Category Archives: Tenderloining

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Oskaloosa Field Work

December 3, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Last Saturday, when Teresa and I were out harvesting town signs, I was hoping to finally hit the first destination on The Tenderloin Trail 2.0. Wood Iron Grille is one of the stops. So I planned for us to eat lunch there, when we hit the Oskaloosa area. Unfortunately, and this is on me, they don’t open until 4 PM on Saturdays.

Instead we dined at a quaint little downtown restaurant called Tasos Steakhouse. While I didn’t get to hit the Tenderloin Trail, your humble narrator did do some tenderloining.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures:

You’ve seen the pictures now, but how do I break down the experience? Well it goes a little something like this:

THE GOOD

+ Good bun.
+ Toasted bun.
+ The fried cheese curds were exquisite.
+ Service was friendly.
+ Got food recommendations from some locals.
+ Didn’t nail the meat to bun ratio, but pretty close.
+ Served Pepsi products.

THE BAD

+ Standard has lettuce and tomatoes.
+ Red onions. I mean not the end of the world, but definitely not my tenderloin onion of choice.
+ A little on the bland side.
+ Too thin, not quite, but dangerously close the pork fritter territory.

THE UGLY

+ Fries were a disappointment.

I don’t have any tenderloins currently planned, but I’m sure it is only a matter of time before the universe puts one in my path again.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is BLUE:

BLUE

BLUE! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is BLUE photo? A BLUE photo is simply a picture where the color BLUE is a major compositional element of your image.

Happy photo harvesting!

Tenderloining, Teresa, WPC - Reminder

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Slater Field Work

November 12, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 9 Comments

Last Sunday, after an emotional church service, Teresa and I went to Luther because I was having a hankering for the tenderloin there and I badly need to get started on the Tenderloin Trail 2.0. As we approached the restaurant, it was clear that is was so packed that there wasn’t anywhere to park. Rather than wait, we soldiered on.

I headed east and then south to Slater. We have often dined at Cole’s in Slater, but I’m efforting to try places that I haven’t supped at before and I have heard promising things about Nite Hawk. That is where we ended up. It was busy, but we were able to get a table right away.

My 5 word review is, they have a really good tenderloin.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures:

Here is how I break down the experience:

THE GOOD

+ Good bun.
+ Toasted bun.
+ Good cut of meat. Good thickness.
+ Proper meat to bun ratio.
+ Flavorful breading.
+ Fried mushrooms were divine. The onion rings were also good.
+ Service was really good.

THE BAD

+ Standard is with lettuce and tomatoes, which don’t belong on a tenderloin.
+ The tenderloin doesn’t come with fries or anything standard, so that is an extra cost.
+ Red onions.

THE UGLY

+ Serve Coke products.

I will add that Teresa’s Reuben was also delicious. I had it for supper that night while I watched season 2 of YOU. I really, strongly dislike Love.

I’m not sure when the next tenderloin will come down the chute, but I’m hitting the open road on Sunday with Michelle, so it is certainly possible that it will be soon.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is RELIGION:

RELIGION

RELIGION! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a RELIGION picture? It is simply a picture of anything relating to the practice of a RELIGION. It can be a book used in the practice of a RELIGION. It can be a building that is used in the practice of a RELIGION. It could be a symbol of a RELIGION. It can be a picture of somebody practicing their RELIGION. So many possibilities!

Happy photo harvesting!

Andy, Shannon, Still Life, Tenderloining, WPC - Reminder

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Indianola Field Work

October 29, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Last Friday night, as soon as the whistle blew ending my shift in the computer mine, I took off like a shot for Indianola. I was going there to take pictures of Kyle’s last football game, but I was also going there to try a new tenderloin.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association recently announced their winner for the 2021 Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin. The winner was Victoria Station in Harlan. The runner-up was Larsen’s Pub in Elk Horn.

The other finalists were Old Road Cafe & Bar in Emerson, Stalker’s Pub in Miles, and Z’s Eatery and Draught Haus in Indianola.

On Friday, we dined at Z’s Eatery and Draught Haus in Indianola.

My 5 word review is that it is a good but not great tenderloin, however, I’m not sure it is fair to really judge them for reasons I will get into.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures:

Tenderloining at Z's Eatery and Draught House

A few things to not right off the bat. While Andy, Shannon, and Shannon’s Jason were all in attendance only Shannon gets credit for tenderloining. Andy wussed out at the last second and Shannon’s Jason is on some kind of diet.

