O's Tacos -n- More

This week we headed to the former Lonny's Dairyland spot on Farmington Road for lunch at the newly opened O's Tacos -n- More.
When you walk in to the former dairy barn, there is a window to place your order straight ahead and a room of picnic table seating off to the left.
We placed our order for the two taco dinner, grilled chicken and had ours dressed with onion and cilantro instead of the tomato, lettuce and cheese. The soft corn tortilla tacos came with a side of mild green sauce and also a hot red sauce plus rice and beans for $6.50, and we added two drinks. While we waited we were given a small basket of chips and salsa to munch on.
The tacos were simple, but heaped with plenty of chicken and the staff was friendly.
The dining area could probably get a bit chilly in cold weather, but we were there on a 40 degree day and there were space heaters in the room and it was not uncomfortable.
There is also a drive up window for carry outs.

January, 2012 — O's Tacos has closed.

Wild Berries

My husband had tried Wild Berries a few years ago in Normal, but I had never been there.
We made our first visit to the new Peoria location the week of August 22, when they had been open just a few weeks.
We had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated.
The menu has a ton of options including breakfast all day (which I am a sucker for), and many things sounded good. I ordered the Sante Fe chicken wrap ($8.45) for lunch, which came with soup and choice of waffle fries, fruit, pasta salad or orzo salad. I selected the beef barley soup and fruit.
My husband ordered a chicken sandwich (pretty sure it was a daily special) with some sort of garlic sauce, along with soup and fruit.
Our sandwiches did take a bit of time to arrive, but the soup was out quickly and the waitress checked on us often and kept the drink refills coming.
The beef barley soup was homemade, as are their other soups, and it was thick and a bit spicy.
The wrap was stuffed with chicken salad and cheese and was good, although far too much for me to eat.
My husband's chicken breast was large and did not appear to be your standard institutional frozen flock variety, which may be why it took a bit longer to prepare. I appreciated the quality.

This week we returned to Wild Berries for lunch again and did not have to wait for a table.
I decided to try something off the breakfast menu, and although I was glad to see multigrain pancakes and cranberry nut pancakes on the menu, after seeing "Wild Berries Famous Swedish Pancakes" I figured I had to try them. They were listed as being served with lingonberries and lingonberry butter, for $7.75.
My husband had another special chicken sandwich, this time a panini with chipotle sauce.
This time our food came out much more quickly.
I absolutely loved the pancakes. I spread the sweet lingonberry butter on them and gobbled them right up, then enjoyed my Canadian bacon and lingonberries as a chaser.
We also tried their cheesecake shot dessert, which was a shot glass layered with crumb topping, some pink fruity topping and some gooey cheesecake goodness. I don't know that variety of fruit the topping was, but it almost tasted like strawberry lemonade to me, and whatever it was, it was good.
We were seated in sight of the cash register, and often during lunch I noticed a handful of people waiting to pay, so as soon as we had our bill and I saw a break in the line, I darted out to cash out.
Our server this time was a man, and he was also johnny on the spot with refills and was cheerful and witty.
I'm glad to have a new tasty place for breakfast food.

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.

Le Bistro

Last week I visited the newly opened Le Bistro in Peoria's Metro Centre for lunch.
Although impressed with the idea of their "picked by you" salad option where you pick from four types of greens, four ingredients from a large list of add ins and your choice of dressing, I decided to try the Asian salad due to the description. The salad ($7.95) is a combo of romaine and baby spinach topped with Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, strawberries and slivered almonds tossed in a toasted sesame dressing. You can also add grilled chicken for $2 more, which I skipped. I placed my order at the counter to the right, added an iced tea and headed to the left counter to pay.
I took a seat in the dining area (updated with new cheery paint colors) and soon my name was called to pick up my salad. Accompanied by a sesame-topped soft roll, the salad was wonderful and the dressing was light, yet flavorful. The owner also stopped by my table to see how everything was.
Of course since I had such a healthy lunch, I meandered next door to Le Bakery to get a snickerdoodle cookie for a mere 80 cents.
In addition to salads, Le Bistro offers panini and various sandwiches, soups, quiches, pastries and Espresso drinks.

