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.

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.

The Mix Sandwich Works

A couple of months ago one of my readers asked if I had tried The Mix Sandwich Works in Peoria yet. I had not, but last weekend we visited there for lunch.
Housed in a former KFC, you can view the menu on the wall over the counter where you order, or you can place your order at the drive thru. Perusing the menu on the wall, my husband asked if their Philly steak sandwich was served with green peppers, so the server asked if it was our first visit and gave us a paper menu which had descriptions of the sandwiches. He also pointed out their "Make it a Meal" offer where you can add a large order of fries and a 20 oz. drink for $2 more.
I opted for a grilled chicken pita ($4.99) and my husband ordered the chili dog meal ($4.29) after finding out that the chili did not have beans in it.
Our order came up quickly. My pita was soft and warm, topped with piping hot chicken strips and paired with a generous portion of gyro sauce. My husband enjoyed his 100% Vienna beef chili dog and we shared the fries, which were of the skin-on variety.
The dining room was tidy, but a bit smoky on our visit. The signage inside was a nice touch and except for the outside style of the building, it didn't remind me of a KFC.
Sandwiches range from gyros, burgers, Polish sausages, subs and croissants and they also offer salads, wings and fish dinners. There are kids meals available from $2.99-$3.29. I also noted with interest that they were offering Baklava and cheesecake for $1.99.

El Mexicano

Just down the road from the Hofbrau on NE Jefferson sits a pretty non-descript restaurant serving Mexican food. In the early 90s the building housed a Daylight Donuts.
We've been to El Mexicano twice now for food, and I know my mom is a fan as well.
The food is good, prices are reasonable and the servers are efficient and polite.
There is seating for a few inside if you want to dine in. There are several picnic tables outside so you can enjoy your burrito alfresco, and they also do a good carry-out business.
They currently don't accept credit cards, so you can leave home without your Visa card.

Billy's Phillys

Saturday we decided to try Billy's Phillys which opened last fall on Farmington Road in Peoria.

The small building is adorned with a fun vintage star sign. Inside we found a combo of six tables and booths, bright white walls and red, white a blue decor adorning the walls.

We stepped up to the counter to read the menu and place our order.

My husband chose the original (ribeye steak, grilled onions and Cheez Whiz) and I opted for a cheese steak with sliced provolone. Including a bottle of water, our total was just over $17.

We took a seat at one of the booths and soon our foil wrapped sandwiches were delivered in a plastic bag.

We unwrapped them and dug in. The cheese was layered on the bottom of the bun, then onions, then a pile of thinly sliced ribeye, and the sandwiches were piping hot. The meat and onions had made quick work of melting the provolone and the steak, seemingly unseasoned, was good quality. We heard a lady talking to another table of customers mention that they get the buns from Philadelphia, which added a nice touch.

I sampled my husband's Cheez Whiz philly, which he enjoyed, but I preferred the provolone version.

We also found a foil wrapped set of pickle spears in the bag, which I noshed on after the sandwiches were gone.

The man who took our order, mostly likely also cooked it and brought it out to us asked us a few times how everything was and if we needed anything else.

As we headed out the door, a group of six filed in, ready to enjoy a quality meal from Billy's Phillys.

Brown's Fine Food

Last weekend we set out for points west to visit a restaurant my husband has been wanting to try for about a year. Alas, our food choices were not to be had when we got there, so we hit the road again and kept our eyes peeled for another option.

We drove into Canton and soon a retro sign caught the attention of both of us at almost the same instant: Brown's Snappy Service.

I love spotting old signs, and it's even better when the business still exists and lives up to the legacy.

A lucky break! Brown's Fine Food was open so we walked in and found the place comfortably worn around the edges, with about a dozen stools mounted in front of the white, gold-flecked countertop.

Tables lined the wall behind, stretching back into a narrow back room.

We took seats at the counter to better check out the old equipment and decor, and looked over the menu while our server went to get us some iced teas.

Entrées were reasonable: chicken fried steak for $5.75, two smoked pork chops for $6.75, fried chicken for $6, all served with two sides plus bread a butter. Sandwiches started at $1.70 for the sandwich alone and $3.20 for a platter.

StfRon asked the gent serving us if the hamburgers were frozen, and he said no. Then he asked if they were thin patties, and found out they were. Our server added that they are very good, so that was enough for us.

I ordered a cheeseburger platter and StfRon ordered a bacon cheeseburger platter. Both came with fries and cole slaw.