Second, it was a little bit of a struggle to get the last few bites of this tenderloin down. Not because the tenderloin wasn’t good, but because we ordered two appetizers. I assumed we would get plenty of help on them, but Shannon’s Jason and his diet only allowed him to take a few hunks of meat off the loaded fries. He passed on the mozzarella logs.

Then, did I mention that Andy was being a wuss? He was also little to no help on the loaded fries because they had mustard and pickles on them. So I was forced, as a man of honor, to eat more than my equitable share.

However, I did finish the last few bites to get that picture of the empty plate. I did these even though I was given ample peer pressure to just move the remains of the sandwich off the plate and take a picture of a lie. I refused to take a picture of such a filthy lie! You know that I always speak 100% the truth. When it comes to tenderloins, it is 110% the truth. I ate every last bite of that tenderloin and took a picture of an empty plate. Empty that is, with the exception of a big old helping of the truth. Not all HEROes wear capes. Some indulge heavily on fried pork goodness.

But you already knew about my innate goodness, but what about the innate goodness of the tenderloin?

THE GOOD

+ Good bun.
+ Right kind of bun.
+ Good cut of meat. Good thickness.
+ Proper meat to bun ratio.
+ Good breading.

THE BAD

+ Bland tasting.
+ Bun was toasted, but barely.

THE UGLY

+ No onions

So the restaurant wasn’t serving onions because of the recent outbreak of food poisonings caused by onions. The onion is an essential part of the tenderloin experience. It makes it hard to judge this tenderloin completely. Perhaps onions would have made the sandwich less bland. In fact, I know it would have.

I do have high hopes for the winning tenderloin in Harlan. It is served in a 131 year-old steakhouse in what looks to be an old train depot. It is also served on Texas Toast and garlic aioli.

I’ll be getting that trip put on my calendar very soon. Jesse and Bill have already signed on. If you are interested, let me know. My guess is it will probably be a Sunday supper as they are only open from 4-9 on Sundays and Saturdays for the foreseeable future are dedicated to the Iowa State Cyclones.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is HEREO:

But what is a HERO photo? A HERO photo is a picture of somebody that is considered a HERO. Might be a personal HERO of yours. Don’t everybody ask to take my picture at once. Once at a time… Or it can be a picture of a fictional character. It can be somebody you know in everyday life or like in the theme reveal image it can be somebody you have never met. This week is Halloween. I bet you will see all sorts of people out and about dressed like HEROes. That is a happy coincidence, though. The order of the themes were selected randomly last November.

Happy photo harvesting!

Naima, Tenderloining

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Working at Home

February 23, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 24 Comments

Would you believe that I haven’t posted a tenderloining post since February 5… of 2020? I mean, that just flat out sucks people. I know there are much worse things that have happened due to the horribly mismanaged pandemic, but throw that log on the dumpster fire too.

It isn’t that I haven’t had any tenderloins in the last year. I’ve been to Cole’s for their tenderloin. Sat outside in a Slater park, re-acquainting myself with greatness. And… that is it. I’ve had a few home tenderloins, but I think that this is the only tenderloin I’ve had from a restaurant.

Now make it a second tenderloin I’ve had since the beginning of the pandemic. Usually on Friday, my Mom picks up lunch from a local restaurant and brings it to me, to eat in the moments when I put down my pick. Usually that means garlic chicken from New China or the Friday rib special from Jimmy’s.

We’ve been trying to branch out in the last few weeks. A couple Fridays ago she brought me the tenderloin from Toby K’s Hideaway. Now this is a tenderloin that I’ve had and enjoyed before, but have never officially reviewed.

It isn’t quite fair to review it under these circumstances, for reasons I will get into, but I think a fair overview of the tenderloin is that it is a good, but not great tenderloin. I’d definitely knock a few of these down, but it doesn’t belong in the Tenderloin Pantheon. So few do.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures:

The problem with properly reviewing this tenderloin is pretty obvious in this picture.

Yes, that is clearly my bathroom in the background. Yes I considered cropping that out. Yes I chose not to crop it out.