Beignet's On The Corner

Last week I had lunch at Beignet's On The Corner, which replaced Water Street Wines at the corner of State and Water streets in Peoria.
I love what they've done with the decor. The changes aren't big, but they do have a nice impact.
I couldn't decide between the Creole onion soup or the shrimp bisque to go with my salad. I went with the shrimp bisque, deciding that I could order the onion soup another time. However, the bisque was so good I don't know if I will ever be able to bring myself to order anything else.
The salad I chose was the Ensalada de Berros which was an interesting mix of artichoke hearts, grapefruit, and almonds topped with avocado and a vinaigrette.
Other items on the lunch menu include po' boys, burgers, chicken, brisket, sausage and more, most with a Creole flair.
My server was prompt, polite and efficient and I was able to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time for a work-day lunch. Another thing I appreciated was when asked how many checks and I said one is fine, the server brought the check to me (a female) and not my male companion.
Can't wait until the patio seating is open for the season!

Over Easy Café

We've eaten at the new Over Easy Café on Lake in Peoria twice now.
The first time we ordered off the lunch menu. My husband had a burger and I had turkey.
The restaurant, open for breakfast and lunch, features a daily lunch special and a soup of the day.
A couple of weeks later we sampled the breakfast fare. I had a corned beef hash skillet, which was tasty and plenty to fill me up. If I recall, the husband had biscuits and gravy. We were drinking coffee, and this is one place where they know how to keep the customers' coffee warm. Our waitress and others stopped by several times to top our cups off.
A menu item of note is their cinnamon roll pancakes, which we are eager to try. We weren't feeling the sweet tooth on our last visit, but we'll be sure to try them soon!

309

This month I visited 309 in Peoria's Junction City twice, once for drinks and once for dinner.

On my first outing my husband and I sat at the bar. He enjoyed an Oktoberfest beer and I had a glass of the Cigar Zin for $8.
We selected two of their artisan cheeses to accompany our drinks, the Fromager dʼAffinois, described as a rich French double cream made from cowsʼ milk, and the Gruyere de comte, a semi-soft unpasteurized cowsʼ milk cheese from France. The bartender said that the Gruyere is their most popular cheese.
Two artisan cheeses were $10 and came served with wild flower honeycomb, quince membrillo, and crackers. We also had some of their wonderful warm crusty bread with butter.
My husband preferred the Gruyere but I liked both cheeses, perhaps even enjoying the d'Affinois better, and the honeycomb and quince fruit spread were a great accompaniment.

On my second visit, I met some friends for dinner.
The dining room, like the bar area, featured a contemporary flair and the soft tunes piped in reminded me of nightclub music.
A fellow olive lover at the table ordered the fried olives stuffed with goat cheese and herbs de provence ($3) for a starter and was kind enough to offer me a bite. The whole dish came with three or four olives and I sampled a half of one, but wow, what a taste explosion!
With a backup meal choice of the half roasted chicken served with olive oil mashed potatoes and a lemon-rosemary pan sauce ($16) in mind for me, we asked about the days' grilled market fish selections and there were quite a few. I selected the rich Hawaiian butterfish served with spicy aioli and had asparagus as my side. Both were wonderfully prepared.
Another friend ordered the Caprese Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, basil, and aged balsamic ($8) and I tried a bite of the cheese which was rich, creamy and delicious.
Our server was professional, and recognized when my fish arrived with the wrong sauce without me having to point it out.
309 is also open for lunch and has private party rooms available.

August 2012 — 309 has closed.

