Grecian Gardens

Having spent about 2/3 of my life living in Chillicothe, two blocks from Grecian Gardens restaurant no less, I didn't really have a high opinion of the place. And not due to anything I had heard or experienced, I guess it was just because it was always there and Peoria was so much cooler.
Occasionally meeting people from Chicago and the suburbs, if I said I was from Chillicothe, they would say, "Oh, have you been to Grecian Gardens?" Walking away, I would chuckle to myself, Grecian Gardens??
My mom heard Grecian Gardens, 304 Plaza Park Drive, served a good prime rib, so she felt she must pass this information on to StfRon and I. Friday night we ventured in to check it out.
Walking in to the place was surreal. I had been in the dinette-type room a couple of times over the years, for lunch when I worked in Chillicothe during high school, and once for a disastrous blind date. It looked vaguely familiar and comforting.
The door marked "Lounge" and the dining room, however, were a complete surprise to me. It was like I had always come in and entered the dinette section to the left and never knew the rooms to the right existed.
The hallway between the two dining rooms was lined with long, retro sofas.
The decor in the lounge was delightfully old, either late 1960s or early 1970s with an awesome red velvet wallpaper and lots of dark wood. The carpet was decidedly 1960-ish, too. I felt like I somehow remembered this carpet, too, from when I was a wee lass.
We went into the lounge to wait for our table, but ended up just eating there amongst the video games and jukebox. Some guy kept playing the same two songs, one of them by CCR and the other from the Blues Brothers, I think, over and over. Finally StfRon snuck some money in the jukebox to spare us another repetition.
We all ordered the prime rib, me with mashed potatoes and white gravy, StfRon went for brown gravy, and we all had the salad bar. The salad bar was not too exciting, but sufficient.
Our prime rib was well-prepared, the au jus not too salty, and the meat was very tender. The smaller portion runs about $14.99, and they also offer a king prime rib.
I had started with a non-descript Cabernet, but worked up the nerve to try a Greek red wine, which was much better.
There are also some Greek entrees on the menu, and baklava, which I wanted to try, but forgot to order.
Our bartender/server was pleasant. Although, the bar became rather busy while we were there due to a wedding party arriving, and a manager-type lady started helping out behind the bar. She had a bad attitude or was having a bad day or something, but eventually she mellowed a bit.
If you're looking for decent food and a blast from the past, give Grecian Gardens a try.

The Blend

For weeks we've been driving by the banner that said "The Blend Opening Soon" in Washington at 1128 Peoria Street.
This week we saw The Blend was open, and stopped in to check it out.
The decor is upscale coffeehouse, with orange and yellow walls, pendent lights, eclectically upholstered booths and glossy cement floors.
The Blend roasts their own coffee, and on the day we were in, the bags were marked "fresh roasted on 10-4". There are several varieties of coffee to choose from. Next time we need some, we'll go buy some so it's fresh and we'll brew it up at home and see what we think. I also have my eye on some flavored varieties for Christmas presents.
The Blend serves bagels, muffins, scones and something called Wally Biscotti, which look awesome with flavors like Ginger Binge-ers, The Lemon Sisters and Pistachi-o-wie. They also have huge cinnamon rolls. We opted for the bagels, covered with poppy seeds. I had mine with garden veggie cream cheese, which was very savory. StfRon's been raving about the softness of the bagels. Our only complaint: they should see about a faster toaster, maybe one of those chain dealies where you put the bagel it and a few minutes later it pops out on the conveyor belt ready to go.
To quench your thirst, The Blend has espresso drinks, hot chocolate, chai, teas, smoothies and juices. I opted for some Minute Maid orange juice, having already caffeined up at home that morning.
If you decide to hang out at The Blend, they have some magazines and books to read and WiFi access, and so far are open in the evenings as well as mornings.

August, 2008 — We rode our bikes to the Blend before a weekend road trip. We were disappointed to find that they had seemingly changed both their bagels and cream cheese. The bagels were not as soft, and the cream cheese was not as savory. They are still roasting their own coffee on a regular basis, though, which will make for great gifts for coffee lovers.

Penguin Tap

I was introduced to the Penguin Tap several years ago by a friend from work who often lunched at the restaurant located at 4913 N. Prospect Rd. in Peoria Heights. She was a regular, and was always happily greeted by the waitresses.
Actually, prior to going there with her and some other friends from work, I had no idea what the place was called. There was no sign for the longest time, just a large wooden penguin cutout on the side of the gray building.
This building has been there for about 15 years. The previous one was destroyed by fire.
Each time we went in for lunch, there were comforting lunch specials like chicken noodle soup, cheeseburger chowder and grilled cheese. But once I tried the pizza, it was hard to stray to other menu items.
The Penguin's pizza is served on a very thin, crispy crust. You can even order a personal pizza, which is typically my choice, topped with pepperoni and onion.
The dining room is decorated with plenty of penguin memorabilia, in honor of the place's namesake.

Visiting after work, instead of sitting in the dining room, I like to sit in the bar area. While here you can enjoy a large schooner of beer.
The last time we were in, a bonus was the baskets of popcorn our waitress set out for us. Definitely addictive.

The Penguin reminds me of my friend, who died a few years ago. Actually, her birthday would have been this month. A good time for me to visit one of her favorite establishments and have a drink in her honor.