Whenever I review a tenderloin, I order it with what they put on it. There is a proper way to dress a tenderloin and it is the following:

+ Mustard
+ Ketchup
+ Onions
+ Pickles

Look at this picture again:

Now you’ll notice that they have dressed the tenderloin with the following:

+ Mayo
+ Onions
+ Pickles
+ Tomato
+ Lettuce

As you can see…

I went ahead and added the mustard and ketchup. I didn’t hold the lack of mustard and ketchup against them because most restaurants serve the tenderloin without mustard and ketchup. Since they are on the table and you can dress the tenderloin with whatever amounts of mustard and ketchup you want.

I personally don’t believe that lettuce or tomato belong on a tenderloin. A burger. Fine. A tenderloin. Nope.

I don’t hold it against a restaurant that does it though. Well, don’t hold it against them much. Some restaurants will have a menu item called the “Tenderloin Deluxe”. All it is, is a tenderloin that they’ve added lettuce and tomato to the mix. Nice try restaurant. You aren’t getting an extra 75 cents out of me.

Usually when I get a tenderloin with lettuce and tomato, to effectively review it, I will eat the first half of it with the lettuce and tomato and then remove them and enjoy the rest of the tenderloin the way God and the pig intended it.

Here is where it gets problematic. The tenderloin I was presented with included mayo. That would normally be a major strike against it. Maybe you like mayo on your tenderloin. That is between you, the pig, and your maker. But it goes 100% against the standards set by the Tenderloin Appreciation Society at The Council of Nicea.

The problem is, I can’t hold that against the restaurant. Putting mayo on the tenderloin was not their idea. My Mom asked them to add mayo. I don’t know why. She must take me for a godless heathen.

So here is my review, but because of the mayo issue, it is for entertainment purposes only. As opposed to the seriousness you give my normal tenderloin reviews.

THE GOOD

+ Toasted bun.
+ Right kind of bun.
+ Good bun to tenderloin ratio.
+ Good breading.
+ Good cut of meat. Could have been thicker though.
+ Onion rings were delicious.

THE BAD

+ Standard tenderloin is served with lettuce and tomato. Lettuce and tomato don’t belong on a tenderloin.
+ A tad greasy. Yeah, it is a tenderloin, but greasy enough that this should’ve been drained longer.
+ Prefer a thicker cut of meat.
+ Red onions.

THE UGLY

+ Mayo. Not their fault, but mayo!

I hope to have another tenderloin to review in the near future. Even if that means going through the Dairy Queen drive-thru and having a pork fritter. Just kidding! A pork fritter is NOT a pork tenderloin. But, I could get desperate.

Animals, Holidays, Jay, Kalista, Saydie, Scottie D., Taylan, Tenderloining

2009-10-31

April 18, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

There is a diverse collection of images in the folder 2009-10-31. Some of the pictures are from when I went tenderloining with the Defeneffes to Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City. Some are from when I used to have people I actually know trick-or-treat at my house. The rest are from when I was dog sitting Sara’s pooch Jupiter.

Have a look:

Tenderloining at Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

Samhain
Jupiter Chronicles
Tenderloining It! 2009

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve Johnathan.

Mom, Sheri, Tenderloining, Teresa

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Three Strikes

February 5, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 6 Comments

I went through a long drought where I didn’t experience a good (new) tenderloin for several months. I decided not to torture my people with 3 separate entries on 3 bad tenderloins. I decided just to knock them all out in one swoop.

Big Al’s BBQ – Des Moines, Iowa

Back in May, Mom, Teresa, and Sheri went to Big Al’s BBQ in Des Moines to try their tenderloin. It was somewhat hyped as a tenderloin that was smoked and then fried. Baby Got Rack tried something similar once and couldn’t make it work. This also doesn’t work.

Although I will say that there service was good, the owner was awesome, and all their other food was good.

Here are some pictures:

It was the best of the 3 tenderloins in this entry, but it wasn’t good. It did have many of the qualities of a good tenderloin. Decent breading. Good size. Proper thickness. But the smoky flavor just didn’t work.

GroVer Flavors – Van Meter, Iowa

I’m not going to pile on this tenderloin. This restaurant has since closed because the owner has lung cancer.

Here are a few pictures:

It was burnt. It was too thin. Let’s not dwell on it.

Whistlin’ Donkey – Woodward, Iowa

Whistlin’ Donkey was also a disappointment and by far one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. From the time we ordered, until the time we got our food, it was over 90 minutes.

