By Ricky Rieckert
Dear reader’s,
It was brought to my attention that when I wrote about S. Lake Street, a couple of weeks ago, I forgot to include Hardee’s, which was between Gayle and Prairie Street’s, on S. Lake Street.
They had a store on N. Farnsworth Avenue and Indian Trail.
I always loved their pork tenderloin sandwich and chili cheese dog with onions.
They made the best biscuits and gravy for breakfast ever, superior to that golden arches franchise I despise.
The guy who owned Hardee’s, had approximately six franchises in the Fox Valley area, two in Aurora.
He was going through a divorce and he had to give his ex-wife half of what he owned.
He decided to close the stores and let her fend for herself.
Goodie’s re-opened several locations and is doing well, along the way.
Which reminds me of when I was in third grade at Sacred Heart School, on Fulton Street.
Myself and a couple of classmates would help Father Jerry Leake on his race car, “Padres Goat,” on the weekends.
Bob Connors would buy us lunch.
Oh my gosh, a Whopper with cheese from Burger King. Seventh heaven.
When their commercial said: “It takes two hands to handle a Whopper,” they weren’t kidding.
When you bit into it, juices flew five feet.
I would get a whopper with cheese and a Whaler, their fish sandwich. Mmm, mmm.
Today, you have to buy a triple Whopper to get what I had as a kid. Very sad.
McDonald’s used to specialize fresh ingredients from local places, for their recipes, but nowadays inject preservatives to make their products last.
Fast food, now, takes longer than regular restaurants.
I used to know every Greek from their restaurants. It felt like they ran every restaurant from here to Greece.
Not today. Today it’s Hispanic, and they are great chefs.
Just go to George’s Restaurant in Montgomery. The best eggs, soups, and specials.
Greekfest was always a challenge to me.
Drinking Ouizo and Saganaki with all my Greek Friends, including the priests at St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church.
What a country.
Greekfest will be September 27-2 9 at St. Athanasios, 1855 5th Avenue, Aurora.
Mark your calendars and tell them Mr. Rieckert sent you.
Their main course dishes, including gyros and their deserts, are to die for. You won’t be disappointed.
Tours of the Church and music, add to the ambiance.
So ends my article for this week.
Next week, we’ll be on Broadway, South of E. New York Street, going South.
But before any of my reader’s, or I should say The Voice reader’s, dissipate, remember, a glass of cognac a Havana cigar, and a Wild Bill vs. Wayne’s World article still tears me up.
Even as the leaves are turning, Chas is still a piece of the Full Monte.
He’s shy.
See ya next week.