March 24, 2008 — The Penguin Tap has closed.

Bark in the Park

The weather forecast for Sunday, October 14 looks great so far, so I think we are on track to hit Bark in the Park for Peoria's Humane Society at the Peoria Riverfront.
Our dog has $270 worth of professionally polished pearly whites to show off. Who knows, it may have been a rip off, but the vet recommended it, she doesn't have dog breath anymore, and her teeth are very white. She's a pretty girl, yes she is!
The event will start at 11 a.m. this year, and dog lovers and dogs are welcome to join in the fun. Activities include a walk ($25 registration per dog), paw painting, obedience demos, photos, raffles, food vendors, a mutt show and more.
This year, you can raise pledges and receive prices for each fundraising level attained, like collars, leashes, shirts and even iPods. Several people have posted pledge pages on the Humane Society's web site.
Visit http://www.peoriahs.org for more info.

Sterling Family Restaurant

Saturday we stopped at Po-Boys for some dinner and music. I knew they had changed chefs in the past couple of months, so I was wondering how the food would be. They have expanded their menu, and I had the crab cakes with a side of corn bread muffins. It was all excellent, and the muffins were served with butter that had a hint of cinnamon to it. Prior to the crab cakes, we ordered some toasted ravioli with marinara sauce. The sauce was excellent, with a nice touch of sweetness to it. I couldn't put my finger on the flavor, but it was great.

Sunday we decided to check out the Spoon River Drive. On the way, we wanted to get some breakfast.
Our first stop, Gebby's, found several groups of people waiting for tables. Heading further west, we came to Sterling Family Restaurant, 4513 N. Sterling in Peoria.
President Bush dined here in January, and I wasn't sure if this claim to fame would mean we wouldn't be able to get a table, but we were greeted cheerily and escorted to one of the last handful of tables in the non-smoking room.
The restaurant is older, with dark wood paneling, however the tables and booths have been updated in recent years.
Our waitress was very friendly and efficient, quickly bringing us some iced tea and orange juice. The orange juice was pretty good, not the watered down stuff served at some places.
We both went for Louie's Special Breakfast, your choice of two eggs, meat, potato and bread. What sold me was that one of the meat choices is corned beef hash, and one of the potato choices is grits. I also chose an English muffin and scrambled eggs with my meal.
StfRon went with the hash as well, hashed browns and wheat toast, with eggs over medium.
This breakfast bonanza comes in at under $6.
Our food came out pretty quickly, which was good because we were hungry. Everything was good, and the meal proved to be too much for me to handle.
Sterling Family Restaurant has also made the top three in the Peoria Journal Star's Reader's Choice Awards.

Spoon River Drive continues next weekend, October 13 and 14, with crafts and food vendors and plenty of garage sales along the route. Oh, and if you see Uncle Bud's apple booth in London Mills or anywhere else, check out the cider slush. It's DEEEELICIOUS. Especially on a 90 degree day in October.

We finished our afternoon with a trip to Maurie's for some caramel apples. StfRon was swayed by the case of candies, and added some toffee, turtle-type candies and cashews to our order.
I love the caramel on these apples, and it was just as good as I remember. The toffee was terrific, a nice blend of salty and sweet; a new treat to add to our list, and I know someone who just might appreciate some for Christmas.

Chef Leo's Bistro 320

I've tried going to Bistro 320, 240 SW Jefferson in Peoria, off and on for a few months, and they've been closed each time.
This week we did a drive by, and found them to be open, so we decided to check it out for an early dinner.
The bistro is under new ownership since September 1, and is now called Chef Leo's Bistro 320.
Chef Leo was in the dining room when we arrived, and asked to make sure the music was not too loud for us.
Our waitress came to take our drink orders, and we ordered some wine. I tried a Pinot and StfRon had a Cabernet blend. Each were $7.
Our waitress brought a basket of warm hearty rolls served with butter. The basket was accompanied by two petite butter knives tucked inside.
We tried the soup of the day, a beef stew, which was not thick like most stews, but was hearty and full of herbs. This soup was great.
The menu features a lot of great options like crab cakes, baked brie, creative salads, steaks, pasta, lamb, chicken and seafood.
We tried the filet served with a brandied onion compote, and a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The sides are extra, but the meals come served with the vegetable of the day. The steak was tender and well-prepared, the garlic mashed potatoes were savory and the plate presentation was great.
We finished our meal with some dessert, some sort of chocolate overload for StfRon and a bourbon pecan pie for me. Both were drizzled with light fruit sauces, which added a nice touch of color.

The Bistro is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. through the week and also has a lunch menu full of salads (including a broiled salmon salad) sandwiches, quiche and wraps.

August, 2008 — The bistro has made way for Andre's restaurant, featuring Cajun fare.

