Eamon Patrick's Public House

On my third visit to Eamon Patrick's Public House, I finally ordered some food. Up to that visit, I had been in for blueberry beer and iced tea and fries, but not anything of substance from the menu.
Located at 112 SW Jefferson in Peoria, Eamon Patrick's has been open for several months now, the latest restaurant involving Mary Ann Fahey, this time in conjunction with her son.
The menu features homemade soups and desserts, several sandwiches and some interesting pizzas. I had to try the pear, gorgonzola, walnut with brie and red peppers. It was a gamble for me, because I am only marginally tolerant of gorgonzola. The pizza was good, but the cheese a bit much for me. Any true gorgonzola fan would be all over this pie.
Next time, I hope to try the tomato basil soup and the margherita pizza.
My friends ordered the spinach artichoke dip, which was very good and rich, plus covered in french fried onions, like the green bean casserole at Christmas. Mmmm! This was served with thin, toasted bread slices, salted with some sort of gourmet salt.
Our group finished with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were tasty, and had a touch of cinnamon mixed in.
The food seemed to take a while to arrive, however, Eamon Patrick's plans to expand and take over the former F. Scott's location. This may allow them to have a larger kitchen.
The decor is warm and cozy, with thickly plastered walls. A great place to duck in for an after work drink, lunch or snack.

Desserts Unlimited

We had a small local wedding reception this weekend. While planning the menu, I asked StfRon what kind of dessert he wanted, and he said cheesecake.
I had seen ads for Desserts Unlimited, 108 E. Queenwood Road in Morton, several times in Dining Out magazine, so I thought we could give them a try.
They boast 23 flavors of cheesecake. What flavor did StfRon want? Plain. Fine by me!
When I picked the cheesecakes up, the lady who brought the order out said "Ours is a soft cheesecake". I wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Now, having tried them, I know they are wonderfully smooth and tasty. We set them up with bowls of caramel, chocolate sauce and strawberries, plus a bowl of Oreo crumbs for people to top the cheesecakes with. They were a hit.
The cheesecakes were $20 each, and you can have them cut in 14 or 16 slices. Not bad for your next gathering.

Childer's Eatery

Childer's Eatery, 3312 N. University in Peoria, is a family restaurant. Despite all the years it's been around, I finally stepped in this summer for the first time.
StfRon and I dropped by Childer's for lunch. The menu is filled with breakfast choices, sandwiches and dinners. A sesame chicken salad with thai dressing caught my eye. For some reason, any meat or fish covered in sesame seeds appeals to me.
This salad featured greens topped with plenty of chicken dipped in egg and then rolled in loads of sesame seeds. The thai dressing was good, and there were also mandarin oranges and nuts in the salad. A nice, filling lunch.
StfRon went with the Memphis sampler, which he had with a sweet potato mash type dish and homemade chips. The Memphis sampler was good, as were both of the sides.
Childer's has many specials, which are listed on signs posted near the ceiling, wrapping around the room. Many of them sounded very tasty.
I'm sure we'll be back for lunch.

Burger Barge Dry Dock

I first went to the Burger Barge Dry Dock, 1401 N. Main Street in East Peoria, maybe five years ago, and was not thrilled after my visit. Much to StfRon's dismay, as he had never been and is a true burger buff, I vowed never to go again.
Flash forward to this year, and a work group outing sent me there again. Maybe my tastes have changed or something, but this time I found a winner: the BBQ burger (cue heavenly music). The burgers at the 'Barge are huge, huge, huge, and this one is no exception. It's smothered in barbecue sauce and cole slaw, and the combination is awesome. Reminiscent of my trip to Memphis earlier this year.
After tasting this gem, StfRon and I stopped in a few weeks later, and I ordered the same burger. Why mess with a good thing?
The Burger Barge also has such favorites as a paper bag o' fried shrimp and great homemade chips. My scheme is to snag some chips off of someone else's plate, as the burgers alone are more than enough to fill me up (sides are not included with the burgers). They also have salads for those who choose to graze. And beer, of course!
The Burger Barge is very casual, and features outdoor seating as well, right along the river.

Avanti's Italian Restaurant

OK, call me crazy, but I'm not a huge fan of Avanti's like most Peorians are. I guess it might be the tomato sauce. It's just not my favorite. And I've never been a huge fan of a gondola sandwich.
I mean, I hear stories of people who move away and can't stop thinking about Avanti's. Each time they come to town they MUST load up their cars and suitcases with Avanti's bread.
I used to hit Avanti's on Main Street in Peoria after class at ICC back in the early 90s. I always had the pizza bread, and it was fine, and the price was right for a college kid.
Then, I worked for a department starting in the late 90s which would order Avanti's delivery once a month or so. I would get the pasta salad, which is actually pretty good, and comes with a nice chunk of bread and Country Crock (prefer the real deal myself) and I usually would snag a packet of the parmesan cheese to sprinkle on it, too. It's a very reasonably priced lunch.
Recently, a friend suggested going to Avanti's, so I said OK. I was surprised to see personal pizzas on the menu. Having had a good fill of the pasta salad the past several years, I ordered one. It was actually very good, kind of reminded me of a Pizza Hut style pie.
Avanti's has locations on Rockwood in Peoria near Northwoods Mall, on Main Street at University, plus a location in East Peoria and one in Normal.
Their menu features hot and cold sandwiches including the gondolas, salads, pizza and plenty o' pasta.

Uncommon Goods

Branching out for a non-local, but cool plug really quickly.
Uncommon Goods is a great place for unique gifts, jewelry and decor items. You can find so many fun things on their web site or in their catalog.
Also, if you put USA in the keyword search on their site, you can find many items made in the USA.
I just found something that looks fun, a wine board game called Winerd. You pick three bottles of wine and answer trivia questions regarding the wines. Who doesn't love wine drinking games?
Hey, come to think of it, my Mom's birthday is in less than two weeks. I'd better get shopping!

Thanh Linh

The first time I ended up at Thanh Linh vietnamese restaurant, 1223 W. Main Street in Peoria, was by chance. We were trying to have a Thursday night birthday dinner for my friend at One World, and to our surprise, the wait was going to be one hour.
We decided to try Thanh Linh, right down the street.
The decor is pastels, and maybe a little bit dated, but otherwise OK.
I ordered pad thai, because that seemed to be the popular choice around the table and I wasn't sure what else to get. The dish was fine, but probably not quite my thing.
Several months later, I visited Thanh Linh for lunch and was hooked. They feature a lunch buffet during the week, with several entrees, appetizers, rices, soups and some dessert items. I have liked every dish I have tried from the buffet, from a chicken lo mein to pork dumplings (good with the brown sauce) to curry chicken to a ground chicken dish with peppers, onions and basil. There are usually a couple of chicken dishes and one beef.
The crab rangoon is also very good, and I try to limit myself to one. Especially because I have to save room for the pudding, a banana tapioca. The first time I tried this, I was hesitant. I do like a good tapioca, but I'm hinky about bananas sometimes, and I could see some afloat in the vat. This pudding tasted awesome to me! It almost tastes like it's filled with banana booze.
There are also some cookie options for dessert, if boozy-tasting banana tapioca is not your thing.

Schooner's

I think it's high time I gave up some love for Schooner's.
Schooner's serves up large, well, schooners of ice cold beer, great wild (or mild, be sure to enunciate well) wings and garlic wings, burgers, turkey burgers, chicken sandwiches (including an awesome buffalo-style bird), excellent tempura-style onion rings and more. Plus, a huge king tenderloin which is served with four buns. Great for sharing, or a good pig out.
The garlic wings are one of my favorites, covered with chunks of minced garlic. I eat these babies at lunch and have no guilt of my garlic breath for the rest of the day. I'm an unabashed garlic lover.

I am most familiar with the cozy War Memorial Schooner's in Peoria Heights, but there is one in Morton as well, and I have been there, and a Bloomington location, which I have not visited. The Peoria location is my favorite, as it's more like home. One wall of the restaurant is covered with photos of people and their morel mushroom finds.
The Peoria location also features a decent-sized beer garden of sorts, filled with picnic tables and tall wooden tables.