Our food came out quickly, the burgers tasty as promised, complete with crispy edges, creamy cheese and soft buns.

The fries were a similar cut to McDonald's fries, but I enjoyed their crispness and taste much more than any Mickey D's fries I've had in the last decade.

The slaw was a creamy style, and the portion was pretty generous.

Brown's has been providing snappy service since 1937, and the original building is still intact. There have been some additions over the years, but I had taken notice of the ceiling over the grill area while waiting for my food before I knew about the add ons and you can still

imagine what the little place must have been like in its heyday.

Mounted to a post next to the old host stand area there is a neat photo of the original building.

I'm glad the sign caught our attention.

Windy City Wieners

Due to a tip from yours truly, my husband checked out Windy City Wieners today and here's what he had to say. — Peoria Peepers

Looking for a good Chicago dog in Normal? Look no further than Windy City Wieners at 106 E. Beaufort Street.
This small shop serves up the real deal, complete with neon green relish.
The menu boasts pure beef wieners, (of course), Gyros, chicken sandwiches and burgers as well as some lesser known windy city faves like the Maxwell Street Polish.
I opted for the everyday special, 2 dogs and fries for 5 bucks.
The Red Hot Chicago wiener snapped perfectly with every bite, the relish, onion, and mustard complimented the wiener perfectly.
Purists know that ketchup should never go on a dog, but there are several bottles available on the counter, if you must.
The guys also deliver locally, so give them a call.

M & M Twistee Treat

Now that ice cream season is officially upon us, we made our first visit to M & M Twistee Treat in East Peoria.
This fun ice cream cone shaped building is located at 1207 E. Washington Street, offering both outdoor and indoor (in the attached building) seating.
The original Twistee Treats were built between 1983 and 1990.
One thing that has always impressed me about the East Peoria Twistee Treat is the number of items on the menu. I could eat there five days in a row and still have more things I wanted to try.
The massive menu includes: tenderloins; burgers; hot dogs; polish sausage; tamales; chicken; pizza burgers; catfish; Italian beef; tacos; pizza rolls; BBQ; and fried veggies, plus several frozen treats.
They offer basket specials which include fries, and daily specials.
M & M Twistee Treat is closed during the winter months.

Meat Heads

StfRon's been raving about his new favorite lunch stop in Bloomington, Meat Heads.
I stopped by 305 North Veterans Parkway to give the place a try for an early dinner.
Meat Heads is all about burgers and fries. There's not much else to the menu, save for a grilled cheese and hot dog.
Simple can be good.
The mainstay is the hamburger for $4, two certified Angus patties on a bun, adorned with your choice of toppings.
Being a fairly small person (and hoping to stay that way) I went with the 'Lil Meat Head, a single burger patty, and ordered it crowned with cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and raw onions (they also have grilled onions), and based on StfRon's recommendation I also ordered a small order of their fresh cut fries with bacon ranch sauce.
My ordered was delivered to my long booth in about five minutes.
The burger was juicy and good, and the combination of my selected toppings gave it just the zest I was looking for.
The fries were salted and tasty, and the bacon ranch (which I never would have ordered without a recommendation) lent a savory flair to the spuds.
With an iced tea, my meal came to about $11.
If you're all about burgers and fries, Meat Heads has got you covered.

Ming's Buffet

Admittedly, I am not a fan of buffet restaurants.
A few years ago, I was with a group and visited Ming's Buffet in East Peoria, at 1000 Riverside Drive. I didn't have high hopes.
The decor was a surprise. The place looks bright and clean, with sheets of cracked glass topping the tables, and glass panels on the walls with pictures carved into them.
The food is plentiful, of course, but also has been hot and seemed fresh each time I have visited, which sets Ming's apart from buffets I have visited in the past.
I especially like the green beans and the lo mein noodles from the buffet, and the large variety of cold fruit and veggies. They also have a decent sesame chicken.
Ming's also offers a selection of sushi, a salad bar, prime rib during dinner, crab legs, crab rangoon and plenty more.
Lunch runs about $8 and dinner about $12. It's still a buffet, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the best buffet I've been to.
Ming's has also opened a Bloomington location.

We pulled it off!

