Kutters Bar & Grill in Quincy, IL

Kutters Bar & Grill - Map
236 North Front Street
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 223-5888

Starving Auctioneers Rating: 3 1/2 Gavels out of 5

There are business trips and family trips; Shopping trips and wasted trips. Then there are ROAD TRIPS. The definition of a great road trip is when arriving at the destination is almost forgotten when one recounts the events that proceed it. Such was the case on an epic road trip untaken by David Helmer and Peter Gehres one December week. The trip began with a simple premise: collect a number of items David had purchased from Sullivan Auctioneers. Over time it morphed in to a five state romp visiting auctioneers, buyers, sellers in the heart of the auctioneering world: The Midwest. The best visual would be General Sherman’s march to the sea if he had a minivan.

First stop was for Peter and was to an auction customer in Illinois to deliver some items purchased from a recent Belhorn Pottery Auction. Then it was on to meet the Sullivan Auctioneers. There we collected David’s purchases, a very retro but very cool auction company calendar and some spiffy new Sullivan Auctioneer hats. We took a brief self guided tour of their impressive facility before asking for the best local food. We were directed to Kutters Bar & Grill in nearby Quincy, Illinois. After a wrong turn took us to Iowa and Missouri which offered few food choices but a couple of crossings over the Mississippi we stopped at a transmission shop to ask for directions. It was a bit embarrassing given we had a GPS on board. It was just before Christmas and the journey brought us in touch with the story of the Three Kings. Although we were just starving and would have likely only brought a doggie bag of French fries had we been in charge all those years ago.

Kutters is located as close the Mississippi as one can comfortably get and stay dry. We arrived after the lunch rush and had the place to ourselves and the stag (see picture). We ordered the nachos and the fish platter and were impressed with both. On hindsight though the nachos may have been overrated given it was the only thing we had to eat since dinner the night before. Throughout the meal David attempted to sound like a local and insisted on referring the river outside as the “mighty Mississip” and the effort understandably impressed no one. The service was good and the one could imagine the bar and grill hoping at lunch or dinner.

The next day our trip took us back to a Starving Auctioneers favorite: The Town Tavern in Auburn, Indiana for a power lunch with the Brothers Kruse. Along the way home be visited some potential clients, tractor dealerships in search of rare toys and enjoyed some local pizza while watching Monday Night Football. In the end it was a perfect trip that won’t likely ever be repeated and is one of those events in your life that is a collection of normal activities that lead to extraordinary memories.

Town Tavern in Auburn, IN

Auburn's Town Tavern - Map
1343 South Main Street
Auburn, IN 46706
(260) 925-0555

Strarving Auctioneers Rating: 4 Gavels out of 5

On a cold Monday in December there is not much going on in Auburn, Indiana. The crops are off and the locals are getting ready for Christmas. However on this December morning the 220nd class of the Reppert School of Auctioneering was in session and Peter was presenting Ohio Auction Law and a discussion of Auction Technology to a classroom full of auctioneering students from across the country, Canada and South Africa. As you might expect after a morning of talking and often talking fast Peter developed a mighty appetite. Tim Kruse, Vice President of Reppert (and friend from CAI) knew just the place: Auburn’s Town Tavern.

The Town Tavern is as local as local gets. Looking like a converted home The Town Tavern is a continuous tread that often binds small communities together. An institution in Auburn there really was only once choice for lunch and that was the fried fish with mashed potatoes. That is what we all ordered. Sometimes local joints survive on a lack of competition. This place survives on fried fish and tartar sauce and lightening fast service. I could have gone for seconds but that is never cool on a business lunch. The company was of course great, a mix of auction school students, Tim, his brother Daniel and an intuition at Reppert’s Ron Chaffee the Dean of Instruction. Our table looked like a bunch of Lumber jacks eating the first meal after clearing half a forest rather than a bunch of guys who had just spent the morning talking auctions. I was surprised the waitress was able to keep the drink glasses full without getting bitten.

The students and Ron had to leave in order to be back in time for the afternoon session and that left Peter and the brothers Kruse to enjoy peanut butter pie and catch the opening segment of The Young and Restless coming on in a TV in the corner.

UPDATE (December 2009): David Helmer, the Kruse Brothers and Peter found themselves eating at The Town Tavern again just over a week later when David and Peter concluded their Rampage Road Trip 2009 with a visit to Auburn and Kruse Auction Park to pick up items purchased at an auction there over the weekend. We are happy to report the same great food, service and soap operas.

UPDATE (July 2010): Starving Auctioneers returned yet again to the Town Tavern for another great meal. On hand were Tim Kruse, Jack Christy, Ron Chaffee, Peter D. Gehres, Dennis Kruse and students from the lastest class of the Reppert School of Auctioneering. The Tavern is fast becoming the go to place.