The Professor's Picks:
A Guide to Good Things to Eat on The CPL Circuit
There's more to life than just cheeseburgers and bland chicken tenders with ranch dressing. There's a lot of good food to
be had at the CPL venues, and I encourage you to take a look at the menus and try some of it. (Not only is it good for the
league to eat at the venues on poker nights, putting some food in your stomach will help to counter the effects of alcohol
before you have to drive home. Plus, the food is generally pretty tasty, and certainly better than what one typically finds at
fast food places.)
Before I get to my food picks, I want to announce that the first day Nationals tickets (for individual games)
went on sale this season, I went online and ordered a bunch of them. If you'd like to go check out the
National's new ballyard, click
here
to see what games I got tickets for, and let me know if you want to go!
The Auld Shebeen
One of my favorites here is the Grilled Rib Eye Steak, but I always get it with the Tullamore Whiskey
peppercorn cream sauce (instead of the green peppercorn sauce, which is what you'll get unless you specifically request the
Tullamore sauce (that usually goes on their New York strip steak)).
I think (and Mark D. agrees with me) that currently the Shebeen's rib eye is the best steak on the CPL circuit.
I order my rib eye cooked medium, and it always comes out
just right for me. The rib eye dinner cost $16.95, which really isn't that bad considering it comes with a nice helping of
cheddar bacon mashed potatoes (which are yummy), along with garden fresh vegetables (which I suppose are good for you).
Either a gin and tonic or a Smithwicks (pronounced smidicks) Irish Ale goes great with this meal.
If I'm not as hungry, or if I have less than 40 minutes to order and eat before the 10 PM tournament starts,
I tend to get the St. James Gate Guiness Beef Stew. Since it comes with a basket of bread, it's a nice
little meal that shouldn't leave you hungrey. Many CPL members love this beef stew --- Big Bob (as opposed to
Bob Light or Mailman Bob) seems to get it nearly every
time, and you've got to figure that guy knows a lot about eating! On Wednesday nights, CPL members get the stew for
$9.95 (which is $2 off the regular menu price).
Another Shebeen dish that I really like is their pork chop with ginger spiced apple chutney ($14.95). At 12 oz., it's a one big-ass
pork chop! I'll also point out that several CPL members have told me that they really like the Auld Shebeen Chicken Club. The piece
of chicken is real good, and the roll and toppings combine to make it a sandwich which is not your ordinary club sandwich. (I had it
once, and found it to be fine, but the avocado emphasis isn't exactly my cup of tea ... but many love this club sandwich, and
maybe you will too.)
If I don't get a chance to eat before the 10 PM tournament, and I want something from their
Late Night Menu that I can eat while I'm playing poker, I often get the Irish sausage rolls. (Note: On Wednesday nights,
poker players get them at the discounted price of $5.95. (For those of you who don't know, there is a special menu
which lists Texas Hold-em Specials --- a dozen or so items that are around a dollar or two less than their
regular menu price.)) They come with a spicy mustard sauce
that ought to really get your attention. Some people find the sauce too spicy, but if you chase the sausage rolls down with a
couple of pints of Smithwicks, you just might agree with me that all in all they're a tasty treat.
I would be remiss if I failed to give a shout out about the the desserts. While there are many nice ones to choose from,
my favorite is their Traditional Apple Pie, which I ask for hot (you can order it hot or cold). It comes with
whipped cream and some strawberry slices, and is sprinkled with powedered sugar. If that's not enough sweetness for you,
you can order it with vanilla ice cream like I do --- then you'll be all set for many mouthfulls of fantastic flavors.
(The pie is $4.95, and you can get ice cream with it for $1.50 more.) Chris (aka Curtis), a bartender at the Shebeen,
touts the bread pudding. (I'll warn you that, although tasty, the raspberry creme brulee is a bit on the small side.
But the other desserts are nicely sized.) With dessert, or as a delgihtful pick-me-up any other
time, I'll recommend the Traditional
Irish Coffee
Don't forget that Auld Shebeen does have a Late Night Menu, so even if you come for just the 10 PM tournament, you
can still get some good food.
