An Effing(ham) Nice Surprise: Firefly Grill (Effingham, IL)

Unlike the nearby proclaimed World's Largest Cross, Effingham's
still substantial Firefly Grill isn't as easily seen from the freeway

A fairly memorable review I read about this restaurant (I'm paraphrasing a bit here) declared that this restaurant's location was as if an alien spacecraft had stolen a good restaurant from a more renowned dining city to take back to its home planet. When the aliens discovered they had been sighted by Earth-bound authorities, they hastily dropped their cargo, including the restaurant, in the middle of proverbial nowhere USA.

Effingham, Illinois isn't really that small (the last census puts the town at just over 12,000 people) nor is it really in the middle of nowhere, lying at the junction of two Interstate highways and two train lines. Still, to find something like a fancy eatery here like the Firefly Grill within these city limits, which is chock full of chain-style restaurants, is still quite surprising.

Firefly Grill is the brainchild of husband and wife team Niall (a professional chef who has worked with well-known chefs like Bradley Ordgen) and Kristie Campbell, a former equities trader. They were in Effingham for a friend's wedding when they observed that there really wasn't anywhere in town to eat. Within weeks, the idea to establish such a restaurant in town, as crazy an idea as it may have seemed (the closest major metropolitan area to Effingham is St. Louis, roughly one-and-a-half hours away), began to percolate and on Fat Tuesday, 2006, the Firefly Grill officially opened for business.

The first encounter the spouse and I had with this eatery was during the move out for me to Ohio. We had read hints that this eatery did exist, but the directions provided by our hotel staff seemed to put us seemingly on an isolated country road more suited for teenagers trying to escape the clutches of Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees. However, as we drove down the road, the glow from this rather large building emerged almost oasis-like in our sights on what was a cold, misty Midwest December evening.

On that initial visit, we both had been craving pizza and were treated to some fairly tasty pies (of Columbus' pizzas, they remind me of Harvest Pizzeria's creations.) On the start of our recent trip to Colorado, we were due to arrive in Effingham right around lunch, so we were eager to stop by the Firefly Grill for our second visit.

The Firefly Grill's vaguely barn-shaped structure holds lots of indoor and
outdoor seating, a bar area, and family photographs of the proprietors.

Arriving in the daytime and outside of the winter season allowed us to see much more of the Firefly Grill than we did on our first visit. We noticed the presence of outdoor seating both in the front and rear of the property; those who sit in the back can grab a view of a small lake stocked with a variety of fish. The facility has turned out to be a perfect spot for many to host weddings or related receptions (the restaurant can seat over 300 people during the summer.) The restaurant has also gotten accolades for its ecologically-friendly practices, earning an acknowledgement from Bon Appetit magazine in 2008.

While some of the staples we saw lat time were on the menu (the brick oven pizza that we enjoyed last visit was available), the offerings on Firefly Grill's menu rotate with the seasonal offerings in both produce and proteins and cover the gamut of cuisines (offerings included Bhutanese Fried Red Rice, Szechuan Pork Shank and Southern Fried Chicken and Waffles. Throw in the $10 specials menu as well as this day's St. Patrick's Day-oriented dinner option ($55 got you a black Irish lamb stew, corned beef with Brussels Sprouts and buttered heirloom potatoes, and a triple-layer ganache Guinness chocolate cake), choosing which delicious-sounding dish to have was a little bit more a challenge than normal.

Firefly Grill has plenty on the menu, including Fish and Chips and a Corned
Beef Reuben that we ordered as a nod to St. Patrick's Day

While we couldn't do the full dinner due to our travel status, we decided to at least tip a hat to the day's festivities with an order of Fish and Chips ($12) and a Firefly Reuben Sandwich ($14). They made for a satisfying and filling meal which got us nicely through to our dinner destination that night of Kansas City.

From a traveler's perspective, Effingham may always remain that modest-sized freeway town whose culinary offerings are geared to the grab-and-go traveler; however, Firefly Grill has shown that even out here, there is the room for a more upscale concept to thrive.

Firefly Grill
1810 Ave. of Midamerica
Effingham, IL 62401
(217) 342-2002
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Happily Stuck on 101: 101 Beer Kitchen

Dublin's 101 Beer Kitchen has been one of our favorite places
to be "stuck" at for some good food and brew

Back in the Bay Area, it was a common experience for me and other automobile drivers to be stuck on US Highway 101. The combination of tourist destinations along this highway's breadth along with its city street status through most of the San Francisco city limits leads to some of the worse backups within the region. My spouse and I were rudely reminded of this fact on our last return trip to California, as it took more than an hour from the airport to San Francisco itself (on a good day, one can make the trip from the airport to my parents place on the outskirts of the Napa Valley in an hour-and-a-quarter.)

In the Buckeye State, however, I've found that there's nothing wrong with being stuck on 101 for an hour or two, just as long as that 101 is Dublin-based 101 Beer Kitchen, just outside the I-270 Outerbelt near the intersection of Hard and Sawmill Roads.

101 Beer Kitchen is unique for me in that this is the first reviewed restaurant in Central Ohio where I really can't think of a close Bay Area equivalent off hand; such a place may be out there, but as of this date I have not found it. Their combination of seasonally-oriented, higher-quality, yet very accessible menu items and adult beverages (both cocktails and quality craft beer) has made this restaurant a go-to spot for my spouse and I shortly after its opening in October 2012.

The interior of 101 Beer Kitchen alternates rustic and modern, with a central
bar area and plenty of seating both inside and out. Despite the large space,
waits can be long during busy times, but most people don't seem to mind.

