Granite-y Goodness

Is it sad that I would rather spend my time blogging than writing cover letters? Probably. Do I care? I should. But I'm shallow and I like the idea that people could potentially be reading my blog. Plus, I did send out a job submission today to the Stamford Advocate for a copy editor position, so I believe I did some useful work this morning/afternoon.

Two night ago, I went to the Granite City Brewery with Phyllis. If you're in Rockford and looking for a change of pace from the East State scene, I recommend trying out Granite City (located in the new strip mall thing in the CherryVale Mall parking lot). But make sure you have money in your account. As the name indicates, Granite City is an actual brewery, they have these huge brewing tanks encased in glass that you can look at while you're eating (though they stuck us in the very corner of the restaurant, so I couldn't much see them). Phyllis got a sampling menu, which meant she got six sample servings that pretty much equaled my one cup of beer. I am not much of a beer connoisseur, mind you . . . I go for the girliest possible beers and ales. I tried the Spring Ale, and it was tasty with its hints of citrus fruit. It cost $4.75, but worth the price considering it was hand-crafted and filled me up. I sneaked a sip of most of Phyllis' beers and I thought the Broad Axe Ale was delicious but I would say don't drink it with dinner. It tasted like an espresso shot. The other beers were just okay to me, nothing special. But then again, I'm not an expert.

The appetizers looked amazing, though expensive. I think the spinach dip is their special cuz they kept asking us if we wanted it. I really wanted the blue crab wontons but they were $12, so I skipped it. I believe Phyllis and I both ordered "signature selections." The chicken florentine lasagna was amazing, and worth the $12 price tag because it made for two large dinners (I ate the massive leftovers last night). It's super decadent though, I have to warn you. I got a dinner salad with it, and though I had to pay more, it was a smart choice cuz the lasagna was a bit of a cheese overload. Phyllis had a steak dinner, and she said the medium was done perfectly. I'm not a steak eater, so I can't really judge.

We talked for hours, so we felt bad and got dessert. Taste-wise good decision, stomach-wise bad. The banana cream sundae was a satisfying crunchy, sweet, fruity, creamy blend. It was definitely worth $6 because the plate was so huge I had to ask for it to be packed up as well, though it didn't taste so great the next day.

Serve was the best I've gotten in a long time. Maybe a little too good. When it was revealed that we were restaurant virgins, we got a bit coddled. Seemed like every single server came by to ask how everything was, even before I had started tasting anything. Can't afford eating out for a while after that, but it was good. If you come into some graduation money and want something new, go for it.