The Firehouse Grill
Although many CPL members love the Steak and Cheese sandwich, my favorite is
the Chili Cheeseburger. I eat this baby with a knife and fork since otherwise a good
portion of the generous layer of chili topping the burger would wind up in my beard. The chili
cheeseburger comes on a platter with french fries, and is a good bargin at only $7.39. (Note: While all
of the Firehouse's burgers come with fries and a pickle spear, their sandwiches do not include fries (but they can be added for
an extra charge).)
It should be noted that the default toppings for the chili cheeseburger are lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. I don't
know why anyone would want mayo mixed with their chili, so I ask that it be left off. I let them give me the lettuce and
tomato, and I eat it first as a "hand salad" (instead of getting it mixed in with the chili). I don't add ketchup or mustard,
since I think the chili goes better without, although you may find that spicing it up with a dash or two of hot sauce
isn't a bad idea. And while you'll usually find me with a gin and tonic close by, when I get the chili cheeseburger I like to
complement it with a frosty cold lager.
(Ask Al (aka Dawg), the fantastic bartender who works upstairs on poker nights about the beer specials: often at least
two or three beers are on spcial during our poker games. (Note: Even though Al seems to often be fighting off the chicks that
he attracts, he nevertheless manages to do a great job of making sure that people don't go thirsty --- he's the best on the
CPL circuit when it comes to going around to the tables and asking if anyone needs a drink.))
Another Firehouse favorites of mine is the taco dinner. And although I tend not to get it when I am playing poker,
if I go to the Firehouse for happy hour with my posse on Friday, I often get a full rack of the BBQ baby back ribs.
They are really tasty, and the claim is that they are "guaranteed to make a mess!" (which is why I avoid them while playing poker).
I'll also pass along that I recently returned to an old favorite of mine: the chilli cheese fries. They are different than
they used to be --- they're better than before! I will certainly get this tasty dish again soon.
It used to be that sometimes one's food would get a bit cold by the time it got upstairs, but I think that situation
has improved a lot lately. So go to the Firehouse, order something good, and dig in!
It should be noted that the kitchen at the Firehouse closes at 10 PM, and so if you want anything more than just chips and
salsa (which are available after 10 PM), get the upstairs bartender to get your order in before 10.
Bridges
It used to be that the food choices were more limited at Bridges, compared to other venues on the CPL circuit, but ever
since they greatly expanded their menu there has been plenty to pick from. (I haven't had time to sample all of the
new choices yet.)
If I can't find an open pool table, I often like to sit at the bar and have
the Bridges Blues Burger --- it reminds me of the hamburgers my chubby aunt used to fry for me
when I was a lad.
The burger comes with a choice of French Fries, Season Fries (that I recommend), or Pasta Salad, and is a good bargin at
only $6.95 (although if you add cheese (I typically get provolone, but there are five kinds to choose from) it comes to $7.70.)
The Philly Steak 'n' Cheese ($6.95) seems to be popular amongst CPL members,
but I don't know of many fans of the
Turkey Club (which can be a bit dry) or the Gourmet Griled Cheese sandwich.
One of the newer offerings at Bridge's is their Surf and Turf, which is a New York strip
with yummy Cajun spices, along with some big shrimp and a side of your choice. Although the steak was a bit thin,
and it's been overcooked both times I've tried it, all in all it was
a tasty meal and I'll get it again. I didn't see it on the menu, but at $11.50 it's a good bargin to keep in mind.
(If you don't want such a big meal, many CPLers (including screwy Little Brad) like the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, and I agree
that they are pretty good as long as the bacon is cooked just right so that it's not too chewy.)
If I want something to eat while I'm over at the pool tables, I typically get the Buffalo Chicken Fingers ($6.50).
You can order them Hot or Mild. I typically get them hot, and it usually takes about two beers to cool down my
tongue. (If you don't particularly like spicy food, you might want to order them mild the first time.)
