Monthly Archives: September 2015

Seven Lions

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**** (4 stars)

This large space has a great upscale vibe, and very friendly and efficient service. We went on an off day for a late lunch, and enjoyed the chill environment and thoughtful food.

Rather than an entree, we grazed our way through most of the vegetable appetizers. The Brussels sprouts lived up to their reputation, and are a don’t miss item. Also excellent was the warm “potato salad”, which was really chunks of crispy roasted potatoes in a mustard seed sauce.

The roasted cauliflower and the glazed carrots were both okay, but not as good as the other items.

Great care went into each preparation, and the entire wait staff was really into making sure we had a great time. Very enjoyable.

Seven Lions
130 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 880-0130
http://www.yelp.com/biz/seven-lions-chicago

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

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***** (5 stars)

We began our exploration at the museum itself. The ground floor of the museum provides a fairly elaborate interpretation of some of Twain’s books, including Tom Sawyer, The Innocents Abroad, and his time in the gold rush territory of California. While these displays looked nice, they didn’t do a great job of conveying their message, especially to their intended audience, which seemed to be children.

The upper two floors of the museum did a much better job, displaying artifacts and artwork from Twain’s life and books. For those with the patience to read the detailed signage, there was a lot of interesting information here.

The museum ticket is available as a package that also grants access to other buildings down the street, and that’s definitely worthwhile. You can tour the homes that provided the inspiration for Tom, Huck and Becky, and all were interesting.

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
120 N Main St
Hannibal, MO 63401
(573) 221-9010
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mark-twain-boyhood-home-and-museum-hannibal

Tamari Japanese Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

This very stylish and excellent Japanese restaurant is in an unlikely mall location.

The real test of a Japanese restaurant is in the quality and visual appeal of the sashimi, and Tamari passed with flying colors. The tuna sampler appetizer was a great example. I was expecting some piles of tartare, but instead received nine pieces of sashimi, including creamy white tuna, lightly seasoned albacore, and superb big eye tuna.

They also have the usual novelty rolls, fried food and noodle dishes, which were all good, but the sashimi is where it’s at.

Efficient service and a great vibe make this the go to spot for sushi in the southwest ‘burbs.

Tamari Japanese Kitchen
639 E Boughton Rd
Ste 105
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 863-7288
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tamari-japanese-kitchen-bolingbrook

Mark Twain Cave

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***** (5 stars)

This cave may not be filled with spectacular stalactites and other formations, but it is rich in history, since it is the cave from the Tom Sawyer novel (and four other Mark Twain books). Walking through its labyrinthian passageways really brings the book into focus, and the guides do a great job of identify various locations mentioned in the book.

It’s a very easy cave to traverse, with flat floors, no steps, and no climbing. It’s also a cool 52 degree respite on a hot summer day, so bring a jacket!

Mark Twain Cave
300 Cave Hollow Rd
Hannibal, MO 63401
(573) 221-1656
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mark-twain-cave-hannibal

LaBinnah Bistro

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**** (4 stars)

This is clearly the best (and only) fine dining restaurant in Hannibal. It’s located in a quaint old house, and decorated in a pleasant amalgam of Victorian and eclectic.

The menu is extremely diverse, and it’s hard to define the cuisine. A few things about the restaurant are unusual. First, nearly every thing comes on bread. We had an artichoke and spinach appetizer served with bread, a sort of pesto appetizer served on bread, a lamb chop (weirdly served on top of bread) and one of four different salmon preparations (weirdly served on bread). I admit the bread does sop up the juices, so it can be tasty, if a bit soggy. But I’ve not seen entrees served this way before. Perhaps it’s a Turkish twist, since there is a Turkish element to some of the dishes.

And speaking of Turkish, the homemade baklava was a superb dessert, lighter than most baklava, and not overly sweet, but perfectly flakey.

Another somewhat odd thing about the restaurant is that you pay at a register counter in the back, which is completely at odds with the elegant atmosphere of the dining area.

Anyway, service was very friendly, and we enjoyed the meal in what is definitely Hannibal’s best restaurant.

LaBinnah Bistro
207 N 5th St
Hannibal, MO 63401
(573) 221-8207
http://www.yelp.com/biz/labinnah-bistro-hannibal

Dubach Inn

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***** (5 stars)

This was one of our first experiences with a Bed and Breakfast, and it was wonderful. Kristine and Steve were charming hosts, and our room (in the back with a private entrance) was a spacious and comfortable suite.