Yes, we're hitched! The Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding is behind us. As StfRon's brother-in-law put it, we pulled it off!
Despite some bumps along the way, everything went wonderfully. The weather cooperated beautifully.
We hightailed it north to the UP Sunday afternoon. Along the way, we decided to stop for some take out, and what could be more appropriate than pasties? We found a restaurant called Rosies At Tylenes along our route and ordered two pasties and two iced teas.
It took probably 15 minutes for the pasties to be prepared. And man, were they huge! The nice, flaky pastry was filled with beef, carrots, potatoes and rootabagas and was piping hot, served with a side of brown gravy and creamy cole slaw. We ended up sharing one since they were so large.
The service was very friendly and the restaurant had older decor, a nice hangout for the locals or a quick bite. Plus, the free Wi-Fi was a great bonus.

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!

Didley's Place

I'm waiting for April 15, which won't be long now, so I can check out Didley's Car Hop in Metamora. We have driven by on our way to Smiley's in LaRose, so we couldn't stop there to eat, but the place looks fun.
The menu features shakes, floats, root beer, burgers, tenderloins, hot dogs, tamales, chicken and more, so there's plenty to choose from. And it's the best looking Morton building I've seen!
They also have mini golf and an outdoor movie theater, plus a street rod shop, so there's plenty to do on a nice day. For movie info and more, visit http://www.didleys.com/.

Gracie's Grille

This eatery in Washington replaced Nancy's in Cherry Tree Shopping Center, at the end near Kroger.
Gracie's Grille has all your Chicago-style restaurant favorites: Vienna beef Chicago dogs, gyros, polish sausages, Italian beef, plus chicken, fish, tenderloins, and a good pizza pie. Good local pizza is hard to come by in Washington, and Gracie's does a nice job. They also offer delivery.
The owner is a Central Illinois native, and is a very outgoing chap.
Gracie's also mans a pushcart near the courthouse in downtown Peoria, so you can grab your Chicago eats and run back to work in P-Town.
If you dine in at Cherry Tree, don't be surprised if the tables could use a wiping off. Seems like every time we've been in, that is the case, but the food is still tasty.

March 11, 2008 — Gracie's has moved down Cummings Lane and opened a sports bar/grill.

Smo-King Pit

Mall food may not sound very appetizing, but if you overlook the Smo-King Pit in Northwoods Mall in Peoria, you are doing yourself a huge disservice.
The Smo-King Pit is occupying the former Diamond Daves location near Sears on the second level. If you're a rib lover, you HAVE to try the ribs here. You can choose your number of rib bones you would like, plus your choice of sides. They also have sandwiches, wings and more.
Every time we have been in the sides are served piping hot, even though I'm sure they are prepared ahead, and your food will arrive very quickly. I can honestly say in all the dozen or so times I ate at Famous Daves, the food was warm, never hot.
They also make their own cheesecakes, which are frozen, but tasty. Next time, I'm going to order a slice with my meal so it can warm up a bit while I eat.
The service is great here, which pairs nicely with excellent food.

Ice Cream Shack

A gem I discovered due to my last job is the Ice Cream Shack in Peoria. It's right where Jefferson and Adams split, near the Hofbrau.

The shack has food items such as hot dogs, chili cheese fries, tamales and BBQ sandwiches along with a plethora of ice cream treats. They have their own version of the ice cream chain's Blizzard. The Ice Cream Shack's version is packed with goodies. My favorite is the peanut butter cup. Plus, they have TONS of shake flavors to choose from. You won't find this kind of variety at the ice cream chain!

They also have lots of outdoor seating, so it's great to go down on a nice, or even slightly hot day. You can usually snag a table in the shade.

The shack will be closing this year September 29, check it out, or you'll have to wait for next season!

Vertucci's Chicago Style Eats

Vertucci's Chicago Style Eats is doing a bang-up business for lunch. I haven't been in for dinner yet, but I'll bet it's more of the same.

Located at 1104 N. Main St. in East Peoria, near the Shell station, Vertucci's has a good variety of Italian sandwiches, pizzas made from scratch, calzones, stromboli, Chicago-style dogs, polish sausages and salads. I've had the Italian beef sandwich and it is very good, served on Gonnella bread with your choice of sweet peppers, hot peppers, grilled onions and you can add provolone cheese for only 65¢ more. The beef has a great flavor and the onions are incredibly sweet.

Vertucci's will even deliver your order for $3-$5, depending on distance.

And if you're really feeling hungry, or wild and crazy, try the hot dog challenge. If you can pack away 12 hot dogs in 24 minutes, you get the dirty dozen for free.

Willie's Tamales

I have to give Willie's Tamales kudos for making mouths water for years outside of UFS Savings Center on SW Adams Street in Peoria. The brats and pork chops sizzling on that grill with the sweet onions and peppers makes for an aroma you almost are powerless against.