Who has the best Chili Dogs in the Peoria area? This has been a big debate among chili dog zealots, especially recently with the change of ownership at Emos. I am planning to conduct a very non-scientific side by side taste test in the unspecified future to determing the winner. I am centrally located to most of the contenders, so this will probably be limited to Peoria places. The list of possible participants thus far includes:
Emos
Dairy Barn
Lou's
Coney's
Dudley's
Famous City
Spotted Cow
Hofbrau
Feel free to nominate your favorite.
"Eggs Benedict is genius. It’s eggs covered in eggs. I mean, come on, that person should be the president." - Wylie Dufresne
Monday, July 2, 2012
June
It is no longer June, but I wanted to give a shout out to June Restaurant since I have been remiss in writing a review of my last visit in March.
I will not go into detail, because much of the menu has probably changed by now. The food here is quite simply genius. It is pricey. The portions are somewhat less than you get at Golden Corral. But you need to go visit Chef Josh, and do it often. June is a gem in Peoria's dining scene.
I will not go into detail, because much of the menu has probably changed by now. The food here is quite simply genius. It is pricey. The portions are somewhat less than you get at Golden Corral. But you need to go visit Chef Josh, and do it often. June is a gem in Peoria's dining scene.
Peoria Cheap Eats - Mi Familia
I suspect that Mi Familia is the most authentic Mexican food in the Peoria area. But that is not what this is about.
Anybody that has spent any time in their misspent youth in Chicagoland knows that the only way to cap off a night of debauchery is a visit to your favorite 24 hour burrito joint for a humongous carne asada burrito. I am happy to report that Mi Familia's version absolutely rocks, even when you are sober. The regular is $4, and I have to be extremely hungry to finish it. I can't imagine how much of a discusting glutton you would have to be to need the $6 version.
The meat is beefy, and marinated with some spice. And there is a ton of it. It is comlemented by some very creamy refried beans, fresh lettuce, cheese, and tomatos if you are wierd and like tomatos. All of this is wrapped up in a somewhat fresh grilled flour torilla that could double as a pillow case.
You can get other fillings like chicken, chorizo, eggs, and al pastor. I'd bet that all are exceptional, but I prefer the steak over their al pastor for the burrito application.
If you don't mind plastic booths and welfare toddlers running around clad only in diapers, you wil be treated to complimentary homemade chips and two salsas. The red has good heat with a bit of chipotle in the mix I presume. The green has a great tang from lime and tomatillo. Both are delightful condiments for the aformentioned beast of a burrito.
Oh yeah, tacos can be had with the same meat choices on flour or corn tortillas. They are generous in size and $1.50 each.
If there is a better value for stunningly delicious food in the area, let me know.
Anybody that has spent any time in their misspent youth in Chicagoland knows that the only way to cap off a night of debauchery is a visit to your favorite 24 hour burrito joint for a humongous carne asada burrito. I am happy to report that Mi Familia's version absolutely rocks, even when you are sober. The regular is $4, and I have to be extremely hungry to finish it. I can't imagine how much of a discusting glutton you would have to be to need the $6 version.
The meat is beefy, and marinated with some spice. And there is a ton of it. It is comlemented by some very creamy refried beans, fresh lettuce, cheese, and tomatos if you are wierd and like tomatos. All of this is wrapped up in a somewhat fresh grilled flour torilla that could double as a pillow case.
You can get other fillings like chicken, chorizo, eggs, and al pastor. I'd bet that all are exceptional, but I prefer the steak over their al pastor for the burrito application.
If you don't mind plastic booths and welfare toddlers running around clad only in diapers, you wil be treated to complimentary homemade chips and two salsas. The red has good heat with a bit of chipotle in the mix I presume. The green has a great tang from lime and tomatillo. Both are delightful condiments for the aformentioned beast of a burrito.
Oh yeah, tacos can be had with the same meat choices on flour or corn tortillas. They are generous in size and $1.50 each.
If there is a better value for stunningly delicious food in the area, let me know.
Peoria Cheap Eats - Hyvee
I enjoy a $50 dry-aged ribeye as much the next guy. I've eaten at a few of the best French and New American restaurants in the world. But I also really enjoy getting a meal that feels like you are stealing from the proprieter. Case in point - Hyvee on Sundays.
From 4 to 8 p.m., you can get a burger and fries for $2. It's an honest 1/3 pound hand pattied hunk of cheap burger insanity. I'm not sure what this hamburger did to piss of its cook, but this poor guy was incinerated. Nonetheless, it retained some sense of juicyness, and was seasoned nicely. The roll serving as bun was pretty good too. The fries were skin on from a bag, but did manage to maintain a bit of crunch.
Another Sunday special is meatloaf and 2 sides for $4. The decently sized slab of meat was perfectly acceptable. It wasn't crammed with a bunch of strange veggies that make me hate meatloaf. On the side I had mashed potatoes and gravy which were also perfectly acceptable. I also had the smoked mac & cheese. It had a bit of a strange, unnatural taste, but was perfectly edible. This is the kind of food your mom made if she could cook. Probably a little better.
From 4 to 8 p.m., you can get a burger and fries for $2. It's an honest 1/3 pound hand pattied hunk of cheap burger insanity. I'm not sure what this hamburger did to piss of its cook, but this poor guy was incinerated. Nonetheless, it retained some sense of juicyness, and was seasoned nicely. The roll serving as bun was pretty good too. The fries were skin on from a bag, but did manage to maintain a bit of crunch.