Here are some pictures:

I do remember them having an appetizer that was delicious, but now I can’t remember what it was. I think the high point of this tenderloin is that it had a toasted bun.

As I look at these pictures, I see that my tenderloin photography wasn’t always the best. As I pursue tenderloins in 2020, I will also effort to improve the quality of the tenderloin photography.

This is my solemn vow!

Tenderloining

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Paton Field Work

February 4, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Scott and I’s schedules are often difficult to get to align, so last year I increasingly took other people with me on my tenderloin quest. Then I followed that up by not adequately reporting on my findings and furthermore, not taking good enough notes to post something of consequence at this late of date.

Therefore rather than getting a really good, solid review of the tenderloins I encountered in 2019, you are just going to get pictures and the general gist of my memories.

On of those tenderloins I remember was at 209 Main in Paton. The family and I went there after church on a Sunday in late September. Here are some pictures of the experience:

What I remember of this tenderloin is that it was delicious. Good breading. Good thickness. Toasted bun.

The rules of Tenderloin Quest are that you have to eat the tenderloin how it is served. However, I do not believe that lettuce belongs on a tenderloin. Lettuce is for the salad I should be eating for the two days before eating the tenderloin and the two days after I eat the tenderloin.

The onion rings and nachos were also delicious.

Logan took the pictures of me taking my first bites of the tenderloin.

Although it was a really good tenderloin, I’m not sure it was good enough to join the Tenderloin Pantheon. I would need Scott to back that up anyways. It takes a consensus opinion to be placed on the Tenderloin Pantheon.

I know there are at least a couple more tenderloins from 2019 for me to write about in the coming days. Plus, I might be checking out a tenderloin in Ames in the coming weeks. Plus a tentative tenderloin outing in Corning needs to happen before Ash Wednesday. If I get real ambitious, I should head up to New Hampton. However, I don’t see that happening until at least after Easter.

Until next time, happy tenderloining!

Candid Portrait, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Still Life, Tenderloining, WPC - Reminder

Tenderloin Appreciation Society – Don Williams Field Work

January 17, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

It is hard to believe, but I haven’t published a tenderloining blog since August 26, 2018 when I recapped Michelle and I’s trip to The Filling Station in Ames. I actually made a few tenderloining trips and I just never got around to telling the world what I experienced. I feel guilty about this because I have a gift. A true gift for evaluating tenderloins. The fact I’m not sharing this with the world is very greedy of me.

The tenderloin I’m going to recap today comes from a trip to the Don Williams Golf Course Clubhouse. It came a few weeks after I ate breakfast there with my Mom and wasn’t overly impressed. A trip that really hammered home my loyalty to The Whistle Stop Cafe for those treasured Saturday morning breakfasts.

Despite the fact that I wasn’t impressed by the breakfast there, I was intrigued by the passion of the new operator of the Clubhouse. He spoke eloquently about his tenderloin and more than one person in the restaurant backed up his bragging.

I decided to organize a trip out there with Scottie D. to give it the test.

Because it is over 6 months since I’ve been there I won’t go into detail about the quality of the tenderloin we experienced. To say it wasn’t very good should be sufficient. I shouldn’t be surprised because people in that area think that The Lucky Pig has a good tenderloin. They are sadly misguided.

Here are a few pictures of our trip:

I have a couple other tenderloining trips to post about eventually. I promise that any 2020 tenderloin trips will be reported on as quickly as possible. Hopefully with the taste of tenderloin still swirling around my mouth.

I know for sure that at some point I have a trip to Corning with Shannon on the books. I will also be visiting New Hampton for a date with a tenderloin at some point soon. The lucky person to join me on that venture is still to be determined. Could be you. But let’s face it, do you really think you have what it takes? Search your soul for the answer.

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This is your reminder that this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is TEXTURE:

TEXTURE

A TEXTURE photo is a photo that concentrates on the feel, appearance, or consistency of the surface of a substance. A reminder that often TEXTURE is more apparent in a black & white image.

Happy photo harvesting!

Carla, Derrick, Elainie, Iowa State, Jesse, Mom, Politics, Pufferbilly Days, Sabas, Self-Portrait, Self-Portrait Project, Suzie, Tenderloining, Youth Group

Selfie Project – September

October 3, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

Seems like as good of a time as any to check in with the Selfie Project. My September was incredibly busy. I had several photo shoots, youth group was back in session, Pufferbilly Days, Iowa State football season is ramping up, and Elainie was back in town.

