Well hot diggity damn!! Finally I get back to Peoria for a period of time so's I can do some eating!! I've been back a few times, but fairly quickie trips that didn't really call for any reviewing of restaurants. Not that I didn't eat, but in all honesty, it wasn't review-worthy.
Tonight me and the wife had us a date. We dropped off the kid at my folks house and headed down to the newly-reopened River Station for a 7:45 dinner reservation. I have to admit, I don't remember what the place looked like inside, seeing as how I believe I was only there like twice before they closed. But it sure looks nice inside now! They're getting some business, that's for sure. We were not called to be seated until about 8:15 or so, but they warned us that things were running a bit behind. It gave us lots of time for people-watching, which was fun stuff. Lots of nicely-dressed cougars, and men who looked like they either stepped off a boat or off the golf course.
When we were seated at a nice river-view table (which made the extra wait okay), our waiter, a nice young man named Jake, got us going with our drinks and discussed some of the features of the menu. We declined appetizers, choosing to save room for the dessert. River Station does a salad bar at your table-I've never been a part of something like this before. Lots of iceberg lettuce, followed by whatever toppings you told the waiter to put on, including something he referred to as "sour cherries". Looked like big raisins to me, but they were tasty! A clever addition to a salad. I had a balsamic vinaigrette which was just dandy. Jenny had ranch. She asked for French, but that's okay. Jake offered to get some, but Jenny ain't picky.
Our entrees arrived in a very timely fashion. Jenny ordered the lobster and crab ravioli, and the one I took off her plate as a driver's fee had large chunks of said shellfish, and the white sauce, while not overpowering, complemented the dish. My dish was called chicken saltabocca, which was a couple of grilled chicken breasts wrapped up in prosciutto and mozzarella, sitting in a dark wine sauce. Very tasty, indeed!! It was recommended to me by my father-in-law. The sauce was my favorite part of the meal, just yummyness. It was sauce that I could have on the side and dip waffle fries into and be content.
Dessert...ahh, dessert. Very enjoyable, if a bit on the expensive side. Jenny had The Caboose, which was a couple different ice creams layered on top of each other with some other stuff on it, with a piece of almond brittle sticking out. Yummy! Mine was some sort of chocolate ganache with lavender ice cream. Lavender!! Weird that I was eating something that had made bathrooms smell better for decades. I must have forgotten about the ice cream, because I commented that it tasted "herbal". It sure was good, however. I will look for this in other places. The ganache was utterly rich in chocolate delight.
I am glad the River Station has returned. To me, it really ties the riverfront together, having a well-known spot with historical significance. And free refills on soda!!
River Station-you made the "HIT" List!!!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
He's posting reviews again!!
Not me, Chef Kevin, over at Culinary Rants and Raves. Check it out!! He has checked out such joints as the River Station (so wanna go there!), Firehouse Pizza, Eamon Patrick's (where is this place?) and one other one along the river. Name slipped my mind, but it sounds like my kinda place!!
Friday, June 08, 2007
New Blog To Read
My good friend Katie, she who helped birth my baby, maker of good hashbrown casserole, lover of Ron, and coach of co-ed softball, has started a blog to note her days of fine trailer park living. She entertains me, and I'm sure she will entertain her readers.
Notes From The Trailerhood
We're not coming into town this weekend, as we already have to make a trip to town next Tuesday night so that me and my buddies can go down to Kansas City and eat barbecue, among other events.
I will share that I just had a delightful ice cream sandwich, fresh out the box from Hy-Vee. Probably gonna have a few more based on that wonderful experience.
Notes From The Trailerhood
We're not coming into town this weekend, as we already have to make a trip to town next Tuesday night so that me and my buddies can go down to Kansas City and eat barbecue, among other events.
I will share that I just had a delightful ice cream sandwich, fresh out the box from Hy-Vee. Probably gonna have a few more based on that wonderful experience.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Corky's, East Peoria
I'm a fan of saying things such as, "it's hard to screw up a lunchmeat sandwich", or "it's hard to mess up a salad". One thing that is for sure is that it is EASY to screw up barbecue. Big John's, back in the heyday of his downtown location, was ON. They knew their barbecue, and I daresay that Peoria hasn't seen barbecue like it again. There are a few BBQ joints that I can attest to having pretty decent food, but I just think we're a bit too far north for any of the good ones.
Corky's, which is in the remodeled Citgo/Burger King building over by the East Peoria Wal-Mart, is a franchise that got its start in Memphis, home of barbecue, Elvis and rockabilly music. Back when it first opened up here in town a few months ago, the wait was far too long for me and my gathered group of gourmands. We were told that the list was two hours long, and after you ordered, it would be another hour. So this is the first opportunity I've had to get back and see what's up. I've heard different things about it, but the possibility of good BBQ is enough for me to give it a try.
We had a group of six tonight, and we ended up having to wait about a half-hour before being seated, and that ain't bad. I tried a combo that consisted of a half-rack of dry-rubbed ribs, beef brisket, turkey and pulled pork. Ron had the ribs and pork, Russ had a pulled pork sandwich, Jenny had turkey and pork, Jen had a turkey sandwich, and Katie had... I forgot! She doesn't like BBQ, so I'm sure she had something different. And don't make fun of Katie because she doesn't like BBQ. Ron will fix that, over time.