Fairy ring?

This weekend, StfRon and I headed to Bishop Hill for some shopping and lunch, and some geocaching in the area.
Some of my ancestors settled in the area, so we stopped at the La Fayette cemetery on the way back to see if any familiar names were to be found. I did find a handful, so I will have to see if I can fit them into my family tree.
On a strange note, we noticed two rather large almost perfect circles of mushrooms growing in the grass in the cemetery. The grass where the mushrooms sprouted was darker green than the surrounding grass.
StfRon said this is known as a fairy ring. I had never heard of such a thing. I snapped a picture of one of the rings, but I wish there had been something to stand on so I could have had a better vantage point.

RiverPlex

I am not a member of the RiverPlex Recreation and Wellness Center, located at 600 NE Water St. in Peoria. However, I have taken advantage of their yoga classes. It's on my way home, and convenient with my work schedule.
For $6 per class (you can receive a discount on this if you purchase a punch card) you can participate in various fitness classes at the RiverPlex. In addition to yoga, they also offer body pump, tai chi and more. Click here to visit their web site and download a class schedule.
The site also features an indoor pool, playground equipment, workout equipment, massages, birthday parties, and a pro shop featuring coffee, smoothies and snacks.

Panache

Panache is a great choice for coffee, lunch and even dinner and live music.
Located in Sheridan Village in Peoria, Panache features specials each day. Last time I was in, I had a veggie wrap with hummus, wrapped in a spinach tortilla. Very good. They also have great soups, sandwiches, casseroles and more.
While there, you can take advantage of the wireless network while lounging on a cozy couch.
Many times I cannot pass up the gelato case on my way out. They have six or eight flavors each time.
Gelato not your thing? Scope out the dessert case and you should find something to tickle your taste buds.

September, 2011 — Panache has closed.

Ohio and Indiana

We mostly blew through Ohio, but did stop to see the house where some filming for A Christmas Story was completed. It was fun. I'll have to see what I recognize next time I watch the movie.

We made it right across the border into Indiana to stay Sunday night. We arrived at 9 p.m. and saw the sign for our hotel lounge, which looked promising, and was noted to be open until 11 p.m. Wrong. The clerk told us they had just closed.
We decided to go buy a bottle of wine and stay in. We hit Kroger and picked one out just as they were closing. We stood in line behind a couple buying some stuff and cigarettes, and they had to debate which cigarettes to buy. Once they were satisfied and told the total, then they starting writing out their check. There were about 10 people behind us at this point, and of course this was the only checkout lane open.
Finally, our turn. Wrong. Apparently in Indiana you cannot purchase booze on Sundays. So we got our ibuprofen and gum and slunk back to our hotel.

Pennsylvania

On the way to Pennsylvania, we stopped for lunch at a diner along the Interstate, the Blue Colony Diner in CT. This huge building is a newer diner. I tried the spinach pie here, but it was no match for the Quay Street Brewing Company. I also had a cup of lemon chicken soup with orzo. This was different, and very lemony.

We were shocked by the beauty of Pennsylvania. The hills, mountains and trees are just stunning along the Interstate.
We stopped in Scranton and thought we might see the welcome sign from the beginning of The Office TV show, but no go. We went to the mall, and it was pretty heavy with teenagers.
We were hungry and thought we wouldn't be able to wait to get to Williamsport, where we would spend the night, so we hit a place called Blackbeard's Cove in Bloomgsburg, a slightly nautical themed restaurant. I guess they're known for seafood in the area. I had the flounder dipped in egg and prepared with lemon and white wine. It was quite good. The sides were OK.
StfRon chose the prime rib. The place was pretty desolate on a Saturday night at 6 p.m., and this may be normal, as we later found out that on Saturdays the prime rib is cooked ahead and cooled, then warmed when someone orders it. StfRon had ordered it medium rare, and the steak came out with no pink visible. He asked if there was a more rare piece, and the cook came out and explained the situation. He said he would do his best, and did send out a piece that had a hint of pink, but it was not as tender as most prime ribs are served.
They obviously don't have a lot of call for prime rib Saturdays, so they are trying to keep food costs down.
Our waitress was friendly and prompt. And the cook did check back to make sure we were doing OK.

After checking into our hotel at Williamsport, we were given a recommendation to visit Franco's Lounge for cocktails. This small restaurant/lounge was retro and fun. And they also said they allow smoking after 9:30 p.m., something missing from our trip thus far. No one had allowed smoking anywhere else we had been, and StfRon likes to smoke a cigar now and then.
Franco's had a decent selection of wines, and at 9:30 they broke out several hookahs, strange smoking contraptions filled with sweet smelling tobacco. A few people tried them, but no one was going to town. The smoke did smell nice.
We also talked to a gent sitting at the bar who told us a bit about the area. The lumber trade in the area in the early 1900s made a large number of people in Williamsport millionaires. There is a five block stretch of beautiful millionaire homes downtown. Actually, the whole downtown is quite neat, having preserved many old buildings for new uses. There's even a nightclub in an old stone prison, appropriately dubbed the Cell Block.
Williamsport is also apparently the founding area of the Little League, and they host the world championship each year.

New Hampshire and Maine

Our first night, we took a recommendation from our hotel and had dinner at the Barley House in Concord, NH.
Our waiter started us out with some crispy breadsticks and pretzel sticks and a small dish of hummus to dip them in. Interesting, and good.
For dinner I tried the parmesan crusted chicken with marsala marinara. Awesome and cheesy.
After a debate with the waiter, StfRon braved the ribs. Being a picky rib gourmand, he proclaimed them very good.
During conversation with the waiter, it had come up that we were in the area on our honeymoon. Near the end of our dinner, he delivered us a small bottle of champagne and two toasting glasses. It was a nice, appreciated touch.

The next morning, we headed a bit outside of Portsmouth to see the lighthouse. We could actually see three from here.
We then drove into Maine. We stopped in York to see Nubble lighthouse. The weather was gorgeous while we were there. The lighthouse was majestic upon it's rocky perch.
We hit The Pilot House restaurant in Kennebunk for lunch and StfRon finally tried some fish. He had the haddock, blackened. I had crab cakes, which were very good. I thought tarter sauce sounded a little lame to top them with, but this was the best tartar sauce I've ever had; not the same old Illinois tarter.

For dinner, we were able to hit another restaurant I have been to before: The Common Man. There are several of these in New Hampshire, the first opened in 1971, and both times I have eaten there (at the Concord location) I have been fully impressed.
The restaurant is in a large, barn-style building.
We were told there was a half hour wait, so we headed upstairs to the lounge. The bartender there was a friendly chap, and encouraged us to go ahead and eat at the bar if we liked. We decided "why not"?
We started with the brie portabella, a large mushroom stuffed with brie and topped with apple glaze and candied walnuts, then warmed. Excellent.
For dinner, I was torn between a special of prime rib topped with two shrimp scampi, or the pork tenderloin, with honey bacon vinaigrette served on a bed of beet greens and topped with salsa. I asked the bartender, and he recommended the pork, which was also $6 less than the special. The pork was succulent and juicy and I enjoyed every bite. It was also served with orzo.
StfRon chose the regular prime rib, sans scampi. He pronounced it perfectly prepared and delicious.
We did partake in dessert, StfRon the creme brulee duo: white chocolate and regular, and I the white chocolate bread pudding.
On our way out, I also noticed the crackers and dips by the front entrance, which we had missed. What a great treat to offer people while they wait! I had to snag a sample of at least one. It was a dip made from cottage cheese and some type of vinegar and oil with herbs. Very nice.
The staff was wonderful. Each time we considered a new wine, they would offer us a sample, and StfRon got to sample the port as well.

New York State & Massachusetts

We've had a lot of road time the past few days.
New York state provided us with free Wi-Fi along the thruway, which was great. Why can't Illinois do this? Tack on a small tax for all items purchased at Illinois Interstate oases and pay for public Wi-Fi.