Cummins Drive Thru

Monday I had a lunch quandary. I wanted to run an errand near Grand Prairie in Peoria, but also wanted to grab a quick bite to eat. I knew that McDonald's, Arby's and Hardee's would be quick options, but hadn't really made up my mind yet.
On my way to Home Depot I saw an unexpected answer to my dilemma: Cummins Drive Thru!
After my fruitless Home Depot stop, I pulled into the former Jo's Java site at War Memorial and Route 91 and checked out the drive thru menu.
The menu featured coffee, ice cream, salads, sandwiches, hot dogs (including made from scratch corn dogs) and more, and will feature soup and chili during the colder months.
One thing I noticed on the menu that I haven't been able to get out of my mind is homemade corn fritters, 3  for just $1.95. Knowing that there are fritters available by drive thru is probably not beneficial to my health.
They did have daily special offerings, but I decided to go for the made fresh daily chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread ($5.50) and an iced tea.
Soon I had my order and was back on my way to work. I dove in to the chicken salad en route and found it to be creamy, complete with diced hard boiled eggs and real white meat chicken, all encased in soft wheat bread. Yum! It was a homestyle sandwich like my mom would have made me after a hard day in first grade.
I'm glad to know there is a great quick local lunch option available near Grand Prairie and Willow Knolls.

October, 2010 — Cummins Drive Thru is now Meat-n-Place.

Bone Appitit

Enjoy my husband StfRon's review of Bone Appitit, as I've been a bit swamped ;-). — Peoria Peepers

A somewhat unfortunate name, Bone Appitit...the last part of the name brings memories of Beavis and Butthead.
Bone Appitit is the new BBQ joint just east of the square in Washington. We had heard rumor of a possible rib joint over a year ago, and it came to fruition this month.

Stickers placed on the window last year indicated breakfast would be available, but the hours changed and the breakfast part of the menu had a large ink "x" over it. Chicken, a huge favorite of my wife, was also sadly not available.

No worries for me though, this rib joint had RIBS. I chose the six rib meal with two sides ($7.50) and the wife chose the three rib meal with two sides ($6.50). We both opted for slaw and baked beans as sides, and a cornbread muffin came with, too.

As BB King wailed in the background, our meals were shortly presented. The ribs had a nice distinguishable smoke ring and a light hickory flavor. Dry ribs were not on the menu, so I ordered the "Sweet & Spicy" while my wife got the "Sweet and Tangy"

I must say, the spicy ribs had a very nice kick, and were presented with Jalapeno slices on top ( a nice touch I've never seen before on ribs) but my favorite was my wife's "tangy" ribs. The rib end pieces were a little dry, but I think the cook knew because my six rib combo had eight ribs, and my wife had five ribs in her three rib meal.

Overall the BBQ was decent and the prices reasonable. Hopefully a liquor license is in their future as tasty beer would have been nice.

July 2012— Bone Appitit is closed.

Goodness Café

This is the time of year when I often find myself in a rut.

I am indecisive about what to do for lunch, and most times will just eat something quick, and lame, at my desk.

Today I told myself I was going to venture out and try the Goodness Café on NE Monroe in Peoria.

I found a parking spot right out front of the restaurant, which is attached to Peoria Bread Company.

Once inside I stepped up to the counter and perused the selections posted on the chalk boards. I noticed a menu posted on the counter top which described the sandwiches in more detail.

I selected the Fresh Veggie, which is listed as homemade hummus on whole wheat bread (organic) with lettuce, tomato, onions, sprouts, olives, cucumber and sunflower seeds.

The friendly young lady taking my order told me that there was a wait on hummus, and offered me a cream cheese spread or cheese instead. I opted for the cream cheese, and booked my meal as a combo, adding a cup of a homemade reuben soup.

I ordered a bottle of iced tea, which you pick up from a cooler in the dining room and the total came to $9.35.

I paid and found a seat in the dining room.

While waiting, I admired the soft green painted plank ceiling and fun three-dimensional art in the dining room.

The tables and chairs were a mishmash of style, giving a nice eclectic look to the room, and there were several brightly-colored paintings throughout the room.

Before long a lady delivered my order to my table.

I sampled the soup first and found it brimming with sauerkraut and carrots, flavorful in a rich broth.