The only complaint I heard from anyone was from myself and Ron, and we thought the ribs were served a bit on the cool side. They were still fairly tasty and very tender, but it would have been better if they were the temperature they were supposed to be.
Other than that, nice atmosphere, a pretty kind server who kept up with our refills as long as we requested them. It doesn't measure up to BBQ I've had in other locales, mostly down south, but for Peoria, it does good. I hope they succeed, and I liked their Elvis-themed room.
Corky's makes the HIT List!!
Corky's, which is in the remodeled Citgo/Burger King building over by the East Peoria Wal-Mart, is a franchise that got its start in Memphis, home of barbecue, Elvis and rockabilly music. Back when it first opened up here in town a few months ago, the wait was far too long for me and my gathered group of gourmands. We were told that the list was two hours long, and after you ordered, it would be another hour. So this is the first opportunity I've had to get back and see what's up. I've heard different things about it, but the possibility of good BBQ is enough for me to give it a try.
We had a group of six tonight, and we ended up having to wait about a half-hour before being seated, and that ain't bad. I tried a combo that consisted of a half-rack of dry-rubbed ribs, beef brisket, turkey and pulled pork. Ron had the ribs and pork, Russ had a pulled pork sandwich, Jenny had turkey and pork, Jen had a turkey sandwich, and Katie had... I forgot! She doesn't like BBQ, so I'm sure she had something different. And don't make fun of Katie because she doesn't like BBQ. Ron will fix that, over time.
The only complaint I heard from anyone was from myself and Ron, and we thought the ribs were served a bit on the cool side. They were still fairly tasty and very tender, but it would have been better if they were the temperature they were supposed to be.
Other than that, nice atmosphere, a pretty kind server who kept up with our refills as long as we requested them. It doesn't measure up to BBQ I've had in other locales, mostly down south, but for Peoria, it does good. I hope they succeed, and I liked their Elvis-themed room.
Corky's makes the HIT List!!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Coop's, Princeville
Today was a day for exploring the backroads of Peoria County (and just a slight, slight bit of Fulton County). The first Saturday of every June is the Strawberry Festival out in Elmwood, which runs just north of Farmington. It's a pretty nice small-town shindig that draws seemingly every citizen to either visit or volunteer their efforts, especially given the fact that the town buried one of their own on Friday, a young Marine named Ben Desilets, who was struck down in Iraq.
After taking our cruise around the town square and eating strawberry shortcake (two helpings for me, of course), my wife, child, and mom headed up the road to Princeville, hope of Coop's, a little restaurant there on what seemed to be the main drag. It was right across the street from Casey's, so it's pretty much the center of town for this blogger.
Coop's is a cafe-like setting which is fairly rustic in appearance, both inside and out. The walls of the dining room drip with nostalgia, right down to the empty can of Standard Cream Separator Oil on a shelf high above us. Attached to the dining room and also accessible from the outside is The Whip, which is a little ice cream stand.
Today's specials were homemade tenderloins or pork burgers. My wife opted for the tenderloin, which she proclaimed was good. I got a taste, and it definitely tasted homemade. Had a good texture, and wasn't over-seasoned. Mom had a "Hawaiian Salad", which was an enormous helping of lettuce and toppings, served with a side of the house dressing, which was a hybrid of a sweet onion dressing and something else. The salad itself had grilled chicken, pineapple, and shaved coconut, along with a few other things I think. She really did like it, and for what it's worth, the lettuce, although it was only iceberg (sorry, lettuce snobs-no field greens), it was the kind that was cut up thin-shredded, maybe? Yeah, that sounds right. Before I reveal my meal, I want to take a second to talk about their salads. It seemed like every other table had salads, and they are just hoarkin' huge, and had lots of colorful toppings. At the quick glance I gave the salad portion of the menu, there had to have been like 10 or 12 different salads to choose from. Egads!!
And, finally, my meal was a big ole double cheeseburger. There was more that I could have chosen from, but it's what I want, and what I want is what I want. It was a tasty burger, lots of cheese, with my typical mayo, mustard, pickles and onions. It was everything I could ask for in a cheeseburger. The fries that came with the sandwiches were the crinkle cut variety, and we rather enjoyed them. Got a lot of 'em, too!!
Seeing as how I'm not a frequent traveler to Princeville, I couldn't tell you of the many other reasons to make a visit to the fine farming community. If you find your way out that direction, I would suggest a stop by Coop's for a sandwich, or one of those awesome salads!! They might even be worth a drive out there just for one of them!
Coop's-You made the HIT list!!! Thumbs up, and good luck under your new ownership (or was it just management?)!!
After taking our cruise around the town square and eating strawberry shortcake (two helpings for me, of course), my wife, child, and mom headed up the road to Princeville, hope of Coop's, a little restaurant there on what seemed to be the main drag. It was right across the street from Casey's, so it's pretty much the center of town for this blogger.
Coop's is a cafe-like setting which is fairly rustic in appearance, both inside and out. The walls of the dining room drip with nostalgia, right down to the empty can of Standard Cream Separator Oil on a shelf high above us. Attached to the dining room and also accessible from the outside is The Whip, which is a little ice cream stand.