Wednesday afternoon we hit Rochester, NY and went in search of the Highland Park Diner, an original 1948 art-deco styled diner. The place was cool, the service friendly and the food was good. We even tried the apple pie because apparently Conde Nast voted in best apple pie a few years back. It was good, but I won't say it was the best apple pie I've ever had.
We then searched out the Old Toad in town, an English pub where all the employees speak with British accents. That, combined with the decor, really makes you feel like you stepped out of the US.

Wednesday night we stayed in East Greenbush, NY. We went in search of dinner rather late. Due to a recommendation from our hotel, we ended up at Moscatiello's in Troy, NY.
Mama mia! We enjoyed a bottle of Cigarzin wine with our dinner and ordered a Neopolitan pizza, my half with basil and garlic and StfRon's half with homemade sausage and onions. This pie was wonderful!
They also ployed us with homemade bread loaves and we chose to try the bruschetta, which was good, but not the best we've ever had.
We stuffed ourselves silly on this pizza pie.
The decor reminded me a bit of 1980's style or Florida style, but the food and service was great.

On to Massachusetts, and we had to hit one of my chains, Legal Seafoods. We arrived around lunchtime, and I was dismayed to see that the grilled everything tuna was not on the menu. I tried the salmon instead, and it was very good. I've not had salmon in a long time, due to some bad salmon samplings, but this was primo.

Our next foray is into New Hampshire.

Michigan and Canada

We made it through Michigan and into Canada.
Sunday night we hit Mackinaw City, and Monday took the ferry to Mackinac Island. It really does smell like horse manure and fudge all over this island.
We managed to find a geocache after much walking, and we were kicking ourselves for not renting bikes.
We then hit the Pink Pony for lunch, recommended by some friends. I had the BBQ pork sandwich, with a mustard-based sauce, accompanied by the cucumber salad. The pork was good but the salad was a little watery. I also had a creme brulee martini to wash things down with.
While waiting for our food, which took a while, we found out that a regatta race was headed to the island, which would pack the place, so we grabbed a slice of fudge from Ryba's and hit the ferry.
On the ride back, we got a better view of the Round Island lighthouse. What a pretty day!

Monday night we spent in Port Huron. Our hotel recommended the Quay Street Brewing Company, so we headed down there. We were seated on the deck, and enjoyed dinner there. I ordered the spinach pie, wrapped in phyllo dough. It was wonderful, filled with feta and ricotta cheese. StfRon ordered the fish and chips, two huge planks of fish. He could only eat part of one.
Nearby, we noticed a place called the Vintage Tavern. We went inside, and found a new bar, with an emphasis on wine. They feature flights of wine, small glasses of four wines set in a nice tiered rack for $7. The wine features change from time-to-time. I tried the red wine flight. All the wines were excellent. The food menu here also looked very interesting, but the kitchen was closed, and we had also just eaten.
We spoke to a guy seated at the bar who worked at the Coney Island in Port Huron. He said they have a great breakfast, so we checked it out Tuesday morning. StfRon liked the idea of hot dogs for breakfast. He had the coney dogs. I tried a bite, and it was very good, with a nice snap to the skin of the dog. I had a combo breakfast with eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, toast and potatoes. The prices were great and while we were there, the place really started bustling. The one waitress and cook were doing a bang up job.

After that, it was off to Ontario. A quick pass through at the border, and we were off.
We found a geocache near a park & ride parking lot to dump off the Canadian Jeep travel bug.
Lunch was crappy, Harvey's burgers. I'll have to check into them. Their slogan is It's a Beautiful Thing, which suspiciously reminded me of Blimpie. I did not like the meat in this burger at all.
Once we hit Niagara Falls in Ontario, StfRon was hooked. The falls were beautiful. And the tourist area abounds with haunted houses and wax museums and arcades and more (oh, my!). So, we decided to spend the night. We booked a room and noticed a cool looking German restaurant across from our hotel, the Happy Wanderer. We headed there for dinner. Our service was rather slow, and we were disappointed to see that they did not have a bar, though they did have alcohol. Our food was plentiful, good and hot.
After that, we went looking for someplace to have a drink near the hotel. This brought us into the casino attached to the Renaissance/Hilton. We walked through the casino, and StfRon said he had never been in a casino before. I said, "What about the Par-a-Dice" and he said that didn't count.
This casino was crystal clear — no smoking here. You can see from wall to wall with no haze blocking your view. I also noticed a hint of vanilla in the air, which I had heard will make you want to spend more money. We weren't interested in gambling, though. We headed to the 365 lounge in the back, and had a drink there.
The next morning, we went in search of breakfast. Our hotel had a restaurant that was advertising a $7.99 buffet, so we headed there. There was a line out the door.
Outside, we saw a restaurant with a banner for a $6.99 buffet. The buffet was outdoors and seagulls were flying around. The steam tables were covered, but StfRon balked at the idea that a seagull could crap on the food.
Across the street, we saw a Perkins advertising $5.99 breakfasts. We headed there, and sat outdoors. We found no sign of the $5.99 breakfasts, and ended up not even asking about it. The cheapest breakfast on the menu was close to $8. We ended up having eggs benedict and French toast with two tiny orange juices that cost us $35 before tip! WTF?? For that price, there'd better be some champagne in the OJ.
That pretty much cashed out Canada. New York, here we come!

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.

Takin the show on the road

Tomorrow morning we are hitting the road for our Saturday Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding. Sunday, we plan to head north to Mackinaw City and Island, and Monday we're bound for the east coast.
I won't be blogging locally for a week or two, but I hope to find some great places on the road to blog about during , or maybe just blog about our trip.
If you know of any places we should check out in Wisconsin, Michigan, New York state or points beyond along the east coast, let me know!

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!

Messing Construction

Looks like we are about ready to make some major home improvements. Yay!
Today we have Messing Construction of Peoria coming out to give us a quote on siding, windows, soffits, gutters and some curved cement stairs, if they do cement work.
We have used Messing Construction for some repairs before. Some genius had built a side porch entry onto our house before we bought it, and had not supported it properly. Hence, this porch was sagging in the outer corner. Messing came in and supported the porch properly from the bottom, and hoisted it back up where it should be.
I'm thrilled with the prospect of new siding. Ever since we bought the house, I've had an idea in my mind as to what this house could be, and now I feel like it's almost within reach. We'll start with a quote from Messing, and get a couple more quotes, too.
Here's hoping the cost is not double what I expect!

Landmark Café & Creperie

I had an event to attend in Monmouth this weekend, so I took advantage of the drive and stopped for some shopping in Galesburg.
My event provided lunch, but when I drove by the Landmark Café & Creperie on Seminary Street in Galesburg, I felt a sense of loss at having not been able to eat there this time.
I have enjoyed lunch at the Landmark dozens of times over the years while doing some work in town. The owner, Phil, has always made me feel welcome as a lone diner, and I've never felt out of place in this quaint restaurant.
I have enjoyed looking at the antique toys and trinkets arranged near the ceiling along the back wall.
And I've always enjoyed the food. The Landmark, serving Galesburg for almost 30 years, offers several meal and dessert crepes, in addition to great soups, sandwiches, hummus, roasted garlic and a featured quiche and coffee each day.
I have tried the tuna crepe, which was actually quite good. My typical meal is the Healthy sandwich with a cup of spinach bisque, the Landmark's signature soup. I'm always thrilled when the viennese with cinnamon is the coffee of the day, but the cherry coke is a great second. They make it themselves with cherry syrup and top it with a cherry.
You can also order bean or ground coffee to take and enjoy at home.
Even better, on a nice day, you can enjoy your meal on their brick patio swimming with ivy and potted plants.
On the rare occasion when I have room, or occasion for dessert, the crepes cannot be beat. These are big enough to share, or you can get a half order. They even have a turtle crepe. Mmm.
I certainly miss my once or twice a month visits to Galesburg, and the Landmark is one of the places that tops my list.