Fired Up

One business I have inadvertently overlooked blogging about for a while now is Fired Up, 4532 N. Prospect Rd. in Peoria Heights.
My first visit to Fired Up was with "the girls" in June. I took a walk around the studio looking at the selection of bisque items available for hand painting. There are coffee mugs, bread pans, bowls and even pet food and water dishes. I ended up selecting a small square dish that I figured I could use to keep my rings in after I take them off for the day.
Fired Up charges a flat studio fee, and you also pay for the cost of your chosen bisque piece(s). The pieces start at under $8 and go up from there.
After selecting my paint colors, I sat down to enjoy wine, hummus, veggies, pita chips, tortilla chips and wedding ring cookies brought by my friends.
It was fun to see everyone else's creations at the table. H chose an egg plate and painted it with accents of purple and pink, then spattered with black paint over all. Minney made a very cool switch plate cover.
A week later, our pieces were finished being fired by the studio and ready to be picked up.
My little ring tray now has a place of honor in the bathroom at home, and gets used every day.

Last month, we convinced some of our guys to go along for another trip to Fired Up. The promise of being able to bring booze might have had something to do with it.
The outing seemed to bring out the creativity in everyone. I was very impressed with my friend J's plate design. StfRon used chalkboard paint for his creation, and my friend M used a chili pepper stamp on one of her tiles.
There were comments about how Zen the whole thing seems, and also reminiscing about kindergarten and preschool art projects.
This time I chose a rectangle tray with handles at each end, and painted it a salsa red and vibrant yellow. I plan to use it to carry glasses of wine or snacks about.
Fired Up is definitely something different to do. It would make a great Mother's Day outing, too. Just be sure to make reservations during any holiday seasons, and it's worth checking their web site for any coupons or specials. And for those of you on the east side of the river, there is now a Bloomington location.

Global Village

When I first heard about Global Village opening at 1308 E. Seiberling in Peoria Heights, I was interested to check it out.
Global Village carries fair trade merchandise from around the world, including toys, clothing, food, jewelry and gifts. The shop is staffed by volunteers.
I've stopped by twice now, only to find them closed both times. I guess it's just a matter of bad timing. They are closed on Mondays, and Saturdays are open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. This last time I stopped by around 9:30 Saturday after picking up some locally-grown yams at the last Peoria Riverfront Market of the year. Served up with our Creekstone Farms steak from Lindy's Downtown Market Saturday night, those were terribly tasty tubers.
I'll stop by Global Village again soon now that I know the hours. I'll bet I could find a gift for my mom that I could squirrel away for Christmas.

Katie's Café shuttered

We heard some rumors last night, and walking by Katie's Café today, we saw they were closed.
There is a sticker on the window about the business being revoked, and a hand written sign on the door apologizing for being closed.
It would be sad to lose this quaint business. I loved the decor and antique tables, and the cheese muffins were the bomb. Where will I get my cheese muffins now? Lindy's seems to have the same muffin, but for all I know they were buying them from Katie's.
Katie's was the place in Washington for great cookies, muffins and pastries.
I hope things will get sorted out and they will be back in business soon.

Duryea Days

Driving down Prospect Ave. in Peoria Heights after my eye exam earlier this week, I saw a banner for something dubbed Duryea Days, to be held October 19 and 20.
Upon investigation, I see that Duryea Days will feature antique appraisals in conjunction with WTVP on October 20 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in Heritage Square. The appraisals are $20 per item, with proceeds going to WTVP and the Peoria Heights Area Business Association.
If you think you have something valuable and would like it appraised at this event, you must pre-register by October 1. Hey, you may end up on TV!

On Friday, Duryea Days will feature wine, food and live jazz music, plus a silent auction benefiting WTVP. All this will take place from 5-8 p.m. at Heritage Square, 4400 N. Prospect Ave.
Tickets for Friday are priced at $50 and are available from the Peoria Heights Area Business Association.

Cool Beans Café

After some geocaching a couple of Sundays ago, we decided to see if anything interesting was open in Morton so we could have a bite to eat.
Driving by the Cool Beans Café at 730 W. Jackson, we saw some action and decided to stop in.
Walking through the parking lot, I was looking at their drive-through menu and saw steamed cider listed, which sounded just right for a fall-like day.
Stepping inside the cement block building, we saw bright orange walls and some couches and chairs in addition to the dining tables.
Upon stepping up to the order counter, we were seemingly ignored for about four minutes by the three people behind the counter (two of them were semi-busy), until a middle-aged lady asked the young girl to wait on us.
Since I had some time to peruse the menu, I knew I had to try the peanut butter and jelly panini, accompanied by steamed cider. StfRon went with the chili dogs. Both sandwiches came with chips, the ridged variety. The panini was something different, and I liked it.
The young girl who took our order and brought the food out was pleasant.
In addition to lunch choices and standard coffee fare, Cool Beans has frisbee golf discs, Spudnuts donuts, free WiFi, and accepts fax and phone orders.

Cool Beans Café  has closed.

Busy Corner

On our way to the Third Sunday Market last month, we decided to check out the new Busy Corner location in Goodfield on Route 117. Busy Corner has been serving homestyle food and fresh-baked pies for over 60 years.
I had been to the previous Busy Corner building some eight or nine years ago with friends for dinner. One of my friends worked nights in Bloomington/Normal, and Goodfield was a good place to stop and meet. All I remember from that visit is pie (as in, "Y'all want pahhhhh?").
The building is nice and updated, and outside has some of the same elements as chain restaurant buildings. One thing those chains can't boast, though, is a large Statue of Liberty replica on the front porch.
Inside, the restaurant layout very much reminded me of a Bob Evans.
On this Sunday, a steady stream of tired-looking people filed in, some carrying newspapers to enjoy with their breakfast.
Being we wanted to get on the road, we decided to take a seat at the counter rather than wait a few minutes for a table or booth.
Our server was friendly and prompt. I went for the breakfast sandwich. I figured a little meat, egg and cheese would stick with me longer than some French toast or something along those lines.
The sandwich was good and hit the spot, and after a longing glance at the pie selection, we were on our way.
I'm sure we'll be back many times as we head east for road trips.

