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Youth from Sterling, Rock Falls help paint houses Westwood Tennis Center has something for all ages Nick’s Tap brings some new items to neighborhood

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Sterling-Rock Falls

FEATURE • STORY

MAGAZINE

Publisher Don T. Bricker General Manager/Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editors Lucas Pauley Rusty Schrader Page Design Lucas Pauley Published by

Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Sterling-Rock Falls Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

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Inside 10

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6 – The Butcher Shop 10 – Sterling High Baseball Team 12 – Lisa’s Brick House 16 – Nick’s Tap

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Straight from the farm Local farmer provides beef for reopened butcher shop Story By Jessie Kern & Photos By Alex T. Paschal For Sterling-Rock Falls Living

T

he Butcher Shop is back and serving quality meat to the community after closing almost 10 years ago.

David Hoffman was forced to close The Butcher Shop, 3309 W. Rock Falls Road, back in 2009 due to a recession. The Butcher Shop was part of the Rock River Provision meat distributor and the family business had been running for more than 50 years.

Fast forward nearly a decade and three locals decided to pick up where the business left off and bring back a local source for quality meat, with Dale Pfundstein utilizing cattle from his own farm.

Pfundstein, 65, brought the idea to his livestock nutritionist, Kent Farley and wife Pattie of Chadwick. Together the three re-opened the shop and the response has been good so far.

“The people are unbelievable [and] supportive of the butcher shop, because I’ve raised cattle all my life,” Pfundstein said.

Pfundstein said he considered opening a restaurant, but decided on a butcher shop so that he could provide restaurants with meat.

He said The Butcher Shop has been providing Triple P BBQ, 3312 W. Rock Falls Road, with most of its meat.

“I’m still running the farm and the butcher shop,” Pfundstein said. “I’ve got good employees and my son at the farm and then I’ve got Pattie at the butcher shop.”

Pattie Farley said reopening The Butcher

Dale Pfundstein will pick out five to six Angus cattle every week to process for The Butcher Shop in Rock Falls. He owns the shop with Ken and Pattie Farley of Chadwick.

Shop has been a lot but fun overall. She said she and her husband had to think about the idea for a while, but ultimately decided to go into business with Pfundstein.

“It’s progressing well,” Farley said. “We have a good team; we have good employees.”

Farley said the retail is easier than wholesale, but they have been trying to expand to sell to other restaurants.

“We’ve done taste tests at restaurants,” Pfundstein said. “You take my burger compared to what they were using and there’s no

comparison, taste, flavor and weight.”

He said the best animal you can get is the whole animal ground into the patty, rather than a certain cut.

Pfundstein said he never had the opportunity to see the other side of raising cattle, and in the meat business he has been learning more every day.

Farley said construction and regulations were the harder aspects of re-opening the business, but the group has been able to overcome any hiccups in the process.

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Continued from page 6

“It’s a whole learning process,” Farley said.

“Well the farm is your own business, it’s kind of the same thing,” Pfundstein said. “You have your regulations on the farm like you have regulations here.”

Pfundstein said regulations for The Butcher Shop are stricter than for the farm, but they have made it work.

He said most grocery stores sell fresh meat, but The Butcher Shop sells fresh and frozen.

He said the way meat is aged affects the flavor, whether it is hung to age or put in a box to age.

“There’s wet aging and there’s dry aging.

Ours is dry aged 21 to 28 days,” Pfundstein said. “A box is just cut the piece up, put it in the box and ship it.”

He said when the meat is hung to age the blood and juices drip down, but when it’s aged in a box the meat sits in the blood and juices.

“We do get some box meat in but not very much,” Pfundstein said. “It’s mainly all mine.”

He said his farm typically has around 14,000 head of cattle at any one time.

The Butcher Shop is currently focused on growing, as many people are still unaware it has re-opened. “[We’re] just trying to grow and get more customers, because we still have people who

If it comes from a cow, chances are The Butcher Shop in Rock Falls has it.

don’t know we’re here,” Farley said.

She said some people are confused about the business – one group of women came in asking if they sold sandwiches.