My sandwich was piled high with veggie goodness and the sunflower seeds added nice texture to each bite.

Before leaving I figured I should sample the cookies and made a stop back at the cookie counter before heading out.

The menu also features several hot sandwiches, a few cold sandwiches and homemade soups each day. A bowl of soup comes with one free refill.

The Goodness Café was a nice bright spot in the midst of my dreary winter.

February 22, 2010 — The Goodness Café is now offering breakfast.
October, 2010 — The Goodness Café has closed.

Final bells

2009 saw the opening of many independent businesses in central Illinois, yet as the year draws to a close my thoughts always turn to those we lost.

The list includes:

Feldan's Pizza, Pasta & More

Zim's

Café Evergreen

Chiliworks Café

Baurer Furniture

Sizzling India

Ponte Vecchio

Lester's Donuts

Maria's Tea Room (Peoria Heights location)

Vallarta's

Pleasant Hill Antique Mall Tea Room

Monroe Restaurant and Bar

Kep's Place (closed due to fire)

Jammer's Chicago Style Classics

Cracklin' Jakes

Mikey's Pizza & Subs

Angie's Creve Coeur Family Restaurant

Chicago Grill

Stadium Pizza

The Fair Store

Ducky's Formal Wear

Eamon Patrick's Public House

J Pree's

Z-Bar

Nikki's

Club Reign

The Hub (closed due to fire)

Tilley's at the River Station

Downer's Furniture Outlet

Christian Bros. Western Store

Jumer's

Heavenly Delights

I'm sure I missed a few. If you know of some, please let me know.

Here's to a great new year supporting locally-owned businesses!

Mr. G's Chicago Style

I was first introduced to Mr. G's Chicago Style about 10 years ago. At the time, I didn't fully appreciate it.Mr. G's caught my attention this summer when I heard they had been the 49th inductee into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

From the Vienna Beef web site: "Hot dog and delicatessen operators become eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame based on a variety of criteria including how long they have been representing Vienna Beef products. The youngest of the bunch having been around for about 20 years, and the oldest almost 50."

I enjoy a good Vienna beef Chicago dog as much as the next guy, so my husband and I stopped in for lunch.

We ordered the special, two Chicago dogs, and my husband added some sort of chili-topped dog as well, along with an order of fries.

I had one of the Chicago dogs and some of their hand cut fries. The dog was good, complete with the appropriate shocking green relish and the fries, wrapped in foil with one of the hot dogs, were some of the best I can remember in years, thin cut, greasy-tasting fries with bits of skin still on.

We made another stop several weeks later and I decided to try the Italian beef. StfRon ordered two Chicago dogs and fries. With two small drinks, the total was $16.99.

The Italian beef was good as well, but I'm going back to the Chicago dog next time, with the tasty fries, of course.

They also serve several other items, like Polish sausage, salads, gyros and even a few carnival-type desserts like chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick and funnel cake fries.

Mr. G's has a limited amount of seating inside at their Main Street, Peoria spot, and several tables outside. If you do choose to dine in, be warned you will probably smell like french fry oil for quite some time after you leave.

Maybe that lingering aroma is their way of sucking you back in.

October, 2011 — Mr. G's has closed.

Jane Dough Bakery & Café

I was driving through downtown Peoria trying to decide where to have lunch when I came upon an open parking space right in front of Jane Dough Bakery & Café.

I'd been wanting to try the place out since they replaced the City News Café, so I pulled into the space.

Digging into my purse for some change for the meter, I was pleased to find over an hour of time left on the timer.

I noticed a help wanted sign in the window of the café.

A sidewalk sign in front proclaimed the special to be turkey meatloaf with bistro fries for $7.50. Glancing at a few of the sandwich options, I decided a warm meal sounded good, so I ordered the special at the counter, paid and then took a seat.

The owner, Anne, soon brought my meal artfully arranged on a tin pie plate topped with waxed paper. She mentioned she had forgotten to bring me a fork and stepped back behind the counter.

