The W Restaurant - DuQouin

For my husbands birthday our good friends Molly and William made reservations for us at The W Restaurant in DuQuoin (we went to Rustle Hill for Molly's birthday last year, but I never got to blog about it, because I sent my camera through the washing machine the next morning. >_< )
I know what you're thinking (same thing I was) , 'A fancy restaurant in DuQuoin? Yeah, right.' But really, it's beautiful.  The W is right outside of town on a ranch (A ranch in DuQuoin? yes, really!) with big longhorn steers staring at you while you meander up the drive.

(picture courtesy of the Southern)

There was a class reunion going on the night we were there, so it was really busy (and I didn't get to wander around and take pictures like I normally would) but either way I do recommend reservations.  I would think it is busy enough that you will prefer, if not need them.
The W, beyond the pretty ranch it sits on, honestly doesn't look like much when you reach the building.  It's a big pole barn type building, with a fenced off area in back where people were on horses.  If you have a twinge of disappointment at the outside, walking onto the porch and in the door will more than make up for it.

The entire inside is warm, welcoming, and rustic.  The theme, of course, is ranches, horses, and rustic charm.  We sat right inside the door in one of several dining rooms, and the W also sports private dining as well as a bar and outside seating to watch the cowboys ride horses and rope cattle.

 (last 2 pics courtesy of the Southern)

The W has an impressively creative drink menu, and we took full advantage of it.  Kevin had a Jack and coke, and me, Molly, and William had a Georgia Peach, Raspberry Lemon Drop, and AppleTini, respectively.  I don't think I even need to say how amazing they all were :)

The menu is beautiful.  It has plenty of choices, but it's not overwhelming.  They have four or so salad choices, half a dozen entrees, anther half a dozen or so sandwiches, some A La Cart items, and just a few desserts.  But honestly, who needs a menu that takes an hour to read and even longer to make a selection?  Not to mention how they keep everything fresh by only having those few things they need on hand.  The W has something for everyone, and it's all amazing, and I commend them for a smaller menu.

I ordered the pork chop with fruit glaze, and it was probably the best I've ever had.  Sweet and salty and cooked to absolute perfection.  Not to mention that the chop itself was so big I took no more than three bites of my baked potato.  Prices are about what you would expect to pay at any fine dining restaurant, between $15 and $25 a plate. 

Of course, we couldn't go without dessert, but our entire table was stuffed, so we ordered one slice of Kahlua Pie, and let me tell you, even between the four of us, once slice is all we needed.

The staff was quick and courteous, even with a packed house.  We were not rushed through our courses nor our after dinner chit chat.  I didn't see the bill, but I imagine with the four of us it hovered comfortably around the hundred dollar mark.   After you've thoroughly stuffed yourself, it seems that a lot of people go outside onto the porch and 'sit a spell.'  It's lit up beautifully with globe lights and is super inviting.

There was a bunch of lights on in the arena when we went out, so naturally we went to investigate.  Apparently we had just missed the bull roping, and they were getting the steers lined up to go back out the gate.  I mentioned how a brown brindle one was pretty, so then one of the cowboys said he'd sell it to me. Ha, Thanks?  No thanks.  The reunion was gathered mostly in the outdoor seating area right next to the arena, which was really neat because it was almost completely walled in yet still was (and felt) like it was outside.  I would really like to sit out there sometime and watch the action with a meal.

All in all, I highly recommend the W Restaurant.  It's definitely the kind of place I would return to time and again.

The W Restaurant & Lounge

7230 State Route 152

Du Quoin, IL 62832

(618) 542-2424

(888) 971-9435

http://www.thewrestaurant.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheWRestaurantLounge

Hours of Operation:

Wednesday - Saturday 5 p.m. – close 

Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m

Lotawata Creek Southern Grill

(Please excuse the shoddy pictures on this one, I came unprepared and only had my cell phone >_< )

After piloting a run for Kindred Hearts Transport, we happened to drop off our charge at exit 12 in Fairview Heights, right across from Lotawata Creek Southern Grill.

My husband had gone a few weeks ago with another Boy Scout leader, and came home with a hug leftover portion of Chili Cheeseburger Horseshoe, which took both of us to finish, not to mention what he had eaten int he restaurant.  So today we couldn't help but stop and see what other massive meals they had in store for us.  I was not disappointed!

Creek has a HUGE selection of menu items, and just like the server's shirts say, "Warning! This ain't no chain restaurant, we serve real food!"  And lots of it.  They start you out with fantastic homemade rolls that you practically need two hands to eat, with what I have to assume is also housemade butter, regular and honey cinnamon.  Amazing.

Everything is big here.  Kevin ordered the Philly Cheese steak Cheeseburger Horseshoe this time, and the massive plate is built more like a bowl in an attempt to hold everything in.  I had a shrimp Po' Boy, which beside being the best I've ever had, came so big the massive amount of fries came on a second plate.

Needless to say, I ate the sandwich and a handful of fries before I had to throw in the napkin.  Not to mention I could barely fit it in my mouth.