Khaki Jack's

I used to hang out in Khaki Jack's years ago, drinking something called cactus juice with a friend of mine. These were the days when I worked on the north end of Peoria, so it was close, and a great place to hang out after work.
I don't make it to Khaki Jack's, 7221 N. Allen Rd., Peoria, as much now, since I've moved across the river, but when I do, the food is still great. Where else can you go for a nice ostrich burger and never-ending galvanized buckets of peanuts on every table?
Khaki's also features more traditional burgers, pizza, grilled chicken strips, a tuna steak sandwich which you can order with a side of olive spread, and a mean, greasy basket of fries. These skin on fries are enough to share, if you're not feeling too piggy.
I also dig the pickles they serve with sandwiches, and the olive spread makes a great topping for the tuna steak sandwich.
It can get pretty loud in there at times, with the high ceilings, but it's a nice, friendly place to grab some grub.

InPlay

Downtown Peoria is home to the first InPlay, packed with arcade games and more.
Play racing games, air hockey, Skee Ball, Bowlingo, climb the 27 foot rock wall, or try your hand at the Giant Stacker, quite an addictive game.
Use the Photo Morph to see what your virtual child could look like. I'll have to post ours. It looks like a real kid! StfRon says he's ugly, but I don't think so.
They have the new Rockin' Bowl-O-Rama game, which is pretty cool.
Located at 316 SW Washington Street, InPlay is a fun place for kids' birthday parties, too, especially on those hot or rainy days. You can get pizza, soda and game cards for a great price.

Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill

One of the newer crazes to hit Central Illinois appears to be stir fry cooked in sight on grills, such as FlatTop Grill, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, Yamamoto and Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill.
Hi-Ho is located in Sheridan Village shopping center in Peoria. There is also a Quad Cities location.
After you sit down and order your drinks, you can head up to the raw buffet to pick out your fixins. Select your bowl. I always go with the little khan. Starving? Go for the barbarian, which is all you can eat. Be sure to pile your food up high in your bowl, because cooking will shrink it down some.
Choose from an array of vegetables including mini-corn ears, carrots, water chestnuts, broccoli, peppers and more. Add tofu, chicken, beef, pork or seafood. Choose your noodle.
Ladle on plenty of sauce. There are guides to help you with this. It always seems like too much to put on, but once it is put on the grill, a lot of it cooks away.
I always ladle on plenty of garlic, then shake on some sesame seeds for good measure.
Pass your bowl off to one of the grill meisters, and you're set. While you watch, they will masterfully grill it on their large, round grill, and deliver it back to you.
Your meal also includes rice and miso soup.
This is not a fancy restaurant, but it is quick and you get to customize your meal exactly the way you like it.
Find out more at http://www.hihogrill.com.

April 2010 — Hi-Ho Mongolian Grill has closed

Galesburg Antique Mall

I've enjoyed shopping in Galesburg for probably 12 years or more. The Seminary Street area is so quaint and full of unique stuff, and it's only gotten better over the years.
I remember the Galesburg Antique Mall, on the corner of E. Main Street, this beautiful red building with the copper turret-like corner, from years ago. I would make my way to the upper floor and stand in the turret and daydream of having the whole floor as my personal apartment.
The mall is full of great furniture, antique silver, collectibles, garden accents and much more.
You can easily spend an hour browsing in this historic building.

Flagstones

I finally made it to Flagstones, the former Jumer's restaurant on Western Ave. in Peoria.
I met a couple of friends for lunch here. Perusing the menu, I noticed they have various country flags, such as France and Germany, next to sections of the menu to signify the items' influence. So, if you were wondering, they do still have some German dishes on the menu.
Our meal started with a basket of bread, however the famous Jumer's cinnamon rolls were missing from the basket. I don't think they offer them complimentary for lunch. However, there was some banana bread in the basket, which was very tasty.
Being lunch, I chose something a little lighter, a garden salad with balsamic dressing and a cup of French onion soup. The balsamic dressing was very good, and the soup really hit the spot as well.
The service was pleasant, although maybe a little slow for a lunch hour.
Flagstones continues on the tradition of the early diner's specials, starting at 4 p.m. and ending at 6 p.m., plus they offer a Sunday brunch. They also now have wireless access.
Next, I want to check out the Stein Lounge, the former Black Bear Lounge. I have heard that the bear is gone, but haven't checked it out for myself.

December, 2007 — Flagstones has closed, and the space is now used for banquets. The Stein Lounge, located in the hotel as well, is serving food.

El Sombrerito

For Cinco de Mayo this year, StfRon and I headed to El Sombrerito, 111 W. Spring Creek Rd. in East Peoria.
I spent many years working on Pioneer Parkway in Peoria, back when El Sombrerito occupied the building now used by the Cinco de Mayo restaurant. My favorite thing to order was the tortilla soup, so I had been wanting to try the East Peoria El Sombrerito to see if they had it on the menu.
Sure enough, the soup was on the menu. This bowl of broth filled with chicken shreds, a little onion, white cheese and tortilla strips was very good. I felt like it wasn't quite as flavorful of a broth as the Peoria location used to serve, but it has also been close to 10 years since I was able to have this soup, so my taste buds could be failing me. Still, it was great to have this soup again, accompanied by a margarita.
They also had the squeeze bottles of pureed salsa, which I remember from the Peoria location as well. This was back in the day when Peoria had maybe only one or two other Mexican restaurants to choose from.
This location has the look of a new, clean strip mall restaurant, though not stark, due to festive, brightly colored walls and decor.
Our server was prompt and friendly.

The CopperWorks

StfRon and I ended up at the CopperWorks, 7815 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria, on a recent Sunday night, after a failed attempt to dine at Chef John's. It was a special occasion, and I wanted to go somewhere different.
The CopperWorks is definitely different. The decor is very contemporary, and the menu features a large array of cuisine.
We started our dinner with a bottle of wine, XY Zin. It was excellent. So good we ordered a second bottle and took the rest home, thanks to the new leftover wine carryout policy. Our wine went with us in a cool doggie bag.
To accompany our wine, we started with an order of bruschetta. This was a little different that what most Peoria area restaurants served, complete with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with aged balsamic. We loved the balsamic, but we wanted more, more, more!
For dinner I chose the Thai chicken, complete with peanut sauce and fried wonton strips. The sauce was spicier than most Thai sauces I've tried, but I liked it.
StfRon talked to our waiter, Todd, who was excellent, about the steaks. Todd said their steaks are aged, and come from Chicago. StfRon went with the New York strip, which is served with a portobello sauce poured over it. He asked for a bottle of Heinz 57, and debated asking them to hold the mushroom sauce, but let it go. The steak was fabulous, complete with mushroom sauce, and as soon as we saw Todd again, StfRon told him he could take the Heinz 57 away, which, incidentally, had never been opened. Maybe it's a testament to their food.
Both meals were served with a vegetable medley of asparagus, squash and red peppers.
Continuing our night out, we had dessert as well. StfRon had a bourbon chocolate pecan pie, but I went for the creme brulee. It was wonderful.
We will remember the CopperWorks the next time we are looking for a special night out.

Sadly, CopperWorks closed in early 2008.

The Bronze Frog

The Bronze Frog is a unique shop located in the strip mall at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie in Peoria, next to Cold Stone Creamery. There is also a Bloomington location at 105 Krispy Kreme Drive.
When I stopped here recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find several cute dresses made in the USA.
The shop also has many great gift ideas; fine stationery; wedding accessories; customized invitations; fun glassware and kitchenware; and offers cooking classes, some featuring Chef Kevin.