Also among the appetizer choices is Hummus Dip ($5.95), but I'll warn you that I've heard a lot of complaints about it.
I asked Josh (the fantastic bartender at Bridges on most poker nights) what his favorite Bridges food is, and he said it was the
Penne Alfredo with Chicken ($10.49). My friend Dave often gets this meal, and he says the huge portion one gets really fills him
up. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to the next time I get knocked out of a tournament early (hardly ever happens) and
I'm really hungry.
The pizza at Bridges is also quite filling, and the way they currently make it is a heck of a lot better than
what they used to do when they first started offering pizza.
(Question: What could be better than the
3 Ps; poker, pizza, and pool? Answer: The 4 Ps.)
I'll point out that Bridges has a terrific happy hour from 4 PM to 8 PM, Monday through Friday. You can play pool for free,
the appetizers are all half-price, and they have drink specials too. My regular Friday happy hour crew doesn't go to
Bridges as often as I'd like (since they really aren't into pool like I am), so if you ever want to meet me for pool at
Bridges on a Friday, let me know. I really don't understand why the CPL folks who love their bombs don't go to
happy hour more often at Bridges, since bombs are only $3 then. (Why don't we make Bridges the CPL place to be on Fridays
before the big game at Uptown?)
Unlike some of the other CPL venues, you can get food at Bridges after 10 PM. So even if you come for just the 10 PM
tournament, you can still get something good to eat at Bridges.
P. J. Skidoos
There are often many good things to eat at P. J. Skidoos (and I'm not just referring to the food).
The place has a lot of nice choices on the menu, and you can look at their chalk board for daily
specials which aren't on the menu. (The last time I ate there I got a wonderful swordfish special.)
P.J's is a good place to go if you like beef: they have good prime rib and steaks. I sometimes get
their Teriyaki Rib Eye --- it's a 16 oz. marinated steak, and for $18.95, the dinner
comes with a large basket of hot bread, a nice garden salad, and your choice of a side dish (e.g., a baked potato).
Altogether, it's a lot of scrumptious food for your money.
When I get to play at P.J's (which is rare these days since I teach class on Monday nights),
I like to skip lunch and then treat myself
to a nice steak dinner if I get knocked out of the 7 PM tournament early. (Note: The Teriyaki Rib Eye
replaced their Pale Ale Rib Eye on the menu, which used to be my favorite. Some of the best steaks I've had in my life
have been Pale Ale Rib Eyes from P.J's. Unfortunately, it wasn't consistently great every time: sometimes it would be
slightly overcooked (I always order my steaks to be cooked medium), and at other times the piece of meat wasn't up to par.
But the fact that when I got a good one, cooked just right, it was one of the best steaks I ever had, made me order
the Pale Ale Rib Eye again and again. I wish I could feel the same way about the Teriyaki Rib Eye, but it just isn't near as
good (although it's okay). I wish they would ditch the teriyaki stuff and bring back the Pale Ale Rib Eye!)
If you prefer to save your money for drinking and gambling, I'll point out that P.J's has more than a few good
burger and sandwich choices (e.g., the BBQ Beef sandwich (that Mark suggested I point out)),
that come with fries, for as low as $6.95. The burgers and sandwiches are big, and
you get a decent portion of thick fries that can really fill you up. Compared to what the same amount of money will
get you at a fast food burger joint, these tasty items from P.J's should be considered to be a real bargin. So I
encourage you to do like I do and come to P.J's hungry.
The kitchen closes about 10 PM on most Mondays, and
so if you want something good to eat (even if it's just one of their wonderful desserts),
be sure to get your order in on time.
Uptown
It used to be that Uptown had a buffet, but now that the upstairs has opened, you can order food off of
the menus. The regular menu has a lot of choices, and the food I've seen looks pretty good ... but it is
a bit high-priced for the portion sizes. However, the smaller bar menu has some good choices at reasonable
prices, considering the quality of the food.
I'll also add that so far the drink prices have been very reasonable and the table service has been great.
(The servers are real nice (and easy on the eyes).)