Prices are pretty good too, the three of us ate for about $45.00, but keep in mind we ate the leftovers for supper, and still had some left!  We will definitely be going back, our server was great, the food was wonderful, and my husband and son slept most of the way home from good full bellies, with the car smelling like french fries.

You can view the menu and salivate over food pictures here:
http://www.lotawata.com/

And here's how to get there!

Exit I-64 at exit 12

Take a right at the light and go to the next light and turn right onto Salem Place


Follow the crowd ... they lead to Lotawata Creek in Fairview Heights.

Mike's Drive-In

Mike's Drive-In is a must for anyone living or passing through West Frankfort.

What initially drew us in was just that it was something different.  Yes, WF has a Sonic, and McDonalds, and pretty much all the other required fast food crap.  Mike's is not like these.  An original '50's style drive-in, Mike's has all the classics - burgers, onion rings, chili dogs...then you get home made root beer (best around!)  What keeps us coming back (every Friday, to be exact) are the horse shoes and pork tenderloin sandwiches.  We are from the Springfield area, and both these things are hard to find outside of there.  What's better, is they are actually good!  Especially the horseshoes, which come is several varieties with homemade cheese sauce - hamburger, pork, or turkey.

The service here is nothing short of excellent, another reason we always return.  It didn't take long to make friends with the waitresses (especially Krystal and Angie.) They are always super friendly, and if you come back often enough, know your favorite orders. :)

They have indoor seating (with awesome retro decor!), an outdoor patio with bench seats, and traditional curb side eat in dining.

I highly recommend taking a trip to Mikes, which is open most evenings until 8, closing a little earlier on Sundays.  You can find the whole menu here: http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/171-illinois/restaurants/983219-mikes-drive-in/menu (great prices!!)

Mike's Drive-In
1007 W Main St,
West Frankfort, IL 62896
(618) 932-2564

Directions:

Take I-55 to the West Frankfort exit and head into town.  Right off the interstate on the North side of the road.

The Fin Inn

Grafton Illinois has always been one of my favorite places, despite it's overly touristy feel of the past few years.  And if your going to go, you HAVE to eat at the Fin Inn.

Opened in May of 1981 the Fin Inn started with only five tables.  It's been expanded several times since then, and there's alot of seating although on a weekend you will still have to wait.  All the tables, with the exception of those located along the outside wall of the restaurant, are next to huge aquariums housing a multitude of fish fund in the Mississippi, including a few loggerhead turtles weighing over 100 lbs and 100 years old.

Even if you don't get an aquarium side table, the food is well worth the trip.  This is one of the few restaurants where if you only go every ten years, everything will taste the same as it did the last time you were there.  My favorite has always been the 'eagles nest' onion blossom, which will easily feed 6 people as an appetizer.  The food is not expensive, we had three adults with dinners, a kids dinner, and the onion for $60.00.

Wether your on a first date, anniversary, or just celebrating the weekend, if your in Grafton, the Fin Inn is the place to go.
Open year round, 7 days a week!

How to get there:
Mapquest is your friend, depending on where your coming from, but getting here is easy.  Just take a drive down the Great River Road.  The Fin Inn is just about a mile West from the main 4 way in Grafton on the River Road.  You can't get lost.
www.fininn.com
And when your done, go back East and stop for dessert at the Chocolate Factory!!

Legends at Walker's Bluff

"Experience destination dining at the end of the rippling road and straight lines of vines. Legends sets the regional standard for gourmet modern cuisine. Always, ingredients are selected from the finest the earth has to offer. Certified Kobe beef and prime black angus melt after perfect preparation, and each fresh catch is flown in from Seattle's famed Pike Place Market. Each season, the crisp paper of a new menu attributes its faceted flavors to timely harvests."
- www.walkersbluff.com

Coming into Walker's Bluff is like entering a different world.  You drive through twisty country lanes, not particularly known for their scenery, it's just typical Southern Illinois country living; a few broken down cars, a few mobile homes, and most people have chickens in the yard (I don't make fun, I too own chickens.) But then you are greeted by the General Store, a beautiful building lit up against the sunset. The big windows show off all the pretty things held inside, which I have yet to experience but will definitely go back for. 

A pretty metal sign will point the way down a long gravel road towards Legends and the other buildings, which you cannot see from the road. Go slow! It's got one heck of a hill and you can't see whats coming from either direction, but then you hit the rolling fields, which I had the pleasure of seeing with a fiery sunset.  It is quite charming, despite the road crunching beneath your tires.

The road turns to perfectly lain asphalt and you come to a glorified guard shack, with an expertly manicured lawn and a gorgeous farmhouse behind.  An employee will ask you if you've ever been before, and point you in the right direction depending if you are heading to the restaurant or the bar.  You drive down a lit path through the  grape field, and come upon the restaurant to the left and wine cave to the right, all lit up like beacons.  You can pull right up to Legends and they have a complimentary chauffeur service (not that we did this, in fact, my husband was asking me what I was getting us into at this point, we're more down-home type people, and we were a bit out of our element.) 

