Cone Palace

Two posts in a row of restaraunts not in the Quincy area.  Oh well, that’s what happens when there aren’t a whole lot of choices and many of the current choices aren’t all that great.  Sure, critics review restaraunts that are bad too, but since I’m not paid for it, I might as well focus on the places I like.

Cone Palace is a small fast food restaraunt located on the south end of Kokomo, IN just off of highway 31.  Great place for kids and families.  They have some of the best milkshakes made with fresh fruit and will make you any combination you desire (each flaver is additional).  They serve burgers, tenderloins, hot dogs, and corn dogs.  Certainly not the healthiest restaraunt ever, but boy is it good.  This will probably be my worst review ever, because I grew up eating here and all I’ve ever gotten are corn dogs and milkshakes.  However, it’s so good (not just nostalgia) that we still stop to eat there despite our family cutting out sugar and eating extremely healthy.  Most things we used to like just aren’t that good anymore, but Cone Palace has held it’s own.  We’ve even gone out of our way to eat there.  If you get the chance, check it out.

Jersey Mike’s Subs

Being in the ministry with kids, you don’t get a whole lot of opportunity to visit friends.  We recently caught up with good friends from Bible college who are also in the ministry with a kid.  Tim Reed (who preaches at Owosso Church of Christ in Michigan) and his family joined our family for lunch at Jersey Mike’s Subs in Mason, Ohio.  That happens to be one of the few good fast food restaurants that was close to the church when I was an intern there (currently, there are a billion restaraunts in the area).

Jersey Mike’s is the only chain sub place I’ve ever really been satisfied with.  There are other good places (hopefully I’ll get to them to review on here) and there are some places that are okay, but I try to avoid.  Jersey Mike’s is the only one I’ve found to be filling (as in, they actually fill your sandwich with meat), affordable, and tasty.  If you’re with a group, they also offer large bags of chips that can be shared, which is a much better price per ounce.

Unfortunately, the closest one to where we live now is 2 1/2 hours away in St. Louis, MO.  Still, if we are in St. Louis, and my pregnant wife wants subs, you can be sure I’ll find the one Jersey Mike’s to eat at.

Taco Bell

I know, I know, why in the world would I post a review on Taco Bell?  Well, because we eat there, that’s why.  It wouldn’t be my first choice, but sometimes when you are in a hurry, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, it’s one of the best options.  This particular review is for the Taco Bell in Quincy, IL because not all Taco Bells are created equal.  Consistency is one of the most difficult things to control in any restaurant chain. 

Since we don’t drink pop, we never get a combo.  We do try new food items though when they sound good to us.  If you need to go extremely cheap and quick, just get a couple of plain tacos and a water (ice water at this location is a few cents).  But the tacos aren’t nearly as good as some of the creations unique (as far as I know) to Taco Bell.  One of my favorite items is the Crunch Wrap Supreme (both beef and spicy chicken).  They manage to get it extremely hot while maintaining a fresh crispness (and coolness) to the sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce.

We’ve also created delicious meals of our own based off of items tried at Taco Bell, like the Grilled Stuffed Burrito.  Another thing I like about Taco Bell is that I don’t feel terrible after eating a meal there like I do at any other fast food restaurant.

Would I give such a good review to this kind of food at an authentic Mexican restaurant?  Of course not.  I mean come on, it’s Taco Bell.  We don’t go often, and it’s not good for you to eat that kind of stuff too much, but when you need the option, it’s there.

Pops Pizza

Well this is my first review and I chose this restaurant because as of right now, I believe it to be the best pizza in Quincy.

The building is nothing special, and if you aren’t paying attention, you will miss it when you drive by the stretch of joined buildings on the 900 block of Maine Street in Quincy, IL.  But what’s inside is one of the hidden gems of the Gem City (Quincy’s nickname).

The prices are quite reasonable, the portions are good, and the food is filling.  If you like meat, get the ham on something.  It is the best ham on any pizza I have ever had.  They buy their ham at the deli and cut it themselves.  They have a variety of specialty pizza’s on the menu that are all worth trying.  These are the kinds of topping variations you might find at a high end (and more expensive) restaurant like California Pizza Kitchen only they taste better (I’ve been to CPK, it’s good, this really is better).  This is not a place you come to to get a pepperoni pizza (although you can, it would be a waste of your time and tastebuds with such other offerings as Chicken Fajita, Spinach & feta, and Greek to name a few.  Like any restaurant, you’ll find offerings you don’t particularly care for, but I guarentee that if you like pizza or calzones, you’ll like Pops Pizza.  Easily the best pizza in the region.

Check out their Myspace page here and be sure to look for the link to their menu.

Hello world!

I like food.  I also like to try new places.  Because I have not found any good resource for information on restaurants in and around Quincy, IL, I decided to start this blog.