Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Thanh Linh

The first time I ended up at Thanh Linh vietnamese restaurant, 1223 W. Main Street in Peoria, was by chance. We were trying to have a Thursday night birthday dinner for my friend at One World, and to our surprise, the wait was going to be one hour.
We decided to try Thanh Linh, right down the street.
The decor is pastels, and maybe a little bit dated, but otherwise OK.
I ordered pad thai, because that seemed to be the popular choice around the table and I wasn't sure what else to get. The dish was fine, but probably not quite my thing.
Several months later, I visited Thanh Linh for lunch and was hooked. They feature a lunch buffet during the week, with several entrees, appetizers, rices, soups and some dessert items. I have liked every dish I have tried from the buffet, from a chicken lo mein to pork dumplings (good with the brown sauce) to curry chicken to a ground chicken dish with peppers, onions and basil. There are usually a couple of chicken dishes and one beef.
The crab rangoon is also very good, and I try to limit myself to one. Especially because I have to save room for the pudding, a banana tapioca. The first time I tried this, I was hesitant. I do like a good tapioca, but I'm hinky about bananas sometimes, and I could see some afloat in the vat. This pudding tasted awesome to me! It almost tastes like it's filled with banana booze.
There are also some cookie options for dessert, if boozy-tasting banana tapioca is not your thing.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Schooner's

I think it's high time I gave up some love for Schooner's.
Schooner's serves up large, well, schooners of ice cold beer, great wild (or mild, be sure to enunciate well) wings and garlic wings, burgers, turkey burgers, chicken sandwiches (including an awesome buffalo-style bird), excellent tempura-style onion rings and more. Plus, a huge king tenderloin which is served with four buns. Great for sharing, or a good pig out.
The garlic wings are one of my favorites, covered with chunks of minced garlic. I eat these babies at lunch and have no guilt of my garlic breath for the rest of the day. I'm an unabashed garlic lover.

I am most familiar with the cozy War Memorial Schooner's in Peoria Heights, but there is one in Morton as well, and I have been there, and a Bloomington location, which I have not visited. The Peoria location is my favorite, as it's more like home. One wall of the restaurant is covered with photos of people and their morel mushroom finds.
The Peoria location also features a decent-sized beer garden of sorts, filled with picnic tables and tall wooden tables.

Fairy ring?

This weekend, StfRon and I headed to Bishop Hill for some shopping and lunch, and some geocaching in the area.
Some of my ancestors settled in the area, so we stopped at the La Fayette cemetery on the way back to see if any familiar names were to be found. I did find a handful, so I will have to see if I can fit them into my family tree.
On a strange note, we noticed two rather large almost perfect circles of mushrooms growing in the grass in the cemetery. The grass where the mushrooms sprouted was darker green than the surrounding grass.
StfRon said this is known as a fairy ring. I had never heard of such a thing. I snapped a picture of one of the rings, but I wish there had been something to stand on so I could have had a better vantage point.

Friday, July 27, 2007

RiverPlex

I am not a member of the RiverPlex Recreation and Wellness Center, located at 600 NE Water St. in Peoria. However, I have taken advantage of their yoga classes. It's on my way home, and convenient with my work schedule.
For $6 per class (you can receive a discount on this if you purchase a punch card) you can participate in various fitness classes at the RiverPlex. In addition to yoga, they also offer body pump, tai chi and more. Click here to visit their web site and download a class schedule.
The site also features an indoor pool, playground equipment, workout equipment, massages, birthday parties, and a pro shop featuring coffee, smoothies and snacks.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Panache

Panache is a great choice for coffee, lunch and even dinner and live music.
Located in Sheridan Village in Peoria, Panache features specials each day. Last time I was in, I had a veggie wrap with hummus, wrapped in a spinach tortilla. Very good. They also have great soups, sandwiches, casseroles and more.
While there, you can take advantage of the wireless network while lounging on a cozy couch.
Many times I cannot pass up the gelato case on my way out. They have six or eight flavors each time.
Gelato not your thing? Scope out the dessert case and you should find something to tickle your taste buds.

September, 2011 — Panache has closed.

Ohio and Indiana

We mostly blew through Ohio, but did stop to see the house where some filming for A Christmas Story was completed. It was fun. I'll have to see what I recognize next time I watch the movie.

