Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Noted

Davis Bros. Pizza recently took over the former Godfather's Pizza location in Peoria at 618 W. Glen Avenue.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

3 Reales Tienda Mexicana

I completely forgot about 3 Reales Tienda Mexicana having a restaurant inside, so it took me a while to get around to dining there.
We walked in to the Mexican grocery, housed in the former Lums on Knoxville Avenue in Peoria, on a recent Saturday and found the small dining room to the right. A young lady brought us some menus and took our drink orders, bottled water for both of us.
Soon we had some very crunchy tortilla chips and two dishes of spicy salsa in front of us as well. It took me a while, but I determined that I liked the green variety better.
I decided to try one chicken taco and one carne asada (steak) taco on soft corn tortillas. We also tried a green chicken tamale, one of a few varieties they offer.
The tacos were good, both dressed in our favorite manner, topped with onion and cilantro and served with lime wedges, but the standout for me was the tamale. The corn meal seemed whiter than most I've seen, and the green sauce gave it a great flavor.
A table of men dining near us each ordered a bowl of soup that I guess was probably tortilla soup. The bowl size was quite impressive.
Service was good and the prices were reasonable.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Noted

I heard that Victor's Mexican restaurant in Washburn will close September 4.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Noted

The Mix Sandwich Works is now open at 1401 Southwest Washington Street in Peoria.
Lou's Drive In in Peoria closes for the season this weekend. August 27, I believe.
Starting Friday, Peoria's Irish fest, Erin Feis, will be held on the river front. I plan to take in some Bogside Zukes and some other good Irish tunes.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Other Dawg

My dawg StfRon and I visited The Other Dawg in Peoria Heights for lunch recently. The small dinette is tucked behind Subway on Prospect Avenue.
My past dining out experience with hot dogs involved trips to DQ with my mom when I was a kid. Always a dog with mustard and some sort of ice cream treat to accompany it. Later, I was introduced to Chicago dogs at Duffy's in Peoria's Westlake and developed a taste for those as well, but I've never really been into a dog topped with meat sauce.
I opted for a plain dog ($1.75) at The Other Dawg and dressed it with mustard and relish. This was not a natural casing wiener, but it was a nice quality frankfurter, a beef/pork blend.
My husband probably ordered a meat laden dog, being a fan of such nonsense, but I honestly don't remember. The Other Dawg has a meat sauce they developed to rival the sauce of Wonder Dog fame.
The restaurant also offers a selection of tamales including a black bean variety.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Noted

I just heard the Peoria Theater will be closing September 15. I will certainly miss their independent films!

I have also heard that German Specialties in Peoria will also be closing in several weeks.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Noted

Cranwill's Drive-In in Pekin will close for the season in October.

I have irritated a reader due to not approving negative comments on my blog.
I receive negative comments about a business about once a year. This blog has been around for five years, so that seems like a pretty good track record.
The comments run the gamut of our food was raw, the owners did not pay such and such bill or no one in the kitchen is food and safety certified. Most of the comments strike me as coming from people who know someone in the establishments personally who are angry with them. A few are constructive from people who just had a bad experience.
If I personally have a poor experience with a business, I give them a second chance. If I have continual bad experiences with the same place, I will not support it on my blog. But I see no point in posting negative comments about an establishment on a blog called Support your local central Illinois businesses. Even if the bad statements are not my own, posting them is not supportive of the business. There are plenty of open forums and review sites for that sort of commentary.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Sam's Roadhouse

We had lunch at Sam's Roadhouse this weekend, in the former Cheddar's site in Peoria. Yes, the building has had another tenant since Cheddar's, but it's still the Cheddar's building to me.
When we arrived for a late lunch the restaurant was not busy, but we opted to take a table in the lounge after being given the choice by our hostess, who also dropped of a small bucket of peanuts in the shell.
Our server stopped by and introduced herself as Sam, but I don't think it's her roadhouse. She was cheerful and headed off to get our iced teas while we looked over the menu with country music as our companion.
I ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich and replaced my fries with rosemary potatoes. My husband copied my choice but subbed broccoli.
Our waitress brought a basket of warmed sweet rolls with a cinnamon buttery spread. They were soft, yeasty and tasty.
The sandwiches were not too spicy, with just a hint of Cajun heat, topped with melted Monterey jack, lettuce and tomato and we also had some remoulade to add to the mix. My small side of skin on rosemary potatoes (just the right size), as well as my sandwich were served hot and were enjoyable. Also on the menu is seafood, ribs, steaks, burgers and more.
Our server kept the refills coming and we decided we would much rather come to this roadhouse than a popular one in East Peoria. It's been years since I've been over there, but I would say the sweet rolls at Sam's rivaled theirs and there was no two hour wait involved.
Lunch is currently only available on weekends.

June 2012 — Sam's Roadhouse has closed.