“People think it’s just for the restaurant or don’t know it’s open,” Pfundstein said. “It’s still getting the word around.”

He said business picked up for the summer because it is barbecue season.

“I told Patti after Memorial Day weekend, ‘Boy, it’d be nice to have Memorial Day weekend every weekend,’ because people really stocked up,” he said. “Of course, we had graduation at the same time, too.”

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Pfundstein said beef is most popular among customers, especially filet mignon and rib-eyes.

He said reopening hasn’t been easy, but the people are happy to see the shop back up and running.

Farley said that through the process of reopening, they have met a lot of new people and made some new friends, and it’s been fun “to see the people that come in, the customers that come in, and to hear their stories.”

Pfundstein was a previous board member of the Illinois Beef Association, and his family has been nominated for the Family of the Year Award.

He said on top of running the farm and The Butcher Shop, his son runs a cow and calf operation and they also have a compost operation, turning manure into fertilizer to sell.

“When I started this I went from a plate to a platter. It’s just a few more things going on that’s all.” s

The Butcher Shop

Address: 3309 W. Rock Falls Road, Rock Falls Phone: 815-632-3931 Email: thebutchershopsrf@gmail.com Online: butchershopllc.com and Facebook Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Stepping up to the plate Photos By Alex T. Paschal For Sterling-Rock Falls Living Members of the Sterling High School baseball team invested some sweat equity into their team June 18 when they headed over to Thomas Park for some landscaping work. As temperatures topped 90, the students knocked down a miniature mountain of mulch and spread it throughout the park for the Sterling Park District in exchange for a donation to the baseball program.

Evan Tira (left) is shown pitching in with a pitchfork. On page 11, Carter Lehman (left) and Connor Love fill a wheelbarrow with mulch. s

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BEHIND THE BRICK

Lisa’s Brick House owner builds on a strong foundation

L

isa Escamilla didn’t let a brick wall stop her. Instead, she embraced the opportunity.

When Escamilla, 43, had the chance to buy Champs Bar and Grill’s former location at 216 Locust St. in Sterling, she saw it as a building block for her future, renaming it Lisa’s Brick House.

“For me it signified two major things,” the Sterling native said. “The exposed interior brick wall, of course, but also building a solid foundation for family and friends.”

Lisa’s no stranger to bar and grill scene, having worked at Champs for 15 years.

“This was a big step for me. I’ve always wanted to be a business owner. I knew that in high school,” she said. “I really enjoyed working as a bartender and now I’ve taken the next step.”

Since taking ownership in January, she has been overseeing the remodeling and updating of the interior, including new bar tops, kitchen equipment and TVs.

Lisa Escamilla, owner of Lisa’s Brick House in Sterling, is no stranger to the bar and grill scene. She worked at Champs for 15 years.

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Story By Lucinda Hall & Photos By Peter Balser For Sterling-Rock Falls Living Escamilla is also looking to add a wider selection of craft beers, bourbons and whiskeys.

Drink specials are offered each day and specials are also planned around televised sporting events.

Some things have remained the same. She considers herself fortunate that many staff members remained, providing the same comfortable atmosphere customers have come to appreciate. Escamilla enjoys the “Cheers Bar” feeling, where regular customers meet and newcomers are warmly welcomed.

And what goes better with beverages than food?

“Food and drink bring people together,” she said. “We take great pride in offering quality, fresh food at reasonable prices. We also offer food specials Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.”

The menu remains unchanged. Favorites include the grilled burgers and sliders made from fresh, never frozen, beef patties. A condiment buffet allows customers to load burgers up with toppings of their choice.

“It just makes it easier for customers to build

The classic choice of a cheeseburger and fries is a popular one at Lisa’s Brick House. The bar and grill provides a twist with its condiment buffet, which allows customers to load burgers up with toppings of their choice

their own sandwiches to exactly what they want, with as much as they want,” she said.

Customers can also indulge in any number of other menu items from patty melts and Philly cheese to chicken strips and grilled cheese. There’s French fries and wings, too.

Lisa’s Brick House offers all-you-can-eat breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon each Sunday. It has become increasingly popular with a very broad range of customers.

