bloomington Eats (and drinks)

Dear Bloomington Sandwich Co.

2011-04-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Bloomington Sandwich Co.,

Please invest in a ventilation system. Your restaurant is unpleasant. This was a problem at your previous location and is presently a problem in your new location (and you've only been there for what 4 months now?) It's a total drag to walk away having eaten a mediocre sandwich smelling gross for the rest of the day.

Thank you

Bloomington

More Fishiness in Bloomington

2010-09-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

I need to update my take on Bloomington Fish Tacos... which means I need to get to eatin'. Since my initial entry, when at the time there were only three places to get em, the number of restaurant one can order fish tacos has doubled.

Malibu

Upland

Trojan Horse

The View

Cheeseburger in Paradise

La Torre

more at a later date

Beer Time!

2010-02-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

In October of 2007, myself and 7 friends gathered at my house to partake in a beer tasting. We threw all snobbery aside and went for the real stuff. The watery, tasteless beer that has made America famous.

We focused on North American Macro Lagers

We tasted the "flag ship" beer of each brewer, thus Budweiser, not Bud Light, not Bud Dry, etc.
All North American beers that are $6 or less for a six pack were considered. However, several brands have more than one "flag ship" for instance Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life. Miller High Life is Miller's oldest brand (introduced 1903) Genuine Draft came in 1986. MGB is cold filtered but is not an ice beer, therefore both Miller beers were allowed in this tasting.

Our guideline was simple. We rated beer on the following categories.

Appearance
Aroma
Mouthfeel
Flavor
Aftertaste

Quick analysis of the beer tasting. Not everyone rated every beer, so the results are off a little bit, but basically here are the overall winners in order of the best tasting beer first (by cumulative score). So the next time you go to buy a cheap six pack of beer, consider this list.

1. BERGHOFF score = 89
2. PABST BLUE RIBBON score = 86
3. BUDWEISER score = 83
4. STROH'S score = 81
5. BUSCH score = 73
6. MILLER GENUINE DRAFT score = 72
7. MILWAUKEE'S BEST score = 71
8. COOK'S score = 69
9. ROLLING ROCK score = 64
10. MOOSEHEAD score = 63
11. SCHLITZ score = 63
12. MILLER HIGH LIFE score = 49
13. COOR'S score = 59
14. MICHELOB score = 58
15. OLD STYLE score = 55

Autumn Kiss / Autumn Crush

2009-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

by publishing this post, I am officially staking my claim on a new cocktail.

Autumn Kiss = your favorite hard apple cider and 1 shot of Apple Jack

Autumn Crush = your favorite hard apple cider and 2 shots of Apple Jack

I prefer a more tart cider than the really sweet ones.

Please beware, although this drink is very easy to drink, it is actually quite potent.

Bloomington's Delis

2009-06-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

I don't want this blog to be just complaints about local restaurants. Some of the feedback I have gotten leads me to believe that a lot people think that's what this is all about. It's not.

Bloomington has a lot to offer in terms of eating establishments, but our town is also seriously lacking in some fundamentals. There's no lounge (we have bars, not lounges), not nearly enough outdoor seating, no good bakery and no good deli. Sure there's the Bloomington Sandwich Co., Dagwoods, Village Deli, Butch's, Bloomingfoods even the Bloomington Bagel Co. and of course the chains a la Subway, McAlisters, etc.

It all came to light when a good friend of mine was talking about comparing rueben sandwiches in town. After thinking about it for a while and doing some preliminary research, I realized that there is really no need to compare the different ruebens or any deli sandwich for that matter.

Why?

Because they are all fundamentally the same. And that, my friends, is a shame. Different places may have different bread (maybe) and perhaps different condiments (ie Dagwood's special sauce) but the meat and the cheese are all the same. Think about it; every restaurant in town uses Sysco as their food distributor, thus everyone is getting the same thing. The sandwich joints in town all use Boar's Head Brand meat and cheese. And you know what, that's the same stuff you get at the grocery deli (even the butcher on the east side uses all Boar's Head). So why compare the different deli sandwiches when the core of each sandwich is the same.

By the way, I just spent 8 bucks on this corned beef sandwich from Butch's.

Yes, it's Boar's Head brand meat and I think it was starting to turn bad. Now I feel gross, not only because I ate most of this rotten meat sandwich, but also because I paid $8 for it.

Katz's Deli and Carnegie deli in New York City are world famous for their corned beef and pastrami (they also do everything else well) for one simple reason. They make their own corned beef and pastrami.