We made it right across the border into Indiana to stay Sunday night. We arrived at 9 p.m. and saw the sign for our hotel lounge, which looked promising, and was noted to be open until 11 p.m. Wrong. The clerk told us they had just closed.
We decided to go buy a bottle of wine and stay in. We hit Kroger and picked one out just as they were closing. We stood in line behind a couple buying some stuff and cigarettes, and they had to debate which cigarettes to buy. Once they were satisfied and told the total, then they starting writing out their check. There were about 10 people behind us at this point, and of course this was the only checkout lane open.
Finally, our turn. Wrong. Apparently in Indiana you cannot purchase booze on Sundays. So we got our ibuprofen and gum and slunk back to our hotel.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Pennsylvania

On the way to Pennsylvania, we stopped for lunch at a diner along the Interstate, the Blue Colony Diner in CT. This huge building is a newer diner. I tried the spinach pie here, but it was no match for the Quay Street Brewing Company. I also had a cup of lemon chicken soup with orzo. This was different, and very lemony.

We were shocked by the beauty of Pennsylvania. The hills, mountains and trees are just stunning along the Interstate.
We stopped in Scranton and thought we might see the welcome sign from the beginning of The Office TV show, but no go. We went to the mall, and it was pretty heavy with teenagers.
We were hungry and thought we wouldn't be able to wait to get to Williamsport, where we would spend the night, so we hit a place called Blackbeard's Cove in Bloomgsburg, a slightly nautical themed restaurant. I guess they're known for seafood in the area. I had the flounder dipped in egg and prepared with lemon and white wine. It was quite good. The sides were OK.
StfRon chose the prime rib. The place was pretty desolate on a Saturday night at 6 p.m., and this may be normal, as we later found out that on Saturdays the prime rib is cooked ahead and cooled, then warmed when someone orders it. StfRon had ordered it medium rare, and the steak came out with no pink visible. He asked if there was a more rare piece, and the cook came out and explained the situation. He said he would do his best, and did send out a piece that had a hint of pink, but it was not as tender as most prime ribs are served.
They obviously don't have a lot of call for prime rib Saturdays, so they are trying to keep food costs down.
Our waitress was friendly and prompt. And the cook did check back to make sure we were doing OK.

After checking into our hotel at Williamsport, we were given a recommendation to visit Franco's Lounge for cocktails. This small restaurant/lounge was retro and fun. And they also said they allow smoking after 9:30 p.m., something missing from our trip thus far. No one had allowed smoking anywhere else we had been, and StfRon likes to smoke a cigar now and then.
Franco's had a decent selection of wines, and at 9:30 they broke out several hookahs, strange smoking contraptions filled with sweet smelling tobacco. A few people tried them, but no one was going to town. The smoke did smell nice.
We also talked to a gent sitting at the bar who told us a bit about the area. The lumber trade in the area in the early 1900s made a large number of people in Williamsport millionaires. There is a five block stretch of beautiful millionaire homes downtown. Actually, the whole downtown is quite neat, having preserved many old buildings for new uses. There's even a nightclub in an old stone prison, appropriately dubbed the Cell Block.
Williamsport is also apparently the founding area of the Little League, and they host the world championship each year.

New Hampshire and Maine

Our first night, we took a recommendation from our hotel and had dinner at the Barley House in Concord, NH.
Our waiter started us out with some crispy breadsticks and pretzel sticks and a small dish of hummus to dip them in. Interesting, and good.
For dinner I tried the parmesan crusted chicken with marsala marinara. Awesome and cheesy.
After a debate with the waiter, StfRon braved the ribs. Being a picky rib gourmand, he proclaimed them very good.
During conversation with the waiter, it had come up that we were in the area on our honeymoon. Near the end of our dinner, he delivered us a small bottle of champagne and two toasting glasses. It was a nice, appreciated touch.

The next morning, we headed a bit outside of Portsmouth to see the lighthouse. We could actually see three from here.
We then drove into Maine. We stopped in York to see Nubble lighthouse. The weather was gorgeous while we were there. The lighthouse was majestic upon it's rocky perch.
We hit The Pilot House restaurant in Kennebunk for lunch and StfRon finally tried some fish. He had the haddock, blackened. I had crab cakes, which were very good. I thought tarter sauce sounded a little lame to top them with, but this was the best tartar sauce I've ever had; not the same old Illinois tarter.

