This week I looked forward to going to a newer restaurant in East Peoria for lunch, but things didn't work out my way.
Instead, I ended up downtown at the Adams Street Café in Peoria, which is no sacrifice.
Walking in a little past the lunch rush, 12:30 or so, I noticed chicken and wild rice soup in a bread bowl as one of the specials, so I placed my order, only to find out they were out of bread bowls.
I went with a back up choice of a "twist on tuna": tuna salad with bacon and cheese on a croissant, and chose the homemade deli chips as my side.
The tuna salad was very good, spiced with a fair dose of black pepper, and this lunch came accompanied by the chips and a nice pickle spear.
For my dining pleasure, Willy Wonka was playing on DVD on the screen over the side counter, with Gene Wilder as the star.
I eyed the dessert lineup several times, from the lemon cake to some awesome looking cookie/brownie bars, but held off for the time being.
I'll be back soon enough.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Long weeks and long winters
I've had about enough of the cold weather. And this week seems extraordinarily long, but now that it's Thursday, that should help.
To break up the monotony of my week, I went out to lunch a couple of times so far.
Earlier in the week I headed to Naturally Yours in Peoria's Metro Centre to check out some gum I saw on their blog, and to peruse the meat selection. I like to support meat that is grain fed and hormone free whenever possible.
I did find some hamburger to try, and noticed that Amish chickens were on sale for $2.99 a pound. I might stop back in to get one. The meat selection was a little overwhelming, since no weights were marked on the packages, and the price per pound is listed on a sheet nearby. The tubes of hamburger, however, were marked as one pound, so I went with one of those for now.
Since I was there during lunch, I figured I'd grab a sandwich. I went with the gardenburger, trying to be a little healthy, and since they were sold out of some sort of hickory sandwich, which sounded good. The gardenburger came served on a nice multigrain bun, and I had it topped with onions, mustard, ketchup and lettuce. The patty was fried in some sort of light oil, and tasted like a gardenbuger, crispy on the outside with a meatloaf-like texture inside. The ketchup was a nice kick. It tasted like the freshest ketchup I've ever had.
I chose the pasta salad to go with my burger, which was multi-colored bow tie pasta topped with a little bit of herbs, and not much else in the way of seasoning.
The lunch ran me about $5.49. My only regret? That I didn't think to grab a nice juice or something to go with.
I tried the gum after lunch, and it gets a thumbs up from me. The fruit flavor reminds me of Chicklets fruit gum.
Yesterday I headed out to Vallarta's on University Street in Peoria for lunch.
It turns out Wednesday is special #7 day. Lucky #7 is an enchilada of your choice with beans and rice. The lunch specials run $4.50. With chips and salsa, plus and iced tea and tip, I squeaked this lunch in at $8, which made me feel pretty good. It's hard to find a sit down lunch for under $10 anymore.
There were a couple of servers working, and they kept up a brisk pace. I was in and out in well under an hour.
To break up the monotony of my week, I went out to lunch a couple of times so far.
Earlier in the week I headed to Naturally Yours in Peoria's Metro Centre to check out some gum I saw on their blog, and to peruse the meat selection. I like to support meat that is grain fed and hormone free whenever possible.
I did find some hamburger to try, and noticed that Amish chickens were on sale for $2.99 a pound. I might stop back in to get one. The meat selection was a little overwhelming, since no weights were marked on the packages, and the price per pound is listed on a sheet nearby. The tubes of hamburger, however, were marked as one pound, so I went with one of those for now.
Since I was there during lunch, I figured I'd grab a sandwich. I went with the gardenburger, trying to be a little healthy, and since they were sold out of some sort of hickory sandwich, which sounded good. The gardenburger came served on a nice multigrain bun, and I had it topped with onions, mustard, ketchup and lettuce. The patty was fried in some sort of light oil, and tasted like a gardenbuger, crispy on the outside with a meatloaf-like texture inside. The ketchup was a nice kick. It tasted like the freshest ketchup I've ever had.
I chose the pasta salad to go with my burger, which was multi-colored bow tie pasta topped with a little bit of herbs, and not much else in the way of seasoning.
The lunch ran me about $5.49. My only regret? That I didn't think to grab a nice juice or something to go with.
I tried the gum after lunch, and it gets a thumbs up from me. The fruit flavor reminds me of Chicklets fruit gum.
Yesterday I headed out to Vallarta's on University Street in Peoria for lunch.
It turns out Wednesday is special #7 day. Lucky #7 is an enchilada of your choice with beans and rice. The lunch specials run $4.50. With chips and salsa, plus and iced tea and tip, I squeaked this lunch in at $8, which made me feel pretty good. It's hard to find a sit down lunch for under $10 anymore.
There were a couple of servers working, and they kept up a brisk pace. I was in and out in well under an hour.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Weekend update
It's Monday, so we're back to the daily grind. At least we had an enjoyable weekend.
Saturday we stopped in at Khaki Jacks in Peoria where I enjoyed an ostrich burger and StfRon had a taz burger. I love the pickles they serve there, and they also have very good French fries. I also gained some omega-3s while waiting for my meal because I couldn't resist having a couple of handfuls of peanuts from the bucket on our table.
Sunday we had Chicago dogs at Vertucci's Chicago Style Eats in East Peoria. The Sunday special was a Chi-town dog and chips for $3.75, which tided us over until a nice dinner at my parents' house; coq au vin and chocolate rum bundt cake. My mom also whipped up a killer salad from a Paula Deen cookbook we gave her for Christmas, with hearts of palm, walnuts and strawberries, topped with an excellent balsamic dressing.