Katz's corned beef sandwich for $14.45.

I will gladly pay $6.45 difference for a corned beef sandwich like this.

You may be saying to yourself: "Yeah but that's New York, of course they are going to have great delis"

A good sandwich can happen anywhere. All it takes is someone caring about making something good.

45 minutes north of Bloomington is Shaprio's $10.15 corned beef:

Step it up Bloomington delis.

Update on Snow Lion

2009-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Still sucks

Sahara Mart

2008-11-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

So far this year, when the owner was working the checkout, I have caught him overcharging me on four different occasions. This is four out of the maybe 10 times I have been there this year. I never paid attention in the past, but once I started paying attention after the first time I noticed it, it happened, consecutively, three times afterwards. Do your own research and come to your own conclusion.

Something Fishy In Bloomington

2008-07-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

One of the alluring questions of Bloomington is why is there a fish weathervane atop the Courthouse in Bloomington's city center. With this theme in mind, I took it upon myself to answer another fishy question: Where in this landlocked city can one get a good fish taco?

The answer? Three places.

There are three restaurants in Bloomington that serve fish tacos and strangely, only one is a Mexican joint. I'm very happy to say that all three fish tacos are pretty good. They are all pretty equal in price, yet offer different flavors and experiences. Here's the scoop.

Malibu Grill: These fish tacos are my personal favorites. For $12.95 you get four tacos that are: "Cumin-seared Mahi Mahi with Southwestern slaw". This dish is also served with plenty of lime wedges and Sriracha* on the side. This works. The meaty texture of the large Mahi Mahi chucks work with the crunch of the slaw. The seasoning is salty which plays nicely with the slightly sweet and slightly creamy slaw. Squeeze a lime on it and add a couple of dots of the garlicy Sriracha to create a filling but not too heavy meal that is complex layers of flavor and texture.

Sit at the bar because the bartenders are friendly and make solid drinks and split one order between two people.

Trojan Horse: My second favorite. For $5.50 you get two tacos that are: "flour tortillas filled with spicy breaded fish, red cabbage, pico de gallo and our "cool" hot sauce." The fish is Tilapia, which has a very subtle flavor, the cabbage and pico de gallo add more crunch than flavor and the "cool" hot sauce is basically salsa verde. Overall this is a pretty plain fish taco, but it's pleasant. I recommend getting a side of zaziki and use that in conjunction with the salsa verde.

La Torre: For $7.95 you get about two and half tacos. This too is Tilapia served deep fried with lettuce pico de gallo and flour tortillas. The portions of fish are larger than Trojan Horse's but a bit greasy and heavy. Overall, these tacos are very similar to Trojan Horse's and are pretty good.

*Sriracah (from wikipedia): (Thai: ซอสศรีราชา) (pronounced /siːrətʃə/ or SEE-rah-chah) is the generic name for a hot sauce from Thailand. It is named after the seaside city of Si Racha, where it was first produced as a local product (currently licensed by "Sriracha Panich"). It is made from sun-ripened chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt.
The U.S. brand from Huy Fong Foods is often left out on the table at restaurants all day and contains sodium bisulfite as a preservative. Thai people often find the American brand perplexing, as Sriracha was originally and is still often thought of as unique brand from that town, not a type of sauce. Thai grocery stores carry the authentic Thai version, which usually has no preservatives and is refrigerated after opening. Huy Fong Foods has trademarked the name "Sriracha" in the United States, preventing any importers from using the same name, including those under license from the originator of the sauce "Sriracha Panich".

Copper Cup (West Side) July 9, 2008 approx 1pm

2008-07-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Copper Cup Responds

2008-06-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

I received a message from the manager of Copper Cup via myspace. She happened upon Bloomington Eats and was moved to respond to my post. Here is her reply unedited:

Copper Cup

myspace.com/thecoppercup
Date: May 29, 2008 8:34 PM
Subject: No Subject
Body:
Dear Mr. Cargill

I recently have taken over management at all Copper Cup locations. I have stumbled across a "review" you wrote about your experience with us, and decided to write you and address it.

First let me apologize for the negative experiences you have had, and for the poor quality drinks you have been served. There is no excuse that would make any of that acceptable.

In particular the west location has a completely new staff that have been trained properly, and such ridiculous things like pulling shots without pulling fresh espresso grounds will never happen again.

You also said this: You ever look at the level gauge of the self serve coffee pumps? Perhaps you notice that they add water on top of the coffee. <---This is completely false, we never add water. If this has happened in the past, again, it will never happen again.

