Hello and welcome to the Java Journey! We all love a great cup of coffee or a coffee-related beverage, and we’re blessed to have many great java joints here in our Quad-Cities! I was definitely thrilled when I was assigned by QuadCities.com to make a trek through area java haunts and write about them, and I hope you’ll likewise be thrilled to read about my treks through all of these great places! So let’s get started! Our next stop on the Java Journey… Milan. Say hello to Steve, owner / Barista of Whistlestop Java Cafe. Formerly known as “Cactus Willies” The coffee shop... Read More

As we begin this new year, many of us make resolutions to make healthier choices, and this includes eating better. There are few things in this life that we have control over, the food that we use to fuel and energize ourselves is one of those things. We all know this and, yet, this country as a whole still consistently overeats and eats things that are not good for our bodies. I’ve been working very hard to change this for myself, at home, and am now choosing to frequent establishments that support me in this goal. Below are my top 5 favorite places to eat a healthy meal in the Quad Cities.... Read More

Just off the foreboding paths of Harrison Street, in the wild jungles of a strip of bars and small businesses, marked only by a scruffy, makeshift signpost, lies a slice of the Caribbean right here in the Quad-Cities – Zeke’s Island Café. The tropical-themed restaurant, which opened in February 2015 in its old location on Kimberly, and moved last year, has been growing its fan base faster than a palm tree in the rainy season, serving up fish tacos and other exotic delectables at outdoor fests like YaMaka My Weekend this past summer, and pulling in healthy crowds for its festive lunch and dinner... Read More

Twice now I have had the pleasure of visiting RAW, a new cocktail lounge located at 136 East 3rd Street in Downtown Davenport. Upon my second visit I was lucky enough to ask one of the owners, Sid Rognoni, a few questions about the establishment. Rognoni and the other owner, Chris Odendahl, co-own Bowls Urban Eats, the restaurant just up the block. They had their eye on the space for awhile, wanting to open a high-end bar. The place has been beautifully renovated, giving it a “big city” feel. RAW is serving up seasonal, fresh food and drinks using some local, all interesting ingredients. So... Read More

Rising from the roots of the old Mad Roots Juicery, Taste Buds in downtown Rock Island, 150 16 ½ St., is offering similar fare, but with its own twist. One of those familiar aspects of the menu is the smoothie and juice bar, which features a variety of concoctions for the health-conscious and those looking for a delicious and nutritious treat. I ventured down to Taste Buds last week to check out its menu and have one of the aforementioned smoothies. Now, whenever you see a story like this, invariably the reporter ends up getting one of the craziest combinations on the menu. You don’t see the... Read More

When Moline Governor’s Bar and Grill closed its’ doors earlier this year, many a community member mourned the loss of the establishment. However, on September 26, the doors of the building reopened as the Steel Plow Burger Company, where the space has been refreshed with more current ideas now being used in the kitchen. Steel Plow is located at 2180 53rd Street and already has the community buzzing, I had to stop in a few different times to get a table without more than a 30 minute wait. The décor of the restaurant is clean, simple, with a hint of local flair. The artwork on the wall carries... Read More

Pumpkin spice latte. It’s become a harbinger of fall and a punch line for coffee aficionados, but the fact is, it never would’ve become either if not for one simple fact: Damn, it’s really good. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m pretty much addicted to caffeine. And I have two regular haunts I hit here in my Rock Island hometown to get that fix – Theo’s in downtown and Cool Beanz in College Hill (1328 30th St., Rock Island.) And so it was, on a sunny Thursday afternoon that I was pitched my first PSL of the season at Cool Beanz and decided to check it out. Now, to start, let me say... Read More

A Philly cheese-steak sandwich seems deceptively simple to make but it’s much easier to botch than you would think. And believe it or not, Charley’s Philly Steaks – a MALL sandwich shop no less – is the real deal. And it’s freaking delicious. A Philly is, at its heart, thin slices of steak, onions, green peppers and a rich cheese (I’ve seen everything from the traditional provolone or Havarti to cheddar used) between a couple of toasted but fresh sub rolls. Sounds pretty easy, but more often than not, some element is off. The steak is overdone and too chewy, there’s too many onions,... Read More

There are few comfort foods as fulfilling and joyful as grilled cheese. So if you’re looking for a gouda time, trying to sandwich in a good meal, and want to pick up something that you’re not going to have to have to take a provolone out for that’s going to cost you a lot of cheddar, you’re going to want to check out the new food truck in the Quad-Cities – Static Melt. Static Melt, run by Dan Bush, 33, and Drake Deregules, 25, of Davenport, debuted Wednesday night to huge response, offering a mouth-watering menu of five grilled cheese sandwiches, and watching as dozens of people lined... Read More