We did make a stop at Maurie's in Pekin for some candy. They have great toffee, and they also carry one of my favorites, the Trolli gummi raspberries.
We noticed a new sign and some activity at the former Katie's Café in Washington for a place called Maria's that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We hope to check it out shortly after they open.
Leading up to the weekend, I did get to enjoy lunch at the Penguin Tap in Peoria Heights. I tried the special, a cup of chicken noodle soup chock full of carrots, celery and noodles and a roast beef sandwich, served with mayo and pickles for $5.25.
StfRon and I also stopped in at Thanh Linh in Peoria for the buffet late in the week. The place was packed even at 11:45, but we got a table fairly quickly and the buffet was well stocked.
I also ordered hot tea, which was a surprising floral blend served in a porcelain tea pot. It was very good, and I was hesitant to give up our table before the whole pot was gone.
Saturday we stopped in at Khaki Jacks in Peoria where I enjoyed an ostrich burger and StfRon had a taz burger. I love the pickles they serve there, and they also have very good French fries. I also gained some omega-3s while waiting for my meal because I couldn't resist having a couple of handfuls of peanuts from the bucket on our table.
Sunday we had Chicago dogs at Vertucci's Chicago Style Eats in East Peoria. The Sunday special was a Chi-town dog and chips for $3.75, which tided us over until a nice dinner at my parents' house; coq au vin and chocolate rum bundt cake. My mom also whipped up a killer salad from a Paula Deen cookbook we gave her for Christmas, with hearts of palm, walnuts and strawberries, topped with an excellent balsamic dressing.
We did make a stop at Maurie's in Pekin for some candy. They have great toffee, and they also carry one of my favorites, the Trolli gummi raspberries.
We noticed a new sign and some activity at the former Katie's Café in Washington for a place called Maria's that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We hope to check it out shortly after they open.
Leading up to the weekend, I did get to enjoy lunch at the Penguin Tap in Peoria Heights. I tried the special, a cup of chicken noodle soup chock full of carrots, celery and noodles and a roast beef sandwich, served with mayo and pickles for $5.25.
StfRon and I also stopped in at Thanh Linh in Peoria for the buffet late in the week. The place was packed even at 11:45, but we got a table fairly quickly and the buffet was well stocked.
I also ordered hot tea, which was a surprising floral blend served in a porcelain tea pot. It was very good, and I was hesitant to give up our table before the whole pot was gone.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Alexanders Steakhouse
Tuesday night we headed to Alexanders Steakhouse, 100 Alexander Street in Peoria in honor of StfRon's nephew's 12th birthday.
At Alexanders, you can cook your own steak over one of their large grill pits, or you can pay an extra $2.49 to have it cooked by a chef.
If you dine with a party of six on your birthday, you can dine for free.
When we arrived around 6:45, the place was packed with Caterpillar employees. There was a line of people waiting for the salad bar and the grill was lined with people, elbow to elbow.
StfRon ordered the ribs, which are not a cook yourself option, and I went with the Santa Maria top sirloin. Priced at $19.99, I love the seasoning on this sirloin. It can be a little salty, but it has great flavor.
Almost everyone else went with a filet, either au natural or teriyaki, but our brother-in-law had a bone-in steak, which could later benefit their dog with an unexpected treat. He and our guest of honor chose to cook their own steaks, while the rest of us languished at the table.
Alexanders has added Boylan's old fashioned sodas to the menu. Our older nephew went with the black cherry variety, while the birthday boy tried the orange cream. Both sounded very good.
One thing I like about Alexanders is that they have one of the last great salad bars in the area. There is a decent variety of vegetables, fruits and salad toppings featured. We enjoyed our salads while waiting for our entrées to arrive.
When our food arrived, we also enjoyed a couple of skillets of their mushrooms, which are buttery and delicious, and a favorite of our guest of honor.
The birthday treatment at Alexanders also includes a skillet cookie topped with ice cream. Our waiter, who had been entertaining and had been checking on us periodically all night, brought us an extra unclaimed cookie, which we managed to scarf down.
Alexanders, owned by Mercedes Restaurants, also has locations in Springfield, Normal and Champaign, and their sister restaurant is Vonachen's Old Place in Junction City in Peoria. Alexanders also provides banquet rooms for special events.
With the good service from our waiter, and some great company, this outing made for an enjoyable break early in our work week.
At Alexanders, you can cook your own steak over one of their large grill pits, or you can pay an extra $2.49 to have it cooked by a chef.
If you dine with a party of six on your birthday, you can dine for free.When we arrived around 6:45, the place was packed with Caterpillar employees. There was a line of people waiting for the salad bar and the grill was lined with people, elbow to elbow.
StfRon ordered the ribs, which are not a cook yourself option, and I went with the Santa Maria top sirloin. Priced at $19.99, I love the seasoning on this sirloin. It can be a little salty, but it has great flavor.
Almost everyone else went with a filet, either au natural or teriyaki, but our brother-in-law had a bone-in steak, which could later benefit their dog with an unexpected treat. He and our guest of honor chose to cook their own steaks, while the rest of us languished at the table.
Alexanders has added Boylan's old fashioned sodas to the menu. Our older nephew went with the black cherry variety, while the birthday boy tried the orange cream. Both sounded very good.
One thing I like about Alexanders is that they have one of the last great salad bars in the area. There is a decent variety of vegetables, fruits and salad toppings featured. We enjoyed our salads while waiting for our entrées to arrive.
When our food arrived, we also enjoyed a couple of skillets of their mushrooms, which are buttery and delicious, and a favorite of our guest of honor.
