Keil's Bar & Grill

The sign at Keil's Bar & Grill on S. Summit Drive in Sunnyland reads established 1994. The location did serve as home to other establishments during the past couple of years, such as the Golden Greek, however Keil's reclaimed the spot late this summer.
We stopped at Keil's for dinner last month before heading to a movie at the nearby Sunnyland Cinemas.
We entered the family-friendly dining room and were greeted and seated in a booth by the windows.
They were featuring some dinner specials which included a salad bar plus a pizza and pitcher special, however I decided to order the French dip which came with homemade fries or chips. I selected the chips, and my husband ordered a Reuben.
The chips were good as was the French dip, served on a long Ciabatta style roll.
Keil's serves food Tuesday-Saturday starting at 4 p.m. and opens at noon on Saturdays.

Sicily Pizza

My husband spent many years eating Sicily Pizza in Washburn and raves about it to this day.
Several weeks ago we made the drive out and sampled a fresh, hot pie for dinner.
The restaurant has expanded a few times over the years, and we took a seat in the dining room to the left of the counter, where we found a couple and two children chatting while waiting for their pizza.
We ordered a five cheese pizza from the young gentleman who waited on us, a pleasant chap who kept the iced tea refills coming.
The pizza had a simple quality, tasting of tomato and cheese, without a lot else to stand in the way of a homemade Italian-style pizza.
If you decide to go, be aware that they did not accept credit cards as of the time of our visit.

Tobin's Pizza

A couple of weeks ago on my husband's date night he announced that we were going to Bloomington to try Tobin's Pizza.
In business since the 1960s, Tobin's is one of the top names in pizza in the Twin Cities. From what I hear, either you are a fan of Tobin's or you are a fan of Lucca, kind of like the whole Beatles/Rolling Stones debate.
I would have to say after trying Tobin's, I am a fan of both.
The decor was what a pizza parlor should be: not too bright, not too new, cozy and well loved. I would have preferred hearing some Italian mob hits, but that's because I'm not a fan of country music, which is what was playing during our visit.
We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table during the height of Saturday night dinner, which many other people were happily doing.
After hearing that this was our first time there, our waitress told us about their most popular deal, the Family Buck Stretcher. Order a 16" pizza and for just $1 more you can receive the same topping pizza in a 10" size to take home for later. We opted for their "Special" with sausage, mushrooms, onions and pepperoni but skipped the green peppers.
The piping hot pie was thin crust, nice and crispy and the toppings were of nice quality, simple and flavorful. I especially enjoyed their sausage, which I usually just tolerate to appease my husband.
I did see that a ton of what appeared to be birthday cookies were going out of the kitchen and noticed that they have a birthday club that seems to be wildly popular.
We also noticed that a gentleman who appeared to be an owner was visiting each table to make sure everything was OK, and was also pitching in to help bus tables on a busy Saturday night.
They also were doing a bustling delivery business and the parking lot was an almost never-ending stream of delivery cars.
If you're not a fan of pizza, Tobin's has many other items on the menu such as fried chicken and spaghetti, but I can't imagine not having pizza when I come back.
If you're already a fan or want to give it a try, there are currently a few $50 gift certificates available for $25 to save you some dough on your pie.

Caffé Italia Ristorante

My husband works in Bloomington every so often, and he has been raving about a little place called Caffé Italia Ristorante.
He had been hooked by their cheese pizza, and had also tried one of their pastas of the day and raved about the sauce.
I had a chance to have lunch at Caffé Italia a few weeks ago. I ordered the Pizza al Formaggio and a drink and took a seat in the café to await my meal.
Several of the diners appeared to be regulars, possibly from nearby State Farm. Many of them were also partaking of the Italian holiday treats the restaurant had in stock.
My pizza arrived shortly, and it was indeed delicious, with a wonderfully crisp crust.
Beer and wine is available, as well as a couple of my favorites: Gelato and cannoli.