“Nothing is made until we take a customer’s order,” she said. “We see everyone from people coming for breakfast after church to groups of teachers.”

Popular on Sundays, as well, are bloody marys, which are also made-to-order exactly to the customer’s specifications. Spicy or mild, patrons are given a variety of garnish options.

Continued on page 14

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Continued from page 13

Gambling machines are yet another dimension of the business.

“Realistically, gaming is very important. It has become so popular and adds another draw for customers,” she said. “It’s not unusual for couples to come in for drinks and dinner on a weekend and make a date night out of it playing the machines.”

With a half dozen beverage and eating establishments lining the block, one might think competition would be challenge. Escamilla has an interesting perspective on her neighbors.

“We all have something a little different to offer and each have our specialty. Actually, it’s pretty friendly,” she said. “We all get along well and are all busy.”

She is also enthusiastic about the potential of neighborhood bars and restaurants partnering with Sterling Main Street and the pop-up markets planned for Dale Park, located just around the corner from Lisa’s Brick House.

Not surprising, Escamilla has found time management to be sometimes challenging, especially considering she is the mother of four children, Eryca, 19, Presley, 12, Ryleigh, 5, and Elleigh, 3.

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Shown here are some beers that were being offered during an afternoon in June.

Her son struggles with non-verbal autism and she is grateful for the occasions when she is able to involve him on weekend mornings when she is preparing to open for business.

“I’m so proud of him, who he is and how he

shapes us as a family,” she said.

Her younger daughters also like to be involved in pre-opening cleaning and preparation. She enjoys sharing what she does with her children. Her youngest daughter is

Lisa’s Brick House

Address: 216 Locust St., Sterling Phone: 815-590-5472 Online: Facebook Business hours: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday Grill hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday especially excited about helping out and frequently asks if she can “come with mommy to work.”

“There has been some talk about naming her ‘Employee of the Week,’” laughed Escamilla.

She is extremely gratefully for the help and support of not only her children, but mother, fiance, sisters and niece.

“I have such amazing people in my life. I am so lucky to have a strong support system,” she said. “It is what has made owning my own business so rewarding – the opportunity to share. They helped me believe in myself and are helping me build that strong foundation.” s

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New flavor at Nick’s

Longtime customer turned owner has added food, more to local bar

Story By Cody Cutter & Photos By Peter Balser For Sterling-Rock Falls Living

K

yle Sanders wanted to put his own spin on the neighborhood mainstay he acquired nearly 2 years ago on the west end of Rock Falls.

Sanders bought Nick’s Tap, 1300 Prophetstown Road, fulfilling a long-standing dream he had during the nearly 30 years he was a regular customer.

“It was just something on my bucket list,” Sanders said. “I always wanted to own Nick’s, so I did my best to get it going and got it done.”

Tacos on Wednesday has been popular with Nick’s Tap regulars for quite some time. When Sanders took over, he wanted to expand the food options – just a little.

What could be added into the fold? Burgers? Certainly, but Sanders and general manager Michelle Young wanted to think more outside the box.

“We started wanting to do lunches, and thought about things not in this area,” Young said. “Gyros were the first thing to come to mind.”

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Address: 1301 Prophetstown Road, Rock Falls Phone: 815-626-1470 Hours: 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. each day; lunch served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Saturday (Food served until 8 p.m. Wednesday) Email: nickstaprf@ gmail.com Online: Facebook

Bar manager Michelle Young (foreground) and employee Diane Zimmerman of Rock Falls are ready to serve customers with a smile at Nick’s Tap.

Gyros are the Thursday special at Nick’s, part of the new lunch rotation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Two Kronomatic spickets were bought, and the meat is served fresh-cut. They soon became a hit.

“People were very excited for it,” Young said. “We’ve always been known for Wednesdays. Kyle started adding the gyros and it took off like crazy.”