The birthday treatment at Alexanders also includes a skillet cookie topped with ice cream. Our waiter, who had been entertaining and had been checking on us periodically all night, brought us an extra unclaimed cookie, which we managed to scarf down.
Alexanders, owned by Mercedes Restaurants, also has locations in Springfield, Normal and Champaign, and their sister restaurant is Vonachen's Old Place in Junction City in Peoria. Alexanders also provides banquet rooms for special events.
With the good service from our waiter, and some great company, this outing made for an enjoyable break early in our work week.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Hoops Pub & Pizza
I used to spend a decent amount of time at Hoops Pub & Pizza several years ago, when my friend Minney worked nights at one of the local TV affiliates.I remember Hoops due to their inexpensive huge slices of pizza and awesome calzones.
StfRon and I stopped at Hoops, 516 Main Street in Peoria Sunday, since it was after 2 p.m. and there is a limited selection of local joints open downtown at that time of day.
There was a small crowd watching the Daytona 500 when we arrived.
Our barmaid was pretty much on the spot throughout our visit; apologetic that as far as red wine, all she had to offer was merlot, but then again, it's not really a wine kind of bar. She was also handling tables in the restaurant.
StfRon scored with $2 Pilsener Urquell bottles.
We sat at the bar, and each ordered calzones. I remembered Hoops for their calzones and recall nights going to Hoops and ordering a huge slice of pizza and getting one free for dirt cheap.
On this visit, I went with a veggie calzone, choosing green peppers, black olives, garlic and onions as my filling.
The calzones now start at $6.45, and the prices go up after two toppings.
StfRon went with pepperoni, sausage and onion.
I saw Steve, who I remembered being one of the mainstay workers from our more frequent visits over 7 years ago, sitting at the bar.
The calzones arrived, and although being a little disappointed that they did not have riccotta cheese in them by default (it is an add on), I found them to be good, with a soft mozzarella type cheese oozing out. The calzones were served accompanied by a side of marinara sauce for dipping.
StfRon was a little disappointed to find that the sausage was a pretty much standard institutional pizza topping, but ate the whole calzone. I saved 1/2 of mine to bring home for later.
He also reported that the mens room seemed to be a little neglected. I didn't have occasion to visit the ladies room on this outing.
While we were hanging out, we noticed a handful of families with young children coming in, who seemed to be either leaving or heading to a Civic Center event, based on their attire. Which led me to think; where would families go for a meal downtown relating to a Civic Center event? Pretty much Old Chicago is about the only other restaurant right downtown I can think of that would be open, and it's a chain.
It was good to see Hoops catering to this clientèle.
Hoops is open from 11 a.m.-4 a.m. every day.
Cerar's Barnstormer
Saturday night sent us to Monmouth for a birthday meet up with my brother and sister-in-law at Cerar's Barnstormer, 1201 W. Broadway.
The building is pretty nondescript from the outside, a red wood sided building with no windows, and a flashing beacon on the roof, but inside dark wood and subtle lighting set a cozy atmosphere. There are pictures of airplanes throughout the restaurant.
Opening the menu, I was surprised to find at least six things I wanted to try. Typically at a place, I will see about two things I might like to eat.
Here, I was tempted by horseradish crusted New York strip; chicken Colette topped with Monterey Jack cheese, asparagus and Hollandaise; honey pecan chicken; Orange Roughy baked in white wine, lemon and Brilliance, served with a pineapple mango relish or drawn butter for $18.99; and pan-seared Tilapia complimented with chile lime butter for $15.99.
There was also a large selection of steaks, with various seasonings and add ons to choose from.
The prices were a little higher than I might have expected, but the quality of food to choose from was also a surprise to me. I didn't realize that Cerar's would be a cut above your run of the mill local steakhouse.
The specials for the night were cedar-planked salmon and USDA prime rib, a 10 oz cut, a 12 oz for $24.99 and a 16 oz hunk for $31.99.
Being his birthday celebration, and also since he had not had a good prime rib in a long time, StfRon went with the 16 oz prime rib, medium rare.
I chose the Parmesan crusted chicken, described as being covered with fresh parmesan cheese and herbed bread crumbs, baked to a golden crust, and served with a garlic cream sauce for $15.49.
My brother chose the porterhouse pork chop and his wife also had the Parmesan crusted chicken.
While we waited for our food, our waitress/hostess, who kept up a good banter with us throughout the evening, brought us some bread and honey butter, and then our soup and salads. Everyone had a salad except me. I decided to try the tomato bisque, which I found to be savory and delicious, filled with chunks of tomatoes. I ended up scraping the bottom of my soup mug to try and get every bit.
Our meals arrived, and I found the Parmesan chicken to be very tender and juicy, and the creamy garlic sauce had a great flavor. Every so often, I would get a nicely browned bit of breadcrumb/Parmesan crust in the sauce, and the crumbs were delicious. For my side, I went with a veggie medley of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, which were subtly seasoned and cooked to perfection.
StfRon's prime rib was excellent, tender with a nice crust. I had a bite, topped with horseradish sauce, and despite me loading on the sauce, the seasoned flavor of the meat came through, and it tasted wonderful. His side dish of au gratin potatoes was a rounded scoop of cheesy potatoes, savory and not sweet.
Throughout our meal our waitress checked on us at the appropriate times, and she was witty and friendly. A crew of other staff also kept up a constant rotation of filling our iced teas each time we were at the half glass level.
Cerar's was a nice surprise. I hope we have reason to meet for a nice family gathering at western points of the state again, and I would welcome the chance to visit again so I can try more of the tempting dishes and make good memories with great company. I would also like to check out the lounge, which looked cozy and comfortable.