Breakfast was a three course extravaganza of pastry, warm peaches and delicious eggs, all homemade.

The location is perfect, as it’s just a couple of blocks to the historic downtown. Free Wi-Fi works well.

Kristine and Steve obviously enjoy what they do, and it really shows in how enjoyable they make everyone’s stay. Highly recommended.

Dubach Inn
221 N 5th St
Hannibal, MO 63401
(573) 355-1167
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dubach-inn-hannibal

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum

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***** (5 stars)

I’m a huge fan of BRC Imagination Arts, the designers of this experience. Bob Rogers is a master storyteller, and this facility demonstrates the power of storytelling like few others I’ve encountered.

It’s amazing how much information you can retain when it is presented in a meaningful and moving context, and that’s what the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum is all about.

Both of the automated shows are real blockbusters, with amazing effects and immersive narration that really draws you in.

The “Holovision” show Ghosts of the Library uses a live performer and many of the effects developed for BRC’s famous Expo ’86 Spirit Lodge Show (and Knott’s Berry Farm’s Mystery Lodge), plus some new effects that will delight even jaded theme park goers like me.

The Lincoln’s Eyes show uses multiple screens and a lot of moving scrims and impressive theatrical sound to very effectively tell Lincoln’s story in an unconventional way.

Don’t let these elaborate shows fool you into thinking this is shallow theme park-like entertainment. You’ll leave them with a truly deep knowledge of history, having learned many things you never knew you didn’t know about a seemingly familiar story.

Equally impressive to me was the way that Lincoln’s childhood and presidency were presented in two separate walkthrough exhibits. Signage didn’t overwhelm, but was just enough to invite reading and interpreting each stop. I wish all museum curators would learn how to do this.

Similarly, the displays of artifacts were perfectly interpreted, with just enough information to draw us in without overwhelming us with verbiage, yet with plenty of hard information that was easy to absorb. I certainly learned ten times as much as I expected to.

This museum is a delightful place to spend as little as a couple of hours, or as much as a full day. Highly recommended.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
212 N 6th St
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 558-8934
http://www.yelp.com/biz/abraham-lincoln-presidential-library-and-museum-springfield

Incredibly Delicious

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**** (4 stars)

This funky old house offers seating scattered around several rooms, and delightful baked goods, quiches and sandwiches.

You order at a well-hidden counter toward the rear, and the wait can be quite long because of the odd way things are set up.

But the wait is worth it, as you’ll discover when they bring your delicious croissant, cake, quiche or sandwich to your table. Everything is fresh and wonderful, and the  service is friendly.

Incredibly Delicious
925 S 7th St
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 953-4348
http://www.yelp.com/biz/incredibly-delicious-springfield

Silva’s Market

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**** (4 stars)

This is an interesting buffet and market combination. The buffet works in an ingenious fashion. You take what you like, they weigh it, and give you a number. You can go back, and they will add that weight to your original order. When you finally check out, they simply tally you up by number.

Everything on the buffet seemed fresh and authentic. There is a hand carving station for a variety of meat. My favorite items, though, were the roasted pineapple and the fish.

The surrounding market has a lots of interesting Brazilian products that you can add to your order when you check out.

Silva’s Market
5920 Metropolis Way
Orlando, FL 32811
(407) 615-3000
http://www.yelp.com/biz/silvas-market-orlando

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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**** (4 stars)

This bustling restaurant serves Japanese barbecue (essentially the same as Korean barbecue), and lots of it. You cook the meats and vegetables yourself on the grill in the center o the table.

The combo meals are the best bet, because they let you try almost everything on the menu. We had the Samurai, which included three types of beef, chicken and shrimp. The toro beef was the best, although all were good.

The meal also come with a tasty miso soup (lots of green onions in it, which I like), salad, a so-so tuna rice ball appetizer, and bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. I love this type of bibimbap preparation, and usually order it at Korean restaurants rather than the barbecue, so it was nice to have it included. There were also vegetables for grilling, and a pouch of corn kernels.

Dessert, too, was included, and consisted of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate–a do-it-yourself s’mores kit!

Service was fast and efficient. The place is pretty noisy, so eating on the sidewalk would be a nice option, when available.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
210 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-8929
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gyu-kaku-japanese-bbq-chicago