I love finding good eats right under my nose. I am always tickled when I find a good fish fry near by I have not been to yet. What's more, until recently, I never even heard of CarTUNES Grill & Bar. They are tucked down on the north side of Beloit on Prairie Avenue. The small joint has been there in some capacity for around 20 years. They have survived the economy, and, a gaggle of fast food joints that checker the area near Beloit Hospital. The current owners have had the place about 10 years. As the name might indicate, there is a car theme. But, this night we were after the fish.
I must say, I did a couple of recognizance missions to the place prior to our fish endeavor and they present a dandy California Burger. I opted for the raw onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. I got a bit of avocado and mayo on the side. Fresh pickles came with the deal.
On another day, I tried a good bowl of chilli. I had to get the melted cheese, onions, and sour cream. The bartender doted over my orders on both occasions. They do have a happy hour if you pop in in the late afternoon.
On our Friday fish fry experience, our waitress also doted over our orders. I started the meal out with an order of baked French Onion soup with onion and cheese. Heide tried the creamy broccoli soup without cheese. Both presentations were a nice treat.
I ordered the deep fried chicken and fish combo. The bird was excellent, and they brought out two huge pieces. The deep fried Cod had that good dark, heavy batter I so covet in a fish dinner. I went traditional with an order of French fries as my side. Heide went for all deep fried Cod, but she got a baked potato. I tried a bit of the spud and it was cooked the way I like it - a few extra minutes until it turns a bit darker inside.
Two big cups of tart cole slaw came out with the meals. One thing that was a nice touch was the big seasoned and warm bread sticks that came with each plate.
CarTUNES is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at 2640 Prairie Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin. Call (608) 362 - 3362; or, visit their Web site at:
www.cartunesbeloit.com .
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Staff Sergeant Robert Joseph Basham, 22, Kenosha, Wisconsin, died Saturday, April 14, 2007 at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar. Basham was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 126th Field Artillery Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard out of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Several sources list his death as non-combat related. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Basham had volunteered for a second tour of duty in the Middle East war theater. He was first mobilized in 2005 for a year of service in Kuwait with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry. Soldiers from several units which included Basham's 126th Field Artillery, were assembled to join the 2nd Battalion,128th Infantry after it was activated for duty. When he was killed, Basham was working with a Kansas National Guard unit whose mission was in Iraq. Basham attained Staff Sergeant status at a relatively young age due to his leadership qualities. While he worked security for Camp Virginia in Kuwait, Basham was promoted to squad leader. The Journal Sentinel went on to mention that Basham attended field artillery school in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Basham became a forward observer in the 126th Field Artillery, where he helped direct fire when the battery was firing its large guns. Aside from Kuwait and Qatar, Staff Sergeant Basham participated in patrol duties in Iraq. The Web site iraq.pigstye.net (a data base for war casualties) noted via information from WFRV out of Kenosha, Wisconsin, that at the time of his death Robert Basham was at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar which is a base that provides rest and relaxation to soldiers who have served in Iraq. Qatar is a small emirate off Saudi Arabia. Wisconsin 2007 Senate Joint Resolution 63 notes Robert Basham was born on May 4, 1984. Robert was a 2002 graduate of the Kenosha Military academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There he achieved the rank of Cadet Battalion Commander and served on the Color Guard. At the time of his death, Robert Basham was survived by his parents Mitchell and Nora Basham; brothers Brian and Christopher; and, sister Jennifer Basham. Robert Basham was the 72nd Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Iraq since March of 2003. It was also noted that at the time, Basham was the eighth Wisconsin National Guardsman to die in the Iraq theater of war.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
98,691 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,780 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,432 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1379 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
827 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,988 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,240 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
103 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
24 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
144 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.
