Restaurants I Never Wrote About

I'm going back to the original premise and pretending that people other than my friends and family read this blog. (I'm not complaining. I sort of expected my mom to be the only reader.) Having spent this entire summer in Racine, I have tried almost all of the restaurants in the downtown area and many of those in the surrounding areas. My assessments on the ones about which I never posted:

Waves Pub & Grill
It's a tiny little pub on 4th Street that is very unassuming and comfortable. I went there with my parents after my very first day of work when we toured the Feeding America facility. I remember talking about my first impressions of all the interns while eating chicken tenders (what else? duh). Though not on par with Chancery, the chicken tenders were good, and my mother's tempura fried asparagus was delicious. It came with this great creamy sesame dipping sauce that made it taste light and summery. Actually, Waves was so good that we went back a couple of nights later. If you're in a comfort food mood, it is definitely the place to go.

Corner House
The Corner House is known in Racine as the place to go for really good meat. Before we arrived in town, my mom looked up the restaurants of Racine (Mom, did you ever see this sort of legit site?) and found Tom's List of Favorite Racine Restaurants. Like me, Tom thinks very highly of his taste in food. Also like me, Tom feels the need to share his thoughts on Racine's offerings with the world. Half the reason that I started this blog is that Tom doesn't have very good taste, as evidenced by his opinion of Corner House. I know that Racine doesn't have amazing offerings when it comes to beef, but this does not deserve to be an option. My dad got the prime rib and I got the filet, and both of our meals were disappointing. Plus, the restaurant is in a really sketchy part of Racine. I know what you're thinking: every part of Racine besides Main and Sixth is a sketchy part, and you would be right. But Corner House is on the section of Washington with "The Club" and the scary Citgo station (ladies, I would recommend you fill up somewhere else). The experience wasn't a total loss though. My parents pretended it was my birthday and had a cake for me, and I received my hard-earned 21st birthday reward, so I'll probably always remember Corner House fondly-ish.

Charcoal Grill
Initially, I wasn't a fan of this restaurant. It's a Milwaukee-area chain with an Applebee's-style menu (unhealthy appetizers, salads, burgers, pizza, international offerings, meat), and the decor is pretty drab. On the plus side for us, it is literally a 2-minute drive from work, and it's cheap enough for a group outing. The first time I went, I got a chicken caesar wrap that had too much dressing and cheap cheese and not enough real chicken. It was the kind of grilled chicken that you get in a dorm, which is totally fine for most people, but I'm picky and weird and annoying, so it is not for me. We went again yesterday with Maya's boss (so nice for him to take us), and it was much better. I got quesadillas with pulled rotisserie chicken, and I was very satisfied. I also tried Jessica's buffalo chicken pizza, and it was really good if you like buffalo chicken and normal pizza, which I do. Moral of the story: it's a decent restaurant if you order wisely.

Chancery
I am in love with Chancery, and I don't care who knows. It is right across the cul-de-sac from our condo, so I obviously appreciate it for its convenience. But more importantly, they make the best chicken tenders that I have ever had. I eat chicken tenders a lot. I don't think I can properly express to you how much my diet resembles that of a five-year-old sometimes. Even really crappy chicken fingers satisfy me, so when in doubt, I always go with my old standby. But Chancery has taken my back-up plan to a whole new level, and I don't know if I can go back to life as I lived it before. They call it "Chicken Crunch" on the appetizer menu, and it is perfectly breaded and perfectly fried. It crunches just the way it's meant to crunch, and the chicken itself is good quality white meat. Plus, an appetizer order lasts two meals, so it's really cheap! You can also get the chicken crunch on a really good salad with a honey sesame vinaigrette. Chancery also makes a very good chicken pita sandwich if you want to be healthier and really good onion strings if you want to go the other way. Honestly, if I were to rank all of the restaurants of Racine, Chancery would make the top five. I miss it already.

Sticky Rice
I never ate Thai food until I went to Northwestern, where there are many more Thai options than in Cleveland, but then I got hooked. I'll probably eat Papa John's the first night after I move back to Evanston because I'll be unpacking and it seems like the college thing to do, but I'll be hitting up Thai Sookdee on the second night. Given my obsession with red curry chicken, I was expecting to enjoy Sticky Rice despite the pictures on the menu (always beware of a menu with pictures), but I was quite disappointed. There was a very strange, smokey taste to the curry, and it was not a positive change of pace. If you haven't eaten at Peppermint Cafe (in Cleveland) and tasted red curry as it was made by the gods, then you might like Sticky Rice.

Salute
I believe this may be the only Italian restaurant in Racine that isn't primarily a pizza place. I haven't actually been there since I visited town with my mom to look for apartments, but I thought it was pretty good. I got chicken parmesan, and it was enough for at least three meals and quite tasty. The vibe is more sports bar than Italian restaurant, with stools at raised tables, but most places in this town are similarly relaxed. Although the entree options looked good, the pizza was the worst I've had in Racine. It would definitely be worth your while to go across the street to the sketchfest known as DePizza Chef if you really want some pizza.


20 & Oakes Bar and Grill
Today being my last day, my boss took me out to lunch with another member of our team. He had heard by word of mouth that the Marriott had just reopened their restaurant, so we decided to give it a try. Alex and I both got the pulled pork tacos, and they were delicious. I often distrust restaurants attached to hotel chains, but I have officially changed my ways. The pulled pork was perfect, and the chef made a special green pepper salsa that blew my mind. If you're looking to eat gracefully, that is not the choice to make, but I didn't particularly care how I looked. I wish this place had been open when Roz and I stayed at the Marriott because we would have loved it.

I hope Jessica enjoys reading this when she's bored at work tomorrow!