2/5 stars

I’m am not reviewing the food. It is what it is. Although, a couple weeks ago, I did have to wait to get some french fries that were rock-solid cold.

Yesterday, I woke up early because I went to bed a few hours earlier than I usually do. Since I had all this free time, I thought I’d stop at McDonalds for a cup of coffee, a biscuit and a leisurely read of the morning newspaper.

I pulled into the parking lot, walked up to the door and … locked. More than a bit perturbed, I drove up to the drive through ordering screen and was promptly told that they were closed. This was at 8 a.m.

I got my morning fast food fix at the McDonald’s on Western. I waiting in line behind the guy who drove the car I saw leaving the lot on West Main.

It gets worse. Later that day, I drove home from work and decided to get a burger and an iced tea. I walked inside and stood at the counter. For five minutes. Standing next to me was a lady who was coming in to complain about the raw sandwich she got in the drive through. When the manager came to the counter to take my order, I started to complain about the wait, but he had such a sad, defeated look on his face, I knew that he knew that the service was lousy.

Two lessons:

1. Stick to locally-owned restaurants. And if the city of Peoria were any friendlier to locally owned restaurants, we’d probably have more of them.

2. If you don’t have the time to patronize a nice sit down joint and have to do the fast-food thing, do NOT visit the McDonald’s on the corner of West Main and Bourland.

NOTE TO READERS: I am certainly not the only person who reads Blog Peoria Project blogs and has an opinion of two about food, music, books and movies. Please, contact me if you want to write a review.

Billy -
I would like to extend the invitation to the Uplands One World Fundraiser Night. Please come any time between 2 and 10:30pm tomorrow, Tuesday August 18, to enjoy a delicious meal and One World Restaurant will donate 10% of your bill (before tax) to the Uplands Neighborhood 100th Picnic Fund. You must bring the attached flyer or identify yourself as a supporter by mentioning the code 1004 to have your purchase count. Please feel free to forward this to co-workers, family and friends.

Thank you for your support and hope to see you there!

Kara Harris
President Uplands Residential Association

Hi, Everyone!
I’m excited to announce that Food, Inc. will open tomorrow (9/14/09) at Peoria (Landmark) Theater (www.peoriatheater.com) playing through 9/10/09. Please pass this on. This is incredible information on how your food is produced. Please arm yourself with this info, so vital to your health and well being. And please support our local farmers at one of the markets below. This is the freshest, healthiest food available to us These farmers work their butts off to provide us with real food and with a much smaller carbon footprint. For info on supporting our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) please go to: http://www.goodearthfoodalliance.com/

Here are a couple different trailers to watch – awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQVll-MP3I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

PEORIA MARKETS:
Peoria Heights Market (behind Heritage Bank on Prospect) Wednesdays 4-7p
Riverfront Market (Downtown near Rhythm Kitchen) Saturdays 8a-noon
Metro Center Market (Metro Center on University near Glen) Daily (in the mornings mostly)

Phone: 3094772300
Email: www.pekintourism.com

3/5 stars

I cannot tell you how close I came to giving this place a higher rating. But after a full 24 hours, I’ve come to my senses and realized that I feel a little ripped off.

I’ve eaten here several times, and I was always pleased with the food and the service.

Last night’s trip to North University with my parents (I have got to find new dining companions) left me ambivalent about both food and service.

Mom ordered a pork chop sandwich, while Dad ordered a BBQ beef sandwich. I opted for the pork tenderloin sandwich, located with the works. We split an seasoned, batter-covered onion appetizer called the “Robin’s Nest.” Think “Awsome Blossom,” a dish offered by one of the casual dining chain restaurants. I forget which one.

We all ordered sodas.

The onion thingy came out first. It was tasty, but far too salty. I went through my drink and a refill on that alone. Then after what we all thought was a bit too long to wait, we each received our orders. Dad’s BBQ wasn’t exactly skimpy, but it also wasn’t as “piled high” as I would have expected. He had no complaints about the taste. That wasn’t the case with Mom, she didn’t finish her park chop sandwich, as she didn’t like the heavy spices it was cooked with.

My tenderloin was freaking huge. It just about covered the plate. And it was covered with sliced onions and tomato. After slicing off two thirds of the thing, I had it down to a size I could barely hold in my hand. But I did find it a little dry. I ended up taking half of it home.

The bill? $45 for the three of us. Not a huge amount, but inflated nevertheless because we were charged for drink refills.

Next time, I’ll order water.

4/5 stars.

I have trashed Avanti’s several times recently. Most of my ire has been directed at the location at the corner of Main and University. The complaints were about bad service and a decline in food quality and taste.

I took my parents to Avanti’s on Rockwood last week and was amazed at the difference.

Let me start with the service. Our waitperson, Susie, was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The food was very good. Mom ordered the lasagna, while Dad and I ordered large spaghetti with meatball dinners.

Mom found no fault at all with her dinner. Dad and I both thought that our pasta should have been drained a bit more before it was served. He solved the problem by asking for some extra sauce. I was perfectly happy mopping it up with some bread (which tasted like the Avantis bread I recall from my youth).

The food was served ridiculously fast. And while they weren’t busy, there were enough customers for us to expect to wait longer than we did.

Our bill was $28, not including tip.

The question remains: Is this traditional Peoria eatery experiencing a renaissance? Or was this a fluke, or an experience localized to the Rockwood location? Only time and a visit to Main and University will tell.