Today's specials were homemade tenderloins or pork burgers. My wife opted for the tenderloin, which she proclaimed was good. I got a taste, and it definitely tasted homemade. Had a good texture, and wasn't over-seasoned. Mom had a "Hawaiian Salad", which was an enormous helping of lettuce and toppings, served with a side of the house dressing, which was a hybrid of a sweet onion dressing and something else. The salad itself had grilled chicken, pineapple, and shaved coconut, along with a few other things I think. She really did like it, and for what it's worth, the lettuce, although it was only iceberg (sorry, lettuce snobs-no field greens), it was the kind that was cut up thin-shredded, maybe? Yeah, that sounds right. Before I reveal my meal, I want to take a second to talk about their salads. It seemed like every other table had salads, and they are just hoarkin' huge, and had lots of colorful toppings. At the quick glance I gave the salad portion of the menu, there had to have been like 10 or 12 different salads to choose from. Egads!!
And, finally, my meal was a big ole double cheeseburger. There was more that I could have chosen from, but it's what I want, and what I want is what I want. It was a tasty burger, lots of cheese, with my typical mayo, mustard, pickles and onions. It was everything I could ask for in a cheeseburger. The fries that came with the sandwiches were the crinkle cut variety, and we rather enjoyed them. Got a lot of 'em, too!!
Seeing as how I'm not a frequent traveler to Princeville, I couldn't tell you of the many other reasons to make a visit to the fine farming community. If you find your way out that direction, I would suggest a stop by Coop's for a sandwich, or one of those awesome salads!! They might even be worth a drive out there just for one of them!
Coop's-You made the HIT list!!! Thumbs up, and good luck under your new ownership (or was it just management?)!!
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Avanti's, East Peoria
Good ole Avantis. A Peoria staple for many years before my time, and it has expanded into East Peoria quite a while back. I can remember eating at their Main Street location when it was across the street. Does anyone remember the "Gondola" controversy between Avanti's and LaGondola? What a great legal battle that was. Someone should have written a book about it.
I know Billy D wrote about it a while back (sorry, Bill - not going archive diving tonite!), and it seemed like a good mix of opinions.
Avanti's is real hit-and-miss for me concerning whether I even want to eat there. Nothing's gross on the menu, it's not like you can go wrong. Locals know that you are not going to get fine Italian cuisine on the menu. Sometimes I don't want meat sauce or marinara, or even the alfredo. Just doesn't sound good, and if I eat too much of their all-you-can-eat spaghetti on that most special of nights, I fart a little more than usual.
The bread - good stuff. I am not going to waste time extolling the virtues of Avanti's bread. But jeebus, they found one thing to do good, and they do REAL good. Just the bread and butter is enough of a meal for me. The pizza is not bad, either. I prefer it over any of the chains around here. (speaking of which, I gotta find out how to do polls, because I'd like to see what pizza reigns supreme in the Peoria area).
Tonight's visit to the Avanti's in East Peoria, to begin, was just dandy. No problems that weren't taken care of quickly, and nice folks waited on us and brought us food and soda refills. I had the lasagna, and this is something they have down so well that it lacks the fun of eating homemade lasagna that falls apart and you end up eating one big spoonful of ricotta or a big sheet of pasta. Still, it's tasty, and it's just enough for me. Because I filled up on the bread. And the goony little salad, which just works, for some reason.
Lovely wife Jenny had the chicken alfredo, and I heard no complaints. Ron and Katie both had Gondolas (capitalize that?? dunno), and I guess it was good because it's hard to screw up a lunchmeat sandwich, especially on that bread!! Russ had the Friday special, which was oven-baked cod. He specifically told me that he enjoyed the fish, but the accompanying linguini dish was just kind of "meh", not bad, nothing special. Jason had the only issue of the evening, when they brought his spaghetti and meatballs without the layer of mozzarelly on top like he wanted. They corrected it, and he dried his tears.
The kid who rang me up barely said a word, no "how was everything" queries, and I had to wait for like two minutes for someone to show up. Not gonna complain about that, because 1) high school kid has to work Friday nite at Avanti's isn't always going to be "on", and B) had fine conversations with the others standing around.
All in all, don't set the bar too high. Yeah, there's better places in town to go eat. I can name a whole bunch. Gotta pay more for that, however. Pay more money-get better food. Pay less money-get less better food. And so on. Avanti's is never my first choice of restaurants, but it's better to take the kid there than to the smoke-filled bar of choice for grub.
Avanti's-you made my HIT list (which, to refresh, is the good list to make. The bad list is known as the SHIT list)!!!
I know Billy D wrote about it a while back (sorry, Bill - not going archive diving tonite!), and it seemed like a good mix of opinions.
Avanti's is real hit-and-miss for me concerning whether I even want to eat there. Nothing's gross on the menu, it's not like you can go wrong. Locals know that you are not going to get fine Italian cuisine on the menu. Sometimes I don't want meat sauce or marinara, or even the alfredo. Just doesn't sound good, and if I eat too much of their all-you-can-eat spaghetti on that most special of nights, I fart a little more than usual.
The bread - good stuff. I am not going to waste time extolling the virtues of Avanti's bread. But jeebus, they found one thing to do good, and they do REAL good. Just the bread and butter is enough of a meal for me. The pizza is not bad, either. I prefer it over any of the chains around here. (speaking of which, I gotta find out how to do polls, because I'd like to see what pizza reigns supreme in the Peoria area).