Am I impressed with the way you posted such a negative blog about Copper Cup, even going as far to curse us (Of course, they fuck that up too)? Absolutely not. However, do I completely understand your frustration? 100% yes.

I look forward to another chance with you, and thank you.

Copper Cup Is Horrible

2008-03-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time coming and I don't think this is going to come as a surprise to most people. Copper Cup, the coffee place, is horrible. Absolutely horrible. It had been a long time since I had been there because I was finally fed up. I would leave that place angry and I decided that is not healthy so I simply stopped going. After several months, I went back today and again I was angered. Now, I've only been to the west side Copper Cup because it's close to my office. Aside from just having bad coffee, examples of why Copper Cup is so crappy:

One time I ordered a quadruple latte. It's my usual drink. Instead of making a double shot, refilling the portafilter and making another double shot, they simply ran the water through twice. Topped it off with luke warm milk with no foam.

Another time I ordered the same thing, the barista was about to do the same thing. Had I not asked for fresh shots, she would have run the water through twice. The barista got the final jab though... again luke warm milk, no foam.

That's when I stopped ordering lattes or any kind of espresso drink from them. From then on, nothing but brewed coffee for me. Of course, they fuck that up too. They brew some of the weakest watery coffee in town. You ever look at the level gauge of the self serve coffee pumps? Perhaps you notice that they add water on top of the coffee, I'm assuming they do this so every last drop of coffee is dispensed. The specific gravity of brewed coffee is not that much more than water, so adding water on top of already watery coffee makes... a shitty cup of coffee.

You are better off getting gas station coffee for a buck than Copper Cup coffee for 2 bucks.

Upland Pale Ale (from a friend)

2007-07-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

from a friend:

tosick says: this beer is really starting to piss me off - it is really carbonated. every time i pour it into as glass it foams over, even when i am careful to pour it slowly. i like it, yes, but it has been better in the past. is there a new brew master? have they change something in the brewing process? i prefer the quarryman's from bbc, but this will still let me get my drunk on...

ps - matilda is not a lap dog, and she has a sweaty belly - she weighs a ton...

Indiana Wine Part 2

2007-07-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

I recently bought 6 bottles of local red wine. Indiana has a decent amount of wineries and vineyards and a lot of them are really good. For some reason the number of Indiana wineries in my head is 63. Not sure where I picked that up, but I think it came from the dude at Butler Winery here in Bloomington.

Here's the scoop:

Brown County Winery: Vista Red Wine, Nahville, Indiana

The Winery says this about this wine: "100% Concord, like eating grapes off the vine."

ie tastes like grape juice. This is alot like the French Lick Red Wine. With a subtle smokey finish. Like the French Lick red I think this would be good over ice and ideal for a sweet sangria.

Nice simple glued label with a picture of their logo. Real cork.

Madison Vineyards: Ba-Da Bing! Rosoo, Madison, Indiana

Styled after reds of northwest Italy.

This is a pretty dry wine. My first impression was that this is a very bitter almost sour wine. Further drinking it was still sour. I thought maybe it was a bad bottle. It has a nice aroma, but ultimately it was hard to drink.

Glued label with an Italian flag background and a caricature of a waiter. Natural cork.

Indiana Wine Part 1

2007-06-28T07:53:00.001-07:00

I recently bought 6 bottles of local red wine. Indiana has a decent amount of wineries and vineyards and a lot of them are really good. For some reason the number of Indiana wineries in my head is 63. Not sure where I picked that up, but I think it came from the dude at Butler Winery here in Bloomington.

Here's the scoop:

French Lick: French Lick Red, West Baden, Indiana

I didn't read the label carefully enough to note that this is a sweet wine. Very sweet. Looking at the bottle now, it says right there: "Bursting with Concord flavor and aroma, this sweet red wine is also great over ice or with a spritzer". Basically, it's alcoholic grape juice. I think it would be good over ice and ideal for a sweet sangria.

Nice simple glued label with a picture of a bunch of grapes. Synthetic cork.

Huber Winery: Starlight Red, Borden, Indiana

The bottle says Semi-Dry red table wine. I first noticed that it's pretty light in body (light in color) with very little legs (very thin). Upon first taste I really liked the Semi-Dry balance and found it very drinkable. As I kept drinking it, I noticed a fairly weird aftertaste and the more I thought about the more I started to dislike that aftertaste. Seemed like it lingered. Basically it got in the way. It's an ok wine, didn't knock my socks off.

