1
START AT FAST EDDIE’S BON AIR. ⬇
1 Street that was relocated to create the largest patio in the area
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3 Owners from inception to present: Anheuser-Busch (1921–1931); Sam and Lotteo Balaco (1931–1981); Eddie (aka Fast Eddie) Sholar (1981–present)
5 Expansions over the years
7 Days per week that live music is played
363 Days open per year
900 Seats
1,000 Half-pound Fat Eddie Burgers sold per day, on average
13,000 Guests per week
25,000 Peel-and-eat shrimp served on an average Saturday
62,000 Gallons of draft beer sold annually
Details: 1530 E. 4th, Alton, 618-462-5532,fasteddiesbonair.com
2
PAIR A SANDWICH AND SUDS. ⬇
Sixty draft beers and 75 whiskeys? You can see what Russ Smith—co-owner of the nearby Bossanova Restaurant & Lounge in Alton—is going for with Elijah P’s Burgers & Brews (401 Piasa, Alton, 618-433-8445). It’s named in honor of one of Alton’s historic heroes, Mr. Lovejoy. Chef Jarvis Putnam serves up huge burgers on buttered buns studded with black and white sesame seeds. Here are just three beer-and-burger combos to consider.
- The Classic burger (pictured below left)—straightforward beef (or turkey, if you wish) topped with American cheese, lettuce, and tomato—calls for a basic beer. Consider pairing it with a Crusader Golden Ale from Templar Brewing, which brews just a block away.
- The Green Chile burger (pictured below center) needs something that can stand up to its spicy chile and pepperjack cheese. Pair it with the 90 Minute IPA from Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery, which Esquire proclaimed “perhaps the best IPA in America.”
- The BaconJamBrie burger (pictured below right) carries its own sweetness. Enjoy it with the fruity Blueberry Wheat Ale from Maine’s Sea Dog Brewing Company.
3
MEET AN ARTFUL CHEF IN ALTON.
When chef Ryan Gentelin and his wife, Sarah, first opened their eponymous fine-dining restaurant, Gentelin’s on Broadway (122 E. Broadway, Alton, 618-465-6080), the glass-fronted building overlooking the Clark Bridge quickly became the place for cozy dinners and celebrations. Having cooked professionally at Bellerive Country Club under chef Kevin Storm, Ryan has learned that creating fine food is an art. “You eat first with your eyes, but culinary arts involve all the senses,” he says. “When you order a dish like coquilles St. Jacques, you see and smell it when it comes to the table. You taste and feel it. When properly served, you even hear it.”
[DETOUR] Fly like an eagle up a steep hill from Grafton’s Main Street to find a spectacular view of the Mississippi and surrounding bluffs at Aerie’s Winery (600 Timber Ridge, Grafton, 618-786-8439). The wine list isn’t limited to local products, and it’s broad enough to suit most tastes.
4
VISIT THE OTHER TONY’S.
For some, it’s the signature pepperloin: pepper-speckled, grilled, glistening with garlic butter. For others, it’s the dining room or formal dining areas, perfect for parties, dinner meetings, or planning coups d’état. But you come to Tony’s Restaurant (312 Piasa, Alton, 618-462-8384) for that magnificent sidewalk patio. Pleasant evenings are spent looking out over the bucolic burg. It’s small-town relaxed, comfortable, but with excellent Italian fare and sandwiches. When the shadows grow long, repair to the Prohibition Lounge, where you’ll find $1 longnecks on Tuesdays, 30 craft beers on the drink menu, and a bartender who knows a proper martini.
5
SAMPLE MORE THAN JUST DESSERT.
It’s misnamed—kind of. My Just Desserts (31 E. Broadway, Alton, 618-462-5881) does have splendid cobblers, pies, and cheesecakes—but it also serves half-pound chicken-salad sandwiches, quiches, and soups. The menu changes daily, depending on the kitchen’s whims. Check the chalkboard: You might find something worthwhile, such as a turkey-cranberry panini, pasta salad, or Toll House brownie. With views of the river, country-cute décor, and handmade quilts for sale, My Just Desserts is a pleasant place to spend an afternoon in Alton.
[DETOUR] Teeny-tiny Spoon Baking Company (4 E. Broadway, Alton, 618-374-6098) is sweet in every sense of the word. Salted caramel pretzel blondies, s’more cupcakes, and Trix treats (a twist on Rice Krispies treats) are just a few of the delights that you can pair with coffee drinks.
6
DRINK INSIDE A ONE-TIME BAKERY. ⬇
The name of Old Bakery Beer Company (400 Landmarks, Alton, 618-463-1470) comes from the brewpub’s location inside the Colonial Bakery building, part of which dates to the late 18th century. The loftlike refurbished interior houses a variety of antiques and furniture made from repurposed old wood. Shiny stainless steel brewing vats welcome drinkers and diners.