Tonight's visit to the Avanti's in East Peoria, to begin, was just dandy. No problems that weren't taken care of quickly, and nice folks waited on us and brought us food and soda refills. I had the lasagna, and this is something they have down so well that it lacks the fun of eating homemade lasagna that falls apart and you end up eating one big spoonful of ricotta or a big sheet of pasta. Still, it's tasty, and it's just enough for me. Because I filled up on the bread. And the goony little salad, which just works, for some reason.
Lovely wife Jenny had the chicken alfredo, and I heard no complaints. Ron and Katie both had Gondolas (capitalize that?? dunno), and I guess it was good because it's hard to screw up a lunchmeat sandwich, especially on that bread!! Russ had the Friday special, which was oven-baked cod. He specifically told me that he enjoyed the fish, but the accompanying linguini dish was just kind of "meh", not bad, nothing special. Jason had the only issue of the evening, when they brought his spaghetti and meatballs without the layer of mozzarelly on top like he wanted. They corrected it, and he dried his tears.
The kid who rang me up barely said a word, no "how was everything" queries, and I had to wait for like two minutes for someone to show up. Not gonna complain about that, because 1) high school kid has to work Friday nite at Avanti's isn't always going to be "on", and B) had fine conversations with the others standing around.
All in all, don't set the bar too high. Yeah, there's better places in town to go eat. I can name a whole bunch. Gotta pay more for that, however. Pay more money-get better food. Pay less money-get less better food. And so on. Avanti's is never my first choice of restaurants, but it's better to take the kid there than to the smoke-filled bar of choice for grub.
Avanti's-you made my HIT list (which, to refresh, is the good list to make. The bad list is known as the SHIT list)!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Macomb in the Summertime
The thrill of the season is upon me-the return of the snow cone shack!! This is only my second summer, so I don't know how many years this thing has come and gone, but we've been anxiously awaiting its arrival. I was reminded that it was the place we went after going to the woman doctor office after a checkup of the fetus. I tells ya, nothing more exciting than getting a grape and lemon shaved ice and heading to Farm King for galoshes and mixed nuts.
It gets rather boring around here when the kids go home for the summer. The traffic remains the same throughout the day, but there's just less dumbass girls on cell phones. Usually less girls doesn't mean good things, but when the group of three have two phone conversations going on, it just makes me shake my head.
It's hard to live in a place that has only one option for seafood, and that happens to be Long John Silvers. Now I realize that LJS can't really be considered oceanic in any way, but their hush puppies are a guilty pleasure. Seafood, to me, doesn't have to be a fancy issue. The fare at the Red Lobster suits me just fine, what with their biscuits and scampi.
This weekend we're heading back to Peoria. Now I've been anxious to try out that Corky's over in East Peoria. I've heard many mixed reviews about the food and its genuineosity. I know it is a franchise of a BBQ joint that got going down in Memphis, but that it has been mainstreamed a bit. We'll see if I can get over there. What I'm looking forward to is the first co-ed softball game I've been able to participate in all year, then a trip down to the Silver Bullet in EP for beverages and some good bar food. I'm thinking it's horseshoe time!!!
The Corky's thing may not come off, though. In a few weeks me and a few pals (Aaron, Jason) are heading down to Kansas City to see the Royals take on their I-70 rivals, the St. Louis Chickens-On-A-Stick. We'll precede that by a visit to probably Arthur Bryant's BBQ or KC Masterpiece. Next day we'll eat at some other BBQ joint (I'm hoping Gates' BBQ) and go to the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Speaking of horseshoes, the best EVAH can be found at the Jackson Street Pub here in Macomb. I have no doubt of this bold statement.
It gets rather boring around here when the kids go home for the summer. The traffic remains the same throughout the day, but there's just less dumbass girls on cell phones. Usually less girls doesn't mean good things, but when the group of three have two phone conversations going on, it just makes me shake my head.
It's hard to live in a place that has only one option for seafood, and that happens to be Long John Silvers. Now I realize that LJS can't really be considered oceanic in any way, but their hush puppies are a guilty pleasure. Seafood, to me, doesn't have to be a fancy issue. The fare at the Red Lobster suits me just fine, what with their biscuits and scampi.
This weekend we're heading back to Peoria. Now I've been anxious to try out that Corky's over in East Peoria. I've heard many mixed reviews about the food and its genuineosity. I know it is a franchise of a BBQ joint that got going down in Memphis, but that it has been mainstreamed a bit. We'll see if I can get over there. What I'm looking forward to is the first co-ed softball game I've been able to participate in all year, then a trip down to the Silver Bullet in EP for beverages and some good bar food. I'm thinking it's horseshoe time!!!
The Corky's thing may not come off, though. In a few weeks me and a few pals (Aaron, Jason) are heading down to Kansas City to see the Royals take on their I-70 rivals, the St. Louis Chickens-On-A-Stick. We'll precede that by a visit to probably Arthur Bryant's BBQ or KC Masterpiece. Next day we'll eat at some other BBQ joint (I'm hoping Gates' BBQ) and go to the Negro League Baseball Museum.