But I confess that my selfies might not reflect that, it feels like.

Here are my favorite September Selfies:

September 2

September 3

September 4

September 6

September 7

September 8

September 9

September 13

September 14

September 17

September 19

September 20

September 21

September 22

September 24

September 25

September 27

September 29

3 months to go in the Selfie Project. I’m slated to actually leave the state in October. So that is something at least.

Drone, Equipment, Jason, Nature, Panorama, Self-Portrait, Tenderloining

Lazarus Come Out!

April 9, 2019 Christopher D. Bennett

A few weeks back Rodan139 took a tremendous tumble from the sky. According to the flight log, Rodan139 fell out of the sky from 190 feet. It was going 40.3 MPH when it hit sweet, round, Mother Earth.

Rodan139 was a hurting unit when I got to it. A couple arms were broken off, the camera was barely hanging on, and most of the body was considerably damaged.

To be brutally honest, it sucked. However, Rodan139 is just a machine. So I picked up his pieces and threw them in the Sir Pixalotmobile and Jason and I drove to Luther to have a tasty lunch.

Let me tell you, nothing mends the cracks in an emotional broken heart while at the same time clogs up the plumbing of a physical heart like a tasty, tasty tenderloin*.

After lunch I went home and did some research on the level of fiscal pain this accident was going to cause me. I knew it wasn’t going to be cheap, but the worst case scenario was that I was going to have to push off the purchase of the Sony RX0 that I have been coveting for a few months now (but that is another dilemma for another time).

I contacted DJI Repair and they sent me a UPS Label to send Rodan139 into them. I boxed it up and sent it off and waited. What happened next surprised me.

They covered the whole thing. All the parts. All the labor. All the shipping. Covered. And what was covered wasn’t cheap.

Here is a list of everything they covered and what it would have cost:

Item List

Gimbal Axis Arm Module (Pro)

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 160.00

Total Price: 160.00

Upper Cover Module

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 11.00

Total Price: 11.00

Middle Frame Module

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 13.00

Total Price: 13.00

Core Board Module

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 320.00

Total Price: 320.00

Vibration Absorbing Board (Upper)

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 2.00

Total Price: 2.00

Rear Arm Module (Left)

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 21.00

Total Price: 21.00

Front Arm Module (Left)

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 24.00

Total Price: 24.00

Front Arm Module (Right)

Quantity: 1

Net Price : 24.00

Total Price: 24.00

Repair Service Fee

Quantity: 2

Net Price : 65.00

Total Price: 130.00

Tax

0.00

Shipping Cost

0.00

Total Amount

705.00

Discount

705.00

Total Payment (USD$)

0.00

You read that right. It could have cost me $705.00, but it cost me nada. Zilch. The big goose egg. Hmmmm…. I wonder what also costs about $705? That is a discussion for another time though.

What is not a discussion for another time is how amazing DJI’s Customer Service is. I was very impressed and I was glad that I decided to go with DJI when I decided to take a stab at aerial photography.

Yesterday at approximately 4:05 PM I was reunited with Rodan139. Now that I am complete again, I feel I can share a couple of pictures taken from that last fateful flight that ended in carnage of twisted wire and broken plastic.

Yesterday it was a little windy, so I took Rodan139 out for another very shorty maiden voyage.

The last picture I took in my backyard as I wanted to test a night photography setting.

I definitely was the most nervous I have ever been on one of these little flights. In particular, there was a moment when I was out at the Harrier Marsh when Rodan139 was surrounded by a flock of birds. Visions of a bird smashing it to it and it tumbling to the ground danced in my head. I quickly rose above the birds, but I was shocked out how close they came to it. A mental note was made for future trips out to Harrier.

The weather on Saturday and Sunday does look promising. Although Saturday, Baby Got Rack might be doing a little research project. Oh… I’ve said too much.

*At this time, there will not be a review of the tenderloin. While I have very good perspective on what is actual tragedy and what is just “well that sucks”, I still wasn’t in the proper state of mind to properly assess the tenderloin.

THE GOOD

THE BAD

THE UGLY

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THE GOOD

THE BAD

THE UGLY

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THE GOOD

THE BAD

THE UGLY

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THE GOOD

THE BAD

THE UGLY

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