Has cool embossed stars on the bottle. Natural cork.

Burger Time!

2007-01-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

Many many months ago, I (JC) got together with my friends Alex and Chris because I came up with the idea of eating hamburgers from all the fast food joints in town. It would be a taste test of sorts. We did it, we tallied the results, we felt sick. Several months after that, the idea to do this taste test again was brought up, but this time more people were involved and things were much more orderly and dare I say scientific? No. Not scientific at all, but well organized. One interesting thing to note, the results from the first tasting which included 3 people were almost identical to the second tasting which involved 7 people, just the top two burgers switched positions. So here we go:

The Burgers: these were just the basic burgers from each establishment.

Burger King
Hardees
McDonalds
Rallys
Wendys
White Castle

The Eaters (and their drink):

Alex = Harp Beer
Chris = Corona Beer
Evan = Cole Porter Beer
Jon = Four Energy Beer
JC = Corona Beer
Mike = Coca Cola
Nick = Sol Beer

The Process:

I picked up all the burgers. Unfortunately, in Bloomington, one can start on the Far West Side and hit every fast food joint on the way to my house, but in this case it was very efficient. The path to deliciousness only took about 20 minutes and goes as follows: Burger King to Hardees to White Castle to Wendys to McDonalds and finally Rallys. I picked up two basic burgers from each place, four in the case of White Castles since they are smaller.

Upon arrival, I discovered that the group of burger eaters were full of excitement, eagerness and pride, knowing that they are about to embark on a process that will undoubtedly help humanity. I too was proud and quickly realized that the noxious collective smell of 14 hamburgers from 6 different fast food places that lingered in my car (for months) was a small sacrifice to pay.

I went straight to the kitchen and I cut all the burgers accordingly so each person could get a sample; then grouped the burgers on separate plates according to where they came from. I labeled each plate with a number. Only I knew which plate of burgers represented which restaurant, thus it was blind tasting for the other 6 people.

Prior to the evening's tasting, Jon spent most of his day at work, not doing actual work, instead developing a ratings and ranking chart to help the tasters make informed insights into their ingestions (fancy writing, eh?).

Jon's categories, which were filled out on a 1 to 5 scale: Everyone in the room seemed to understand this and follow these simple instructions, except for Evan who threw in a small chink in the chain by assigning scores on a .5 scale (as in thickness = 2.5)

Thickness
1 = Too Thin - Small Pants
5 = Too Thick - Can You Help Me Unhinge My Jaw

Greasiness
1 = Dry
5 = Swimming In It - a la Alex's Pillow Cover

Condiments
1 = Naked
5 = Where's The Beef

Bun
1 = I'm Switching to Atkins
5 = Fits Like A Glove

Flavor Intensity
1 = I Might As Well Eat Tofu
5 = It's Like I'm Licking A Cow!

Overall
1 = Suck It!
5 = I'll Gladly Gain 600 lbs And Confine Myself To A Bed If It Means I Can Eat This Every Fucking Day

There was also a side challenge where each person had to guess where each burger came from. This challenge was met with serious fervor and in some cases a bit of over confidence as if one's manhood was being seriously questioned. However, the cocksureness of burger identity of some of the participants was quickly deflated upon the tasting's commencement. We all discovered that most of these burgers are quite similar and the overall winner came down to only minor differences.

Now I can go on and on and breakdown each participant's results, but I'm just going to breakdown each burger by category then overall winner.

Thickness (in order of thickest to thinnest)
1. Rallys
2. Hardees and Burger King
3. White Castle and McDonalds
4. Wendys

GREASINESS (in order of greasiest to driest)
1. Rallys
2. White Castle
3. McDonalds
4. Burger King
5. Wendys
6. Hardees

CONDIMENTS (in order of most to least)
1. Rallys
2. Wendys
3. Hardees
4. McDonalds
5. Burger King
6. White Castle

BUN (in order or perfect fit to too little)
1. Rallys
2. Wendys
3. McDonalds
4. Burger King
5. White Castle
6. Hardees

FLAVOR INTENSITY (in order of lots of flavor to little flavor)
1. Rallys and White Castle
2. McDonalds
3. Burger King and Hardees
4. Wendys

As you can see an overall winner is clear, so without further ado:

A Handy Little Guide To Deliciousness:

Rank Restaurant Overall Score Price Rank
1. Rallys 3.85 *1
2. White Castle 3.14 2 (for 4 burgers since they are smaller)
3. McDonalds 3.00 6
4. Hardees 2.86 3
5. Wendys 2.64 4
6. Burger King 2.57 5

*BURGER PRICE RATING based on 2 hamburgers (4 in the case of White Castle) (1 = most expensive)

Bum Wine Adventures (from a friend)

2006-10-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Terrorbird and Frothy Dog

So, my friend told me about this website bumwine.com that reviews the finest of fortified wine beverages. Most everyone that knows me knows of my fondness for Mad Dog, and so of course I had to check it out. I discovered a bumwine that I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting just yet called Cisco. This evening, on a hunch, I decided to stop by my neighborhood liquor store (well, my preferred one since there's no shortage of alcohol depots in this neighborhood) to see if they carried this mysterious beverage about which I've heard so much. To my delight, and I'm guessing future illness, I found a nice little bottle of green apple Cisco. My glee could not be contained and upon discovering the rest of the pentamerous posse, quickly took them under my arm like an injured quail and proceded to the checkout. Apparently a gringo purchasing such a depraved selection of goods amused all in attendance, and I'm sure several disparaging remarks were spoken in Spanish when I was there and for a while thereafter.

Upon arrival home I decide to start with the stranger: Cisco. I take one sip and think to myself "hmm, this tastes like...." At one point I had a reference for it and meant to write it down, but halfway through the bottle I'd forgotten everythinng. Shit, I'm even adding consonants where they have no business being. The houseguest staying with us walked in the door and I verbally pounce on her with my big, dumb ideas. Just as quickly, I down the rest of the Cisco and decide it's time for toast.

As I crack open beverage #2 (Night Train Express. It's 'Express' as in it contains 5% more alcohol than regular Night Train) I'm hearing pigs scratching the concrete outside the window and gears turning. I don't know what that means. It is suggested I put on some G 'n f'n' R to commemmorate the moment. I oblige as Zespy and houseguest escape out the back door. I should also mention at this point all I've had to eat today was a PB&J for lunch, an apple, and a veggie burger about 3 hours ago. Also, I intend to attend a show by one of my current favorite bands Birds of Avalon who are in town. I'm hoping I don't black out before I can leave.

It's time for the decision about beverage #3. I put on some US Maple and gyrate awkwardly in front of the fridge for a while, mouthing the lyrics from Al and ask which one wants to be imbibed next. Wild Irish Rose with it's hippie ginseng extract and powerful proof practically screams for my attention. At this point, I'm not putting up much of a fight. I've already begun the drunk dial, and I apologize in advance to anyone that has ever given me their number. That includes you, mom.

Ok, it's now 5:21 in the morning and I just woke up with a pounding headache. Of course I don't remember blacking out, but apparently I did. I do know that I started on beverage #4 (Thunderbird) and it's sitting half empty on my desk.. I'm shivering and still not quite sure what I'm doing. Drunkenness is still in full effect and whether I'm actually typing right now or not is debatable in my mind. This all might be a dream, or more accurately, a nightmare.

11:38am. Still sorta drunk, but lucid for the most part. My limbs are still saying 'fuck you' to my brain when told to act a certain way. Last night I intended to thoroughly document every stage, but I am not immune to the effects said beverages have on its traditional consumers: apathy, lethargy, surliness, and a crass, disheveled appearance. I'm about to follow through on another terrible idea, which is to order takeout from this shady Vietnamese restaurant down the street. Vegetables and nutrients should probably make their way back into my body, but I'm not sure what I'll be getting at Van Phat will actually contain any of that.

What have I learned through this process? It's still possible to get rip-roaring drunk like I did when I was 19. However, I've realized that I had been romanticizing that possibility since it pretty much sucks all ass the next day. Let's be sensible!

Between the gasoline fumes and the terrible Puerto Rican music seeping into my bedroom I didn't realize I'd been staring at nothing in particular for a full 17 minutes and have nothing else to say right now. Except don't try this at home.

Guinness

2006-06-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

I imagine most of you already know this but...

First of all for all you haters out there, Guinness is not a heavy beer. Sure it's opaque but that don't mean it's heavy. I've heard it has less calories than most beers and is on par with Amstel Light.

Guinness is meant to be served slightly warmer than other beers. Try this. Take a drink of a really cold Guinness, then let it warm up a bit then take another drink and see if you notice a difference in taste.

All the Guinness systems in Bloomington are the same, so no one Guinness is better, unless the Nitrogen levels are off, but more or less they are the same.