Apple Blossom Farm

With the arrival of the crisp fall air (at night, anyway) my thoughts turn to the changing leaves, bonfires, and caramel apples and cider donuts!
If you don't have time to drive to Speer to go to Tanner's Orchard, there is a closer alternative, the Apple Blossom Farm.
Located on Route 91 just north of the Grand Prairie Mall, the Apple Blossom Farm is full of fall fun like apples and pumpkins, a petting zoo, hayrack rides and the corn maze.
In the Harvest Barn you'll find gifts galore.
The bakery features sandwiches, hot dogs, pork chops, pies, candy apples and one of my favorites, cider donuts. I haven't tried the Apple Blossom Farm version yet, but I might just have to dart over there after work and snarf some down.
Visit their web site (above) for some coupons and more information.

White Buffalo

One of my mom's favorite stores is White Buffalo, located at 100 Harrison Street in Peoria, right across from the 401 Water Street building.
Operating in Peoria for several years now, White Buffalo carries a nice selection of handcrafted jewelry, pottery and art crafted by the Navajo, Pueblo, Plains and Hopi Indians, to name a few.

January, 2008 — White Buffalo is now open in the 401 Water Street building (no longer open at the Harrison Street location. Stop by and check it out!

June, 2008 — Another Central Illinois blogger informed me that White Buffalo is closed.

The Ugly Mug

We noticed activity in a recently vacated shop on the square in Washington. Eventually, a sign went up for The Ugly Mug, Your Coffee Escape. It was an unusual sign, but my interest was piqued.
I've long said Washington needs a true coffee shop on the square.
Saturday, we dragged our butts out early and went to check it out.
Outside, there are bistro-style tables and chairs with bright cushions for those who want to enjoy their brew outside while watching cars jockey for space on the square.
We stepped inside to find very bright yellow walls and laminate flooring. If the coffee alone can't wake you up, these cheery walls will. The light fixtures are very contemporary. Along the wall behind the ordering counter are shelves filled with "ugly" mugs. They're very interesting to look at, but are not for sale, so don't get your hopes up.
In the offering were several daily brews including a fair trade selection, espresso drinks and chai teas, and various muffins and turnovers, cookies, just to name a few.
I had a chai tea, which was good and not too sweet, like some I've been served, and a muffin which was supposed to be cheese, but had a cinnamony flavor to it more than cheese. It was still very good. The muffins are made by a baker in Peoria. StfRon had the same muffin, and some coffee.
Another bonus to this location on the square is the addition of WiFi.
The Ugly Mug also offers the ever-popular punch card, so you can earn a free cup as reward for all that hard drinking.

April, 2008 — The Ugly Mug has closed.

Step Back in Time

Sunday was such a nice day, we walked to the square in Washington to do a little browsing.
Generally, not much is open on the square on Sundays, but Step Back in Time is, and it's one of the best shops on the square.
Step Back in Time is a three-story shop filled with antiques. On this visit, we were checking out tables for our home bar that's in the works. We saw several tables with great potential, and even some nice coat hooks. They also had some benches and pews, but they were not quite what I was looking for. I recently bought a "bench" but wish now I had waited to find a nicer one.
If you're looking for a Halloween costume, you might want to check out some of the vintage clothing and hats scattered around the booths here.
Step Back in Time also carries a nice selection of milk paint in various colors.
It's a fun place to poke around in on a lazy afternoon.

Rhythm Kitchen Music Café

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

Ponte Vecchio

One of my parents' favorite restaurants to visit is Ponte Vecchio in Sheridan Village.
Yes, this restaurant is in a strip mall, but once inside it's pretty easy to forget that.
Ponte Vecchio is under new ownership, for about the past year or so. The gentleman who owns it now has a passion for wine, and we have had some good discussions about wine with him, and have tried some great wines in the restaurant.
I was on a kick for a while and every time I went in, if they had butternut squash ravioli, that's what I ordered. It's very good and has a hint of nutmeg. It's also very rich.
StfRon of course likes to have the lasagna. And we always start our meal with some bread, olive oil and Parmesan.
There are several seafood and pasta dishes to choose from, plus chicken and steak. Sandwiches have recently been added to the lunch menu.
Each time we have visited, lunch or dinner, the service has always been good, and the food delightful as well.

August, 2009 — Ponte Vecchio has closed.

Oktoberfests!

Fall is my favorite time of year, and Oktoberfests are a fun way to get out and enjoy the fall weather.

One of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. is held in Peoria on the riverfront, the Peoria Oktoberfest. This year set for Septeber 21-23, the festival will bring bands from across the United States, the Peoria area and Bavaria, while celebrating great German food, beer and culture. There is also non-German entertainment planned for the CEFCU stage for those who are not big fans of schlager music.