Speaking of horseshoes, the best EVAH can be found at the Jackson Street Pub here in Macomb. I have no doubt of this bold statement.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Back for some action
Well, I'm still down here in Macomb, but with the summer upon us and the gas prices being absolutely affordable, we will be making not infrequent trips back and forth to Peoria for various and sundry reasons. I've been messing around with the idea of firing this back up, with the hopes that when we finally make the move back to Peoria this December, I'll have a good list of restaurants nailed down, sometimes two or ten times.
Hat tip to Chef Kevin over at his blog,
Culinary Rants and Raves. He entertains me when he writes about the places he visits. He does it from a professional viewpoint-a guy who actually knows when something is done right or wrong. I take it from a different approach. You have to really screw something up for me to be unhappy about food and restaurants. Like the Texas Roadhouse did a few years back. Still pisses me off. Still haven't gone back, either, and I sneer at them when I pass their building in East Peoria that always has a letter or two unlit on their sign.
Anyhoo, difference between me and him is that he's a pro talking about a restaurant, and I'm a fat guy talking about a restaurant. His writings kept me interested in starting my own blog back up again.
So, update your blogrolls and get me up there on the list. I'll be talking about the places I visit and giving the lowdown on what's hot and what's not in Central Illinois dining, from a sammitch at Wendy's to a bone-in ribeye down at Jim's. I may even talk about the occasional Icee from Target or the Crap-a-cino I get from Starbucks. Nothing is taboo, and nothing is far from my reach. As long as my gut doesn't get in my way, I cannot be stopped!!
Hat tip to Chef Kevin over at his blog,
Culinary Rants and Raves. He entertains me when he writes about the places he visits. He does it from a professional viewpoint-a guy who actually knows when something is done right or wrong. I take it from a different approach. You have to really screw something up for me to be unhappy about food and restaurants. Like the Texas Roadhouse did a few years back. Still pisses me off. Still haven't gone back, either, and I sneer at them when I pass their building in East Peoria that always has a letter or two unlit on their sign.
Anyhoo, difference between me and him is that he's a pro talking about a restaurant, and I'm a fat guy talking about a restaurant. His writings kept me interested in starting my own blog back up again.
So, update your blogrolls and get me up there on the list. I'll be talking about the places I visit and giving the lowdown on what's hot and what's not in Central Illinois dining, from a sammitch at Wendy's to a bone-in ribeye down at Jim's. I may even talk about the occasional Icee from Target or the Crap-a-cino I get from Starbucks. Nothing is taboo, and nothing is far from my reach. As long as my gut doesn't get in my way, I cannot be stopped!!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Last Post
I figure this blog is pretty well abandoned by any readers that may have looked here more than once or twice. But if the Pundit says I should let people know, then so I shall!
Been a busy month, with school and work and getting ready to move. Oh yeah, there's that, too. I'm moving from Central Illinois to Western Illinois, so I can no longer be the Central Illinois Gourmand. And it's pointless to want to be the Western Illinois Gourmand, because in Macomb, there's 5 non-fast-food restaurants. Pointless, indeed.
Thanks to those who stopped by to take a look. I sure appreciate it! I like writing, so this concept will probably follow me to my next metropolis, wherever that may be!
Been a busy month, with school and work and getting ready to move. Oh yeah, there's that, too. I'm moving from Central Illinois to Western Illinois, so I can no longer be the Central Illinois Gourmand. And it's pointless to want to be the Western Illinois Gourmand, because in Macomb, there's 5 non-fast-food restaurants. Pointless, indeed.
Thanks to those who stopped by to take a look. I sure appreciate it! I like writing, so this concept will probably follow me to my next metropolis, wherever that may be!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Gobble 'til you Wobble!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who have come across my site. Hopefully your day went well and you got lots of good food. I know I did! And still another meal or two this weekend!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Yamamoto
I remember the old days when an evening of drinking ended at a little local restaurant called Lums, up on Knoxville near the top of the hill. Wienerwald chicken for the win!!
Sadly, the place is long closed, and has been two or three different restaurants since then, all with little staying power. Hope the newest incarnation lasts, because it's such a treat!
Yamamoto Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar has brought us back the spatula-and-fork banging chefs who scared away the evil spirits inhabiting the big stainless steel grill that is in front of every table. Used to be a place over on Brandywine that did the same kind of thing, place called Shogun. I was never rich enough to go there, but it was a place like that, or if anyone's ever been to Benihana. The magic of your food cooking takes place before your very eyes!
The decor is pretty typical of an Asian cuisine place, no real variance to be had in any situation. The station we sat at was a horseshoe-type sitting arrangement around the grill in which the chef would wheel out his cart of foods to be prepared in accordance with our orders.
Following a rollicking night of bingo, seven of us headed to Yamamoto. Dining with me and the wife were Angie of Angie & Joseph fame (Joseph got a headache and skipped dinner), Katie of Katie & Ron fame (Ron's sick, poor little magical feller) and Greg and Heather, the newliest of newlyweds. Only myself and Jenny were new to the place, so everyone chipped in with advice on stuff to get, except for Angie and Katie who were wrapped up in their Hurricanes. We sampled some sushi, which thankfully was cooked, I think even deep-fried, making it all the better. It was known as the Peoria roll, which had typical sushi stuff, only cooked. Heather had something that wasn't as cooked, but it was still quite tasty.
