[SIZE=14pt]Sidetracked[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]We are taking a break from our racetrack adventures to enjoy some time in Grand Rapids. The Pere Marquette (train # 370) arrives daily from Chicago. This is my home station and I encourage you to ride the train to GRR for a visit. This small city is fortunate to have two very generous benefactors-- Frederik and Lena Meijer, founder of the Meijer Stores, a ferocious regional competitor for the Walmart chain; and Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos, the founders of Amway, the multi-level marketers. During March and April we have an event called Butterflies Are Blooming. Located on the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a tropical conservatory. Over 7000 butterflies are released in the conservatory over this two month period. The public is invited to attend this very beautiful and unique event. Also, during the summer Grand Rapids hosts a city wide art competition known as Art Prize. The prizes are lucrative and attract hundreds of artists. Going from venue to venue throughout downtown Grand Rapids makes for a fun, relaxing get away. More importantly Grand Rapids was voted “Beer City USA”![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]JoeG boards the Saluki (train #390) at his home station of Carbondale, IL en-route to CHI. He has a short layover at Union Station...just long enough to insure the $9 pitcher sale is still in force at the Metro Deli and grab a tuna salad sandwich at Dylan's Tavern. Then it's on to GRR on the Pere Marquette. I meet JoeG at the GRR station as he gets off of the train with this huge scowl on his face. When I ask him what's bothering him, he asks, “It is 2 degrees and 18 inches of snow! What the hell am I doing here?” I quickly drive us to the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, a beautifully restored hotel from the century past. In the hotel lobby is the Lumber Baron Bar. I stick a Godiva chocolate truffle martini in his hand and all is once again right with the world. I settle in with a draft beer and we discuss our options for this long weekend.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]It's about 10pm by this point and JoeG hasn't eaten since his tuna fish sandwich so we stop by a legendary hot dog joint...Yesterdog, the joint where the gang hangs out in the movie American Pie. The hot dogs do the trick and we slip and slide our way to my house about 12 miles north east of Grand Rapids.[/SIZE]
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[/SIZE][SIZE=14pt] The next morning we make our way to the “Butterflies Are Blooming” display. We decide to leave our coats in the car and that turns out to be a very good decision. The conservatory is tropical without a doubt...a constant 85 degrees and very humid. The building is quite large and all glass. In one area a worker is monitoring the cocoons and releasing brand new butterflies every hour. What a wonderful, peaceful place![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]This evening we decide on dinner at Reds on the River in Rockford. This is a beautiful restaurant in a beautiful setting right along the Rouge River. I begin with an appetizer called goat cheese marinara and JoeG goes for the firecracker shrimp. For dinner I have Paella served in a skillet. It is filled with Spanish saffron rice, half of a lobster, shrimp, mussels, and chorizo sausage. JoeG opts for the Jambalaya made with shrimp, chicken, andouille and chorizo sausage. Both servings are more than we can eat yet lower in calories and carbs that the hot dog we ate at too late an hour last night. Very friendly staff and other customers...we did some good PR work for future Amtrak riders.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]The next day we do some sightseeing in the area and visit some excellent markets. Our main purchases are some smoked corned beef and some Irish bacon that are planned for a St Patrick's dinner for a few friends that are coming over tomorrow to watch the NASCAR race...but mostly they come to eat!! On the way home we stop by “the original and most famous pizza joint in Michigan”...Fricano's Pizza. This place makes a thin, and I mean cracker thin, pizza crust. I have an EBA (everything but anchovies) and JoeG has the double pepperoni. The star of the show is the “secret” herbs and spices they sprinkle on every pizza and they lovingly call it “birdseed”. Besides making the pizza very tasty, the birdseed gives you the chance to re-enjoy your pie throughout the evening (burp)!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Sunday is a “stay at home” day. JoeG is happy about that since it is below zero outside and he has no intention of stepping foot outside. Some friends are coming over for some TV, good conversation, and really good food. Our menu includes smoked corn beef and Swiss cheese sandwich on rye, spicy saffron potato salad and baked beans. The sandwich was easy work since I got the corned beef at my favorite neighborhood meat market and we made a relish tray with a variety of toppings to choose from. JoeG had a recipe for a potato salad that includes NO mayo or mustard. The base flavor is a saffron tea and a whole bunch of spice seeds. The baked beans are much less restrictive...Joe starts with a big bowl of beans and dumps in ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, brown sugar and for good measure we sliced some of the Irish bacon very thin to be laid on the top. Then we cubed up the rest of the bacon and stirred it in with the rest of the stuff JoeG decided to put in the bowl. This whole concoction baked for a couple of hours. It was almost a meal in itself. The car race was delayed for weather but the food and good times went off on schedule!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Double Points starts on 17 March...that's today...guess where the 2 Joes are...on the Pere Marquette, of course. We are headed for Chicago to go to the Lyric Opera...you heard right, the OPERA!! JoeG drug me to the symphony in St Louis a couple of months ago and I enjoyed that so why not give the opera a try. On this evening is a presentation of Mozart's “La Clemenza di Tito”. I'll have to admit the singers were very good although it was tough to keep the characters straight since two female mezzo sopranos were playing the parts of two of the male leads. Anyway, the music was very soothing and relaxing...so relaxing, I think I napped through most of the second act!!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]Part of the reason for my lethargy can probably be blamed on the excellent steak dinner we had just prior to the theater. Dinner was at Mastro's Steakhouse. We had a great appetizer and steak but the centerpiece of this place is the desert. It was their Signature Warm Butter Cake. Start with a layer of cake topped with a layer of cream cheese and sugar crystals. Just before serving they get out the torch and brulee the sugar in the cream cheese layer until it is brown and crunchy. Not enough? Top with ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries. These strawberries were very healthy eating and the rest was just something to look at. HA HA if you believe that you have obviously never read a 2 Joes adventure.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]This long weekend is wrapping up but our trains do not depart CHI until late afternoon so we have time for lunch. Right across the street from the hotel is XOCO...a walkup sidewalk cafe. But, this is one of Rick Bayless' enterprises (he is one of the premier chefs of Mexican food in this country) so I am sure we are in for some pleasant surprises even at the fast food level. We get in the queue and have some time to make a decision on a sandwich. JoeG orders the Choriqueso, a homemade chorizo sausage topped with pobalnos, Jack cheese, and tomatillo salsa. I go for the Ahogada, a pork carnita served in a bowl of spicy tomato based sauce. Every bite is wonderful. We finish lunch with churros and a side of warm chocolate dipping sauce. Outstanding!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=14pt]This has been a very enjoyable sidetrack. We will soon get back on the main track and continue our quest for the best corned beef at a race track near you. For now, it's time to catch the Pere Marquette and the Double Points back to GRR. JoeG boards the Illini for his double points run back to CDL.[/SIZE]