Richard's On Main

I last visited Richard's On Main many years ago, and one thing I remembered was that they had Framboise, a raspberry lambic Belgian style beer, on draft.
Fast forward about 9 years and we decided to make a stop at the downstairs pub in Peoria once again. Much to my surprise, they still had a raspberry lambic on draft!
There's something appealing to me about a basement pub, especially one with exposed brick walls, ancient tile floors and great historic photographs of downtown Peoria from eras past.
An added bonus on this visit was finding out how many of Richard's menu items are home made. The hand battered mushrooms are not poured frozen from a bag. The pizza crust and sauces are made from scratch. The list of items the bartender identified as being made on site was impressive.
They also feature hand cut steaks, a long list of sandwiches, some salads and burgers.
On this visit, we tried their white garlic pizza and an order of the battered mushrooms. Both hit the spot, especially for me when washed down with a chilled St. Louis Framboise.
Taking note of all of the sandwiches (ranging in price from $4.29 all the way to $29.95 for the "Clydsdale Horseshoe") available and the large juicy steak a lady at the bar was enjoying, we discussed coming back soon for both lunch and a steak dinner.
And if we were night owls (rather than losers who rarely leave the house after 8 p.m.), it would be good to know that Richard's serves food until 4 a.m.

Beningo's Restaurant

I've been remiss in not writing about a great meal we had a few months ago at Beningo's Restaurant in Bloomington.

My husband was looking for something different to do as we were in a little bit of a rut, ran across Beningo's on the web and noticed a picture of a nice looking pizza pie on their website, so he suggested we try the place and made a reservation.

The restaurant is located in a nondescript brick building.

On the phone, my husband had been asked if we wanted upstairs or down. He mentioned we had not been there before and the hostess said we wanted upstairs then.

We were taken to our table in the 1960s style dining room.

I looked over the menu which had a lot of pasta offerings, but with pizza being what made my husband pick the place I decided we needed to try it.

We went with one of their pre-arranged topping pies, the Sicilian, topped with sausage, tomatoes and hot peppers.

There was a cracker basket on the table and we munched on those a bit while we took in the atmosphere and waited for our food.

After looking around at some of the other diners it occurred to me that they served alcohol, which I hadn't realized when ordering.

We noticed some people showing up were leaving, apparently feeling that the wait for a table was too long or being told that there was no room.

We decided to see what we were missing in the basement so we headed down the stairs.

We were blown away by the decor! It reminded me of the early 1970s basement of my mom's friend's house when I was growing up, complete with vintage carpet. We decided it would be a blast to eat down there some time.

Back at our upstairs table the pizza soon arrived. It was wonderful! The pie took me back to the way pizza tasted as a kid at family-owned restaurants. The cheese (which I am picky about) and the sausage (which I am normally not a big fan of) were great.

With a pie like that paired with good service and great atmosphere, now that we've found Beningo's, we'll certainly be back.

Bullpen Sports Bar & Grill

After the closure of the off track betting parlor at Landmark in Peoria, the Bullpen Sports Bar & Grill took over the space.

I met my husband for lunch there a couple of weeks ago, and found a few of the tall tables in the dining area were already occupied.

Looking over the menu our waitress promptly delivered, I noticed they had a hand battered Buffalo chicken sandwich ($6.25), so I decided to try that.

Besides chicken the sandwich selections also include a hand cut tenderloin, a fish sandwich, a turkey wrap, a hot dog and a sub, an Italian beef, a prime rib and Philly beef steak. They serve wings, some nice sounding salads including a Caribbean version, pizza and 1/3 pound burgers. All sandwiches come with home made chips.

After ordering, I took notice of all the 50" flat screen TVs lining the room near the ceiling. All the better for those sports fans.

Video games were scattered throughout the sports bar.

There was also a second room with more intimately arranged tables and smaller TV screens that may become an Internet café in the future.

Our food arrived in good time. My chicken breast was juicy, and rather than being doused in the standard tabasco sauce, this bird was packing some heat! The sauce had quite a kick to it, and I noticed some pepper flakes on it as well. The sandwich left a satisfying burn on my tongue long after it was gone.