September 23 brings the Kickapoo Creek Winery's Oktoberfest and art fair. Fall fun at this fest will include hayrack rides, blues music, food, wine, arts and crafts.

Bradford, IL will host another Oktoberfest September 28-30, bringing bands from Wisconsin, Peoria and Switzerland for your listening pleasure, and will be serving one of my festival favorites, pork chops on a stick. There will also be roast pig, hot dogs, heidelbergers, brats, beer and soda.

Furrow Vineyard and Winery in El Paso will host an Oktoberfest September 29-30. This fest will include brats and Oktoberfest wine combined with tunes by Sally Weisenburg and Illinois Brass Works.

So dust off your lederhosen and get ready to raise your stein, or soda, or wine to fall!

Lester's Tasty Donuts

Let's see...my Monday started out with waiting an extra 25 or so minutes to cross the McCluggage Bridge. Yes, I knew work was starting on the bridge today, but I also heard over a half dozen times on News 25 how they were waiting until after the 8:30 morning rush. Wrong.
While waiting in traffic, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to eat breakfast, which I never do. Oh, and forgot to return a DVD rental that's due today.
Though late, I continued my plan of going to Lester's Tasty Donuts on Glen in Peoria, because I wanted to try the donuts and knew they had a pretty nice looking outlet there. Lester's has been delighting donut lovers since 1953 at several Central Illinois locations.
For some reason I spaced out and went down Knoxville. I got near Proctor and realized my mistake. I jogged over on Northmoor and headed back the other way on University to 1401 W. Glen.
The lady who waited on me at Lester's was very pleasant even though her day seemed to be shaping up about like mine. I asked for an assortment of donuts, and she gave me a decent selection from what was in the case. I also noticed other pastries, cookies and coffee cakes.
I headed to the office a bit flustered and proceeded to spill hot tea on myself AND screw up a meeting time.
The best part of my day so far (other than the cheery lady who waited on me) was the donut I selected when I opened the boxes. At first I headed for a glazed twist, but part way there I saw what looked to be an almost bagel-like blueberry donut covered in glaze. I went with it instead, and it was wonderful. Light and cakey, with little blueberries mixed throughout, staining the donut batter purple, covered with just the right amount of glaze. This, my friends, was donut divinity, and my only true pleasure of the morning. Let's hope the afternoon holds more positives.

Ing's Chinese Express

After conducting some financial business a couple of weeks ago at the Sheridan Village CEFCU in Peoria, we decided to go to Ing's Chinese Express in said shopping center for lunch.
Ing's used to be known as Happiness Chinese restaurant in Pekin on Route 29. I had been to Happiness, and recall it as a cute little restaurant with good food.
The Sheridan Village location looks nice and clean, with a more updated decor and art than many Chinese restaurants in the area sport. It also seems kind of roomy, as they have left the center of the room open for a wide aisle leading to the counter where you place your lunch order. There is a row of chairs near the cash register to sit in while you wait for carryout orders.
I ordered the Mongolian beef, as did StfRon. I'm not sure why I did, because I grew up on Yen Ching's Mongolian beef, and none can ever measure up to that for me. However, this was good, with lots of onion slices, served accompanied by a huge egg roll and fried rice.
The food is served in Styrofoam containers, so if you can't eat it all, it's easy to take away.
Did the Mongolian beef beat Yen Ching's in my book? No, but I would certainly have this one again, or try one of the many, many other selections.

The Garlic Press (and Market Café)

A couple weeks ago I made a long overdue trip to the Garlic Press in downtown Normal. Anything with garlic in the name is bound to be a favorite of mine!
I have probably been there years ago, as the place has been around for 30 years, but I just don't remember for sure.
Located at 108 North Street, the Garlic Press not only carries pottery, gifts, kitchen gadgets, spices, sauces and more, but offers cooking classes and a great little café right next door.
Monday, September 10, the cooking class will be autumn comfort foods, including baked pork chops with Parmesan sage crust. Sounds divine! The class may be full by this time, but there are others upcoming.
Browsing through the store, I could hardly take it all in: stationery, toys, bath products, clothing, coffee, chocolate...I saw a beautiful lamp I would love to have, and some Frank Lloyd Wright styled house numbers, which I am in the market for, too.
I also found jackets, vests and shirts made in the USA, which is a hard thing to find locally.
My only regret on this visit was that I was not hungry, so I didn't visit the Market Café. I did peek in and see a nice selection of soups and sandwiches. Choose from things like sushi rolls, Thai chicken salad, chilled sesame asparagus and soups like sweet potato and ginger, smoky lentil chili, the list goes on and on. I plan to make it back soon for some of these great-sounding dishes!

Labor Day weekend road trip

Over Labor Day weekend, we decided to head to Michigan City, IN. One of the big draws to the area is the Lighthouse Place outlets, and the other is lovely Lake Michigan, with Michigan City being home to a couple of lighthouses.