Antonio's Homemade Pasta & Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, I planned to meet my mom and her friend at Lindsay's Bistro 320 for lunch. I had some gift certificates to use that are not valid for alcohol, so I figured we could have a fun, cheap lunch.
Well, the doors were locked, and so were most of the others we tried for the building. We found one open and made our way into the Liberty Pub, where the bartender told us that they were serving food in the pub, or we could go downstairs to Antonio's Homemade Pasta & Pizza (in the Prairie Building at 240 SW Jefferson Ave., Peoria). This was the popular option with the ladies, so that's where we headed.
Our friendly waiter, the same guy who served us at a rehearsal dinner banquet at the Sky Room in May, greeted us and gave us some menus. He was the only waiter working lunch that afternoon. He also said that Lindsay's Bistro is closing for lunch now and planning to do dinner.
Two of us ordered iced tea and my mom went for a glass of merlot. Must be nice to not have to go back to work!
Our drinks did take an inordinate time to arrive, but they did arrive. My mom also scored an upgraded glass of merlot. The waiter said some lawyers had been in drinking one evening and kept ordering bottles of wine, but did not finish them all, so they were corked up waiting to be enjoyed, or waiting to go bad and be tossed, so the waiter poured my mom a glass of one of those. She said it was excellent.
For lunch, I chose the capellini (angel hair) pasta with creamy garlic sauce, and had them add spinach. You can choose several different pasta and sauce combinations and several add-ins.
Our meal started with a basket of bread, including a crispy, seasoned flatbread. Once I tried this, I could not stop munching it. I was shamelessly plucking crumbs from the bottom of the basket by the end of our meal.
We also got a large, endless bowl of salad made with a balsamic dressing and infused oils. I believe the waiter said there were blood oranges used as flavoring in the salad. It was very good, as was my pasta. The pasta is served in large, deep bowls. Plenty for another meal, or two, if you want to take the leftovers with you.
Antonio's also features pizza and salads. You can view the full menu here: http://www.prairiebuilding.com/pmwiki/Antonios/Menu.

Wisconsin adventures

Last weekend sent us to the Milwaukee area on a quest to get a marriage license so we can get hitched next month. We love the area and always have a good time.
On our way up Saturday night, we were too hungry to make it to Janesville (StfRon's choice for Shakey's) or Milwaukee for dinner, so we got off the Interstate in what looked to be promising, Beloit. We soon realized we have made this mistake before. We drove and drove, looking for something other than Dairy Queens, Arby's and the like, and finally ended up down by the river.
Just as we were about to turn around and go back to the Interstate, I spotted a place called Domenico's Italian Restaurant. We wheeled in to give it a try.
The decor was pleasantly surprising; not your average family restaurant, which is kind of the appearance the place gives from outside, but a more Tuscan feel.
Since we wanted to get back on the road quickly, we chose the buffet. There was a good variety of food on the buffet. I partook of the olive bar with two more upscale types of olives than your average olives; beef stroganoff and noodles; pizza with green olives, sausage and onion; Hawaiian pizza; and salad including a nice tomato and onion salad topped with vinegar and herbs.
Once I tried the stroganoff, one of my favorites from childhood, I wished that was all I had filled my plate with. It was very good. But, the Hawaiian pizza was also very good, topped with a quality Italian cheese.
We also split a tiramisu for dessert, good, but not very boozy. Hey, I like boozy!

After we checked into our hotel, we moseyed out to see what was going on. Apparently a lot of exposure. At first we skipped the Miller Time bar, which was closest. There was some chick at the bar wearing a dress, and she had her bare feet up on the bar stool she was sitting on. Imagine a frog-type pose. It was a little disconcerting.
We stopped in to a place called Mo's Irish Pub. There was a band playing rather loudly, but it was decent music. We settled in at the bar, and after we'd had a drink, some guy came in and took off his shirt and belt, and appeared to be contemplating taking off his jeans as well. Time to go back to Miller Time. The crotch-bearing chick was gone, so we took a seat and had some drinks.

Sunday, we went to one of our favorite spots, Alterra by the Lake for coffee and pastries. I had an espresso cookie that was awesome. StfRon opted for a sour cream muffin, and we got a raspberry scone to go. I noticed that they had t-shirts made in the USA (by none other than the American Apparel Store) for sale, however, the sizes we wanted were a little out of stock, and there was a line out the door by the time I was interested in buying one. Have to hit it next time.
Not only do they carry made in USA clothing, they also use sustainable energy, which is a neat thing.
We later went to the public market in the historic third ward for some shopping. StfRon tried some cave-aged cheddar at the West Allis Cheese & Sausage Shoppe and had to have some. At $25/pound, it's a luxury.
We went to the Wicked Hop to meet our wedding photographers. Nice people. I finally got to try the bloody mary. These things are stocked with a beef stick, a huge green olive stuffed with bleu cheese (yuck), and lots of yummy string cheese curls. I also tried an eggs benedict made with crab cakes. Very good, but the hollandaise sauce tasted more like butter than hollandaise.

Sunday night, we decided to try Miss Katie's Diner for dinner. Rachael Ray did $40 a Day here once, but that's not why we came. We headed to the bar area to work up an appetite, and there were several Italian guys and a couple of gals hanging out there smoking stogies and talking about their family. It was interesting to watch.
We headed back to the dining room and ordered the ribs, cole slaw and hash browns, all of which the waitress said they are known for. The hash browns were very crispy and good. The ribs were tender, but I prefer a sweeter sauce, myself. The slaw was slaw. I still can't get past the slaw from Stuart Anderson's from a visit several years ago, and the slaw from Jim Neeley's Interstate BBQ in Memphis.
The diner is neat, though. The bartender said it is only about 20 years old, but you would guess it has been around since at least the 50s.

We then went in search of the Landmark 1850, the oldest tavern in Milwaukee. This place was neat; lots of history here. We also noticed some newer touches, but overall it was great to see.
Since we were here, we asked where the Port of Hamburg was, a German bar StfRon had read about. The waitress pointed out the window to a blue and white house next door. We headed there next.
They had a buffet set out for Father's Day, and several times people told us to help ourselves. I went for some fruit. Then, the bartender said there was Rouladen. We had to try it, so we got a couple of pieces. Now, I suppose maybe Rouladen means roll of meat or something, but traditionally you find it stuffed with pickles and carrots. This was filled with a white cheese and basil. Surprising, but not bad. Still, I didn't feel like I had really had Rouladen.
This bar had many, many German beers on tap. The decor is not much to write about, but if you're up for German draft beer, you might want to check it out.

We also checked out the new Hofbrauhaus Munich bar, the Old German Beer Hall. It's pretty neat, and did remind us somewhat of Germany, with a Munich-inspired beer garden out front and the long bench tables inside for dining. I had a big mug of the Hofbrau Original, which turned out to be a little bitter for my liking, but not intolerable.

Monday, we made our normal stop at the Pick 'n Save Metro Market to fill our cooler with fresh sausages and fresh-squeezed orange juice (why does no one in Peoria sell fresh-squeezed OJ?). The chalkboard count of fresh produce for the day was 719.
Sucking down a bottle of OJ, we headed to the Racine County Courthouse to apply for our marriage license. The courthouse is old, and unattended. We didn't have to pass a metal detector, or any security guards to get it. We were wandering around on our own trying to find our way.
The lady who helped with our application was very nice. And we passed!!
Next, off to find Frank's Diner in Kenosha. We had seen this place on Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives. Frank's Diner, a true dining car, was pulled into place by six horses in 1926.
There are several signs and notices in Frank's warning you that service can be slow. I don't think slow quite covered it for the day we were in. I didn't consider it to be terribly busy. We waited probably 30 minutes for a chocolate malt, about 30 more for StfRon's burger (which was actually meant for someone else who apparently walked out) and about 15 more for someone to dish up some sloppy joe and cole slaw for me. I had also ordered the Hungarian mushroom soup, but they ran out before we got our order. The food was good, and it was neat to see this institution. We're glad we visited now, rather than our original plan of having people meet us the day after the wedding for breakfast at Frank's. Not only would they not have had seating for our group, I think some people would have been upset by how long it would take to eat, when they would probably rather be on the road heading home. BTW, they also gave us part of our food for free and apologized for things, even though we did not complain. Other people were complaining loudly, so we kept our mouths shut.

All in all, another fun trip to the Milwaukee area. And we saw a bimbo, to boot (it seemed to be a Mexican bread truck)!

Weaver Ridge

Thanks to Numero magazine and StfRon's geocaching prowess, we scored ourselves a gift certificate to Weaver Ridge and dined there a couple of months ago.
Located at 5100 WeaverRidge Blvd. in Peoria, Weaver Ridge is a newer championship golf course, and has a restaurant to boot.
We took our mothers there about three years ago for a Mother's Day brunch, but other than that, had never really spent much time there. On that occasion, due to some late people and such, we all darted off and filled up on breakfast food without listening to our waitress' instructions. It was only after we ate that we realized there was prime rib being carved on the other side of the room!
I heard that Weaver Ridge has a good rack of ribs, though, and that, combined with the gift certificate, convinced StfRon to dine there.
StfRon and our dining companion had the ribs, I tried the Thursday special, the hickory smoked chicken. The food was good. The decor seemed a little like a hotel restaurant. And our service was also good.
Weaver Ridge also has a popular brunch every Sunday, and golf packages for the golfers out there. They also run coupons often with http://localvaluesonline.com.