The home made chips were an nice accompaniment to my meal.

The Bullpen serves lunch seven days a week, is open until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday and features food specials several days a week.

The Pizza Peel

My mom had been talking up The Pizza Peel in Lacon for weeks and weeks, so we made plans to meet my parents there for dinner.

The restaurant is located in an old brick building, formerly the American Legion.

The basement location adds to the atmosphere.

Inside, the building has been completely remodeled, although my husband did mention seeing some cool old battleship looking stairs near the restroom.

Our waitress was upbeat and friendly, and brought us some menus before heading off to get our drinks.

My parents decided to split a salad and a pizza, and StfRon and I just ordered a pepperoni pie.

We noticed bottles of honey on the tables, and learned that some people like to put honey on the pizza crust.

We also noticed lots of paper plates of cheesecake being served to customers, and when we asked our waitress about it, she said it was turtle cheesecake, and that the owner was sampling it to see if it should be added to the menu.

Our pizzas arrived, thin crust, ours tasty and nicely covered in pepperoni. My husband had pulled the switcheroo when ordering, from the 12-inch we discussed to a 14-inch, so we ended up taking about half of it home.

We all ended up making the sacrifice of sampling the turtle cheesecake, and it was one of the best I've had in recent times.

If you find yourself within a short drive of Lacon and are looking for a nice thin crust pizza, The Pizza Peel has your pie.

Red Rock Bar & Grille

Last month after an appointment, we stopped by Red Rock Bar & Grille in Morton, since we haven't had a chance to check it out.
The restaurant is a former Brick Oven Pizza at 332 Detroit Avenue, and I recognized the tile topped tables from the former Brick Oven in Washington.
The dining room had a nice earthy feel, and a few tables were filled with early diners. In the corner, a fire was blazing in the brick oven.
We took a couple of stools at the bar and ordered some drinks, then perused the menu.
StfRon said he was game for whatever pizza I wanted, so I took advantage of it and ordered a BBQ chicken pie.
While we waited for our pizza, I mentioned to my husband that with the music and atmosphere, the place had a bit of a college bar vibe, but without the dirt and stickiness.
Our pizza soon arrived via our efficient bartender, and I took a bite, instantly feeling like I had been transported back to the Brick Oven in Washington.
If it was not the same recipe, it was a great attempt, the great crust topped with garlicky chicken, onions, and a tangy BBQ sauce.
Today I checked out Red Rock's web site, and was surprised to see they book some of our favorite bands. We can't make the first two shows, but we'll be keeping it in mind for future entertainment.

Two25

While my husband is still mourning the loss of Uno's in the Mark Twain Hotel, we took a chance on lunch at the restaurant now occupying the space: Two25.
Walking through the lobby of the hotel at 225 NE Adams Street in Peoria, I noticed it has been updated since I last walked through. I liked the decor, and the library looked like a great place to park myself and hang out for the rest of the day. Too bad I had to get back to work.
Stepping into the restaurant, we were greeted by a gal manning the hostess stand who showed us to a booth.
The dining room has seen some decor changes since Uno's as well, which were a nice touch.
With loungy hits by Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra playing in the background, we checked out the menu.
On the appetizer list, the crab & artichoke gratin sounded good, as did the baked Brie. There were a couple of salads that I would like to try: the pear and the spinach salad. Moving on to pizzas, the thought of the White Pie had me salivating: olive oil, ricotta, spinach,
artichoke hearts and garlic. The menu also featured steaks, chicken and seafood, burgers, pasta and sandwiches.
Being lunch, however, I went with something a bit lighter, the salad bar with soup. The lunch endless salad bar was priced at $7, and adding French onion soup or the soup du jour is an extra $2. We had scoped out the salad bar after noticing it on the menu, and it looked worthy.
StfRon went with the salad bar as well, and added a sausage pizza bread for $1.
This salad bar made its way to my list of top three in Peoria since it had three choices of greens, a tri-colored pepper mix, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, onions, sunflower seeds, candied walnuts, a couple of fruit choices, broccoli, cottage cheese, several dressing choices and more.
Our food arrived fairly quickly. The French onion soup was served in a large cappucino style mug on a saucer and the rich broth filled with onions was topped with some bread and melted cheese.
StfRon's pizza bread was sprinkled with chunks of savory sausage and had a nice crispness to the edges of the submarine style bread.
Glancing around as we were finishing our meal I noticed the dining room we were in was almost full and the voices of the patrons floated up into the high ceilings, mingling and echoing down, lending a nice touch to the atmosphere.
Our waitress was bustling around and cheerful, johnny-on-the-spot with refills, even after we paid our bill of $22 before tip, which included two iced teas.
On our way back to work we declared the last-minute decision for lunch a nice success, and we'll be sure to come back to Two25 again soon.