As far as businesses local to Michigan City, we hit the quaint, wooden shotgun house area of 4th-7th streets near the outlet mall for the Golden Leaf Cigar Shop and Lange's Old Fashion Meat Market.
The cigar shop has a room in back where three men were sitting on leather couches smoking and watching TV. Made me wonder if Peoria would soon have establishments of the same sort.
The brothers at Lange's meat market were quite the characters...one of them actually claims to have dated a girl from Chillicothe and spent time in Chillicothe, but never Peoria. The shop has sawdust on the floor, and great smoked-on-site meats sitting uncovered in dishes along the top of the meat case. Ahh...Indiana knows how to do things the old fashioned way! There is even a side of bacon hanging on the back wall that one of the brothers claims is three years old.
Alas, when we were in, they were out of bacon to sell, so we ended up with a couple of smoked pork chops. They made an excellent dinner Monday night, with some white acorn squash we picked up from the Third Sunday Market in Bloomington.
We also stopped into the Banyan Tree boutique, which was filled with brightly-colored clothing and some gift items. The lady working in the shop was chatting with us and asking how our summer was and what we had done, so I told her we had gotten married. She nicely insisted on giving me a packet of bubble bath from Germany to celebrate the wedding. It was a nice surprise! She also said this shop closes in September, and reopens in May and that the proprietor buys a lot of merchandise from Italy, in small numbers, so that you won't likely see someone with the same shirt or bag as you walking around.

After the outlet mall and downtown area, we headed to Washington Park in Michigan City to check out the lighthouse. The place was packed with their Labor Dayz Festival. We paid our $6 to get in to the park, then walked the long, sandy walk to the beach. Once we hit the shore, we rolled up our pants and took off our shoes and walked in the surf along the shore toward the lighthouse.
After cleaning the sand from our feet and putting our shoes back on, we headed into the arts and crafts/carnival area of the festival. Nothing too exciting there.

On our way out of town, we took US 20 so we could pass by a BBQ joint we had seen on our way into town, Smokey's Southern Barbecue. The neon pig in the window beckoned us in.
The place is small, holding only about six retro formica tables, but the decor is quaint and cozy. I actually loved the way this place was decorated. For a wainscoting, they had used corrugated metal, and had touches of wood throughout, including wood floors. The bathroom was sort of half an outhouse built against one wall of the restaurant. StfRon didn't believe it was real, and had to pull the door open and check it out.
We both ordered pulled pork sandwiches and cole slaw. The slaw wasn't the best I've ever had. The pork was good and juicy, but probably not as good as some we've tried in Memphis. After staring at the dessert board and pie stand while we ate, we tried the desserts, peach cobbler and chocolate pecan pie. Again, not the best we've ever had, but the place was neat, service was good and we were glad we made the stop.
After we went outside, we got out the camera for some pictures, and an older couple came out of Smokey's with their carryout. The wife said, incredulously, "You're taking pictures of SMOKEY'S???" Hey, lady, this place is coooool.

This trip made us want to spend more time in Michigan City, since we only had the day. We want to check out more of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the zoo, and much more. We hope to make it back soon.

Fall festivals

In honor of my favorite season, here are a few fall events to check out this week in the area:

• Elmwood Fall Festival - Free admission, carnival, food tent at Central Park in Elmwood September 6-8.
• Pekin Marigold Festival - Free admission, arts and crafts, food, carnival. Mineral Springs Park in Pekin September 7-9.
• Fire on the Water, Firefighters Street Festival, Peoria - $5 donation to enter, concert, car & bike cruise, food and beer. All proceeds donated to local charities. September 8 CEFCU Center Stage and The Landing, Peoria.

Doggone dandy!

This post is going to the dogs, literally!
Give some extra love to your canine companion this holiday weekend. Take Pete to one of the dog parks in the area:

• Morton - Morton Dog Park, free, small and large enclosure, wooded and shaded. Take 74 to the southbound Morton exit. Turn right in front of Wal-Mart (Courtland). Continue straight until the stop sign. At the stop sign, turn left on to Main St. Cross the railroad tracks. The dog park and ample parking is located on the left just before the curve.

• Peoria - Kickapoo Creek Dog Run - Large field with a creek. Farmington Road to Kickapoo Creek Road.

• Macomb - Macomb Dog Park. Fenced. Located in Patton Park on the corner of Ward and Grant.
After the dog park, how about some fancy treats for Trixie:

• Peoria - My Dog's Bakery at the Metro Centre, toys and homemade treats

Cookie Shack

When I lived at the corner of McClure and University in Peoria, my travels sent me past the Cookie Shack at 3034 N. Wisconsin many times, but I never ventured in.
A few months ago, StfRon stopped by to see me at work with a box of cookie delights from the Cookie Shack! In this box of goodies were chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, double chocolate cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, and thumbprint cookies. The snickerdoodles were awesome, as were all the rest.
On Wednesdays, the Cookie Shack will give a free cookie to seniors. Not a cookie connoisseur? They also have cakes, pies and more and will deliver any order over $50.
Stop by and spread some cookie love, or catch them at the Peoria Riverfront Market.

The Butcher Block

In the newly-renovated Junction City shopping center, there is a great market/cafe, The Butcher Block.
You will still find great cuts of meat, sausages, pork, chicken and more you expect from The Butcher Block with the added bonus of cheeses, sodas, beer, wine, breads and specialty items.
The café is a great addition, with nice deli sandwiches featuring Boar's Head brand meats, subs, wraps and salads. You can even enjoy a beer or glass of wine while you're visiting.
StfRon tried a BBQ brisket sandwich, which was very good. I've had the Reuben, which is good as well. I think next time I need to try the smoked pulled pork and coleslaw wrap.
Check out their web site at http://thebutcherblockpeoria.com/.