No curry for you!

I was enjoying my broccoli chicken with fried rice and crab rangood at Panda House in Campustown recently, when a couple of gentlemen of middle-eastern decent came in to place an order.
They asked for an order of fried rice and asked if curry could be added. The kid darted into the kitchen and came back and said no. The guys asked if they did not have curry, and the kid sort of shrugged. Then one of the guys said, "How do you make curry shrimp, then?", which is indeed on the menu. The kid was obviously a little uncomfortable, and after a couple more comments about curry, the guys dropped it and just went with the rice.
I don't know if it was a little of a language barrier, or just a case of not wanting to customize a dish. Now, curry in fried rice doesn't sound so great to me, but I don't eat curry very often. And I know that the place will make a dish more or less spicy, remove oil and remove MSG, so I'm not sure what the deal was. Maybe they really were out of curry, and it was just lost in translation.

Vallarta's Authentic Mexican Restaurant

Vallarta's Authentic Mexican Restaurant, located at 3510 N. University St. in Peoria, is a great place for lunch if you like Mexican food, fast service, and lots of choices.
This is a sister restaurant to Sol Azteca of Washington fame and has been open since late 2005.
Vallarta's also has outdoor seating, if you want to enjoy a pleasant day or evening. I'm not sure how distracting the traffic would be from University Street, but it's nice to have the option.
There are many great Mexican dishes to choose from, plus a handful of dessert options as well. Your meal will start with a basket of warm tortilla chips and a bowl of fresh salsa.
You can also enjoy a cerveza or margarita with your food, which is never a bad thing.
Kids eat free here on Sundays. Vallarta's also often runs coupons. You can check http://localvaluesonline.com to see if you can save a buck or two on your next visit.

September, 2009 — Vallarta's has closed.

Universal Rhythm Assembly

There is an event coming up called the Universal Rhythm Assembly, June 22 and 23 at the Peoria Riverfront. We might check it out.
There are several bands scheduled, a couple of which I have actually heard of. If nothing else, it should be good for some live entertainment. However, the event is also meant to "educate and open our eyes to important issues that surround and affect us all" while also providing food and spirits. Sounds decent to me.
And, if you love live music events but hate that empty wallet aftertaste, supposedly you can donate blood at this event and score yourself a free one day pass to the blues fest this fall.
Find out more details on the web: http://www.universalrhythmassembly.com.

Trefzger's Bakery

Turns out we didn't eat at Tavern on the Water. We had some drinks and reconvened.
We did venture upstairs, and it looks very upscale. We'll save it for the holidays or something.
I have eaten lunch there, and it reminds me a lot of Crooked Waters, not because of the food or decor, but because of the tall tables and chairs and their placement.

So, on to another T business, Trefzger's Bakery, located at 3504 N. Prospect in Peoria.
The Trefzger family has been in the bakery business in Peoria since 1867. I'm not sure that any other bakery in the area could say that.
Trefzger's not only does great cakes for weddings, anniversary parties and graduations, they also have excellent coffee cakes and thumbprint cookies. Many a work celebration has been marked by a coffee cake or box of cookies from here.
I also have heard they make a filled cupcake, which I MUST try. I'm in the market for some cupcakes for our reception.
There are some very tempting thumbnail photos of Trefzger's treats at their website, http://trefzgerbakery.com.

Smiley's Lounge and Restaurant

A little off the beaten path, in a small town named La Rose, a place named Smiley's Lounge and Restaurant sits right along the quiet Main Street.
A bearded guy named Wes who used to visit the Hofbrau would rave about the BBQ ribs at Smiley's, so, StfRon being a rib junkie, we finally we made the trek to check it out.
Wes was not kidding. The ribs at Smiley's are great, if you like tender, saucy, baby back ribs. A full rack will set you back about $15. They also serve up a great side of au gratin potatoes.
It was several visits later that we heard about the prime rib. It, too, lived up to it's reputation. It's no F. Scott's, but this is a good prime rib at a decent price.
Smiley's is over 40 years old, and has the look of a cozy family-owned place.
They have a full bar, and offer some wine selections. I did have a couple of skunky wines there once, but I'm hoping it was an isolated incident. If not, I'll gladly drink iced tea or beer with my ribs.

Red Oak

I vaguely remember the Red Oak in Bishop Hill from one of those times we visited my grandpa at the nursing home in Toulon and, when asked where he wanted to have lunch, he said Bishop Hill. So, off my dad and I went with Grandpa tucked into the front seat.
I remembered the restaurant fondly, so a year or two later, took a friend to Bishop Hill shopping, and we had lunch at the Red Oak. I've been a devout fan ever since.
The restaurant is cheerily decorated with lots of yellow walls, checkered tablecloths and floral motifs. It's not a manly place, but after taking StfRon out there, he loves it, too.
I always go for the Swedish meatballs with homemade noodles. This is true comfort food and is served with a small side salad and homemade bread.
To finish, I can never stray from the rice pudding. This one differs in that instead of raisins, it comes with a nice grape or plum sauce on top, I can't recall which right now, but it's good. They also offer many pies each day and bread pudding.
Owner Trisha Rux always seems to remember us, even though we only make it out about once a year. They have been fairly entrepreneurial in recent years, trying a location in Eureka which was closed after a fire; a location at Grand Prairie, for which I would expect the lease was expensive, and probably didn't receive a lot of traffic due to being off in one of the strip malls (plus, having visited this location, it seemed to me the food was cooked in Bishop Hill and driven over, which changed the quality); I believe they now offer catering; and, Rux is now present at the Riverfront Market on Saturdays.

Paparazzi

I remember hearing of the mysterious Paparazzi restaurant in Peoria Heights when I was in high school, but I never had figured out where it was. This was in the days before Google Maps and all of those great things.
A few years back, I would take walks down Harvard Ave. to Prospect (Harvard changes into Lake), and lo and behold, tucked next to some industrial buildings, there was Paparazzi.
My friends and I booked our Christmas dinner there a few years ago, and I finally got to check the place out.
Dining there, you almost feel like you are in a basement or something, albeit a great basement. The cement block walls are painted in thick bands of green, white and red in honor of the Italian flag colors. Black and white photos grace the walls.
The service is always wonderful when I visit Paparazzi, the last time being Saturday night. I had my usual dish I settled on after my first couple of visits, the stuffed filet of sole. The sole is stuffed with spinach and cheese, then broiled to perfection. It's served accompanied by a tomato half stuffed with ricotta cheese and herbs, which I use to dip my fish in.
The house wine prices are great here, about $3 for a glass and $14 for a bottle, and they serve it in the stubby European glasses, which I think is a cool touch. Buca di Beppo (gasp...a chain!) does this as well, and we love it there. We love it so much, in fact, we're having our wedding dinner there in July, after our Big Fun Wisconsin Wedding.
Back to Paparazzi...StfRon has also settled on his favorite dish there, the lasagna. It isn't as meaty as some, so, based on a great recommendation from our waitress one time, he orders it with a side of meatballs. Perfection, says he.
And last, the icing on the cake...Paparazzi's desserts. They are Divine, with a capital D. They have a gelato of the day, cannoli, rum cake, and the be all to end all chocolate mousse, if you ask me. This mousse is FANTASTIC! It tastes to me like it has the cannoli filling mixed in with the chocolatey goodness. It isn't as whipped as some, but the flavor is excellent. We like it topped with the raspberry sauce, and we're in heaven. Several times I've had to hold myself back from licking the glass they serve it in!
Paparazzi features live music some nights, and the prices can be reasonable for dinner. Keep in mind that salads, soup and I think even bread, cost extra.
We have been turned away before due to not having reservations, so if you plan to check it out, you might want to call ahead.