The building is pretty nondescript from the outside, a red wood sided building with no windows, and a flashing beacon on the roof, but inside dark wood and subtle lighting set a cozy atmosphere. There are pictures of airplanes throughout the restaurant.
Opening the menu, I was surprised to find at least six things I wanted to try. Typically at a place, I will see about two things I might like to eat.Here, I was tempted by horseradish crusted New York strip; chicken Colette topped with Monterey Jack cheese, asparagus and Hollandaise; honey pecan chicken; Orange Roughy baked in white wine, lemon and Brilliance, served with a pineapple mango relish or drawn butter for $18.99; and pan-seared Tilapia complimented with chile lime butter for $15.99.
There was also a large selection of steaks, with various seasonings and add ons to choose from.
The prices were a little higher than I might have expected, but the quality of food to choose from was also a surprise to me. I didn't realize that Cerar's would be a cut above your run of the mill local steakhouse.
The specials for the night were cedar-planked salmon and USDA prime rib, a 10 oz cut, a 12 oz for $24.99 and a 16 oz hunk for $31.99.
Being his birthday celebration, and also since he had not had a good prime rib in a long time, StfRon went with the 16 oz prime rib, medium rare.
I chose the Parmesan crusted chicken, described as being covered with fresh parmesan cheese and herbed bread crumbs, baked to a golden crust, and served with a garlic cream sauce for $15.49.
My brother chose the porterhouse pork chop and his wife also had the Parmesan crusted chicken.
While we waited for our food, our waitress/hostess, who kept up a good banter with us throughout the evening, brought us some bread and honey butter, and then our soup and salads. Everyone had a salad except me. I decided to try the tomato bisque, which I found to be savory and delicious, filled with chunks of tomatoes. I ended up scraping the bottom of my soup mug to try and get every bit.
Our meals arrived, and I found the Parmesan chicken to be very tender and juicy, and the creamy garlic sauce had a great flavor. Every so often, I would get a nicely browned bit of breadcrumb/Parmesan crust in the sauce, and the crumbs were delicious. For my side, I went with a veggie medley of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, which were subtly seasoned and cooked to perfection.
StfRon's prime rib was excellent, tender with a nice crust. I had a bite, topped with horseradish sauce, and despite me loading on the sauce, the seasoned flavor of the meat came through, and it tasted wonderful. His side dish of au gratin potatoes was a rounded scoop of cheesy potatoes, savory and not sweet.
Throughout our meal our waitress checked on us at the appropriate times, and she was witty and friendly. A crew of other staff also kept up a constant rotation of filling our iced teas each time we were at the half glass level.
Cerar's was a nice surprise. I hope we have reason to meet for a nice family gathering at western points of the state again, and I would welcome the chance to visit again so I can try more of the tempting dishes and make good memories with great company. I would also like to check out the lounge, which looked cozy and comfortable.
Weekend happenings
Friday we headed right over to Sky Harbor in Peoria as soon as we left work, and didn't have trouble getting a table that early for our Valentine's dinner.
I had my usual, the petite filet. I asked for it medium rare, and it came out medium, but it didn't bother me. The meat was cooked wrapped in bacon, and the steak was extremely tender, as usual, and very good. I went with the red potatoes as my side, which were herbed and buttered. These were good also, but by that point I was a little too full to eat more than one of them.
Our meals also came with salads, which seemed a little smaller than the last time we were in, but it's not like we went away hungry. I tried the poppyseed dressing, which is homemade, and found it to be sweet and chock full of poppyseeds.
StfRon had his usual as well, the ribs, but was a little disappointed in the amount of sauce on them. He also had the au gratin potatoes. At Sky Harbor, the au gratins are not sweet, but are cheesy and hearty.
Our waitress was on the ball and unobtrusive. One thing we appreciate about Sky Harbor is the fact that they have busboys, and these guys are johnny on the spot with water and whisking away empty plates almost as soon as you set them aside. We also had the treat of having owner Daryl stop by our table to see how things were.
Saturday we stopped at Holland's Mercantile in Washington to check out the candy selection. They did have the Haribo gummi raspberries, which is what my heart had desired for Valentine's candy, so I got a small bag and ate them right up.
We went next door to Touch of Homespun in Washington, where I saw the addition of several coffee drinks and coffee candies, which would make great gifts. They are also carrying several of the fun Accoutrements items, some of which crack me up.
I headed downstairs to the toy store (the place is kind of new, and I can't think of the name right now, but I'll check it out) in search of a certain neat made in USA gift StfRon saw somewhere, but he can't remember where. We have found the gift online, and I want to buy it for a new baby joining my bro and sister-in-law's family this summer, but I will keep looking locally for a while.
We then headed to The Blend in Washington to pick up some fresh coffee beans for my brother's upcoming birthday. I was in search of some fresh snickerdoodle coffee, but all they had was decaf, so I decided to try the cinnamon stick variety instead.
Turns out Joe Metzka did not play Saturday night at River Beach Pub, but is supposed to play March 22. We'll try to catch that one, but we have another band we'd like to see that night as well.
I had my usual, the petite filet. I asked for it medium rare, and it came out medium, but it didn't bother me. The meat was cooked wrapped in bacon, and the steak was extremely tender, as usual, and very good. I went with the red potatoes as my side, which were herbed and buttered. These were good also, but by that point I was a little too full to eat more than one of them.
Our meals also came with salads, which seemed a little smaller than the last time we were in, but it's not like we went away hungry. I tried the poppyseed dressing, which is homemade, and found it to be sweet and chock full of poppyseeds.