TNT Sports Bar & Grill

Sunday we took another ride on the River Trail of Illinois in East Peoria, thinking the fall colors would be out in full force. Either they're not quite there yet, or they aren't going to be that stunning, but the weather was great for a ride nonetheless. Some friends of ours met us for the ride.
The trail passes right behind TNT Sports Bar & Grill, so we made plans to stop there for a bite to eat.
TNT is located at 3304 Meadows Avenue in East Peoria.
We stepped inside to find a dark (especially coming in from the noontime sun) dining room behind the bar, walls lined with wood planks. Through some window openings into the bar that were covered with Plexiglas, we could see a row of several flat screen TVs, each displaying different football games.
Along the bar wall in the room was a nicely maintained shuffleboard table.
When we took our seat, there were about three other tables of people in the dining room, but once noon hit a pretty steady stream of customers flowed into the restaurant.
We had been tossing around the idea of Bloody Marys and breakfast at the bar. Our waitress came by to take our drink order, and since I hadn't seen any sign of a breakfast menu, I asked for an iced tea. StfRon looked at me and said "What, no Bloody Mary??" Our waitress piped up and said they had a Bloody Mary bar. We were all intrigued, and three of us ordered one.
The waitress delivered three glasses of vodka on ice to our table, then escorted us to the Bloody Mary bar to give us the rundown.
There were several bottles of Bloody Mary mix, one of which is TNT's own creation, which she mentioned has won some awards. We all decided to try that one. There were seasonings like Worcestershire, celery salt, salt and pepper, and garnishes including Slim Jims, celery, green olives, pickles and green onions. There was also a pot of chili and some bowls on the Bloody Mary bar.
We loaded up our drinks and headed back to the table to enjoy our creations.
We decided to go with pizza for our lunch. StfRon and I ordered the sweetfire chicken pizza and our friends went with a deluxe. We also ordered some wings in honey BBQ (StfRon's doing) and mild for me.
TNT's pizzas are thin crust. The sauce on the sweetfire chicken pizza ended up having a pretty good kick to it. Between that, the Bloody Mary and the mild wings, my taste buds were heading toward a mild inferno. If I order that pizza again, I think I would have to cut down on the amount I ate.
StfRon enjoyed the honey BBQ wings. I don't particularly care for sweet wings, but I liked the mild ones.
Service was good, and several servers checked on us from time-to-time. I also visited the women's restroom and was fairly surprised at the decor and cleanliness. I really had prepared myself for a more low-end utilitarian restroom, but this was definitely a few steps above.
We were also pleasantly surprised when we got the bill. With the Bloody Mary bar priced at only $3, wings at 35 cents and pizzas at a few bucks off on Sundays, we made off with a bargain, and had we not been on bikes, we could have taken home some leftovers.
TNTs has daily specials and offers free WiFi.

TNT opened a second location in Peoria Heights at the former Penguin Tap in early 2009.