Maggie Miley's

We had occasion to visit Maggie Miley's, 126 E. Beaufort, Normal, a few months ago to meet some friends.
Maggie's opened in 2004, and has a cozy, Irish pub-type atmosphere in a nicely-restored building.
StfRon jumped at the chance to try the curry chips appetizer, fries topped with a brown curry sauce, so we got an order of those. They were quite tasty, actually.
For dinner, I had a steak with mashed potatoes. It was fine, but I ended up wishing I had tried something else. Maybe the stuffed chicken breast dinner or the shepherd's pie. Many times when I have two or three dishes that sound good, I always end up feeling like I made the wrong choice. You know, the whole grass is always greener scenario.
Maggie's has all the Irish favorites: Guinness, Harp and Bass, plus wine and a full bar. They even have one of StfRon's faves, Pilsner Urquell.
You can see the menu, photos and drink specials on their web site, http://www.maggiemileys.com.

Lakeview Museum

StfRon and I have been to several exhibits at Lakeview Museum in Peoria during the past couple years.
One of the most fun was Sherlock Holmes & the Clocktower Mystery because it was interactive.
More recently we saw the Ansel Adams display, and also the trompe l oeil paintings.
We'll be out on the lawn of Lakeview September 14 for the free American English (Beatles tribute) concert, sponsored by Ameren.
And don't forget the planetarium. I remember this from grade school field trips.
I also love to take a walk through the gift store because they have some interesting merchandise. Plus, right inside the door of the museum are used books and magazines for sale. You can find a nice bargain here.
Hopefully the new downtown museum will have even more exciting things to entice the public to visit, but in the meantime, Lakeview provides something different to do on a rainy or quiet day.

Katie's Café & Carryout

Katie's Café, 306 Peoria St., Washington, had me at first bite with their cream cheese muffins. These things are GREAT slightly warmed with a cup of coffee.
Katie's serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in a quaint location decorated with nice homey curtains, warm yellow walls and furnished with antique tables and chairs.
They have several homestyle dinner choices, like beef and noodles and meatloaf, available for carryout as well for those times when you feel like having comfort food, but just don't feel like cooking it.. You can call in your order and they'll have it ready for you.
One of my other favorites there is the garden salad served with an herb roll, because they have the best ranch dressing I have ever been served in a restaurant. The herb roll is good, too, but they serve it with fake butter, which I can do without.
Friday nights Katie's serves entrées like salmon and prime rib. We tried the prime rib, and it was no F. Scott's, but it was of course less expensive, and closer to home.
Katie's also has a coffee bar and several brews each day, and a wonderful glass case full of cookies and muffins to tempt you. I have tried many of the cookies including the chocolate chip, thumbprints and peanut butter ones, but my favorite is the snickerdoodle.
Katie's does not serve dinner on Saturday nights and is closed on Sundays.

Illinois Wine Festival

This weekend, June 2 and 3, the Central Illinois Wine Festival will be held at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, on Route 9 in Mackinaw.
I would love to go, but we might not make it due to a benefit for Michelle from the Hofbrau, who was injured in a car accident.
The wine festival will feature live music (Sunday a blues challenge), food, wine tasting from several Central Illinois wineries, and even a car show. Tickets are $12 which scores you five tasting tickets and a souvenir glass.
Saturday the festival runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (gotta love drinking wine at 10 a.m.) and Sunday from noon-7 p.m.

Haylumoon

It's been far too long since I've had food from Haylumoon in Chillicothe. In fact, it's been so long, they have moved from the original location at Plaza Drive to one at 142 N. Fourth St.
Haylumoon has been serving up Chinese food in Chillicothe for over 15 years.
This was my favorite place to pick up food when I was going to ICC and living in Chillicothe. On the way home, I would pick up a tub of sizzling rice soup and an order of crab rangoon. Mmm, good eats!

Gas packaged meat?

I ran across a story in Mother Earth News magazine that was surprising and disturbing to me.
Meat is increasingly being sold in stores gas packaged, or injected with salt water and broth. "Manufacturers save millions of dollars in lost meat turnover with these technologies, which make meat appear fresh longer and pump 'flavor' into factory-farmed meat, in the form of salt water and broth. Companies also save on labor costs, since these 'case-ready' meats can go straight from the cold truck to the retail shelf."
The article goes on to say: "This trend has everything to do with the larger transformation of meat production over the past 30 to 40 years. Meat without character or taste comes from livestock developed for rapid growth rather than flavor, fed grain instead of grass, given growth hormones, cooped up indoors, harvested young, and sold without traditional aging."
And, perhaps worst of all: "Finally, critics point out that saltwater pumping and gas packaging make it more likely that consumers will buy and eat spoiled meat, and almost certain that they’ll be eating old meat without realizing it. Traditionally packaged ground beef has a shelf life of about five days, while modified atmospheric packaging can give ground beef a shelf life of 14 or even 28 days, says Tony Corbo of the Washington D.C.-based Food and Water Watch. In fact, Consumer Reports found in 2006 that three out of 10 gas-packed ground beef samples had spoiled by their use- or freeze-by date. But all of it still looked nice and red."
At home, we've been increasingly leaning towards organic produce and meats produced without the use of hormones.
My other problem with this report is also that StfRon recently found he has high blood pressure, and should be watching his sodium intake. I would have thought that the meats we bought would only be a sodium concern if we chose to season them with salt-laden products.
If you want to try to avoid this, be sure to check the label for sodium or other additives, and look for the puffed up package, usually a heavier foam package with the plastic wrap being puffed out by the extra gas. No butcher paper or white foam packages with Saran-type wrap around these babies.
Guess this is yet another reason we'll buy our meats at Lindy's, Naturally Yours, Pottstown Deli, Alwan's, or some other local joint.

Farmer's Markets

We're coming into that great time of year where farmer's markets are having their heyday. There are many, many local farmers offering locally grown produce, even some grown without the use of pesticides.
The farmer's market at Peoria's Metro Centre is celebrating 30 years in operation. With about 15 farmers participating here, there is a wide selection of fresh produce and flowers. They operate Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. until sold out. The kick-off this year is June 1, and, as reporter by the Journal Star, if you're one of the first 1,000 people, you could receive a tote bag to use to cart your goodies around.
Want something closer to Kickapoo or Dunlap, or not a morning person? The Shoppes at Grand Prairie is starting a farmer's market June 6, which will run Wednesdays from 4-8 p.m. They plan to have about 18 farmers and local music as well as cooking demonstrations.
Galesburg has a farmer's market near Main St., operating from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays.
Pekin's farmer's market operates downtown on Capital St. Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. with about 20 vendors. This market starts mid-July.
The popular Peoria Riverfront Market is back in gear starting June 2. In addition to all of the locally grown produce and flowers, there are several artists with booths here, and live music. I also love to pick up some bread from Peoria Bread Company. The market runs Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon.
With all of this great fresh produce available, why would you want to pick up your produce at the local chain grocery or big box store? Who knows how long and how far that turnip traveled on a truck before it found you?
Now, if we could just get Washington to start a farmer's market!

Euro Jack's Café

One night after work last week, I met StfRon at Euro Jack's Café. I had not been in this building at 500 Main Street for years, since back in the days of SOP's being there some time during the late 90s.
They've done some redecorating since the SOP era. The floors are done in a charcoal slate tile and the walls have been redecorated; a stone look here, a mural there. I also noticed they appear to be planning to put a nice brick patio/beer garden area out on the sidewalk. Maybe in anticipation of the smoking ban?
StfRon was kind enough to order me a glass of wine before I arrived, the Rodney Strong Cabernet. This is one of my favorites to find on an establishment's menu.
We were a bit hungry, so we decided to try the bruschetta. Euro Jack's version is thick, crispy slices of crusty bread topped with tomatoes, feta, fresh basil and olives, both green and kalamata. It was quite tasty.

May, 2008 — Euro Jack's has closed.

Why I blog

Yikes! I was lurking watching the "Why I blog" comments go 'round and thinking "what the heck would I say?" Now I've been tagged by Angie, so here goes:

1. We really like to support local businesses, and wish more people did, so I thought maybe blogging about it would be a good way to get the word out about more cool local joints.