StfRon had his usual as well, the ribs, but was a little disappointed in the amount of sauce on them. He also had the au gratin potatoes. At Sky Harbor, the au gratins are not sweet, but are cheesy and hearty.
Our waitress was on the ball and unobtrusive. One thing we appreciate about Sky Harbor is the fact that they have busboys, and these guys are johnny on the spot with water and whisking away empty plates almost as soon as you set them aside. We also had the treat of having owner Daryl stop by our table to see how things were.
Saturday we stopped at Holland's Mercantile in Washington to check out the candy selection. They did have the Haribo gummi raspberries, which is what my heart had desired for Valentine's candy, so I got a small bag and ate them right up.
We went next door to Touch of Homespun in Washington, where I saw the addition of several coffee drinks and coffee candies, which would make great gifts. They are also carrying several of the fun Accoutrements items, some of which crack me up.
I headed downstairs to the toy store (the place is kind of new, and I can't think of the name right now, but I'll check it out) in search of a certain neat made in USA gift StfRon saw somewhere, but he can't remember where. We have found the gift online, and I want to buy it for a new baby joining my bro and sister-in-law's family this summer, but I will keep looking locally for a while.
We then headed to The Blend in Washington to pick up some fresh coffee beans for my brother's upcoming birthday. I was in search of some fresh snickerdoodle coffee, but all they had was decaf, so I decided to try the cinnamon stick variety instead.
Turns out Joe Metzka did not play Saturday night at River Beach Pub, but is supposed to play March 22. We'll try to catch that one, but we have another band we'd like to see that night as well.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Round up
This week I enjoyed some hummus and pita bread at Pita's Mediterranean Wraps in Peoria. The place was hopping at noon on a Monday. StfRon had a gyro, and I tried some of his fries. They were skin on thin cut fries, and were crisp and wonderful.
I also enjoyed a good lunch at Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill in Peoria. This tasty concoction was all my doing, because I picked out all the veggies, a little bit of noodles and some chicken, doused it with three dippers of garlic sauce, one dipper of pepper sauce and a half dipper of sesame oil, and it turned out to be wonderful. I also see that they now have a liquor license.
Out and about, I see that Euro Jacks is under new management, and it looks like they have discontinued breakfast there.
I also saw in the Journal Star, and then on the local blogosphere, that Red Zin is closing. I had many good holiday and special occasion meals there, and will be sorry to see the place go.
Somewhere I had heard that Joe Metzka was playing at River Beach Pub in Rome this Saturday night, but now don't see it on his schedule. I'll have to get the scoop, because we were planning to check it out.
I'll post a weekend recap later, as tonight we're hitting the local scene to try and get in for a Valentine's dinner, I have to hit a local shop for an early birthday gift, and we're heading west for a little shopping and dining, too.
I also enjoyed a good lunch at Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill in Peoria. This tasty concoction was all my doing, because I picked out all the veggies, a little bit of noodles and some chicken, doused it with three dippers of garlic sauce, one dipper of pepper sauce and a half dipper of sesame oil, and it turned out to be wonderful. I also see that they now have a liquor license.
Out and about, I see that Euro Jacks is under new management, and it looks like they have discontinued breakfast there.
I also saw in the Journal Star, and then on the local blogosphere, that Red Zin is closing. I had many good holiday and special occasion meals there, and will be sorry to see the place go.
Somewhere I had heard that Joe Metzka was playing at River Beach Pub in Rome this Saturday night, but now don't see it on his schedule. I'll have to get the scoop, because we were planning to check it out.
I'll post a weekend recap later, as tonight we're hitting the local scene to try and get in for a Valentine's dinner, I have to hit a local shop for an early birthday gift, and we're heading west for a little shopping and dining, too.
Monday, February 11, 2008
New blog venture
I think I have officially been bitten with the supper club bug recently, and hope to visit a lot of historic, unusual and fun restaurants and lounges in the near future.
I think we'll be heading off the beaten path a lot more in our travels, searching for interesting shops and offbeat places to experience, so I figured I would break out into another blog for any travels not dealing with central Illinois, and also feature locally owned central Illinois businesses with a lot of history.
The first few posts have been featured in some form on this blog and might be familiar to those of you who follow this blog, but, as time and travels allow, I'll document more Roadside Trail Mix on my new blog.
I think we'll be heading off the beaten path a lot more in our travels, searching for interesting shops and offbeat places to experience, so I figured I would break out into another blog for any travels not dealing with central Illinois, and also feature locally owned central Illinois businesses with a lot of history.
The first few posts have been featured in some form on this blog and might be familiar to those of you who follow this blog, but, as time and travels allow, I'll document more Roadside Trail Mix on my new blog.
Mona's
Being in the pasta club at Bernardi's, we heard that Mona's and Capponi's in Toluca were celebrating their 75 anniversary in February.The pasta club signup is available at the web site. Once you join, you will get e-mails detailing the pasta of the month, and notice of special savings and events.
StfRon used to have lunch at Mona's every Sunday after church when he was a wee lad, so that's where we headed last Saturday night.
On this cold, blustery night, we entered through the bar, where StfRon was not allowed as a kid.
The lounge decor is quite nicely vintage, with a white marble look to the tables and bar top, vinyl booths and barstools with wooden backs. The rat pack tunes complete the feel.
The restaurant was bustling at 5:00, and there were several large group tables being set up. We're talking tables of 12 and 20.