Urban Chestnut alumni James Rogalsky and Lauren Pattan brew their beer from certified-organic hops and malt. Fifteen or so beers are on draft at any given time. The beers are generally on the “sessionable” side but also include some powerful choices, such as Gentle Giant, a double IPA named for Robert Wadlow, the famous Alton Giant of the early 20th century. Continuing the local theme, Maeva’s Blend Coffee Brown is laced with cold-brewed Goshen Coffee. The rest of the rotating list is a thoughtful cross-section of styles.
An eclectic, inexpensive menu is mainly organic as well, consisting primarily of locally grown products. Though most of the food is sandwiches and snacks, two entrées (sometimes including a mean meatloaf) are available each evening in a $10 blue plate special format.
Rogalsky and Pattan have managed to recycle an entire building and swear to sustainable practices. It’s a recipe for long-term success—on several levels.
7
DINE BESIDE AN AQUARIUM AT THE FIN INN. ⬇
3 Indigenous loggerhead turtles that are 100-plus years old and weigh more than 100 pounds
300 Gallons of homemade turtle soup made per year (not from loggerheads!)
4 8,000-gallon, fresh-water aquariums
94 Estimated percentage of guests who will be seated only next to an aquarium
23 Tables
5 Types of fish sandwiches
34 Years in business
??? Weight of rocks hauled from a nearby creek bed that founding owner and lifetime commercial fisherman Jim Seib used to construct the restaurant’s façade in 1981
8
VISIT A HAUNTED HOTEL.⬇
You want dining atmosphere? How about a restaurant in a riverside hotel that’s more than 135 years old? There’s also a magnificent walnut bar from the 1904 World’s Fair. Oh, and rumors of ghosts, including little Abigail. Fried chicken, catfish, and pork schnitzel are all delicious, though they’re just part of the draw at the Ruebel Hotel & Restaurant (217 E. Main, Grafton, 618-786-2315). The bar’s locally popular, and the hotel’s perfect for a weekend stay—if you’re not scared.
9
STOP AT A STATE PARK. ⬇
Woefully underappreciated, Pere Marquette Lodge (13653 Lodge, Route 100, Grafton, 618-786-2331) evokes its magnificent cousins at Yellowstone and Yosemite. So does the dining room, with its huge fireplace and surprisingly worldly menu. There’s simpler food, too, including the signature fried chicken. The restaurant also ought to be known for its amusing breakfast menu, served until almost 11 every day. There’s also a retail outlet for Mary Michelle Winery in the lodge, so you can have a glass or a bottle of Norton with your meal. It’s quite the place to fantasize that you’re après-ski.
[DETOUR] Fish sandwiches outsell hamburgers in these parts. For a good sample, stop by Beasley Fish (1512 W. Main, Grafton, 618-786-3697). Huge sides of buffalo fish are lightly breaded and fried to order. Catfish comes as fritters—all the better to nibble as you drive. (Just remember to bring cash.)
10
MAKE GRANNY PROUD. ⬇
Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house? No, actually, it’s the Wittmond Hotel (108 Main, Brussels, 618-883-2345), serving immense family-style meals, even to solo diners, with food that Granny would immediately recognize. It’s like Sunday dinner four days a week. Just about everything on the set menu is made in-house, things like roast beef and applesauce. Take note, though: The place only takes cash—Grandma didn’t want anything to do with those danged credit cards, either.
11
WATCH THE SUNSET DOCKSIDE. ⬇
The sun thoughtfully arranges its setting to benefit those on the patio at The Loading Dock (401 Front, Grafton, 618-786-3494). You know it’s spring when the deck sprouts diners, and autumn is finished when it’s so chill that even coat-clad diehards give up their seats. The warm months in between draw crowds who linger over burgers, catfish fritters, and sandwiches. Barges churn the brown Mississippi, and eagles soar overhead. Weekends feature live music, and a monthly flea market thrives next door. Bicyclists and bikers, tourists and locals all mix over chips and a famous house-made salsa. It’s crowded, delicious, noisy, and fun. It’s when the afternoon fades, though, that the faithful gather in the slanting light, when conversation slows, when the sun touches the river and sets it aflame. You don’t watch sunsets from the Loading Dock’s big patio. You contemplate them.
12
RETURN VIA THE GOLDEN EAGLE. ⬇
“On and sometimes in the Mississippi” is the slogan at Kinder’s Restaurant (RR 1, Golden Eagle, 618-883-2586). It’s hard to resist an attitude like that, so don’t try. Located at the Illinois landing of the Golden Eagle Ferry, Kinder’s is an intrinsic part of river life. Fish sandwiches (both cat and buffalo) and fried chicken head up the menu. Homemade pies are the pride of the house. Yes, there’s outside seating, as well as a dining room with a huge window and an alcohol license—just about all that a road trip could need.