I waited a bit, but she didn't return, so I went to the counter to ask for a fork.

Fork in hand, I dug into the moist meatloaf, finding it hearty, warm and full of great seasoning. I have to say it is one of the best meatloaves I have ever tried.

The bistro fries turned out to be baked potatoes sliced into wedges, fanned on my plate and sprinkled with herbs.

While dining, I checked out some of the other offerings listed, which included gazpacho, breakfast wraps, sandwiches and home made granola, plus the café offers organic breads and uses some local farm ingredients.

Box lunches are available as well.

Located at 311 SW Main Street in Peoria, Jane Dough has some great breakfast and lunch options, and it's great to see them supporting local farms as well.

April 2010 — Jane Dough has closed.

Kaiserhof Restaurant

You may remember the Kaiserhof from Bradford. We do miss that location.

Since last winter, the Kaiserhof Restaurant has been much closer for Peorians, at the Shoppes at Grand Prairie.

We stopped by Sunday and I enjoyed the $3 Bloody Marys, my husband had a great tenderloin sandwich and I had a nice Caesar salad.

A couple of months ago I enjoyed an excellent bowl of clam chowder there as well.

There are sandwiches under $5 on the lunch menu, daily specials, plus a lunch card so you can earn a free lunch.

There are pitcher specials several days a week (I know a few people who are taking advantage of this), various drink specials, plus kids eat free on Mondays and Wednesdays.

There is a newly added beer garden, and also a German deli for your take home needs.

Cracklin' Jakes

I've been meaning to make it to Cracklin' Jakes for well over a year now.A couple of weeks ago we were actually on our way to another restaurant near Canton, but due to hunger and boredom with the drive, we decided to hit Cracklin' Jakes instead.

Located at 111 E. Valley View Drive in Banner, the restaurant had a cozy log cabin style that I love.

After being greeted warmly and taken to a booth, we took inventory of the menu and decor.

The floors were a neutral tile, which did cause conversation and laughter from a group near the fireplace to echo throughout the dining room off and on through the evening.

There were various animals mounted on the walls and dried flowers here and there, and I really liked the shade of green they chose for their wainscoting.

I ordered a glass of Gnarly Head Zinfandel, which, at $6 a glass, was a nice find. My husband had an iced tea.

For my entrée, I chose the stroganoff, accompanied by the lobster bisque, which was a stretch for me. I've never been a big fan of lobster, even vacationing in Maine, but for some reason the soup sounded good.

I did notice that the stroganoff did not say it was made with bison, which was one of the things I had noted when I wanted to visit the restaurant.

StfRon selected the prime rib, accompanied by salad.

Our first course arrived with bread, and trying the bisque I found it to be excellent. Slightly sweet, creamy and flavorful with tiny flakes of seafood.

StfRon's salad was pretty much standard.

The stroganoff was not the sour cream and sauteed onion and mushroom fare like my mom used to make, but the meat was tender and falling apart and reminded me of a home made pot roast, piled on a bed of boiled noodles.

When we arrived, I was happy to see they had a bread pudding selection on the menu, but we decided to skip dessert and head home.

The waitstaff we encountered, although they appeared young (late teens to early 20s), were very attentive and professional, and made our visit more enjoyable.

If you find yourself near Banner and are looking for a nice sit down dinner, keep Cracklin' Jakes in mind.

November 2009 — Cracklin' Jakes has closed.