OK here we go.

Irish Lion's Guinness it too damn expensive. $5.25 for a pint, usaully spoon poured, as opposed to a slow pour.
In Bedford is a palce called Pappas, if I remember their Guinness was $2.95
Best bet is actually Coaches on Friday. All things Irish are $3.

The point here is that Irish Lion's Guinness is too expensive.

Snow Lion Again

2006-06-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

So I don't like Snow Lion. I've eaten there many many times and it slowly dawned on me that I don't enjoy it. Of course, when I made that realization, I started to dislike it more and more. I have since eaten there many more times, most of the time not by choice. I started to really pay attention to the food, admittedly with a bad attitude.

If I had a digital camera, I'd have photos to show, but if you don't believe me, check it out for yourself.

Case 1: Vegetables. Their dishes are made up of three vegetables. Cabbage, carrots and peas.
Cabbage. If you like cabbage, you might like pretty much every dish they offer. Cabbage is their foundation veggie and dominates the vegetable ratio. It's filler. Unfortunately, it's consistently brown and under cooked.
Carrots. The carrots are tiny cubes, which is a good clue that they are purchased pre-cut and frozen. These little frozen carrot cubes are often paired with peas and this industrial combo is flavorless.

It's conceivable, to save money, one would go light on the peas and carrots and go heavy on the cheaper, easily stored and space filling veggie, which I can understand, but brown, under cooked cabbage, tasteless peas and carrots just isn't that appetizing to me.

El Regio (from a friend)

2006-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

dear fan of eating.

I went to El Regio for lunch, where tortilla flat was. I think it's the same
as el norteño, or at least the same owners, because there was something on
the menu called "tamal norteno" but norteno was crossed out. I had some
chicken tortilla soup that was really nice. It had tortilla strips, and cheese, and avocado
and lots of chicken and only $4.50 total lunch price.

Random Entry: Broccoli

2006-01-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

If you have dinner at Irish Lion, order the broccoli as your side. They consistently have really good broccoli, which is usually a rare thing to find in restaurants.

Wine I Like: Part 1

2005-12-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

I tend to drink reds more than whites; Pinot Noir in particular. I like that they are dry, smooth and full bodied, but not to the extent of Merlot.

I was visiting my brother and his family in South Carolina this past weekend and had BABCOCK Pinot Noir for the first time. In fact, it was the first time for all of us. My brother, his wife and I all agreed that it was really really good. My sister-in-law bought a case of it the next day. It was $14.99 a bottle, you can get it for $18.99 at the Big Red downtown.

One thing about Big Red...

I believe there are only two non-Big Red liquor stores in Bloomington. They've nearly cornered the market; plus with the Karton King stores, they basically dictate the prices of consumer booze in this town. And that's not a good thing. It's interesting that the owners, who run such a regional business and have such a grasp on Bloomington, don't even live in this town. They live in the same town as my brother. The plus side is Kroger has started carrying liquor, so check there first for your basic liquor needs.

And another thing about Big Red...

I like CHRISTIAN MOERLEIN beer. It's from Cincinnati and part of the Hudepohl-Schoenling brewery, I believe. Since I moved back to Bloomington from Cincinnati in 1996, I've occasionally asked Big Red to order it. Nothing.

They'd tell they couldn't get it from their distributor, but that's crap, because they carry LITTLE KINGS CREAM ALE, which is the same brewery.

Anyway, earlier this year, I finally found a sympathetic buyer. He did the same routine, took my name and number and the beer I wanted and as usual, I heard nothing back. One day I was checking out the warm beer selection and there it was. I was happy and I was kind of proud of myself. I bought a case...they only ordered one case. I told the pimply clerk who was ringing me up that I was happy they had Christian Moerlein. He told me some guy kept bugging them to get it, but no one ever bought it but me. I didn't say anything.

Well, the saga continues because they don't order it anymore. I went to the Big Red Beer Fest this year and as soon as I got there, I made a beeline for the Christian Moerlein table. Of course I told them about my troubles and they assured me that in 2 to 3 weeks, Big Red will consistently carry it. Lies, I tell you. Lies. Fuckers don't carry STELLA ARTOIS either.

Another friend of food

2005-12-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here's another blog about Bloomignton food

http://www.bloomingtonfood.blogspot.com/

Start this blog with a bang

2005-12-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

I don't think I will ever pick a favorite restaurant, but I have no qualms about calling out the bad ones.

SNOW LION is the worst place in town. I will elaborate later.