2. I like to write, probably more than I like to talk in most cases. I actually went to school to be a reporter, and got hired as one, but didn't enjoy butting into people's business.

3. Now that the blog's been around a while, it's cool to see where visitors to the site come from. That keeps me somewhat motivated.

4. I like to be mysterious.

5. I secretly hope blogging will make me rich??

OK, now, StfRon, Polly (one of the first blogs I ever read regularly), Mapgirl and Matt, you're it. Sorry if you've been tagged before!
"Why do you blog?"

Detweiller Park

Detweiller Park, on Detweiller Drive off Route 29 in Peoria, features over 740 acres of walking/cross country skiing trails, woods, soccer fields, BMX tracks, playground equipment and one of the best public sledding hills I've seen in this area.
The park also has several covered shelters available for rental from about $50-$75 for your family reunions or other events. Some of the shelters are also handicap accessible.

Big O's BBQ Rib Station

Big O's BBQ Rib Station knows good barbecue. I had the pleasure of dining at Big O's, 3901 SW Adams Street in Peoria, last Friday for lunch.
One thing I love is a good skin on BBQ chicken doused with sauce. Since Famous Daves moved out, I've been craving a good BBQ chicken. Big O's did not let me down. This 1/2 chicken dinner had a good smoky flavor, and was covered in Big O's special sauce. Accompanied with hearty fries, cole slaw, and some white bread, this was quite a feast.
Big O's also has ribs, rib tips, BBQ pork or beef sandwiches, and much more.
You place your order at the counter, and the service is friendly and quick. Stop in for some carry out, dine in, or even get some of this great sauce to take home with you.

Big O's closed in 2010

Alwan & Sons Meat Co.

Thanks to Numero, my absolute favorite Peoria magazine, StfRon and I got a gift certificate for $25 to the newly-expanded Alwan & Sons Meat Co., 703 E. War Memorial Drive in Peoria.
The Alwans have been in the meat business in Peoria for almost 50 years. The new look is great, with 11,000 square feet of meaty magnificence!
Alwan's also fires up a grill during lunch, so you can enjoy a freshly-made sandwich in the great outdoors.
We ended up going with a package deal, since we just bought a new chest freezer and wanted to fill it up right. We got four pounds of bacon, some pork chops, ribs, minute steaks and chuck roast.
While waiting for our box o'meat, a couple different employees asked if we needed any help. The service is very good.
The place was hoppin' on a beautiful Saturday night. I'm sure lots of people were planning to go home and grill out.

Walt's Dos

Walt's Tavern, opened in 1936 at 2301 W. Garden St. in Peoria, is now Walt's Dos, the second incarnation.
I had the pleasure of checking out this rustic neighborhood tavern/restaurant recently for lunch. This place is true old school, and it's neat to look at the old memorabilia. Enjoy a Dos Equis on tap while you're here.
Many of the original recipes from Walt's Tavern are still on the menu, including fried chicken, and are now accompanied by several Mexican entrées. I also noticed they have the Mexican egg dishes on their menu. I LOVE this stuff, and it reminds me of my trip to Puerto Rico.
To start, our server brought us a basket of chips and some salsa. The salsa did not appear to have any tomatoes in it, just a variety of chopped peppers, but it was good. The chips were very good, warm and coated with some seasoned salt.
I chose the chicken enchiladas and had them topped with green sauce (you can choose from several sauces). My meal was served with refried beans and Spanish rice. The food was not spicy, nor was it overly salty. This food would be good for StfRon, who right now is supposed to be watching his sodium intake!
My friend Jim had the tamales, which he said were very good, and finished off with some fried ice cream. The ice cream looked like fried ice cream, unlike some fried ice cream my brother's wife ordered at a Mexican joint in Macomb that, I swear, came out coated in corn flakes.

December, 2008 — Walt's Dos has closed

Tower Park

One of the most noticeable landmarks in Peoria is the red tower in Peoria Heights.

Located at 4901 N. Prospect Rd., Tower Park has recently been updated with nicer seating and landscaping plus a new fountain. Of course, as a kid, I called it the woodpecker tower due to the large fiberglass woodpecker which adorned the tower.
If you aren't afraid of heights, a trip in the glass elevator, 170 feet up to the top, is a fun time.
This tower is actually the second one, the first having been torn down during WWII and used for scrap metal. Our tower is the only one of its kind in the U.S.
There are three observation decks at the top, and telescopes for viewing as well.
The park itself also has a hidden geocache, if you're into that sort of thing.
Each year for Independence Day, the tower sells tickets in advance, allowing visitors to view various fireworks displays from the top of the tower. On a clear day, you can see displays from several towns within 20 miles from this vantage point, plus avoid all the crowds at the displays.

Second Chances

There's a new shop in Washington, just off the square on North Main St., that sells goods made from items that had a previous life. The shop is called Second Chances, and it's neat to see a place like this in our throwaway society.
Second Chances carries lots of recycled glass items, like earrings; coasters made from beer bottles; trivets made from melted down wine bottles; items made from old computer circuit boards; beautiful bowls made from telephone wires; stemmed glasses made from wine bottles; and some awesome chairs made from old wine barrels. Sit it them while you're there; they're very comfortable!
They also have these little animals made from stiff brush bristles. For some reason, I LOVE these. They make me laugh!
There are a lot of great things to check out here. And no, I don't work there and am not related to the owner, I just think it's a neat concept and hope the shop does well.
http://www.secondchances.biz/

June 2009 — Second Chances has moved to the Metro Centre in Peoria and is now called Re-.

River Beach Pub & Eatery

Our friendly Hofbrau bartender recently bought the River Beach Pub & Eatery, 13637 N. River Beach Drive in South Rome, with her new hubby. They will be taking over the place around the beginning of June.
And, rumor has it, our old "Cheers" bartender Chris will be filling in at the Hofbrau a couple nights a week. My dad calls him Woody, after the Cheers character.
Anyway, back to the River Beach Pub. It's a short drive from Peoria or Chillicothe, right along the river.
Things should stay the same, so expect to find a nice selection of imports. For eats, you can try some bar fare, like fried veggies, wings, chicken tenders, and the river crisps are good. They also serve wraps, catfish, fried chicken and grilled chicken, plus fish and chips, shrimp and various sandwiches. Inside, the bar is cozy with knotty wood paneling on the walls and ceiling.
Outside, enjoy a deck filled with umbrella-topped tables overlooking the Illinois River.
The area is a prime spot for eagles, so while you're on the deck enjoying the day (and your drinks), you might get lucky enough to see them.

Po-Boys

Lately StfRon and I have been into hearing some good live music.
Po-Boys, 3207 N. University St. in Peoria, in the bingo building near Wal-Mart, features live music every Friday and Saturday night, no cover charge.
The menu does feature some cajun items, like crawfish tails, gumbo, jambalaya, and, of course, po-boys, accompanied by drinks like hurricanes. They also have a really thin crust pizza and kids' food.
And if you like crab cakes, the crab cakes here are really crabby.
Right now, they have lunch specials for $5. All the food I have tried has been decent. The drinks are decent. The decor is great. And some of the bands we've caught have been excellent. All in all, a good time.
Have a look at http://www.poboysbourbonstreet.com/

December, 2008 — Po-Boys has closed.

Milo's, The Daily Grind

I don't make it to Lacon very often, but recently I had occasion to visit a new restaurant on Washington St. in Lacon (near the IGA), Milo's, The Daily Grind, for a private party.
The atmosphere inside is warm, rustic-cozy. The main room is almost like a tearoom, and off to the right is a nice room with a bar.
For our event, we were presented with trays of sandwiches, cheese, veggies with an awesome thick ranch dip with real bacon mixed in, 'lil smokies and delicious homemade lemon bars.
Checking out the menu, you will find wraps, burgers and other sandwiches, soups, salads, and more homemade desserts.
During the time we were there for the private party, several assorted groups of people wanted to come in for a bite. It looks like Milo's has already made a name for themselves.