For dinner, we were able to hit another restaurant I have been to before: The Common Man. There are several of these in New Hampshire, the first opened in 1971, and both times I have eaten there (at the Concord location) I have been fully impressed.
The restaurant is in a large, barn-style building.
We were told there was a half hour wait, so we headed upstairs to the lounge. The bartender there was a friendly chap, and encouraged us to go ahead and eat at the bar if we liked. We decided "why not"?
We started with the brie portabella, a large mushroom stuffed with brie and topped with apple glaze and candied walnuts, then warmed. Excellent.
For dinner, I was torn between a special of prime rib topped with two shrimp scampi, or the pork tenderloin, with honey bacon vinaigrette served on a bed of beet greens and topped with salsa. I asked the bartender, and he recommended the pork, which was also $6 less than the special. The pork was succulent and juicy and I enjoyed every bite. It was also served with orzo.
StfRon chose the regular prime rib, sans scampi. He pronounced it perfectly prepared and delicious.
We did partake in dessert, StfRon the creme brulee duo: white chocolate and regular, and I the white chocolate bread pudding.
On our way out, I also noticed the crackers and dips by the front entrance, which we had missed. What a great treat to offer people while they wait! I had to snag a sample of at least one. It was a dip made from cottage cheese and some type of vinegar and oil with herbs. Very nice.
The staff was wonderful. Each time we considered a new wine, they would offer us a sample, and StfRon got to sample the port as well.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

New York State & Massachusetts

We've had a lot of road time the past few days.
New York state provided us with free Wi-Fi along the thruway, which was great. Why can't Illinois do this? Tack on a small tax for all items purchased at Illinois Interstate oases and pay for public Wi-Fi.

Wednesday afternoon we hit Rochester, NY and went in search of the Highland Park Diner, an original 1948 art-deco styled diner. The place was cool, the service friendly and the food was good. We even tried the apple pie because apparently Conde Nast voted in best apple pie a few years back. It was good, but I won't say it was the best apple pie I've ever had.
We then searched out the Old Toad in town, an English pub where all the employees speak with British accents. That, combined with the decor, really makes you feel like you stepped out of the US.

Wednesday night we stayed in East Greenbush, NY. We went in search of dinner rather late. Due to a recommendation from our hotel, we ended up at Moscatiello's in Troy, NY.
Mama mia! We enjoyed a bottle of Cigarzin wine with our dinner and ordered a Neopolitan pizza, my half with basil and garlic and StfRon's half with homemade sausage and onions. This pie was wonderful!
They also ployed us with homemade bread loaves and we chose to try the bruschetta, which was good, but not the best we've ever had.
We stuffed ourselves silly on this pizza pie.
The decor reminded me a bit of 1980's style or Florida style, but the food and service was great.

On to Massachusetts, and we had to hit one of my chains, Legal Seafoods. We arrived around lunchtime, and I was dismayed to see that the grilled everything tuna was not on the menu. I tried the salmon instead, and it was very good. I've not had salmon in a long time, due to some bad salmon samplings, but this was primo.

Our next foray is into New Hampshire.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Michigan and Canada

We made it through Michigan and into Canada.
Sunday night we hit Mackinaw City, and Monday took the ferry to Mackinac Island. It really does smell like horse manure and fudge all over this island.
We managed to find a geocache after much walking, and we were kicking ourselves for not renting bikes.
We then hit the Pink Pony for lunch, recommended by some friends. I had the BBQ pork sandwich, with a mustard-based sauce, accompanied by the cucumber salad. The pork was good but the salad was a little watery. I also had a creme brulee martini to wash things down with.
While waiting for our food, which took a while, we found out that a regatta race was headed to the island, which would pack the place, so we grabbed a slice of fudge from Ryba's and hit the ferry.
On the ride back, we got a better view of the Round Island lighthouse. What a pretty day!