Garner's Pizza & Wings

This week StfRon and I tried the lunch buffet at Garner's Pizza & Wings, 9101 N. Allen Road in Peoria.
Our first stop was the cash register where we paid just under $18 for two lunch buffets (pizza and salad bar) and two drinks. Heading to the dining room, we found that all of the booths appeared to be occupied (some people were in the buffet line, but had already claimed their space). We did find room at the end of a couple of tables of eight chairs, where two men were enjoying their pizza at the other end.
I went for the pizza right away, figuring salad could wait. Hey, I like my pizza hot!
All of the selections had a thin crust. I took a piece of pepperoni pizza that had green peppers and onions on it, and a bread stick with some marinara. Sitting down to try them, I found both to be OK, but they didn't knock my socks off.
On my next trip to the buffet, I snagged a slice of BBQ chicken pizza and some salad: iceberg lettuce with red cabbage, added on some cucumbers and red onions plus some bacon bits and ladled on some Italian dressing.
Now THIS slice was more up my alley! The cheese was nicely browned, the thin crust was nicely dusted in cornmeal, the chicken was tender and not dry, and the BBQ sauce...whoa!! It tasted like Steak 'n Shake chili mac sauce, of which I am a HUGE fan.
It's a good thing that when I glanced back over at the buffet, I noticed that the BBQ chicken pizza was gone or I would have had one or two more slices.
The place kept up a steady lunch business while we were there. The dining room features a TV and there is an arcade room just down the hall.
I've had and enjoyed Garner's wings in the past, but it's been years. They also have appetizers and sandwiches on the menu, and offer delivery.

Grady's Family Fun Park

After dinner Friday night, StfRon had a surprise for me. A trip to Grady's Family Fun Park, 1501 Morrissey Drive in Bloomington.
Grady's is filled with batting cages, go karts, bumper boats and cars, mini golf, a video arcade, and carnival rides.
They also have fair food such as funnel cakes and deep fried candy bars. Unfortunately, we arrived kind of late, and while we were riding some rides the concession stand closed for the night.
I was a little skeptical about going, but once StfRon and I got on the bumper car floor and were the only ones out there, I ended up laughing my ass off at chasing him around, shooting his car and smacking into him. The kind of crazy laugh where you feel your lips are stuck to your teeth in a fiendish grin. I just couldn't help myself.
The other ride we tried was the go carts, and it was pretty fun zipping around the track with the wheel cranked all the way to the side to try and make the turns. It was only once we got home that I noticed all the tiny bits of dirt stuck to my face from the track.
It was great to cut loose a bit at Grady's.

Firehouse Pizza

I had heard a lot of good things about Firehouse Pizza, so I was interested in checking the place out.
I zipped over to 8879 N. Knoxville Avenue in Peoria for lunch one day this week, meeting my friend R and my mom.
Walking in, you can choose to enter one of two doors, one to the left or one to the right. To the right, I could see golden yellow walls, to the right, a brick wall look. We headed to the right and made our way past tall, dark wood booths to the cash register.
There is a lunch buffet for $7.50, tax included, that comes with salad, pizza and a soft drink. You can also order a personal pizza with a drink for about the same price. I could see the buffet right next to the cash register, so I figured I would try it.
I wanted iced tea, but when I went to the soda station, all I saw was the raspberry variety, so I had a Pepsi instead. Later on I saw regular iced tea on the menu, so I'll have to track it down next time. Firehouse Pizza also offers beer and wine.
We took one of the tall booths, which are equipped with personal flat screen TVs. There was a pretty steady crowd of people in for lunch while we were there, several of them enjoying the programming of their choice in their booths.
Going up to the small salad bar, I fixed a salad of iceberg lettuce with red cabbage, two kinds of shredded cheese, skipped the croutons and went for some of the honey mustard dressing. The quarters were a bit cramped between the cash register, salad bar and pizza bar, with them all being in the same pathway, but everyone managed.
The salad was decent, and I especially enjoyed the dressing.
On to the pizza. The slices were narrow, which was good because I got to try more varieties without wasting food. I first went for a slice of some sort of meat lovers looking pizza, since I spied some bacon on it. I also snatched a slice with black olives and green peppers and went back to the table.
The crust is sort of a hand-tossed style, but the thing I enjoyed the most was the sweet tomato sauce. So much so that I went back for two more slices.
While enjoying our food, we took a look at some of the firehouse memorabilia near our booth and on the walls. I also noticed that the menu on our table mentioned a gluten free pizza and take and bake pizzas.
My mom arrived late, and on her last trip from the pizza buffet she scored a slice of dessert pizza with peaches on it that hadn't been up there before, but alas, I was full. It will have to wait for next time.

