SECRET DINER

Sliders in style

By Bill Roseberry Big Z Media

This hidden treasure inside another business in northwestern Madison County should be emphatically embraced by its community, in my opinion.

I don’t know if I’ll call this joint underrated, but I will say underappreciated. I have never been dissatisfied when visiting here.

You’ll find the building that houses the restaurant and the business it is paired with along a main road through town. Pull into the large paved parking lot in front of the building and enter through the main entrance, walking straight back to find the dining area.

It’s slightly hidden, but a sign is visible for the restaurant.

Turn right to enter and you’ll come face to face with the large dining room. There are large windows peering out from the restaurant, too. It’s low-lit and offers an eloquent atmosphere.

The ceiling is black with inset lighting and small hanging lights dangling.

Lots of booths are situated throughout, with black benches and white backs featuring dark wooden tables. The benches have very high backs, shielding you from your neighbors and offering a quiet, secluded experience.

Tables continue going back through the elongated dining room design. They are wooden with metal chairs situated around them. The walls are painted red and gray. A long bar stretches across the front of the restaurant, featuring shelves with a plethora of liquor.

There are also a couple of TVs hanging behind the bar and another TV hanging on an adjacent wall for entertainment. The hallway behind the bar leads to the kitchen and past a selection of draught beers.

There is a small gaming area in the front of the restaurant with a small partition wall and glass to the ceiling for seclusion. There is also a small stage next to the gaming area where they offer karaoke entertainment at the bar on the weekends. There are stools along the bar for additional seating, too.

But without good food a great atmosphere goes out the window, in my opinion, and the food is why I was here. I visited with my mom during lunchtime and it wasn’t overly busy. We set up shop in a booth and I got us started with some pierogies off the appetizer menu.

For my main course I selected the three sliders, while my mom ordered a cheeseburger with Swiss and bacon with a side of plank fries.

Let’s start with the pierogies. These little Polish pastries from heaven are done up right here. They taste like makeshift mini baked potatoes, featuring bacon bits, caramelized onions, chives and sour cream on top of the fried, tender potato pastry. They are artistically displayed and taste delicious. I’ve never had a bad experience with them here. Next, my sliders arrived. They were all phenomenal. Again, they were artistically displayed on my plate, making them look even more mouthwatering. There was a bison slider with garlic butter, white cheddar and onion confit aioli, a chicken slider with bacon and gouda and finally a Polish reuben with Polish sausage, sauerkraut, Swiss and Thousand Island dressing. The chicken slider was the best. It was super tender and the artisan bun was so doughy and delicious. It all practically melted in my mouth. The Polish sausage and sauerkraut went together like peanut butter and jelly on my palate and the bison was so tender, lean and flavorful and made almost creamy from the onion aioli. It only had a hint of onion, but more of a blast of sweetness. To reiterate, the trio of sliders were amazing. As for mom, she really enjoyed her loaded burger, which was served on a potato bun with Swiss and bacon. The plank fries were fantastic too; thin and

Principia mediation team defends championship ranking

The Principia College International Academy of Dispute Resolution Mediation Team successfully defended its international championship ranking last month by capturing first place in two of the four categories of competition.

Led by co-captains Olivia Burbee and Delaney Gatine, the team sent everyone into the final round, a rare feat. This resulted in two first-place finishes and Top 10 finishes in every competition category. All members contributed to a formidable final points total, with freshmen Avery Smith and Louisa Longshore scoring like veterans.

Principia College mediation results

First Place, Individual Advocacy — Luke Nutwell and Grace Pecheck

Sixth Place, Individual Advocacy — Louisa Longshore

Ninth Place, Individual Advocacy — Olivia Burbee, Juliet Beck

First Place, Individual Mediation — Grace Pecheck

NMLS #411326 crunchy with a hearty taste. There’s plenty of other creative cuisine on the menu here. Some of the other sliders include a lamb sausage, a fried panko shrimp and a pizza featuring an Italian sausage patty, if that’s your thing. You can also get pizza here on imported Italian flour, or order shrimp and grits, a t-bone steak or honey basil glazed salmon, if that’s your fancy. There are plenty of goodies here and you won’t be disappointed. 3

To round out Principia’s spectacular finish, seniors Olivia Burbee, Delaney Gatine, and Juliet Beck captured the coveted H. Case Ellis Spirit of Mediation Award for advocacy. This prestigious award given by the academy goes to the institution that demonstrates the highest qualities of peacemaking and dispute resolution.

Fourth Place, Individual Mediation — Avery Smith

Fifth Place, Individual Mediation — Erin Demaree

Eighth Place, Individual Mediation — Luke Nutwell

Fifth Place, Team Advocacy — Principia College

H. Case Ellis Spirit of Mediation Award, Advocacy — Principia Team 7 (Olivia Burbee, Delaney Gatine, Juliet Beck) 3

Help stop the spread. Get vaccinated, and let’s move forward together. It’s our best shot.

SIU dental students attain 100 percent pass rate on national exam

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine is celebrating students in the class of 2022 for achieving a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the new Integrated National Board Dental Exam. This is the second consecutive year for students to attain this achievement.

The integrated examination for dental licensure, first administered in 2020, replaces the NBDE Part I and Part II, and covers the basic, behavioral and clinical sciences. According to the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, the new exam combines content from several disciplines, requiring test takers to “integrate their knowledge of science with the clinical know-how involved in the safe practice of dentistry.”

“The SIU SDM Class of 2022 has worked tremendously hard to excel in their coursework and exams while also effectively caring for their patients,”

SIU SDM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Saulius Drukteinis said. “We are so proud of them.”

The class of 2022 has endured the particular challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting both their third and fourth year of dental clinical education.

“We are incredibly proud of this class, knowing how difficult these last two years have been,” SIU SDM Dean Bruce Rotter said. 3

Starts Thanksgiving