For dinner me and Jenny split a stir-fry thing with shrimp and lobster. Greg had everything in his dish-beef, shrimp, lobster, and chicken, I think. Looked hella good. I think Katie had some beef and maybe something else, and Angie had vegetables cooked up on the big griddle.
Preceding the dinner was bowls of onion and miso soup, and a salad with a ginger-orange dressing. I liked the onion soup, and the dressing on the salad was good, but I didn't want to eat more than my forkful.
This food is stuff that you can probably make at home for a cheaper price, but the premium paid is for the entertainment, and it was definitely worth it.
Yamamoto-HIT LIST!!
Sadly, the place is long closed, and has been two or three different restaurants since then, all with little staying power. Hope the newest incarnation lasts, because it's such a treat!
Yamamoto Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar has brought us back the spatula-and-fork banging chefs who scared away the evil spirits inhabiting the big stainless steel grill that is in front of every table. Used to be a place over on Brandywine that did the same kind of thing, place called Shogun. I was never rich enough to go there, but it was a place like that, or if anyone's ever been to Benihana. The magic of your food cooking takes place before your very eyes!
The decor is pretty typical of an Asian cuisine place, no real variance to be had in any situation. The station we sat at was a horseshoe-type sitting arrangement around the grill in which the chef would wheel out his cart of foods to be prepared in accordance with our orders.
Following a rollicking night of bingo, seven of us headed to Yamamoto. Dining with me and the wife were Angie of Angie & Joseph fame (Joseph got a headache and skipped dinner), Katie of Katie & Ron fame (Ron's sick, poor little magical feller) and Greg and Heather, the newliest of newlyweds. Only myself and Jenny were new to the place, so everyone chipped in with advice on stuff to get, except for Angie and Katie who were wrapped up in their Hurricanes. We sampled some sushi, which thankfully was cooked, I think even deep-fried, making it all the better. It was known as the Peoria roll, which had typical sushi stuff, only cooked. Heather had something that wasn't as cooked, but it was still quite tasty.
For dinner me and Jenny split a stir-fry thing with shrimp and lobster. Greg had everything in his dish-beef, shrimp, lobster, and chicken, I think. Looked hella good. I think Katie had some beef and maybe something else, and Angie had vegetables cooked up on the big griddle.
Preceding the dinner was bowls of onion and miso soup, and a salad with a ginger-orange dressing. I liked the onion soup, and the dressing on the salad was good, but I didn't want to eat more than my forkful.
This food is stuff that you can probably make at home for a cheaper price, but the premium paid is for the entertainment, and it was definitely worth it.
Yamamoto-HIT LIST!!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Dynasty Chinese Buffet
This is the one way out north on University, not the one in the middle of town. It's weird that there's two of the same-named places on the same street. Weird... and coincidental? No, not really. I think they're owned by the same person/people.
Anyhoo, I know it's risky to go to a buffet later in the evening. We showed up around 8:00, thinking they'd be closing at 9:00, so I was prepared to see a few empty pans and some pans that looked like it was cooking hours-old meat right there in the buffet. To my astonishment, they were open until 10:00! Well hot damn! Gonna get some decent food and not have to worry about the final hour bad buffet doldrums!
Dammit. I was wrong. A number of the pans were almost empty, and some of the meaty-type stuff like the mongolian beef and the pork and some-damn-thing were but a few strips of meat that looked like I wouldn't have been able to get them out of the pan for their having been laying there for hours. Sweet and sour chicken-only about two pieces. The very bottom of the pan egg drop soup. Beef brisket that looked to be about 80% fat. Damn. And their new mongolian stir-fry option closed at 8:00. That didn't make me upset, just disappointed that I didn't get to try it.
I discussed the situation with my wife. I said that if a buffet is going to be open for another two hours they have to attempt to provide some fresh stuff now and again. Otherwise, close the place and don't try to make a few extra bucks just from the leftovers. They'll get the extra bucks, but they won't get any more from that customer at any time of the day. I mean, even if they just took a handful of food and cooked/fried it and put it out just to make it all look shiny, at least there's an attempt, and there's another happy plateful for moi. I know that we didn't eat $24.07 worth of food.
So, do the smart thing-don't go so late, because chances are this could happen to you. Allow enough time that they HAVE to put more food out.
I do prefer the two Chinese buffets over in East Peoria. The China Gate hasn't ever let me down, and the new one by Wal-Mart, Ming's, has a great selection of dishes, but are a bit spendy. S'alright, though. I'll pay for happy belly time!
Anyhoo, I know it's risky to go to a buffet later in the evening. We showed up around 8:00, thinking they'd be closing at 9:00, so I was prepared to see a few empty pans and some pans that looked like it was cooking hours-old meat right there in the buffet. To my astonishment, they were open until 10:00! Well hot damn! Gonna get some decent food and not have to worry about the final hour bad buffet doldrums!
Dammit. I was wrong. A number of the pans were almost empty, and some of the meaty-type stuff like the mongolian beef and the pork and some-damn-thing were but a few strips of meat that looked like I wouldn't have been able to get them out of the pan for their having been laying there for hours. Sweet and sour chicken-only about two pieces. The very bottom of the pan egg drop soup. Beef brisket that looked to be about 80% fat. Damn. And their new mongolian stir-fry option closed at 8:00. That didn't make me upset, just disappointed that I didn't get to try it.