June, 2009 — The Butcher Block has removed much of their market items and is now focusing on meats and the deli, which now offers breakfast.
September, 2010 — The Butcher Block is under new ownership, and no longer offers deli items. They do offer dinner with a focus on steaks.

Artistic endeavors

For over 125 years, Central Illinois has been graced with the Peoria Art Guild, showcasing local artistic talent, of which I have zilch.
It's great to stop by the shop (203 Harrison St., Peoria), open Monday-Thursday 10-6; Friday and Saturday 10-5; and look at the creative works from local artists. You can find stunning jewelry and ornaments, photographs, paintings, ceramics, glassware and more. You can even rent pieces for your office or home from the Peoria Art Guild.
The art guild will hold their 45th annual fine art fair September 29 & 30 from 10-5 on the Peoria Riverfront, featuring artists' works, live music and food vendors.
On Sunday, September 9, visit Mackinaw Valley Vineyard and Winery for Art, Wine and Music at the Vineyard, from 1-4 p.m. You'll be able to view art guild artists' works while quaffing free tastes of wine and appetizers and listening to the tunes of Joe Metzka and the Sally Weisenberg Trio.

Washington Greenhouse

Washington Greenhouse, 2679 Centennial Drive in Washington, is a great resource for your gardening needs. They carry a wide selection of plants, trees, shrubs and seeds, fertilizers, plus landscaping rock and blocks and even a pet and bird food department.

Spotted Cow

I remember the Spotted Cow from my high school days. It was a small store on Prospect in Peoria Heights, and when it would rain hard, water would leak in from the ceiling into buckets on the floor. We're talking probably close to 18 years ago now.
My friends and I would stop in often for a homemade ice cream treat, either mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie dough, or Oreo cookie for me. At some point they expanded and got a nice, newer location on Prospect with lots of cow decorations throughout, including cow spots on the tile floor. I would stop in for lunch over the last 8 years, as it was close to work. I wouldn't have ice cream with lunch, but a chocolate Coke would be my treat to myself.
In 2006, the Spotted Cow built a free-standing building complete with outdoor seating at 718 W. Glen and moved out of Peoria Heights. I made it in last week to pick up some carryout, and check out the new digs.
I like the funky Formica they used in the new building, and the shiny tin ceiling tiles. The place is bright, fresh and new. Lots of cow decor still graces the walls and chairs throughout.
I ordered a homemade Italian beef sandwich with cheese and peppers, and two chili dogs for StfRon. I also threw in a chocolate malt for good measure. The menu still features selections from the Heights location, like the tuna melt and cakes, plus new additions like burgers and fries.
You can also catch the Spotted Cow at their hospital café, or with their mobile ice cream cart at events like the free CILCO concerts at Lakeview Museum.
As for this visit, my Italian beef was juicy and well-seasoned, and StfRon pronounced the chili dogs a hit. The chocolate malt was so thick I couldn't get it through the straw at first, but once I did, all was good.

Random

While shopping at the newly updated Junction City shopping center in Peoria Heights a few weeks ago, we noticed a new store, Random. We went in to see what it was like.
Random, Coffee • Clothier • Vintage, is a family-owned shop with a large selection of trendy men's clothing including T-shirts and vintage apparel. There were some really hip guys' duds in there when we stopped in. They also have womens' clothing and coffee. Heck, you can even drink coffee while you shop.
KISS FM is currently featuring a Random T-shirt of the week. You can view the selection on their web site and save on the T-shirt of the week.
Random also has a Myrtle Beach location.
It's nice to see the guys getting some unique clothing options in town, too.

Peoria Pizza Works

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

Ozark House Restaurant

A 50% off certificate and the temptation of some good hickory smoked ribs sent us to the Ozark House Restaurant in Bloomington a few weeks ago. The restaurant is located at 704 McGregor in a mostly residential area, and we were glad we had our new Magellan GPS on board to get us right to the door.
The restaurant is casual, 1970s-era, with several large fish aquariums throughout, which captured the attention of the children who were dining that night.
I ordered the smoked 1/2 chicken with BBQ sauce, accompanied by a sweet potato and a salad with creamy garlic dressing. The dressing was sweet and very good, and the salad was filled with lots of red cabbage and carrots. There was a cracker basket on our table, so we munched on those, but we saw several tables eating bread and butter. Ours ended up being delivered with our meal, which seemed a little odd, but maybe the kitchen was backed up.
StfRon had what is dubbed the "famous baby back ribs" with shredded au gratin potatoes and finished his meal with a very good coconut cream pie that seemed to be home made. Everything we ordered was good.
Our service was prompt and friendly, and when we got low on drinks, another server took the time to top them off for us.
Our only complaint was regarding the music, some slightly too loud almost elevator music. I think if it had been a little quieter, it would have blended nicely into the background. This would not keep us away, though. We had a nice meal, and it was a change from our typical Tazewell/Peoria County haunts.
The Ozark House also offers carryouts, nightly specials and banquet services.

