Maryville, IL

Relocating to Maryville, IL? Get to Know Beautiful Drost Park.

Tucked away in the middle of Maryville, Illinois is a lovely oasis called Drost Park. Here's a picture of the centerpiece of the park, a seven-acre lake where residents and visitors can fish or just enjoy the view. Boats with electric trolling motors are allowed on the lake, but no gas-powered engines.

This charming little barn at Drost Park houses Master Gardener and other activities from time to time.

The village of Maryville and the University of Illinois extension office have created a Gift Garden at Drost Park. All produce grown in this garden is donated to local food pantries.

And participants in the Master Gardener program have created gorgeous flower beds.

There are three-miles of paved trails ringing Drost Park. Picnic pavilions, a bocce court, horseshoe pits and restroom facilities also are part of the park. The Madison County Transit Schoolhouse Trail intersects with the park, bringing groups of bicycle riders through the village.

Kid-ready playgrounds make the park fun for all ages. The village also screens family friendly movies throughout the summer months.

To learn more about Maryville's parks, visit the Maryville Parks and Recreation Department's website.

To search homes for sale and real estate in Maryville, Illinois, visit Goshen Realty Group's website.

Randy's House of Bar-B-Que Opens in Maryville, Illinois.

Whether you spell it "Barbecue," Bar-B-Que," "BBQ" or something altogether different, it still means smoky, meaty goodness and now it's waiting for you at a new restaurant in Maryville, Illinois.

If you've been around as long as I have, you'll remember the name "Randy" because of several previous restaurant incarnations over the years, primarily down the road from Maryville in Troy, Illinois. The name "Randy" has always meant great steaks, delicious Ranch dressing (yes, it's an odd thing to be famous for, but trust me) and now flavorful ribs, pulled pork, brisket and pulled chicken.

You'll find Randy's House of Barbecue in a small strip mall on IL-159 sandwiched (yes, it's a pun) in-between Bobby's Frozen Custard and the Red Apple Family Restaurant. The new place is a great addition to the Maryville dining scene.

On a recent visit our table of five sampled the pulled pork sandwiches, a barbecue salad topped with pulled pork and a rack of ribs. The ribs came to the table in their own cocoon of foil fresh from the smoker.

The meat is prepared with a dry rub and sauces are presented on the side. You can choose among the Competition sauce, the Hot sauce flavored with chipotle peppers or the sweet sauce. The ribs (pictured below) are tender and meaty, yet substantial. Real rib lovers will tell you that the ribs should bite back and not fall off the bone. That's exactly what's happening at Randy's.

By the way, Randy's boasts of winning seven American Royal International Reserve Championships (that's the big deal barbecue competition in Kansas City) and 27 other championships across the U.S. That's where the Competition sauce at Randy's gets its name.

Sides include potato salad (pronounced delicious by our table), baked beans and slaw. Oddly, a 12-inch pizza also graces the menu. It can be topped with sausage, pepperoni or chicken. A young woman at the table next to ours ordered one and told us it was terrific. We'll have to look forward to trying it ourselves at a later date.

There's nothing fancy at Randy's but the good food. Lunch or dinner comes on heavy-duty paper plates and the sides are in little to-go cups. Drinks are limited right now to a cooler filled with bottled sodas and water. Staff told us additional items would be added to the menu in the future.

Randy's is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., although they were open past 7 p.m. on this past Sunday when we visited. You can call them at 618-288--0227. They deliver.

Stop by Randy's next time you're in Maryville and try the BBQ for yourself. Tell them the Goshen Gourmet sent you!

There's a lot to love about Fall -- gorgeous leaves, blue skies and autumn festivals -- but not so lovable is the annual shuttering of a southwestern Illinois tradition.

So here's the bad news, Custard Lovers: You have just a little more than 24-hours to get to Bobby's Frozen Custard in Maryville, Illinois beforel the iconic treat shop closes for the winter.

Bobby's will shut off the custard machines and the neon lights for the winter at 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009.

You can stop by before then to stock up on quarts of frozen custard, concretes (custard shakes mixed with fruits, candies and toppings for you non-locals), Turtle Sundaes and -- of course -- caramel apples.

If you haven't had a Bobby's caramel apple, you're in for a treat. The crisp and tangy Granny Smith apples are the old-fashiond, hand-dipped kind you just can't find anymore. In fact, the apples are such a hit, Bobby has made a video about the process they use to create the gooey goodness. You can see the caramel apple video here.

Learn more at www.BobbysFrozenCustard.com. Bobby's is located at 2525 North Center Street (Highway 159) in Maryville, IL 62062. (That's between I-70 to the south and I-270 to the north.)

Red'z Rib Shack, Maryville's answer to Barbecue Heaven, is now closed.

The shack, located at the corner of Il 159 and 162, is being removed to make way for a new Walgreens. That's right, fans. No more megas, pork steaks, tacos or pizza for a while. Keep track of the Red'z gang to see where you can get their Q at special events or to watch for their next location, by clicking on http://www.redzribshack.com/.

Nancy has created the new web site as a community service to give Red'z customers a virtual gathering place while the restaurant is temporarily unavailable. You can leave comments, send pictures and shed a tear or two over the old menu.