Stepping into the restaurant you immediately leave behind Southern Illinois.  There is nothing else to compare it to here.  You could easily be in an upscale restaurant in any big city.  I'm not saying it's out of place, on the contrary, it's overdue.  This is the optimum place for a romantic evening.

You check you car and your coat at the door.  If your early for your reservation (like we were) you will be seated at the bar until your table is ready.  The restaurant is gorgeous,  they have a huge wine list, and you can taste them right there at the bar.  If your more into cocktails, they have those too, and the servers are knowledgeable about what they are making, you can ask their opinion on drink selection with confidence.  I had a sparkling cocktail that was actually recommended both by my server and the bar tender, and on good reason.  It was fantastic, and no more than you would pay anywhere else.

Our hostess came and gathered us from the bar promptly at our reservation time, and seated us at a little table just tot he left of the fireplace.  The room is beautifully decorated, the chairs rustic and comfortable, and the tables small enough to be intimate but still will plenty of room to hold your meal, drinks, and candles.  The servers are prompt but not obnoxious, their menu small but expertly crafted, from bison and prime rib to scallops and lobster tail.  Most entrees are what you would expect to pay in a high-end location, from $35-50 range, but the steak and lobster selections are on the expensive side, most were $75.  

Dining is leisurely, and no one rushes you on refills or dessert.  The staff is attentive, enough so that they let you enjoy your meal and show up just when you need them.  There are intimate two-people tables, but they can also accommodate large parties.  They also seemed to have an additional dining room off the main  probably for private parties and dining room overflow.

All in all, we spent right at $100, excluding our drinks at the bar, and walked away unable even to order dessert for being so full from the meal.  Our dinner was delicious, the ambiance romantic, and while initially feeling a little out of our element, had a wonderful evening.  Most people (including ourselves) were in nice attire but still in blue jeans, you don't have to walk in in a suit, and the servers are all relaxed and friendly.  I definitely recommend Legends if your looking for a romantic evening.

How to get there:

You can find Legends off interstate 57 at the Johnston City exit, and literally just follow the signs.  

Walker's Bluff 
326 Vermont rd,
Carterville, IL

from Marion:

Take exit 54B to merge onto W DeYoung St/IL-13 toward Carbondale. Continue to follow IL-13. Turn right at N Reed Station Rd. Turn right at Vaughn Rd. Turn left to stay on Vaughn Rd. Turn left at N County Line Rd and follow to Walker's Bluff.

Giant City Lodge

So, after riving around Southern Illinois a bit and shopping in Makanda, we got hungry and made the quick drive back to Giant City State Park to eat at the Lodge. I have to say, thought Makanda is small and has only a few shops, you can literally spend all afternoon in them. Do. Talk to the locals and shop till your starving, then head the 5 minutes back uphill to the lodge and have a chicken dinner.

The food at the Lodge is not necessarily the best Ive had, but it is very good, and you get alot. It is a beautiful place, and people came in fresh from hiking, out of town, and dressed up on dates, all intermingled with one another (which no one seemed to mind, we were all too interested in that chicken!)

The lodge's season is the first Friday in February through mid-December, starting at 8:00 am and running through 8:30 pm. They ask that parties over nine set reservations on weekends.
So back to the chicken. haha. That is what they are famous for. I actually didn't get it, but my husband and father did, and between them had 3 servings. My husband doesn't really like fired chicken, so that must mean it is a s good as they say it is. You also get mashed potatoes and gravy, scratch dumplin's, green beans, corn, coleslaw, and biscuits. the table was full, I'm not kidding. They have a full menu and a large selection of local wines.

Outside the lodge was also a few things I recommend doing. They have a gyroscope right behind the dining room, its ring always holds the North Star, and at the beginning of each season, directly at Noon, the sun shines through the ring onto a brass plaque on the ground announcing the beginning of the season. It a really neat statue and then my son found one of the hundreds of little lizards running about, so that was neat, too.
They also have a climbable water tower, and from the top you can see forever. I don't like hights, but it is a mild climb and an easy one. The view is definitely worth it.

As a photographer, there is an immense wealth of trails and locations in the area that are just ripe for shooting.  I've taken pictures both in the lodge and in surrounding area.  No matter what time of year you go the views and wood look great, and unless your from the Makanda area, no one else is going to have senior portraits at the top of that tower.  It's a fantastic shooting experience and you can easily make a family day of it as well.

For more information about the lodge and surrounding park, view their webpage at
http://giantcitylodge.com/

Giant City Lodge — 460 Giant City Lodge Road — Makanda, Illinois 62958
1-618-457-4921.

From Route 13: Travel on Route 13 until Giant City Road intersection (on east side of Carbondale). Turn south on Giant City Road approximately 12 miles into the park.
From Route 51: Travel on Route 51 south of Carbondale to the Makanda exit. Travel approximately 3 miles to Makanda and proceed to the main entrance of the park.