The popularity was enough to draw out a daily special list. Burgers are served each day except Sunday and Wednesday. Different specials accompany the burger on Monday and Friday, pork chops and steak sandwiches alternate every other Tuesday, and Reubens are served on Saturdays. Taco Night was brought back after a short hiatus, and they are served from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

Cookouts are a regular occurrence from 5:30 to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Burgers, brats, hot dogs – and salads for the vegetarians – are available at each Pic-A-Nick.

Salsa, a margarita and a burrito are shown at the bar.

Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

While more food is on tap at Nick’s, Sanders doesn’t wish to make it the primary attraction. He doesn’t wish to get into competition as a full-scale restaurant. He’d rather keep it limited to lunchtime bar food – but really good bar food.

“We don’t want to be the same as every other bar,” Young said. “I want fresh, I want handmade, and that’s what we’re going to do. We take pride in our food. We don’t buy the cheapest meats. We’re buying probably the more expensive meat, and still are able to keep our prices fair.”

Geno and Nevada Poci opened Nick’s in 1952, and the neighborhood around it once had a grocery store and a liquor store within shouting distance. Both are gone, but Nick’s and its longtime customers are still around, many of whom still come in for coffee at 7 a.m. Sanders described Nick’s as a “shift bar” where Northwestern Steel and Wire workers would come to before or after work.

The man known as “Bones” is one of Nick’s longtime customers. He has seen a lot in the nearly 50 years at the bar. He has seen Nick’s food options evolve from cold sandwiches and cheese trays to special sandwiches

Many customers have left their mark on the ceiling at Nick’s Tap in Rock Falls. and cheeseburgers.

“What makes it special? A lot of good, good friends, and a lot of good, good enemies,” he said. “It’s just been a nice, peaceful bar my whole life. I’d rather drink here than go uptown.”

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Young hopes that the expanded lunch menu will help bring in new customers.

“We have an awesome clientele,” she said.

“We have an awesome bunch of customers that come in, a bunch of simple folk who like to hang out and drink a few beers.” s

Pulled pork nachos and a margarita are shown at Nick’s Tap in Rock Falls.

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A special coat of paint Sauk Valley Unite transforms five houses in Sterling, Rock Falls Story By Gavin Jensen & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For Sterling-Rock Falls Living

F

ive Sterling and Rock Falls homes got a free and fresh coat of paint June 7 from Sauk Valley Unite.

Homeowner Judy Agraves can’t handle a project of this magnitude on her own, so “this means a lot,” she said. “I can’t afford to do it and I’m just too old,” Agraves said.

Her house at 803 Leroy Ave. in Rock Falls, is one of the first things people see when they round the corner. That first impression is important, she said.

“I always want my home to look nice. My father used to say that your shoes and car represent how the inside of your house looks like.”

The 73-year-old retiree is herself a giver: She’s volunteered as a foster grandmother for the TriCounties Opportunity Council, mentoring at-risk youth.

She bought the property 12 years ago, when she started volunteering, as her retirement home.

Seven area churches united to form Sauk Valley Unite, a new house-painting mission for kids in grades eight through 12: Bethel Reformed, St. Paul’s Lutheran, Sterling St. John’s Lutheran, First Presbyterian, First Christian, and Grace Episcopal, all in Sterling,

and Emmanuel Lutheran in Rock Falls.

In this first year, they chose to paint five homes, free of charge to those physically or financially unable to do so themselves.

One of the Unite crew members is 14-year-old Elise Mireles, Agraves’ granddaughter.

“I’ve never painted a house before; it’s a different experience,” said Elise, who’s glad that she gets to help out her grandmother.

“I don’t usually do things like this, but I’m glad that we get to help out others in the community,” she said.

As part of the mission, the kids stayed at Bethel Reformed, where after-hours they were treated to a full slate of worshipping and games.

Musician Rachel Kurtz (rachelkurtz.org) performed and spoke.

Rana Smith, Unite’s coordinator, said she hopes to keep doing this year after year. Unite got about 20 homeowner applicants, but only enough kids to tackle five at a time.

Agraves is grateful she was one of the five.

“I was so happy when I found out that I was picked. They have done an amazing job, and they are really great people.” s

ABOVE AND PAGE 20: The blue crew for the Unite program works on preparing 803 Leroy Avenue in Rock Falls for paint June 7.

