Weekend round up

We had a nice, busy weekend.
Friday, we stopped at the Hofbrau in Peoria for a cocktail, then headed to Denhart's in Washington for the Friday night prime rib, as we heard our favorite chef was back. I think he had taken off for the night, and we were told the prime rib was sold out.
However, due to the thoughtfulness of one of the owners, we were able to get the end piece of the roast, so I had that, and StfRon had the marinated sirloin.
He loved the prime rib, and I was kind enough to share. Being the last piece, it wasn't quite as rare as I would have liked, but was good. The marinated sirloin was flavorful and he enjoyed it very much.
We had eyed the dessert case while waiting for our meals, so we decided to split a chocolate chip bread pudding, made from day old cinnamon rolls. The slice was huge, topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Saturday we went to the Hofbrau again to see an old friend who hasn't been able to make it in in quite some time. It was good to see him, and we enjoyed lunch while we were there.
I had the braunschweiger sandwich and a side of German potato salad. The sandwich was more than I could finish, and the potato salad was great.
StfRon had the chili dogs, which I sampled, and really enjoyed the chili they used.

Then it was off to Moser's Shoes in downtown Peoria to replace StfRon's worn out pair.
Despite us arriving about 10 minutes before closing, the place was bustling, with several customers walking around in new shoes to test them out, and none of the staff seemed upset that we came in at such a late time.
In fact, our service was great, as usual. The man who waited on us was knowledgeable and friendly, and I believe he is the grandson or great-grandson of the original owner. He took plenty of time to help us and explain different products to us, and we walked out happy with our selection.

We had some time to kill before our evening festivities, so we ended up stopping at Maid Rite in Willow Knolls shopping center in Peoria and having some pie. I had coconut cream, and StfRon and his mom both had Oreo cream. The slices were huge, and cheap, and all were great.

Then, it was off to Po-Boy's in Peoria to hear some tunes.
While there, we ordered some food. Our friends ordered the fried okra, and offered me a sample. I could barely hold myself back from scarfing down the whole basket! The okra was breaded with a cornmeal topping, and was savory and delicious.
For my meal, I had a cup of chicken gumbo, which was filled with rice, okra and plenty of cajun flavor, and I also had a side of the mini corn muffins, which I could not finish.
Our only complaints about this outing was that after this long day, I think we were ready for some rockin' music to kick us into gear, and the band started out with their lighter fare. By the time we headed out, they were getting into some nice blues and some more rollicking tunes. The other complaint? Our server. He was either really having an off night, or just wasn't concerned about his tables' needs because everyone we saw seated in his section had to get up several times to flag him down or go get their own drinks.

You might think that was the end of our Saturday night. But wait, there's more! Yes, it was a red letter day. We stayed up until midnight!
On the way home, we, along with our friends, stopped at Plaza Lanes in Washington for some bowling.
I guess typically on Saturdays, you need a reservation for the disco bowling, or whatever it is they call it with the music and spirograph-esque lighting. When we arrived, which was after 10 p.m., there were only two lanes open, and I believe both were reserved, but the parties had not shown up.
We lucked out by getting a lane, and had some fun times. I think I was just getting into the groove when 11:58 hit and the house lights blinded us. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."
Oh, well. Good times, indeed.