Monday night we spent in Port Huron. Our hotel recommended the Quay Street Brewing Company, so we headed down there. We were seated on the deck, and enjoyed dinner there. I ordered the spinach pie, wrapped in phyllo dough. It was wonderful, filled with feta and ricotta cheese. StfRon ordered the fish and chips, two huge planks of fish. He could only eat part of one.
Nearby, we noticed a place called the Vintage Tavern. We went inside, and found a new bar, with an emphasis on wine. They feature flights of wine, small glasses of four wines set in a nice tiered rack for $7. The wine features change from time-to-time. I tried the red wine flight. All the wines were excellent. The food menu here also looked very interesting, but the kitchen was closed, and we had also just eaten.
We spoke to a guy seated at the bar who worked at the Coney Island in Port Huron. He said they have a great breakfast, so we checked it out Tuesday morning. StfRon liked the idea of hot dogs for breakfast. He had the coney dogs. I tried a bite, and it was very good, with a nice snap to the skin of the dog. I had a combo breakfast with eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, toast and potatoes. The prices were great and while we were there, the place really started bustling. The one waitress and cook were doing a bang up job.

After that, it was off to Ontario. A quick pass through at the border, and we were off.
We found a geocache near a park & ride parking lot to dump off the Canadian Jeep travel bug.
Lunch was crappy, Harvey's burgers. I'll have to check into them. Their slogan is It's a Beautiful Thing, which suspiciously reminded me of Blimpie. I did not like the meat in this burger at all.
Once we hit Niagara Falls in Ontario, StfRon was hooked. The falls were beautiful. And the tourist area abounds with haunted houses and wax museums and arcades and more (oh, my!). So, we decided to spend the night. We booked a room and noticed a cool looking German restaurant across from our hotel, the Happy Wanderer. We headed there for dinner. Our service was rather slow, and we were disappointed to see that they did not have a bar, though they did have alcohol. Our food was plentiful, good and hot.
After that, we went looking for someplace to have a drink near the hotel. This brought us into the casino attached to the Renaissance/Hilton. We walked through the casino, and StfRon said he had never been in a casino before. I said, "What about the Par-a-Dice" and he said that didn't count.
This casino was crystal clear — no smoking here. You can see from wall to wall with no haze blocking your view. I also noticed a hint of vanilla in the air, which I had heard will make you want to spend more money. We weren't interested in gambling, though. We headed to the 365 lounge in the back, and had a drink there.
The next morning, we went in search of breakfast. Our hotel had a restaurant that was advertising a $7.99 buffet, so we headed there. There was a line out the door.
Outside, we saw a restaurant with a banner for a $6.99 buffet. The buffet was outdoors and seagulls were flying around. The steam tables were covered, but StfRon balked at the idea that a seagull could crap on the food.
Across the street, we saw a Perkins advertising $5.99 breakfasts. We headed there, and sat outdoors. We found no sign of the $5.99 breakfasts, and ended up not even asking about it. The cheapest breakfast on the menu was close to $8. We ended up having eggs benedict and French toast with two tiny orange juices that cost us $35 before tip! WTF?? For that price, there'd better be some champagne in the OJ.
That pretty much cashed out Canada. New York, here we come!

Monday, July 16, 2007

We pulled it off!

Yes, we're hitched! The Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding is behind us. As StfRon's brother-in-law put it, we pulled it off!
Despite some bumps along the way, everything went wonderfully. The weather cooperated beautifully.
We hightailed it north to the UP Sunday afternoon. Along the way, we decided to stop for some take out, and what could be more appropriate than pasties? We found a restaurant called Rosies At Tylenes along our route and ordered two pasties and two iced teas.
It took probably 15 minutes for the pasties to be prepared. And man, were they huge! The nice, flaky pastry was filled with beef, carrots, potatoes and rootabagas and was piping hot, served with a side of brown gravy and creamy cole slaw. We ended up sharing one since they were so large.
The service was very friendly and the restaurant had older decor, a nice hangout for the locals or a quick bite. Plus, the free Wi-Fi was a great bonus.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Takin the show on the road

Tomorrow morning we are hitting the road for our Saturday Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding. Sunday, we plan to head north to Mackinaw City and Island, and Monday we're bound for the east coast.
I won't be blogging locally for a week or two, but I hope to find some great places on the road to blog about during , or maybe just blog about our trip.
If you know of any places we should check out in Wisconsin, Michigan, New York state or points beyond along the east coast, let me know!