The interior of 101 Beer Kitchen meshes rustic touches (chalkboard menus, a fireplace and a wooden mail drop at the entrance) inside what is essentially an expansive modern strip mall space. Despite the relatively large space both inside and outside with their patio area, this eatery can be swamped during the usual busy periods, which I imagine can be a turn off for some. Generally speaking, however, we have found the service pretty good no matter how busy the restaurant is, and personally we don't mind waiting (we usually grab ourselves a beer from the bar during these times.)  Our last visit was actually during a rare slow time on a particularly snowy day, and the staff proved to be quite highly appreciative of our business.

From top left: Blackened Shrimp and Corn Cakes with Watermelon Salad; the
Beef Stroganoff with caramelized onions, the Salmon Burger with beet chips;
Pigs in a Blanket (with Kielbasa) appetizer, and the Crab Cake Skillet
with poached egg, potatoes, artichokes, onions and Hollandaise sauce.

Perhaps the best thing about their seasonally-adjusted menus is that you more than likely can find a delicious and well-prepared item that fits your mood at a pretty fair price. Perhaps that is why I've never found a true "favorite" here and am just willing to keep exploring the menu. My spouse feels similarly, though she has shown a tendency to choose any crab-oriented offerings when they are available.

Draft beer is the tip of the iceberg for 101 Beer Kitchen's beverage offerings

Similar to the food menu, you can usually find something to sate your beer cravings from their 18 taps; a selection of bottled and canned beers is also available if somehow the drafts aren't to your liking. A selection of seasonal and brunch-oriented cocktails is also available to diners, as well as a select collection of premium spirits, including that of locally-based distiller Middle West Spirits.

Since their opening, 101 Beer Kitchen has succeeded in expanding their business, including the addition of weekend brunch as well as special beer dinner events that focus on either various beer styles or the offerings of well-known local and national craft brewers.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this restaurant has got a good thing going on, so perhaps it's not too surprising that a second location is scheduled to open across the metro in the city of Gahanna on March 16. I suspect that if 101 Beer Kitchen merely repeats the formula it has had two years to perfect at their Dublin location at their new venue, Gahanna residents will also find themselves quite happy to be stuck on 101 on a regular basis.

101 Beer Kitchen
7509 Sawmill Rd
Dublin, OH 43016
(614) 210-1010
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New location in Gahanna (scheduled opening: March 16th)
397 Stoneridge Ln
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 934-5501

IWD 500: Mission Table Restaurant, Traverse City, MI

The Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant entrance to the Bowers
Harbor Inn Estate, home of Mission Table

We had delayed our anniversary dinner on our recent Northern Michigan trip a few days, as Sault Ste. Marie was a bit devoid of places we wanted to celebrate a special dinner together. Instead, we figured Traverse City, which we would visit a few days afterward, would be more fertile ground for such an eatery.

My spouse and I had initially targeted The Cooks' House for our anniversary dinner, but alas our lateness in deciding our destination thwarted our attempts to obtain a reservation at this well-regarded eatery. However, they were kind enough to recommend Mission Table for our special dinner, which proved to be a worthy restaurant to celebrate our momentous occasion.

Unbeknownst to us, Mission Table is but one part of the Bowers Harbor Inn Estate. This historic estate was renovated and retooled in 2006 into a multi-purpose facility which included a distillery (Civilized Spirits), an event facility (the Peninsula Room), our recommended Mission Table Restaurant and Tasting Room, and a restaurant that we would more likely normally frequent (Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant and Microbrewery.)

The latter restaurant proved to be a pleasant surprise as we had arrived early for our dinner reservations, so we got to have a nice look around. Aside from the typical bar food options, the restaurant sported bottles and drafts of Jolly Pumpkin's ales as well as selections from Civilized Spirits and their sister brewery North Peak. We decided to grab a glass of a draft pouring of their Biere De Mars and it's tart almost cider-like profile proved to be an excellent pre-dinner starter.

Clockwise from top left: pan-seared Lake Trout, Maytag Blue
Cheese Cheesecake, Lamb Shank, Sunset on Traverse Bay

Mission Table is not really signed as such from the road, as it is essentially a fairly intimate room within the estate set aside for more exquisite dining options. Its interior mixes modern architecture with some rustic touches such as a large stone fireplace and wood plank tables. As we found out, a seat by the west-facing windows will treat you to a pretty tree-shrouded view onto Traverse Bay, which becomes more enhanced if you manage to have your meal timed with the sunset over the horizon.

The restaurant boasts about a menu that relies on local sourcing and seasonal ingredients. The smoked Michigan whitefish appetizer ($9), served with house-made flat bread, fennel, cucumber and a mustard sauce started our meal on the right foot with a cavalcade of flavors worth savoring.

Our main dishes were also well executed and tasty affairs. My spouse's lake trout ($26), a pan seared filet served with kale and potatoes in a smoked ham hock broth, proved to be the winner of the dishes. Not that there was anything wrong with my braised lamb shank with duck confit, white beans, escarole and duck jus. The lamb was cooked tender and fell off the bone and was a very rich dish. That fact, plus its sheer size, made it impossible me to finish as I was saving room for dessert.

My spouse again took the dessert honors as well; her cheese-loving genes were in high heaven with the Maytag blue cheese cheesecake topped by cherry compote, candied almonds and a honey gastrique was simply divine.

On the other hand, my flourless chocolate torte dessert was a bit of an odd duck. The components combined were good, but the individual components (the torte, the raspberry sorbet, chocolate sauce and the shortbread cookie) were outstanding on their own. Nevertheless, I was quite happy that I saved that room for this bit of decadence.

In the end, Mission Table lived up to its recommendation as a special occasion dinner destination and is worthy of seeking out when dining in the Traverse Bay area.

Mission Table
13512 Peninsula Dr (Google Maps)
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 223-4222
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2019: No updates of note needed re: social media links.