May 2010 — Cracklin' Jakes has reopened.
October 2011 — Cracklin' Jakes now houses Boss Hogs

Grumpy Pete's Steakhouse

We tried to stop at Grumpy Pete's Steakhouse, 1440 N. 8th Street in Pekin a few months ago for lunch, but they were closed.
At a birthday bash, a couple of our friends got us a gift certificate to the restaurant, so we made plans to meet them there for dinner.
I called late on a Wednesday afternoon and made reservations, but when we arrived on Friday, the lady at the hostess stand could not find us on the list. No worries, though, because we got right in.
The dining room had a bit of a Tuscan flair, a holdover from it's previous tenants, I would guess.
Our waiter Nick stopped by and told us he would be right with us, and had heard me talking about a wine list, so he mentioned that he would bring one by.
After ordering our drinks and some appetizers, we decided on our meals. Minney ordered a pasta dish, J and StfRon selected the ribs ($16.95)and I went with a petite filet ($18.95).
Our appetizers arrived: fried button mushrooms ($5.95) and sautéed, smothered mushrooms ($5.95). Both were good, the latter topped with Swiss cheese.
A live musician set up in the bar, which is fairly close to the dining room, and started playing some tunes.
Our salads arrived (cole slaw for StfRon) and I enjoyed the poppyseed dressing I had selected.
Diving in to dinner, I found my steak to be nicely seasoned and well prepared. StfRon said the ribs were good, however he has become a bit of a rib snob since purchasing a wood smoker a couple of years ago. He knew these ribs were not wood smoked, but they were quite tender.
My side of green beans was standard, but StfRon's side of glazed carrots topped them, with their maple sweet glaze.
Nick seemed to be pretty busy throughout our stay, but he checked in with us at opportune points to make sure we were doing OK.
Grumpy Pete's is not currently serving lunch and is open Tuesday-Sunday at 4 p.m.

Grumpy Pete's closed in late 2010 or early 2011.

Feldan's Pizza, Pasta & More

Today's lunch plans were derailed when StfRon called me en route and said that Feldan's was open.
I've been watching Feldan's Pizza, Pasta & More make progress on the former Ned Kelly's building at 4114 N. Brandywine Drive in Peoria for a few months now.
Turns out that yesterday was their first day of business.
Knowing that in advance, I might not have gone today. I usually like to give new restaurants a few weeks to work out the kinks.
I needn't have worried here, though.
Walking in, I was immediately greeted by a cheerful gal who welcomed me. StfRon checked out the buffet and said that's what he was going to have, so I decided to do the same. We paid our $10.59 each (includes buffet and drinks between 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) plus tax and went for round one.
In the center of the buffet area there is a salad bar with an iceberg lettuce and red cabbage mixture, matchstick carrots, peas, croutons, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, red onions and more, flanked on the left by dressings. I put a drop of one of the white dressings on my plate to sample, lest I be taken aback later by Bleu cheese, and found it to be ranch, but a much better ranch that most salad bar fares. StfRon later said the French dressing was very good, too.
On the opposite side of the veggies there were some fruit selections, two potato salads and white cake.
The buffet manager was on hand checking temps on the food, and everything was fresh and hot.
For round two, I sampled the fried chicken, breadsticks, pizza and a Feldan's roll.
The fried chicken was hot and juicy, with a nice crisp coating that appeared to have cornmeal in it. It wasn't salty, and was very good.
The breadsticks were chewy and the accompanying marinara was herbed and flavorful.
The roll was sweet, hard on the outside and soft inside.
The pizzas I tried were the orange chicken and Hawaiian. The Hawaiian was good, but the orange chicken pizza knocked my socks off. The orange was not prominent, but the pizza had lots of herbs on it and the sauce had a nice sweetness. I would certainly order a whole pie of that!
StfRon loved the pizza sauce and crust.
I went back one more time to take a small piece of the dessert pizza, and snagged a piece of cheese pizza while I was at it. The cheese pizza was fine, and the dessert pizza tasted almost like a homemade Snickerdoodle cookie.
We passed on several other items like pastas, green beans, two kinds of soup, mashed potatoes (skin on), corn flake fried chicken and more.
Throughout our visit a friendly server kept checking on us and whisking away our used plates.
The decor has been brightened with lots of white paint since Ned Kelly's closed, and train pictures are placed throughout the dining area. The tableside menu enlightened us on the fact that trains were selected as the theme in order to bring back hospitality from days gone by. And I would say they are doing a great job of that based on my experience today. Everyone was very cordial, friendly and helpful.
Feldan's has a dinner buffet as well for a couple dollars more, plus you can order wings, sandwiches, chicken and pizzas and an express lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) off the menu.
Each day the buffet features specials, such as pork Adobo and sweet brown sugar ham.