Oliver's Pizza & Pub

StfRon and I stopped in to check out Oliver's Pizza and Pub, 1231 E. Samuel Ave. in Peoria Heights one Sunday. I had been to Oliver's once when it was near the GrandView Hotel.
We were greeted by some fairly loud country music when we walked in (not our thing) but the bartender offered to turn it down, which she did. After a couple of country songs, the music changed to other jukebox hits.
The decor at Oliver's is very rustic and has a neighborhood feel. I noticed they have a deck with tables and chairs, so they should be all set if a smoking ban is enacted.
A couple of older gents came in, separately, while we were in, one to play video games while he sipped a beer, and another who sat at the bar, watched some sports, and drank a five minute beer, then dashed out the door.
We each ordered a personal pizza. Mine was the Hawaiian, StfRon chose one with onion, pepperoni and sausage. Oliver's boats a three cheese blend on all of their pizzas.
The three cheeses were mild, and I'm not sure mozzarella was one of the three. I prefer a more salty, buttery cheese myself, but this was good. The crust was thin and very light and crispy.
StfRon had some Samuel Adams brews, I stuck with iced tea.
The bartender waited on us, and our service was prompt and friendly.
I noticed that Saturdays Oliver's boasts karaoke and Tuesdays they serve tacos for $1.25. They also have live music on weekends.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Nick-N-Willy's Pizza

OK, so they are not exactly local, but their concept is unique enough, and I don't think they are putting great Mom and Pop pizza joints out of business...
Nick-N-Willy's, with locations in Peoria in the Metro Centre, and off Allen Rd. near the Super Sh!it-Mart, is known for the take & bake pizza concept. You pick up a pre-made pie, toss it in your oven when you get home, and you have fresh gourmet pizza on the table in no time flat.
Dining in, you used to get served a large slice of pizza. Must have been some complaints on the portions or something, because now you get a personal pizza when you dine in. My favorites include the Big Kahuna and the Outback (mmm...bacon).
There are so many great topping combinations to choose from. Nick-N-Willy's also has great salad selections and unique sandwiches. Plus, they carry a huge cookie you can take and bake.

While I'm blogging an N business, I want to give some kudos to Nikki's Cookies of Milwaukee. I was on a quest to find something local, but not perishable, to put in some welcome baskets for distribution at the hotel for our Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding. While in the Milwaukee Public Market, I finally spotted it: Nikki's Cookies! Made in Milwaukee and preservative free to boot! I got online when we got home and ended up ordering them direct from Nikki's Cookies website. They have lemon shortbread cookies, cinnamon butterfly cookies and even Key Lime shortbread cookies, to name a few. I have seen these cookies from time-to-time locally, mostly at tea room gift shops and the like.
I placed an order, and also threw in some toffee cookies for my dad. My order arrived neatly packed a few short days later, complete with ice packs for the toffee cookies, and a handwritten note. In this day and age of Internet shopping, it's rare to see a handwritten note.
In my ordering frenzy, I hadn't realized that the toffee cookies were considered "chocolates" and you are supposed to order a $5 ice pack to keep them cool during shipping in warm months. The note simply stated that they had added the ice pack free of charge to make sure my cookies arrived in the best condition possible, and reminded me that for future orders I should add an ice pack. I appreciated them taking the extra effort to make sure I was pleased with my purchase.
Of course, I sampled a pack of the cookies as well, to make sure no one would be disappointed. Very good!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Messing Construction

Looks like we are about ready to make some major home improvements. Yay!
Today we have Messing Construction of Peoria coming out to give us a quote on siding, windows, soffits, gutters and some curved cement stairs, if they do cement work.
We have used Messing Construction for some repairs before. Some genius had built a side porch entry onto our house before we bought it, and had not supported it properly. Hence, this porch was sagging in the outer corner. Messing came in and supported the porch properly from the bottom, and hoisted it back up where it should be.
I'm thrilled with the prospect of new siding. Ever since we bought the house, I've had an idea in my mind as to what this house could be, and now I feel like it's almost within reach. We'll start with a quote from Messing, and get a couple more quotes, too.
Here's hoping the cost is not double what I expect!

