Sorry, Maid-Rite

Tuesday, June 13

Breakfast: believe it or not, we are tired of tater tots, so we have ochazuke for breakfast.


Our schedule is free until the afternoon, so we take a tour of downtown Marshalltown.

First stop: Lillie Mae Chocolates. Handmade chocolates since 1939.

So naturally, Trish buys mustard.











They also have ice cream. I would have named some of the flavors differently. "Tropical Itch" sherbert, for example. Sounds like something one might bring home from spring break.



Second stop: Muddy Waters Roasting Company, aka Tremont On Main. Roy, tired of the hotel's coffee, buys some of the real stuff. Why live like animals?



Last stop: Haley's Deli.





In the front is a smoker, doing its thing, churning out the day's special: smoked pork chops.

Previous Maid-Rite lunch plans are immediately abandoned. We will eat here.








The deli case has tater tot casserole, brisket, fried chicken, all sorts of sides, and smoked pork chops the size of my head.
















Here's the owner and his family. They very kindly treat us to lunch. Sweet!









Pam has the tater tot casserole.













I get the pork chop special with beans & mashed taters. (This is actually a photo of Trish's chop with broccoli salad & chicken noodles. But you get the idea.)


Holy piggery, batman.

The chop is huge, smoky, and salty enough so that I think I can feel my head shrink. It's super-yummers though, so I eat the whole thing. And then drink most of Trish's diet coke.






Fueled by smoked chop goodness, we load into the Marshalltown High School auditorium. Then, before the concert, we have time for quick naps.

It's nice to play indoors, for a change. The concert goes pretty well, and we wind up filling about 2/3 of the 1200-seat house. In the audience: the family from Haley's and our waiter from Zeno's.





Post-concert snacks at Culver's. I have the burger - and it is GOOD. Giant grilly hamburger, toasty bun, thickly sliced onion, pickles, and a red tomato. As far as fast-food burgers go (and I loathe most of them), this is second only to In-N-Out. Yu-friggin'-um. And the lemon freeze was crazy-sour. Loved it.

Go find a butterburger near you, now.