I discussed the situation with my wife. I said that if a buffet is going to be open for another two hours they have to attempt to provide some fresh stuff now and again. Otherwise, close the place and don't try to make a few extra bucks just from the leftovers. They'll get the extra bucks, but they won't get any more from that customer at any time of the day. I mean, even if they just took a handful of food and cooked/fried it and put it out just to make it all look shiny, at least there's an attempt, and there's another happy plateful for moi. I know that we didn't eat $24.07 worth of food.
So, do the smart thing-don't go so late, because chances are this could happen to you. Allow enough time that they HAVE to put more food out.
I do prefer the two Chinese buffets over in East Peoria. The China Gate hasn't ever let me down, and the new one by Wal-Mart, Ming's, has a great selection of dishes, but are a bit spendy. S'alright, though. I'll pay for happy belly time!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Joe's Crab Shack
So me and the wife, along with Ron, Katie, Jason and Krista met down at Joe's Crab Shack on the riverfront (or is that the Riverfront?) on Saturday night. It wasn't packed to the gills with people waiting, but we still had about a 45 minute wait. No big deal, I had a pretty green drink with a goofy name and we stood around the bar doing our thing.
Soon we were seated and the server was nice. Got our drinks, refills were forthcoming, and the food was hot. The food, however, doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be. Now I've always preferred the Big Red Lobster for my franchise seafood eatings, but Joe's was always decent enough. I had Jumbo Shrimp Pasta, and it was a cheesy pasta with fried shrimp ringing the plate. Meh. Jenny had some kind of lobster, crab and crawfish pasta and that was better only because there was another flavor besides... cheesy parmesan.
Jason had the chicken fried steak (?) and Krista had a pound of dungeness crab legs. It looked fun and she didn't complain about them. Ron had calamari and Katie had fries. Didn't hear complaints from either of them. (Katie makes great hashbrown casserole).
The menu seems to be set up oddly. Now I consider myself rather a pro when it comes to dissecting a menu and finding the best selections. This one was just odd.
And so, for Joe's Crab Shack, I'm not giving them a negative remark, but for my money, I'm going to Red Lobster and eating many of their little biscuits.
Soon we were seated and the server was nice. Got our drinks, refills were forthcoming, and the food was hot. The food, however, doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be. Now I've always preferred the Big Red Lobster for my franchise seafood eatings, but Joe's was always decent enough. I had Jumbo Shrimp Pasta, and it was a cheesy pasta with fried shrimp ringing the plate. Meh. Jenny had some kind of lobster, crab and crawfish pasta and that was better only because there was another flavor besides... cheesy parmesan.
Jason had the chicken fried steak (?) and Krista had a pound of dungeness crab legs. It looked fun and she didn't complain about them. Ron had calamari and Katie had fries. Didn't hear complaints from either of them. (Katie makes great hashbrown casserole).
The menu seems to be set up oddly. Now I consider myself rather a pro when it comes to dissecting a menu and finding the best selections. This one was just odd.
And so, for Joe's Crab Shack, I'm not giving them a negative remark, but for my money, I'm going to Red Lobster and eating many of their little biscuits.
Off the Shnide...
Well, as me and the wife slowly come back from our life-threatening illnesses, the hunger grows. There have been various and sundry food-outs such as Wendy's (rocks!) and McDonald's (only if you have to), even a Taco Bell (goodish). Mostly, it's been finding stuff around here to eat.
So I think I'll put up a new post and briefly discuss our latest outing.
So I think I'll put up a new post and briefly discuss our latest outing.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Dang it all to heck...
I've been down with a cold since Wednesday, so I haven't been going out and doing too much. Even skipped school on Thursday, and I don't know why, but I feel like I'm letting my teachers down if I don't show up. Heh, makes me sound all full of myself! The only other time I've missed class this semester was for my appendectomy back in late September, so I've got a pretty good attendance record going.
Anyhoo, hopefully I'm back up and eating again real soon!!
Anyhoo, hopefully I'm back up and eating again real soon!!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Chili's
Good ole Chili's. It's a fail-safe, and a chosen delight. It's been a favorite since they came to Peoria back around 1987 or 1988ish. It's especially dear to Dad. Just ask Mom, because they end up going there if he has his choice (or Cracker Barrel).
Me and the wife hit the East Peoria store last night around 9:30ish. It was either that or one of the other late nighters, and we had to go to Wal-Mart for important business (trash bags and caulk), so off we went. It was very uncrowded, especially in the dining area. I beleve when we got there only one table full of customers was around.
We ordered up a plate of the classic nachos, which are how nachos oughta be. Each individual chip has some kind of beany-meaty dip covered in cheese, topped with jalapeno peppers and ready to dip into sour cream or pico de gallo. Really, I oughta just get two orders of that instead of doing an entree, but what fun is that?