Monday, July 09, 2007

Landmark Café & Creperie

I had an event to attend in Monmouth this weekend, so I took advantage of the drive and stopped for some shopping in Galesburg.
My event provided lunch, but when I drove by the Landmark Café & Creperie on Seminary Street in Galesburg, I felt a sense of loss at having not been able to eat there this time.
I have enjoyed lunch at the Landmark dozens of times over the years while doing some work in town. The owner, Phil, has always made me feel welcome as a lone diner, and I've never felt out of place in this quaint restaurant.
I have enjoyed looking at the antique toys and trinkets arranged near the ceiling along the back wall.
And I've always enjoyed the food. The Landmark, serving Galesburg for almost 30 years, offers several meal and dessert crepes, in addition to great soups, sandwiches, hummus, roasted garlic and a featured quiche and coffee each day.
I have tried the tuna crepe, which was actually quite good. My typical meal is the Healthy sandwich with a cup of spinach bisque, the Landmark's signature soup. I'm always thrilled when the viennese with cinnamon is the coffee of the day, but the cherry coke is a great second. They make it themselves with cherry syrup and top it with a cherry.
You can also order bean or ground coffee to take and enjoy at home.
Even better, on a nice day, you can enjoy your meal on their brick patio swimming with ivy and potted plants.
On the rare occasion when I have room, or occasion for dessert, the crepes cannot be beat. These are big enough to share, or you can get a half order. They even have a turtle crepe. Mmm.
I certainly miss my once or twice a month visits to Galesburg, and the Landmark is one of the places that tops my list.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Khaki Jack's

I used to hang out in Khaki Jack's years ago, drinking something called cactus juice with a friend of mine. These were the days when I worked on the north end of Peoria, so it was close, and a great place to hang out after work.
I don't make it to Khaki Jack's, 7221 N. Allen Rd., Peoria, as much now, since I've moved across the river, but when I do, the food is still great. Where else can you go for a nice ostrich burger and never-ending galvanized buckets of peanuts on every table?
Khaki's also features more traditional burgers, pizza, grilled chicken strips, a tuna steak sandwich which you can order with a side of olive spread, and a mean, greasy basket of fries. These skin on fries are enough to share, if you're not feeling too piggy.
I also dig the pickles they serve with sandwiches, and the olive spread makes a great topping for the tuna steak sandwich.
It can get pretty loud in there at times, with the high ceilings, but it's a nice, friendly place to grab some grub.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

InPlay

Downtown Peoria is home to the first InPlay, packed with arcade games and more.
Play racing games, air hockey, Skee Ball, Bowlingo, climb the 27 foot rock wall, or try your hand at the Giant Stacker, quite an addictive game.
Use the Photo Morph to see what your virtual child could look like. I'll have to post ours. It looks like a real kid! StfRon says he's ugly, but I don't think so.
They have the new Rockin' Bowl-O-Rama game, which is pretty cool.
Located at 316 SW Washington Street, InPlay is a fun place for kids' birthday parties, too, especially on those hot or rainy days. You can get pizza, soda and game cards for a great price.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill

One of the newer crazes to hit Central Illinois appears to be stir fry cooked in sight on grills, such as FlatTop Grill, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, Yamamoto and Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill.
Hi-Ho is located in Sheridan Village shopping center in Peoria. There is also a Quad Cities location.
After you sit down and order your drinks, you can head up to the raw buffet to pick out your fixins. Select your bowl. I always go with the little khan. Starving? Go for the barbarian, which is all you can eat. Be sure to pile your food up high in your bowl, because cooking will shrink it down some.
Choose from an array of vegetables including mini-corn ears, carrots, water chestnuts, broccoli, peppers and more. Add tofu, chicken, beef, pork or seafood. Choose your noodle.
Ladle on plenty of sauce. There are guides to help you with this. It always seems like too much to put on, but once it is put on the grill, a lot of it cooks away.
I always ladle on plenty of garlic, then shake on some sesame seeds for good measure.
Pass your bowl off to one of the grill meisters, and you're set. While you watch, they will masterfully grill it on their large, round grill, and deliver it back to you.
Your meal also includes rice and miso soup.
This is not a fancy restaurant, but it is quick and you get to customize your meal exactly the way you like it.
Find out more at http://www.hihogrill.com.

April 2010 — Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill has closed

Monday, July 02, 2007

Galesburg Antique Mall

I've enjoyed shopping in Galesburg for probably 12 years or more. The Seminary Street area is so quaint and full of unique stuff, and it's only gotten better over the years.
I remember the Galesburg Antique Mall, on the corner of E. Main Street, this beautiful red building with the copper turret-like corner, from years ago. I would make my way to the upper floor and stand in the turret and daydream of having the whole floor as my personal apartment.
The mall is full of great furniture, antique silver, collectibles, garden accents and much more.
You can easily spend an hour browsing in this historic building.