We noticed that all the employees were wearing pink shirts, and there was a board proclaiming that there was a Suzanne B. Coleman breast cancer benefit. Seemed odd, because it sounds a lot like Susan G. Komen. Either quite a coincidence, or someone dictated it over the phone. In any case, $1 of each meal was going to a good cause.
We were seated in one of the back dining rooms, which has a neat stone fireplace along one wall. The walls are covered in nicely darkened paneling with a nice scalloped wood trim at the ceiling. You can't find trim like this at Lowe's.
In the dining room, we were a little disappointed to not hear the same tunes from the bar being piped over the sound system, but there was some lighter music playing.
Looking around, there were several older patrons dining with kids and friends, who have probably been coming to Mona's for decades.
Our waitress, Teresa, was funny, cheerful and efficient throughout our meal.
We each went with meals we've had at Bernardi's many times over the years. I had the chicken Parmesan, an unbreaded, marinated chicken breast next to some spaghetti, the whole thing topped with their signature meat sauce and cheese, accompanied by two hearty slices of garlic toast.
StfRon had the 1/4 fried chicken, all white meat, with a side salad topped with thousand island dressing and a side of tortellini with meat sauce. StfRon claims the dressing at Mona's still tastes like he remembers it as a kid, but that Bernardi's is good, but not exactly the same.
I had some of their new dipping oil with the bread that was brought out when we were seated, mixed with a little Parmesan cheese. It was very good and nicely seasoned. You can buy the oil to take home, for about $5 a bottle.
We could tell our meals were prepared by a different chef (since we're used to Bernardi's) but everything was very good, nonetheless.
We finished our meal by sharing a dish of peppermint ice cream, another treat from StfRon's youth at Mona's. The ice cream did not have the peppermint crunchy candy in it that we remembered, so we asked our waitress, and she said the ice cream used to be Prairie Farms, but now is Blue Bunny.
Sunday while at Kroger, we looked for Prairie Farms peppermint ice cream, and found no Prairie Farms ice cream at all, so maybe they don't even make it any more.
I did notice that Mona's had something on the menu that Bernardi's does not, tortellini served in chicken broth. It sounds like a refreshing light meal, and I almost ordered it.
On our way out to pay our bill, the manager seemed flustered by the crowd and was explaining to a couple that they do not accept reservations for groups less than 12. The couple said they had called and were told they could get in no problem, with a table of six. The manager said they must have spoken to someone in the kitchen. If so, it's too bad the person who answered the phone did not tell the caller that they would not have a reservation.
The good news is, the wait for a table was only 30-45 minutes, which would be on the low side at a restaurant in Peoria on Saturday night at 6:30.
75 years is something for a restaurant in central Illinois to be proud of. If Mona's keeps the food, service and atmosphere going the way they are, they should be around for many more decades.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Flame
A guest posting! After I had lunch at a local place, Jeep asked that I contribute- so here goes!
The Flame is housed in the old A&W Drive In in Metamora. The building, while completely unique, still holds hints of it's past kitschy greatness. I dined on a Friday lunch, and found that we were seated quite promptly. Immediately, a very happy gent asked for our drink order. As it turns out, this was the owner, Tony Asani, who made no fewer than 3 more visits at our table.
The waitress soon came by, and offered up the special, meatloaf. Both me and my co-worker decided this was the way to go. A small up charge of 50 cents allowed a salad to be selected over the soup of the day. I chose Bleu cheese dressing, as I always do. While waiting for our salads, a waitress announced that there was no more chili, and that the last bowl had been dished out. This made me second guess my selection of salad over the chili, as I heard several comments regarding the wonderful chili.
The salad arrived, it was a standard plate salad of iceberg lettuce. Nothing special, except the dressing was obviously home made, a nice change from the myriad of Sysco manufactured dressings flooding the area.
Then came a huge, heaping mound of meatloaf, stacked on top of bread. The brown gravy flooding the entire plate, with a huge portion of home made (lumpy!!) mashed potatoes. I only sampled the potatoes, as I knew the meatloaf was enough for my meal. The entire meal was basking in the glory of home made goodness.
Overall, it was a decently priced meal, with great quality of food. The owners happy go-lucky attitude, and his obvious love for his restaurant, make this place a top notch choice.
The Flame is housed in the old A&W Drive In in Metamora. The building, while completely unique, still holds hints of it's past kitschy greatness. I dined on a Friday lunch, and found that we were seated quite promptly. Immediately, a very happy gent asked for our drink order. As it turns out, this was the owner, Tony Asani, who made no fewer than 3 more visits at our table.
The waitress soon came by, and offered up the special, meatloaf. Both me and my co-worker decided this was the way to go. A small up charge of 50 cents allowed a salad to be selected over the soup of the day. I chose Bleu cheese dressing, as I always do. While waiting for our salads, a waitress announced that there was no more chili, and that the last bowl had been dished out. This made me second guess my selection of salad over the chili, as I heard several comments regarding the wonderful chili.
The salad arrived, it was a standard plate salad of iceberg lettuce. Nothing special, except the dressing was obviously home made, a nice change from the myriad of Sysco manufactured dressings flooding the area.
Then came a huge, heaping mound of meatloaf, stacked on top of bread. The brown gravy flooding the entire plate, with a huge portion of home made (lumpy!!) mashed potatoes. I only sampled the potatoes, as I knew the meatloaf was enough for my meal. The entire meal was basking in the glory of home made goodness.
Overall, it was a decently priced meal, with great quality of food. The owners happy go-lucky attitude, and his obvious love for his restaurant, make this place a top notch choice.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Midweek check-in
Woo hoo! It's Wednesday! Only two days until the weekend.
This week I was running some errands during lunch, and decided to stop at Le Café in Peoria's Metro Centre for some lunch.