Another Sunday special is meatloaf and 2 sides for $4. The decently sized slab of meat was perfectly acceptable. It wasn't crammed with a bunch of strange veggies that make me hate meatloaf. On the side I had mashed potatoes and gravy which were also perfectly acceptable. I also had the smoked mac & cheese. It had a bit of a strange, unnatural taste, but was perfectly edible. This is the kind of food your mom made if she could cook. Probably a little better.
Peoria Best Burger Quest - Publik House
There's a contest right now at www.ciproud.com to vote on Peoria's best burgers. I will try to post my thoughts on some of the nominees and others in my quest for the best burger in the area.
First stop, Publik House in the Heights. I love this bar. I had a self-imposed exile for some time after the departure of their former chef. The new menu looks good, and I will try a sampling in the future. But I was in the mood for a burger.
It was ok. Probably the smallest half pound burger I have eaten. Patty seemed to be preformed, probably frozen. Fat content was good. It was cooked pretty close to medium as requested., and seasoned well. Toppings were fresh. Bun was a bit big. It's a decent burger in a great bar, but not a contender for the title. I wish they still had the prime burger from the original Sullivans.
No burger review is complete without mention of the accompanying fries. Publik House is definitely a contender in the best fries in the Peoria area, perhaps only surpassed by Grandpa John's on a good day. They serve proper frites, even if they spell them "frittes", clearly double fried to the point where they are crispy outside, and creamy on the inside. Well seasoned, with something delightfully strange in the flavor (rosemary?). Perhaps a bit overdone on this visit, but that's the way I like them. Get a side of mayo for dipping with a nice pint of beer and you will swear you are in Belgium.
On a side note, I had the bacon & blue cheese fries on previous visits. They only list a full order now, but you used to be able to get a small order for like $4. This may have been the best $4 I have ever spent on food. The serving was generous, and the cheese and bacon were decadent with the awesome spuds.
Stay tuned for more burger thoughts. In the meantime, I hold Ludy's, Ulrich's, Katy Kats, and Burger Barge all in high esteem. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments.
First stop, Publik House in the Heights. I love this bar. I had a self-imposed exile for some time after the departure of their former chef. The new menu looks good, and I will try a sampling in the future. But I was in the mood for a burger.
It was ok. Probably the smallest half pound burger I have eaten. Patty seemed to be preformed, probably frozen. Fat content was good. It was cooked pretty close to medium as requested., and seasoned well. Toppings were fresh. Bun was a bit big. It's a decent burger in a great bar, but not a contender for the title. I wish they still had the prime burger from the original Sullivans.
No burger review is complete without mention of the accompanying fries. Publik House is definitely a contender in the best fries in the Peoria area, perhaps only surpassed by Grandpa John's on a good day. They serve proper frites, even if they spell them "frittes", clearly double fried to the point where they are crispy outside, and creamy on the inside. Well seasoned, with something delightfully strange in the flavor (rosemary?). Perhaps a bit overdone on this visit, but that's the way I like them. Get a side of mayo for dipping with a nice pint of beer and you will swear you are in Belgium.
On a side note, I had the bacon & blue cheese fries on previous visits. They only list a full order now, but you used to be able to get a small order for like $4. This may have been the best $4 I have ever spent on food. The serving was generous, and the cheese and bacon were decadent with the awesome spuds.
Stay tuned for more burger thoughts. In the meantime, I hold Ludy's, Ulrich's, Katy Kats, and Burger Barge all in high esteem. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
The Fox Pub and Cafe
With all the buzz about fish during this lenten season, I have been craving some fish and chips. I found exactly what I was looking for at The Fox.
It's hard to recreate the ambiance of a proper British pub in a strip mall, but spirit of the smallish joint was spot on. Pints of Smithwick's & Fuller's London Pride were delightful, and reasonably priced. The place was packed on a Saturday night, presumably for the band which added nicely to mood. Completing the British atmosphere, the bloke next to me at the bar has certainly minded a few gaps in his time.
I was starving, and the fish and chips I was jonesing for hit the spot. The large haddock filet had a nice crunchy batter and was moist and flaky inside. The chips we're a little cold, but it didn't matter. The shoestring cut frites were crazy addictive. Cole slaw was well dressed and complemented the fish. The portion size was not huge, but this was a tasty and authentic meal for $10. I could have eaten two orders, but that is because it was that good, and I am a pig. A slice of soda bread or rye would have been a nice touch, but now I am splitting hairs. Good stuff, mate, I'll be back to try the brisket bap. Cheers!
The Fox
It's hard to recreate the ambiance of a proper British pub in a strip mall, but spirit of the smallish joint was spot on. Pints of Smithwick's & Fuller's London Pride were delightful, and reasonably priced. The place was packed on a Saturday night, presumably for the band which added nicely to mood. Completing the British atmosphere, the bloke next to me at the bar has certainly minded a few gaps in his time.
I was starving, and the fish and chips I was jonesing for hit the spot. The large haddock filet had a nice crunchy batter and was moist and flaky inside. The chips we're a little cold, but it didn't matter. The shoestring cut frites were crazy addictive. Cole slaw was well dressed and complemented the fish. The portion size was not huge, but this was a tasty and authentic meal for $10. I could have eaten two orders, but that is because it was that good, and I am a pig. A slice of soda bread or rye would have been a nice touch, but now I am splitting hairs. Good stuff, mate, I'll be back to try the brisket bap. Cheers!
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