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.

The Landing

Tonight on the CEFCU Center Stage at The Landing on Peoria's Riverfront, the Dave Hoffman Quartet will play from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The concert is free.
Dave Hoffman played and worked with the Ray Charles Orchestra for many years.
We have yet to hear him, but hope to tonight and we have heard nothing but good things.

Other upcoming events at The Landing include:

Jazz: Steve Heineman Quartet
Thursday, August 23, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Jazz: Billy Cook Quartet Plus
Thursday, August 30, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Fiesta En El Rio
Friday, September 7, 5:30-11:30 p.m.

Kep's Place

We recently stopped at Kep's Place in Washington for an after work drink.
Kep's was opened in 2002 in an old racquetball club. One thing Kep's is known for around Washington is wings. Someone we know in Washington buys pounds of the wings for a Superbowl party each year.
We saw the wings on this visit, and they looked very saucy and tasty, however we had dinner waiting for us at home, so we resisted the urge to order some.
Kep's Place has a sports bar theme, with big screen and flat screen TVs, darts and pool tables.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays you can play pool for free.
Looking for some grub instead? Kep's has good pizza, the BBQ one is one of my top choices, but one of my favorites here are the frips, kind of a cross between chips and fries.
There is a beer garden on premises, and a decent selection of bottled beers. Weekends feature DJs and live bands.
Oh, and looking to own a bar? I've heard Kep's is for sale.

Java Jolt

I remember the little coffee hut going up in the parking lot of the old Eagle grocery store on N. Knoxville Ave. in Peoria, later to be the Leath furniture store; now the large building is probably vacant again.
This Java Jolt coffee shop in the parking lot is so cute, just a little stop to drive up and zip away with one of your favorite beverages.
Later, I heard tales of an extreme toffee coffee concoction that StfRon would partake in from the Java Jolt located in the bank building at 230 SW Adams in Peoria. By the way he talked about this coffee, it sounded like crack or something.
Just last week, I mentioned the extreme toffee coffee to my friend Minney, and she also went into fits about how good it is.
I have heard that the bank Java Jolt location also has flat-screen TVs.
Personally, I have never been to the Java Jolt, only due to the locations not being convenient to where I am, but it sounds like the place is right up my alley. It's on my list to check out.

Interstate Center

Finally, this coming weekend on August 19, I think I will make it to the Third Sunday Market at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.
This event features antiques and collectibles from 400+ dealers in air-conditioned comfort. A good entertainment alternative on a hot, August day.
The Mennonite relief sale is also hosted here, plus livestock shows, poker tournaments and much more. The site is also available for rentals for your event.
The Interstate Center is off I-55 at exit 160B, on Route 9.

Harp & Thistle Imports

If you're in the market for Irish and Celtic merchandise in the Peoria area, Harp & Thistle Imports should be at the top of your list.
Located in Peoria Heights at 4605 Prospect Road, Harp & Thistle carries clothing, jewelry, gifts, china and more, including food such as cookies and tea. Looking for Guinness merchandise? They've got it!
Harp & Thistle will also have a booth at the upcoming Erin Feis on the Peoria Riverfront August 24-26.

Gil's Supper Club

A couple of friends I used to work with always raved about chicken from Gil's Supper Club, located on Main Street in Hanna City. Leaving Wildlife Prairie Park one time last fall, I convinced StfRon to swing by to check out the place for dinner.
Gil's is a family restaurant, operating since 1962.
We lucked out by stopping in on a Wednesday, when fried chicken is the dinner special. There were several people waiting, but when we went up to the podium and were asked "smoking or non" we said it didn't matter, and were seated right away. We hang out in bars where smoking is common, so we figured no big deal. WRONG. Next time we will wait for non smoking. It seemed like everyone in the dining room was smoking, and you could really tell.
We both tried the fried chicken dinners, and the chicken was very good. We also saw people eating fritters, which perked me up.
Growing up in Chillicothe, every once in a while my parents would get us Weaver's chicken for dinner, complete with corn fritters, deep fried balls of dough with corn mixed in, topped with powdered sugar. Excellent! My mom would also break out the Fry Daddy from time-to-time and whip up her own corn fritters, which were great.
Seeing the fritters at Gil's, I had to try them. We ordered a small batch, and were told the fritters were pumpkin, in honor of fall. Interesting. Then we tasted them. Oh, baby! They were wonderful. So great, in fact, that we ordered one dozen to go and ate about three more each on the drive home.
Now that fall is nearing, I find myself thinking of Gil's and their pumpkin fritters. It won't be long before we can partake of them again!

Festa, anyone?

This Sunday brings us the 78th annual Italian Festa at Hickory Grove Park, set for Sunday, August 12 from noon-7 p.m.
The festa features food by Basta Mangiare (such as Italian beef, sausages and spaghetti with meatballs plus desserts), Italian beer and wine and live music. There will even be a spaghetti eating contest for kids and bocce ball tournaments.
It looks like Sunday will be a hot one. If there is a breeze, it will be helpful, because there is a decent amount of shade at Hickory Grove from the old trees. If there's no breeze and you're still up for it, at least you can cool down with an Italian ice! Hey, what else are you gonna do? Sit in the house and watch TV?

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.