It was very quiet in the café during the noon hour, only a table of two was dining, and actually, no one else seemed to notice I had come in.
After selecting my tray, spoon and napkin, deciding whether I wanted to go with the lentil soup or the cream of roasted vegetables and making my way to the counter to order, no one had come out to the cash register.
I could see the back of an employee in a nearby doorway, so after waiting at the counter about a minute, I rang the bell, which sounded very loud to me.
The employee I had seen came over right away, and I ordered a bowl of the lentil soup and a small drink, ringing in at about $6.75.
The soup was served accompanied by a roll and three packets of saltine crackers. I was surprised to find the soup to have a tomato base, and it also had some chunks of carrots in it. It was good and hearty and piping hot, and I dipped pieces of my roll in it.
Feeling like I had been pretty good, I went over to the bakery and ordered a peanut butter cookie for 75 cents. The cookie was soft and chewy and had a distinct molasses flavor to it.
The lady next to me was picking up a king cake for Fat Tuesday. It was then that I noticed that there were a few more of the traditional Mardi Gras cakes in the case.
I have blogged about Le Café and the bakery before.
I have noticed that Euro Jack's in Peoria seems to have stopped serving breakfast during the week.
And, lest I forget these closings once 2009 rolls around, I figured I should starting making notes of 2008 local biz closures:
InPlay
Mulligan's
Furrow Vineyard & Winery
Copperworks closure is a rumor I've heard, but haven't had a chance to confirm yet.
This week I was running some errands during lunch, and decided to stop at Le Café in Peoria's Metro Centre for some lunch.
It was very quiet in the café during the noon hour, only a table of two was dining, and actually, no one else seemed to notice I had come in.
After selecting my tray, spoon and napkin, deciding whether I wanted to go with the lentil soup or the cream of roasted vegetables and making my way to the counter to order, no one had come out to the cash register.
I could see the back of an employee in a nearby doorway, so after waiting at the counter about a minute, I rang the bell, which sounded very loud to me.
The employee I had seen came over right away, and I ordered a bowl of the lentil soup and a small drink, ringing in at about $6.75.
The soup was served accompanied by a roll and three packets of saltine crackers. I was surprised to find the soup to have a tomato base, and it also had some chunks of carrots in it. It was good and hearty and piping hot, and I dipped pieces of my roll in it.
Feeling like I had been pretty good, I went over to the bakery and ordered a peanut butter cookie for 75 cents. The cookie was soft and chewy and had a distinct molasses flavor to it.
The lady next to me was picking up a king cake for Fat Tuesday. It was then that I noticed that there were a few more of the traditional Mardi Gras cakes in the case.
I have blogged about Le Café and the bakery before.
I have noticed that Euro Jack's in Peoria seems to have stopped serving breakfast during the week.
And, lest I forget these closings once 2009 rolls around, I figured I should starting making notes of 2008 local biz closures:
InPlay
Mulligan's
Furrow Vineyard & Winery
Copperworks closure is a rumor I've heard, but haven't had a chance to confirm yet.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Fred's Shoe Repair
I've heard Fred's Shoe Repair being mentioned a few times lately while out and about, and decided it was high time I gave Fred some kudos.
Located at 2613 N. University Street in Peoria, Fred's is a great source for all things shoe related, and then some.
I heard a college student talking about how he takes his luggage to Fred's for zipper repairs, and also has his shoes spiffed up there.
We used to live down the street from the University location, and StfRon took some pricey Shoes for Crews work shoes in to Fred's for some stretching as they were a little too tight.
Have some suede or leather items that have seen better days? I'll bet Fred's can help.
Need some sole? Try Fred's.
Fred's also does shoe dyeing and carries shoe care supplies.
Located at 2613 N. University Street in Peoria, Fred's is a great source for all things shoe related, and then some.
I heard a college student talking about how he takes his luggage to Fred's for zipper repairs, and also has his shoes spiffed up there.
We used to live down the street from the University location, and StfRon took some pricey Shoes for Crews work shoes in to Fred's for some stretching as they were a little too tight.
Have some suede or leather items that have seen better days? I'll bet Fred's can help.
Need some sole? Try Fred's.
Fred's also does shoe dyeing and carries shoe care supplies.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Junk mail
OK, this doesn't really fall under local businesses, but waste is an issue close to my heart.
I came to find out about a organization called Catalog Choice, who will work to reduce the amount of catalogs that get sent to your home.
We get a huge amount of catalogs at our house. I think much of it is due to the fact that we try to buy many things made in the USA, and items not made in China, which means shopping online a lot. Almost everyone we have purchased from will then send us their catalog, and, of course, some of them sell our name to other companies.
In a way, it's nice to get some of them, because it puts the business back in my face and reminds me that they carry items I may want to buy. Some of them just send too many, or, I visit their web site all the time, and don't need a catalog to toss in the newspaper bin.
We do get several catalogs delivered that we just have no interest in, or, that don't list country of origin for any of their products, so I'm not interested in buying from them. We also get tons of children's catalogs, delivered in someone else's name. We have lived in the house for almost seven years, and have no children.
Over the holidays, I plugged many catalog names into the Catalog Choice web site. It's free to join, you select the name of the catalog and provide the name the catalog is delivered to, then the great people at Catalog Choice will work on contacting the companies and asking them to remove you from the list. This can take up to 10 weeks.
Checking back on my account status, I have three catalogs who have agreed to stop sending to us, and I'm excited by that.