Country Diner

Last weekend StfRon and I were debating where to have a nice Sunday breakfast on our way to one of the downtown hospitals.
Somewhere in East Peoria or downtown was the ideal plan.
I thought of the Country Diner, 3625 E Washington Street in East Peoria, which we had checked out a couple of years ago.
We took a seat near the kitchen, as the restaurant was doing a respectable breakfast business, and looked over the menu.
On the side of the building is a sign touting Smoked Tennessee Country Ham, so I was looking for a meal that included some of this prime pork. I settled on a combo with scrambled eggs, a biscuit and gravy and some ham. I didn't realize the meal also came with fried potatoes.
StfRon also ordered some biscuits and gravy and some corned beef hash.
Enjoying some orange juice while I waited for our food, I decided that the mauve-hued walls were almost precisely the color of braunschweiger. I do love a nice helping of braunschweiger from time to time.
I also noticed that the restaurant offers pies to go by advanced order, and lunch specials during the week. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch only.
Our meals arrived shortly and we dug in. The homemade biscuits were a nice touch, and my ham was mouthwateringly good. The potatoes were a bit greasy for me, but I had plenty to eat after having just of few of them anyway. StfRon really enjoyed the corned beef hash and was wishing he knew their secret.
Service was good and the prices were very reasonable.

Upon arriving home later that day, I noticed that Peoria.com was having a forum debate about the best breakfast in the Peoria area. A few people mentioned The Galley, so we're planning to go there soon to check out the breakfast, but I certainly plan to revisit the Country Diner.

November, 2011 — Country Diner has closed.

Local biz casualties 2008

I remember putting together a list of local businesses that closed last year, and have been mentally preparing my list for this year for a couple of weeks.
Some of these closures are fairly recent while others happened several months ago.

In 2008, we said goodbye to:
CopperWorks
Basil's
Red Zin
Euro Jack's
The Ugly Mug
Penguin Tap
River Station
White Buffalo
Walt's Dos
Ken's Gourmet Chili
Danner's Salads
Jill's
Lenny's Comedy Café
Mi Rancho Grande
Po-Boys

Zim's

This week we decided to stop for lunch at Zim's, 1200 N. Main Street, Peoria.
Located in the Campustown shopping center, Zim's is simply decorated.
They were not busy at about 11:15 when we arrived, and we were greeted and given menus right away.
Our waitress took our drink order after seating us and we made our selections. I was wavering between the French dip and the spicy chicken swiss sandwich. StfRon suggested I should get the chicken, so he could try it. I have had the sandwich before at Zim's, but it had been quite some time ago.
I ordered that with cole slaw as my side. StfRon went with chili dogs and a cup of loaded potato soup.
The soup and cole slaw arrived first. Both were very good. The cole slaw was really zesty, not the average fare served at a lot of places around town.
When our meals arrived, we were both a bit taken aback by the sheer height of the spicy chicken sandwich. Not only was this breaded bird topped with a tabasco-based sauce, it was also topped with lettuce, tomato, swiss, pickles, mustard, some mayo or maybe ranch sauce and a thick slice of onion. It was almost towering on the plate.
I did remove the tomato, not being a big fan of them, and managed to mash the bun down a bit and take a bite. The sauces and toppings seemed like it would be a bit much, but all of the different flavors made for an interesting experience.
StfRon found that his hot dogs were a little lukewarm and mentioned it to our waitress, who quickly remedied the situation. When the dogs arrived back at the table he ate them and I didn't hear how they were, but that means they must have been to his liking. If the buns are dry or the chili is lame or filled with green peppers, he'll make it known to me.
Zim's is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Breakfast is served all day and kids eat free on Tuesdays.