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To learn more

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Back in the swing of things Westwood Tennis Center offers programs for everyone Story By Gavin Jensen & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For Sterling-Rock Falls Living

I

Continued on page 24

Carolyn Allen watches as a tennis ball gets hit over the net during a June 14 tennis workout class at Westwood Tennis Center in Sterling.

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t’s hard to tell whether Carolyn Allen is more passionate about hitting a clean groundstroke or feeding tennis balls for lessons.

Although Allen loves a long rally, she finds just as much – if not more – enjoyment teaching the game to people of all ages and skill levels. She’s the assistant professional at the Westwood Tennis Center, which opened in January.

For 16 years, the Rock Falls resident has honed in on one word: fun. Whether it’s in her own play or when she is teaching the next generation of tennis enthusiasts.

“I just love the kids. The most important thing to teach is fun,” Allen said.

Enjoying the game is what she says keeps the kids coming back.

“The way I build my lessons are centered around fun and enjoying the game,” she said.

Allen has been teaching cardio tennis, a workout geared toward beginners, and even seasoned veterans of the game, for 12 years.

Paul McMahon returns the ball during a tennis workout class led by Carolyn Allen.

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Continued from page 23

On Tuesdays and Thursdays between October and May, Allen pumps up the music and the heart rates of the cardio tennis class and has them engaged in fun workouts focused on the mechanics of the game.

“Cardio is a great way for returning players and beginners because of the workout, but the ultimate goal is to have fun,” Allen said.

With the new tennis center, Jake Lipka Westwood has been able to bring more tennis options to Sauk Valley residents.

Westwood’s Building 2 was previously used for tennis until a leaky roof and loss of interest in the sport made the district close the building in 2010.

An anonymous $600,000 donation in 2015 allowed the district to resurrect the building as a state-of-the-art tennis center and revitalize the tennis program.

The district also invested in its first full-time tennis pro in about 8 years, Jake Lipka The 23-year-old played 4 years at Aurora University and has taught at a country club and an Aurora area park district.

“We’re blessed to have this building, and were lucky to have Jake,” Allen said.

Carolyn Allen serves a tennis ball to a student during a tennis workout class.

Lipka said that there has been an increased interest in the tennis facility and the programs in the past 5 months.

“In May, we went from a total of 28 to 60 people in our tennis programs, and have had 40 to 50 new members since our opening,” Lipka said.

Cardio tennis is one of the programs that has seen increased numbers since the new building opened.

“We’ll get eight to 10 people every Tuesday and Thursday,” Allen said. “A lot of the increase has to do with new members and people intro-

duced to the new building.”

Allen also said that the district plans to resurface the outdoor courts at Westwood in August, instead of competing for space at Kilgore Park in Sterling.

Other programming and resources available at the center include an elite camp, youth lessons, adult cardio, senior round robin tournaments, single-day tournaments and a smart court to see real-time tennis analytics.

“Whether someone is a beginner or more experienced player, we have something to offer for everyone,” Lipka said. s

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Amy Turley runs toward the net while Fred Rangel returns the ball during a class led by Allen.

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Cruise out to Kegger’s Sterling business owners have reopened a bar near Galt that you might barrel-ly recognize Story By Jessie Kern & Photos By Alex T. Paschal For Sterling-Rock Falls Living

K

egger’s Tap House has just opened in Sterling and its owners want people to know it’s more than just a bar.

Heath and Beth Warner, who also own Warner’s MVP Lounge, 3 E. Third St., and The Boulevard Pub and Grill, 2501 Ave. E, wanted their newest business to offer an environment that all ages could enjoy.

The name Kegger’s Tap House, 13464 Galt Road, was coined from the bar’s 36 taps and 24 different beers, as well as the whiskey barrel theme.

Continued on page 28

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Kegger’s Tap House

Address: 13464 Galt Road, Sterling Phone: 815-716-8915 Online: Facebook Continued from page 27

Dan Winstead, owner of Winstead Pallet Salvage right behind the bar, helped the Warners with design ideas and renovations.

