Strangely, the city tastes like water

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:55:17 GMT

By Shannon Helmuth

Even though Mattoon is smack dab in the middle of a cornfield, it still has culturally diverse food: Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and of course traditional. Now, discreetly hidden by the Days Inn and to the left of Charleston Avenue, we have a restaurant attempting to bring the taste of the city to our small town  Cityscapes. Walking in the restaurant it felt rather strange. It isn’t clearly visible, and it just seems out of place. However, once inside, that skeptical feeling dissipates. The building is really roomy and relaxing, but I didn’t get that whole “city” feeling once I was there. That might have to do with the fact that the waitress was decked out in a plaid shirt, jeans and a camouflage hat. I’ve never been to any major cities, but her attire seemed better fit for an old-fashioned diner. While we’re talking about the waitress, I’d like to say that she was unobservant, only checked on us a total of four times while we there and spent more time in the kitchen than she did with customers. Normally a customer would be disappointed, but I loved it. She didn’t hover; therefore, I didn’t feel rushed to finish my food, which happened to be a pulled pork sandwich with fries. The menu itself had a variety of choices, from sandwiches to seafood to that good old-fashioned home cooking. Usually I wouldn’t order pulled pork because of the mess it creates, but it sounded fairly appetizing. When I think “city,” I imagine everything being served in a somewhat fancy manner. I was sorely mistaken. My food came out on an ordinary plate with what seemed like an ordinary bun (well, the sesame seeds made it a little better) and ordinary french fries. Oh and the mess I knew would occur was double the trouble I imagined. The first few bites were OK because the honey BBQ was present, but they failed to cover all the pulled pork, so some of it ended up being tasteless and watery. Yes, I said watery. I’m not a professional chef, but are they or are they not supposed to drain the meat somehow? A mouth full of watery meat is not what I ordered. The fries, on the other hand, were another story entirely. I was doubtful at first because they had a darker tint than french fries from other restaurants in Mattoon. Then, I realized why; they seemed like they were hand-cut from real potatoes. There was a layer of skin on nearly half of the fries, and they weren’t baby food mushy, or so crunchy they threatened to break your teeth. They were just right. Now do I know for sure that they were freshly cut? No, but they were pretty good, so I give them props. As a result of the unimpressive cuisine, I didn’t feel like I was in a city atmosphere. It just felt like any basic restaurant in a cornfield town. In spite of this, I encourage you to try it. Maybe what I ordered wasn’t the best thing on their menu, and maybe they have a waitress that fits your standards. Even if you have the same feelings as me, you can at least say you were open-minded and tried it.

The MHS Mirror

Strangely, the city tastes like water