For our dinners Jenny had the soup and salad deal. Hard to mess up a side salad, and the broccoli cheese soup was thick and yummy. Last time she had it I dipped my fries in it. Maybe the start of a trend? I had the chicken tacos, which was new to me. Came with rice and beans, which I didn't actually care for. The tacos were pretty good, but I've had better stuff there, like the burgers and the monterey chicken, plus the chicken fried steak. All good stuff! Every once in a while they have a build-your-own-burger deal going, where you get a little notepad to check off ingredients and styles of burger. It's as close to nirvana as I'll ever get in the burger realm.
All in all, a good experience. I will indeed write about this place every time we go, because I'm always trying something different.
Chili's-HIT LIST!
Me and the wife hit the East Peoria store last night around 9:30ish. It was either that or one of the other late nighters, and we had to go to Wal-Mart for important business (trash bags and caulk), so off we went. It was very uncrowded, especially in the dining area. I beleve when we got there only one table full of customers was around.
We ordered up a plate of the classic nachos, which are how nachos oughta be. Each individual chip has some kind of beany-meaty dip covered in cheese, topped with jalapeno peppers and ready to dip into sour cream or pico de gallo. Really, I oughta just get two orders of that instead of doing an entree, but what fun is that?
For our dinners Jenny had the soup and salad deal. Hard to mess up a side salad, and the broccoli cheese soup was thick and yummy. Last time she had it I dipped my fries in it. Maybe the start of a trend? I had the chicken tacos, which was new to me. Came with rice and beans, which I didn't actually care for. The tacos were pretty good, but I've had better stuff there, like the burgers and the monterey chicken, plus the chicken fried steak. All good stuff! Every once in a while they have a build-your-own-burger deal going, where you get a little notepad to check off ingredients and styles of burger. It's as close to nirvana as I'll ever get in the burger realm.
All in all, a good experience. I will indeed write about this place every time we go, because I'm always trying something different.
Chili's-HIT LIST!
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Lonestar Steakhouse
Over yonder by the mall (the old school mall, not the big cold one) rests the Lonestar Steakhouse. I've had a particular aversion to this place because of the tendence for three ribeyes to be ordered, and mine invariably is the ugly, small, curled up one, yet I'm paying the same price as the other lovely ones (when I say three steaks ordered, that means that three of us each ordered a steak).
But good ole Don caught my attention when he uttered the words "all-you-can-eat ribs". Immediately my aspersions went out the door, only temporarily. I would save final judgment for post-ribs.
So the Don and I, accompanied by Jason, met up Monday night at the feast site. After turning down alcoholic drinks and salads, we waited for our meat portions to arrive. In no time at all, we were faced with a rack each of very good, tender, tasty pork ribs. They weren't over-saucy and were warm and yummy. Absolutely good stuff, for sure. Jason really liked his rice side-dish with the peas and mushrooms, the goof. The Don and I had two more portions, while Jason felt that "personal comfort" was more important than getting your money's worth, the goof.
All in all, a good experience. I'm still hesitant about going there on a non-feast day, but I may not put up so much of a fight the next time it is suggested.
But good ole Don caught my attention when he uttered the words "all-you-can-eat ribs". Immediately my aspersions went out the door, only temporarily. I would save final judgment for post-ribs.
So the Don and I, accompanied by Jason, met up Monday night at the feast site. After turning down alcoholic drinks and salads, we waited for our meat portions to arrive. In no time at all, we were faced with a rack each of very good, tender, tasty pork ribs. They weren't over-saucy and were warm and yummy. Absolutely good stuff, for sure. Jason really liked his rice side-dish with the peas and mushrooms, the goof. The Don and I had two more portions, while Jason felt that "personal comfort" was more important than getting your money's worth, the goof.
All in all, a good experience. I'm still hesitant about going there on a non-feast day, but I may not put up so much of a fight the next time it is suggested.
Chez Richman
A lovely little chalet overlooking Heritage Lake was the setting for me and the wife's Saturday night of fine dining. To satisfy the view of fall foliage overlooking a sunset on the lake, we had nothing but the best fare-hot dogs, baked beans, and s'mores!!!
Our friends Greg and Heather Richman, not quite married a month yet, invited a few of us over to their new home out in Mackinaw. Other guests include Ron and Katie, who should have brought the hashbrown casserole, and Joseph and Angie, who brought their own gourmet feast, Not Dogs. A fire pit was prepared, and while the womenfolk gabbed, the fellers took a boatride out on the lake. Us and the dog.
The fire was great, the food was exactly the way I wanted it, the melted marshmallow of the s'mores got all over my hoodie. I couldn't have asked for a better evening out with friends like these folks! Topping off the night was a visit to a haunted schoolhouse in Gilson, Illinois. It's only a shame I frightened the help more than they frightened me.
Thanks to our hosts and friends for a great night!
Our friends Greg and Heather Richman, not quite married a month yet, invited a few of us over to their new home out in Mackinaw. Other guests include Ron and Katie, who should have brought the hashbrown casserole, and Joseph and Angie, who brought their own gourmet feast, Not Dogs. A fire pit was prepared, and while the womenfolk gabbed, the fellers took a boatride out on the lake. Us and the dog.
The fire was great, the food was exactly the way I wanted it, the melted marshmallow of the s'mores got all over my hoodie. I couldn't have asked for a better evening out with friends like these folks! Topping off the night was a visit to a haunted schoolhouse in Gilson, Illinois. It's only a shame I frightened the help more than they frightened me.
Thanks to our hosts and friends for a great night!
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