Ugh, Damn Writer’s Block. So Here’s a Restaurant Review!

Sharing is caring!

When I first started this blog, I wrote down a list of stories and thoughts to blog about. I went online and created a few entries, and then…crickets. I know. It’s so bizarre how every time I open up my laptop to my blog’s dashboard and attempt to write something, my brain decides to shut down. Completely. Nothing.

It’s like Meg Ryan, playing Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail- “What happens to me…my mind goes blank. Then I spend all night tossing and turning trying to figure out what I should have said.” She stops and thinks. She stares at her computer screen and then she thinks some more and says, “even now, days later, I can’t figure it out.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, has been my blog-writing experience. And honestly, every time someone stops me in public and says, “I miss your blog” or “I miss your writing” or “when is the next post coming out,” I’m not lying when I say I die a little inside. Because I miss it too.

So, I decided today to share two restaurant reviews. It doesn’t take a lot of creativity to write about food and since I am in love with food and I enjoy going out far more than cooking, I thought maybe this would be something I can tell you about.

Now, since some of you don’t appreciate a long post, I’m going to do two separate entries for two different restaurants we went to yesterday. Yes, Scott the Hubs and I went out twice. Y’all are going to think I’m spoiled, but wait, lemme ‘splain before you get all judgy. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that Scott the Hubs and I got to spend any time together and since he knows I will always choose eating out over cooking, he took me out twice. I had a real estate appointment in the morning and while I was gone, he got all crazy and mowed the yard, trimmed with the weed whacker and edged along the driveway. When I came home and announced I was hungry, which I do, quite blatantly three times a day, he asked me where I wanted to go. I follow a Quad Cities Food Lovers group on Facebook and had heard about a little bar and grill in Geneseo, Illinois, called “Sweet Pea’s”. He grabbed his keys and off we went to the lovely town of Geneseo.

<pause blog entry whilst I insert real estate comment>

Geneseo is about one of the most adorbs towns I have ever driven through. It’s clean and it has some lovely local businesses, but my favorite part about the town is the homes. There are so many beautiful homes in Geneseo and I want to see the inside of most of them. Some of them look like gingerbread houses. Some are just enormous with character all around and inviting wrap-around porches. Some are mid-century ranch homes or bungalows but almost all of them are perfectly plotted on well-maintained and manicured yards. I imagine the inside of most of them is stunning- built-in cabinets, leaded glass windows, old tiled bathrooms floors, ornate lighting fixtures without an LED bulb in sight. If you live in Geneseo and you want to show me your home, I’ll bring dinner.

(Ok, right after I typed that, my mind quickly conjured up a Dateline episode. I’m sure all the people in Geneseo are nice but I’m not going to risk being murdered and buried in a backyard just to see some stunning oak trim inside a home. So scratch that. Send me photos.)

<real estate comments over- back to the blog entry>

Sweet Pea’s Bar and Grill is in a little strip mall and has plenty of seating and a bar area. When we walked in, it wasn’t packed per se, but the waitstaff was hopping. The manager approached us and said they were really short-staffed and asked if we minded waiting a few minutes for her to clear off the tables. I don’t mind. I’m an empty nester- no one is at home waiting for me. I literally have ALL DAY, so don’t sweat it. It was only minutes until we were seated and then immediately were greeted by our waitress who was on top of it the entire time. I was actually really impressed. If this is them short-staffed, what’s it like when they have everyone show up for work?

I ordered a beer-battered chicken breast sandwich without the bun. Because really, if you’re going to beer-batter my chicken, the bun is only going to ruin it for me. I ordered it “loaded”, which meant it came smothered with mushrooms and onions and swiss cheese. Then I ordered their raspberry chipotle sauce on the side. I also requested the potato salad, at the waitress’ recommendation. I don’t normally eat potato salad, but “ranch” was in front of the words, “potato salad” so no-brainer. Scott the Hubs ordered a Cuban sandwich.

To say the food was good would only be the year’s biggest understatement. The chicken was juicy and the raspberry chipotle sauce… in my dreams last night, I ordered a vat of it and swam laps. The potato salad was outstanding and I only ate half of it because, well, you know, carbs. But Scott the Hubs finished off his and then mine as well.

Seriously, great meal and wonderful service, so git on over to Geneseo and git you some Sweet Pea’s.

That was the first half of my day. We took our time getting back home on the two-lane highways, marvelling at the blooming trees and the spring sites on the drive. Then Sam, our Iowa State sophomore, who always has a great story, laced with humor called us and we talked to him for a little while to get the skinny on school doings. This is Scott the Hubs and I. It takes very little to make us happy and I don’t mind telling you we are probably the most simple people to please on the planet.

For the second restaurant review, stay tuned. I’ll throw that one at the wall tomorrow and see if it sticks.

Until then, happy eating, friends!