Mickie's Pizzeria

Last week we met some friends at Mickie's Pizzeria for dinner.
This outing took place at their new Peoria location in Westlake shopping center, although we have visited Mickie's a few times at 137 Radio City Drive in Pekin in the past five years.
The Westlake location looked brand spanking new with it's clean tile floors, rust and green hued walls and ying yang-esque seat cushions.
Our waitress during this visit was very thorough, repeating back everyone's order to them after she had taken them all, to make sure she had everything right. And things were delivered just as we ordered them.
We started with some sweet bread and garlic bread, then all had our own thin crust pie (no thick crust here), with three of the group ordering fiesta pizzas. StfRon, the lone male dining with four females, went for the meat pizza, and I chose the five star, with smoked bacon, red onions, garlic, Canadian bacon and pineapple as my five stars. I was trying to come up with a new concoction with lots of flavor. It turned out to be pretty good, and made for a nice lunch at home a couple of days later.
Mickie's also serves wings, sandwiches and pasta dishes.

December, 2010 — Mickie's has closed their location in Peoria. Visit them in Dunlap, Pekin or East Peoria.

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.

Rhythm Kitchen Music Café

The Rhythm Kitchen Music Café, located at 305 SW Water Street in Peoria, is a great place to sample some creative cuisine or live music.
The menu features items like hummus and veggies, fruit and brie, salads and pizzas, sandwiches like the salmon BLT and even homestyle favorites like meatloaf and casseroles. If the tuna chop salad is on the board when I stop in, I generally order that. It's filled with chunks of grilled tuna and lots of chopped veggies, all mixed in with pasta.
The Rhythm Kitchen also features CHIP menu items, breakfast items, gourmet coffees, a nice dessert selection and a full bar.
On Wednesdays it's open stage and on Fridays and Saturdays there is live music, all in this eclectic café with it's retro mismatched furniture and tableware.

Peoria Pizza Works

With Leonardo's closing, we were looking for a good local pizza joint to hit over the weekend. We thought of Peoria Pizza Works and headed to 3921 N. Prospect in Peoria Heights.
Peoria Pizza Works has been around about as long as I have. I used to hang out there in the 90s and listen to Ready, Steady, Go play while drinking firewater. Ah, those were the crazy days of youth.
The Pizza Works is still cozy and dark, with old wood floors, faux stained glass panels over the light fixtures, and checkered vinyl tablecloths.
A basket of popcorn was delivered to our table when our drink order was taken. Nice to have something to much on.
The menu features Chicago style pizza, both thin and pan, calzones, pasta, salads, sandwiches, chicken and a slew of appetizers. They also serve mini pizzas, so you can have your very own favorite, without offending those you are dining with.
I was sure StfRon was going to order a tuna pizza with eggplant and zucchini, but no, he stuck with the sausage and onion. I had pepperoni, onion, green peppers and black olives on my half of our medium thin crust. This pizza crust was very cracker-crispy, and the cheese was excellent.
The Works has open mic every Thursday night and jazz bands on Wednesdays. They also serve a pizza buffet for lunch during the week. There are also some video games to pass the time with while you wait for your pie.
Service was decent during our visit. We will certainly be back, and hope this place makes it for another 35 years.

Oliver's Pizza & Pub

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

Nick-N-Willy's Pizza

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

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