“I can’t take all the credit,” Heath said.

Winstead helped transform genuine whiskey barrels from Wisconsin into tables.

“He’s really good with designing and making things like that so we ordered the table tops and he built the bottoms,” Heath said.

“He made the tables himself up at his shop and they turned out wonderful.”

Heath said they considered naming the place “The Barrel House,” but ultimately decided against it because there are so many across the country. He said Kegger’s is simple, catchy, and easy for people to remember.

Kegger’s Tap House has the Tap Room, Barrel Room, a banquet room, and a outdoor space called The Beer Garden.

“The Barrel Room is what we consider our high-end restaurant,” Heath said. “We serve really, really good food.” He said there is a “really great atmosphere” and it’s “family friendly.”

Kegger’s Tap House features a gaming section for customers to try their luck.

The space also features TVs so customers won’t miss a minute of the big game.

Beth said they will also be building a tiki bar for the Beer Garden.

“It’s a destination,” she said of the revamped bar that previously housed The Tin Roof Tavern and Cochran’s Pub before that. “You can be outside at the tiki bar, you could be at the bar, you can be in

here golfing, you could have a benefit, and you can have the dining room. I mean there’s so many different things going and it’s for all ages.”

Heath said he always felt the need for another restaurant to serve steaks and seafood, because the town didn’t really have that.

Continued on page 31

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school functions.”

Along with the addition of more high end food, Kegger’s Tap House also has slot machines and a golf and hunting simulator.

Heath said he’s always wanted a golf simulator, having been a golf pro for 13 years, and Winstead also hoped they could add it to the business.

“This is the same one Tiger Woods has in his house,” Heath said. “It’s as good as it gets so we’re excited about that,” he said.

The simulator has 76 courses and people can choose to play 9 or 18 holes at $30 for the hour. Heath plans to have tournaments in the winter. He also said he plans to teach lessons using the simulator.

“And we live in the country with a lot of hunters, so we had the hunting feature added to it,” Beth said.

Heath said people can do target or skeet shooting and hunt bears, deer and other animals on the hunting simulator. He said they will probably purchase an additional rifle to add to the collection of one rifle, handgun and shotgun.

Beth said the guns are very realistic and heavy just like a real gun.

There are multiple TVs in both the Tap and Barrel rooms for people to watch sports on and the Barrel Room also has a smaller version of

Continued from page 28

“We want to be known for the best steaks in town, really good seafood, good wings, good burgers, great cold beer on tap,” he said. The tap system is the same one used at The Boulevard, and Heath said it’s the best tap system available.

Beth said the size of the location is what drew them to open another bar. The Boulevard is not large enough to host bigger groups.

“Sometimes people want to have private parties and stuff,” she said. “They love the food, but ... we just don’t have the space [at The Boulevard],” she said.

She said they really wanted to change the atmosphere of the business and make it more family friendly.

“That’s why we changed it,” Beth said. “We added a hood in the back so we could have a grill, so it’s a full fledged kitchen now where it wasn’t before.”

The possibilities the new bar offered was a huge draw.

“We could do everything that we wanted to do here,” Heath said. “We could have weddings, we could have banquets, we could have graduation parties, we could have benefits for fundraisers, we could have

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“We could have just turned key and opened it when we got it in March but we’re like, ‘No,’ you know, we wanted to add the floor, we added the drywall, we built that whole new bar that wasn’t there, the bathrooms weren’t there,” Beth said.

She said previously the Barrel Room was metal with a concrete floor so they wanted to make the atmosphere more comfortable and welcoming.

Serenia Law, general manager, said people can reach out to her for inquires about renting the space out. She said people can rent any of the rooms, or the entire building if they’d like.

Law said it’s been amazing to see the overall transformation of the building.

Heath said they really pushed for the space to be unique in what it offers and can do for customers.

“We want to be different, you don’t want everything the same,” Beth said.

Heath said the space offers something for everybody and accommodates everyone.

We want the bar to be “the place that people want to drive out to because it has something that nobody else has,” Heath said. “We really pride ourselves on hacving something for everybody.” s

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