Employees stand behind the counter under SugarFire’s extensive menu. SugarFire is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. (lauren price)
Nick Gehricke, 11
Ride of the Month: The Internet Search
A junior shows off his white Mustang that he’s been searching for ever since he was young BY Jamie Hetlage jamiehetlage3251@gmail.com • @jammnicole
To keep his white 2006 Ford Mustang looking clean, junior Nick Gehricke parks as far away as he can in the school parking lot to ensure no door dings or accidents can happen. Every day Nick cleans and wipes down his car and vacuums and washes it once a week. He also waxes it every month. He even makes his parents take their cars out of the garage just so his car can be in there to insure its safety. “Well, he sure does clean it a lot,” senior Tre Hall said. “Every time you see you his car it’s perfect, it’s shiny. The outside, the interior is absolutely beautiful.” At 8 years old he started shopping around for cars like Jeeps, Mustangs and Camaros. He got the idea of getting a Mustang after his older cousin Ricky got one when he was in high school and was also inspired by his uncle to get a 5-speed manual transmission, and a 6-cylinder engine. After spending numerous hours online, he finally found his car in Belleville. “Nick went on a terror and searched every single website that sells cars until he found one that met his criteria,” Nick’s father, Randy Gehricke, said. The owners had taken very good care of the car. The mustang had low mileage, a clean look, and everything Nick wanted. After that, Nick and his parents bought the Follow the link http://goo.gl/n41GE to see car together and he a video of SugarFire and instantly fell in love customer’s opinions. with it. “When I drive it, [I think] like, ‘oh yeah, that’s a cool car,
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11.25.14
A modern take on barbecue SugarFire Smokehouse specializes in unique takes on American classics barbecue with a twist,” Cornish said. Some of SugarFire’s sides include their “Rack ‘N Cheese” and “Frankentots.” The “Rack ‘N Cheese” is Driving up to the SugarFire Smokehouse a creative twist on the classic macaroni and cheese, parking lot, a savory scent fills the air. The but has their signature rib meat thrown into the eclectic restaurant design is just the beginning of mix. The “Frankentots” are tater tots topped with SugarFire’s original style which makes for a unique nacho cheese sauce, pulled rib meat, house jalapeno dining experience. A mural of an American flag, cheddar sausage, shredded cheddar cheese and outlined in pennies, covers the back wall. The ceiling their signature White and Sweet barbecue sauces. is painted with a design of a starlit sky, with their “SugarFire’s barbecue is always fresh, all home red logo in the middle. The side and bathroom walls cooked, even down to the sauces,” customer Fred are lined with flattened out license plates and beer Schafer said. “I love that you can eat delicious food cans neatly arranged to create a metal wallpaper. without having to dress up and get fancy.” SugarFire has Front of House Manager What most customers don’t Angie Cornish to thank for these know is that the difference Follow the link handmade decorations. in SugarFire’s food is deeper goo.gl/AXmiWI to see a video On top of the unique environment, than their flavor. It starts with of Sugarfire and customer’s opinions. the food at SugarFire is what brings procuring fresh ingredients customers back time after time. and cooking the meat using Customers looking for an authentic barbecue a traditional smoking method. Unlike many chain experience can create their meal by choosing from a restaurants, SugarFire buys all ingredients from wide array of smokehouse staples, such as brisket, locally owned companies. From their grass fed pulled pork and ribs. SugarFire also offers various cattle and vegetables to their real cane sugar sodas, side dishes and desserts to satisfy their hungry SugarFire focuses on supporting local groups for customers. Every day, a different item is on their fresher ingredients. list of “Specials” and a changing array of sides are As to how the meat is prepared, customers offered. can view SugarFire’s three smokers behind the “We try to be unique and create innovative sides restaurant where the net pit crew spends hours and meals,” Cornish said. “We really try to bring smoking meats to serve up. The pork shoulder and another aspect of barbecue.” brisket are cooked for 18 hours, while the turkey SugarFire’s most popular sandwich, for example, and ribs are cooked for five and four hours. Their is the “Big Muddy.” This sandwich is loaded with long cooking times contribute to a tender, satisfying homemade brisket, jalapeno cheddar sausage and meal and these fresh ingredients are possibly the drizzled with their freshly made White barbecue and explanation for their sales of 2,000 pounds of meat Sweet barbecue sauce atop a buttered, toasted bun. per day. According to the folks at SugarFire, this sandwich’s “Our food is home-y, rustic,” Sous-Chef Christopher big flavor and volume have customers waiting Ervin said. “And when you eat it, you just push anxiously in line. yourself back from the table and think, dang, that’s “The food here is awesome; it’s kind of like good.”
BY RISA TAKENAKA
risatakenaka97@gmail.com • @ricericebaby143
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