I was extremely irritated to see that two companies refused to stop sending to us. Not a wise decision on their part, I would say, because now I will absolutely never buy from them. And maybe, if I'm ever in the vicinity of their headquarters, I can save up the catalogs and pull a Kramer and dump a slew of them off at their door.
The rest of my opt-outs, maybe 10 or so, are unconfirmed as of yet.
If you have a slew of unwanted catalogs, this site can be a time saver. It's nice to be able to try and reduce the mailings from one place, rather than trying to contact each company individually.
I came to find out about a organization called Catalog Choice, who will work to reduce the amount of catalogs that get sent to your home.
We get a huge amount of catalogs at our house. I think much of it is due to the fact that we try to buy many things made in the USA, and items not made in China, which means shopping online a lot. Almost everyone we have purchased from will then send us their catalog, and, of course, some of them sell our name to other companies.
In a way, it's nice to get some of them, because it puts the business back in my face and reminds me that they carry items I may want to buy. Some of them just send too many, or, I visit their web site all the time, and don't need a catalog to toss in the newspaper bin.
We do get several catalogs delivered that we just have no interest in, or, that don't list country of origin for any of their products, so I'm not interested in buying from them. We also get tons of children's catalogs, delivered in someone else's name. We have lived in the house for almost seven years, and have no children.
Over the holidays, I plugged many catalog names into the Catalog Choice web site. It's free to join, you select the name of the catalog and provide the name the catalog is delivered to, then the great people at Catalog Choice will work on contacting the companies and asking them to remove you from the list. This can take up to 10 weeks.
Checking back on my account status, I have three catalogs who have agreed to stop sending to us, and I'm excited by that.
I was extremely irritated to see that two companies refused to stop sending to us. Not a wise decision on their part, I would say, because now I will absolutely never buy from them. And maybe, if I'm ever in the vicinity of their headquarters, I can save up the catalogs and pull a Kramer and dump a slew of them off at their door.
The rest of my opt-outs, maybe 10 or so, are unconfirmed as of yet.
If you have a slew of unwanted catalogs, this site can be a time saver. It's nice to be able to try and reduce the mailings from one place, rather than trying to contact each company individually.
Superbowl weekend
We made it out and about a few times over Superbowl weekend.
Friday night, we enjoyed dinner at Bernardi's in Washington with my parents. Three out of the four of us had their tasty fried chicken. Yum!
Saturday we made the trek to Bradford to visit the Kaiserhof. I tried one of the dinner specials, pork chops with apples and raisins, served with Spätzle and green beans. The green beens were a bit done for my taste, but the pork chops had an excellent charbroiled flavor, topped with very thinly sliced apples, and the Spätzle was wonderful, doused with some mushroom gravy. We also saw Fraochán's family while there, which was a nice surprise.
Sunday we made a quick buzz through Step Back in Time in Washington to see if there were any chairs, shelves or trinkets we had to have, but left empty handed.
We made a stop at Kep's in Washington to pick up wings for a Superbowl party we would be attending. Or, fairly anti-Superbowl, as the case may have been. They weren't that interested in the game due to the teams involved, and StfRon and I don't really follow football. Once we got to our destination, I sampled the wings, and found them to be good, fairly meaty, and nicely coated with some cayenne pepper sauce. I can't say I paid a whole lot of attention, but it seemed like the commercials weren't that great this year.
A guest arrived later toting a couple of boxed pizzas. Turns out these pies were from Firehouse Saloon in Morton. The pizzas were Perdue pizzas, and they were very good, from the bottom of the thin, crispy crust, to the top, covered with Canadian bacon, banana peppers, olives and mushrooms. There was also a meat lovers pie, but I stuck with the previous one.
We started hearing some buzz about the crazy weather, and looked out the window in surprise at the rapidly falling snow accompanied by lightning. We ended up heading home around 6 p.m. The drive took us a decent amount of extra time, and it there was either sleet or freezing rain falling, but we made it home unscathed and chilled for the rest of the night.
Friday night, we enjoyed dinner at Bernardi's in Washington with my parents. Three out of the four of us had their tasty fried chicken. Yum!
Saturday we made the trek to Bradford to visit the Kaiserhof. I tried one of the dinner specials, pork chops with apples and raisins, served with Spätzle and green beans. The green beens were a bit done for my taste, but the pork chops had an excellent charbroiled flavor, topped with very thinly sliced apples, and the Spätzle was wonderful, doused with some mushroom gravy. We also saw Fraochán's family while there, which was a nice surprise.
Sunday we made a quick buzz through Step Back in Time in Washington to see if there were any chairs, shelves or trinkets we had to have, but left empty handed.
We made a stop at Kep's in Washington to pick up wings for a Superbowl party we would be attending. Or, fairly anti-Superbowl, as the case may have been. They weren't that interested in the game due to the teams involved, and StfRon and I don't really follow football. Once we got to our destination, I sampled the wings, and found them to be good, fairly meaty, and nicely coated with some cayenne pepper sauce. I can't say I paid a whole lot of attention, but it seemed like the commercials weren't that great this year.
A guest arrived later toting a couple of boxed pizzas. Turns out these pies were from Firehouse Saloon in Morton. The pizzas were Perdue pizzas, and they were very good, from the bottom of the thin, crispy crust, to the top, covered with Canadian bacon, banana peppers, olives and mushrooms. There was also a meat lovers pie, but I stuck with the previous one.
We started hearing some buzz about the crazy weather, and looked out the window in surprise at the rapidly falling snow accompanied by lightning. We ended up heading home around 6 p.m. The drive took us a decent amount of extra time, and it there was either sleet or freezing rain falling, but we made it home unscathed and chilled for the rest of the night.
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