The Dream Hut

I got incredibly lost today trying to find the FedEx store, which is apparently so close to the airport you can follow the sign! Then I managed to get turned around on my way back to campus. However, on my journeys through the outskirts of Peoria I found a charming place called Dream Hut. (Just to preface this, Dream Hut is only about 10 minutes from campus!) I didn't get their address, but their phone number is (309) 698-6597. For those that have been to Ice Cream Shack, the Dream Hut is very similar.

The main difference between Ice Cream Shack and Dream Hut is the extent of the menu. Dream Hut had a much more extensive food menu. I had a pork tenderloin and small fry with a blitz. I got chocolate ice cream in my blitz with cookie dough and Oreos. You can have up to two topping for free, but after that is an additional price. In the picture you can see all the add in options, but I was also given a brochure when I went!















Overall, excellent! I would need to eat the a blitz and a wizard back to back to see which ice cream was better, but Dream Hut did have two of my favorite appetizers, mozzarella sticks and mini tacos! They even have very friendly staff that helped me pick out my meal! For those going to Dream Hut, I was told their brownie pieces are phenomenal. If you are an avid Ice Cream Shack fan, I highly recommend giving Dream Hut a try! You won't regret it.

Kaydee Kats

I went to a new restaurant this week with my co worker and my boss called Kaydee Kats. (There they are caught on candid camera!)

There are a few fun things about Kaydee Kats. First, the serve burgers with bacon mixed into the beef patty. Second, they are serving summer shandy (one of my favorite beers). The combination of those two things makes this restaurant an excellent hang out. And just so no one panics, we did not have any Summer Shandy on our lunch break! The interior of the restaurant reminded me of a Pizza Hut that got remodeled on a budget, but for a chill place to hang out, it was appropriate decor.

 

I got a "Kaydee Burger" with Boom boom sauce. Both of these are signature items on the menu. The Kaydee burger is the patty that has bacon in it. I would highly recommend this! You can taste the bacon without it being too overwhelming. The Boom boom sauce was theoretically a special spicy sauce they put on the burger. It may have been hot for the average person, but for someone who enjoys wasabi and jalapenos it was like a flavored mayonnaise. (I do recommend you try it though! It had good flavor!) Below is a picture of my burger. I got it with lettuce, cheddar cheese, and sauteed onions on top. Yum yum!

Khana Khzanah

 

This week I went to an Indian restaurant called Khana Khazanah. It is at 2118 N. Knoxville. They serve “fine home style Desi cuisine with traditional Indian curries”. I had never had Indian food before, but this was an excellent first experience! This is definitely one of Peoria’s hidden gems.

They have a daily special lunch platter for $4.99. They prepare different entrees for this special every day. These were the option when I went. I got the Chicken Manchuria and Achari Chicken Curry. My friend got the Chana Masala and Chicken Manchuria. (My meal is on the top and his is on the bottom.) Both lunches came with a soup and homemade flat bread, which dipping the flat bread in the soup was yummy!

Khana Khazanah was very small and not very imaginative in their decor, but the food was awesome! Especially for a five dollar lunch special. It definitely beats going to McDonald's and clogging your arteries. Instead you can come here and get some authentic cuisine that you may actually enjoy eating!

La Gondola

Tonight I went to a restaurant I see on my way to work everyday. So I finally stopped in! It is call La Gondola. I went at 8:30 at night and the restaurant closes at 9:00, so I got my food to go, but I did get photos of the dining area for you all! If you get bored of Avanti's, then go to La Gondola it is on War Memorial Drive between Knoxville and Prospect.

I ordered a child's tortellini, a side of meat balls, and side of garlic bread. Even though I got a child's portion, I was stuffed! The food was delicious! I am an Italian at heart. Let me start with how good the sauce was that the tortellini came in. It had some nice chunks of meet in it. Then I added in my side of meat balls, which turned out to practically be a full meal in itself. However, the bread was the reason I will go back! It was soft like Avanti's, but it was sweeter. So so so so so delicious. They also had some very fair lunch specials that I would like to check out.

That's all for La Gondola. Next week I should be going to an Indian place I see on my way to work, so look out for that!

The Other Dawg

This week I went to a restaurant called The Other Dawg, and if I am going to be honest it was my first underwhelming experience. They are located at 4408 N Prospect right next to Subway. They claim to serve hot dogs, tamales, and nachos. I tried what they called a “chili dog”. I think the picture will serve as enough evidence why I was so disappointed.

In my opinion, a company with only a few items on the menu should do an exceptional job at making those few items. This was not the case. After my “chili dog”, I was still hungry so I decided to order an apple cinnamon raisin tamale. Once again, a picture is worth a thousand words.

I cannot determine what this company’s distinctive competence is yet, but I can say with confidence it is not their food. I was hoping to get a meal that wasn’t prepackaged and microwaved. I have done a better job preparing hot dogs over hot coals. This was not the best five dollars I have ever spent, but at least it only was five dollars!

The Spotted Cow

I had an extra special adventure this week! I went to a restaurant called The Spotted Cow. It is located on Glen and Sheridan. I was greeted by this guy when I walked in the door!

I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the Spotted Cow on my visit! His name is Frank. Tell him Sarah with the blog sent you! I'm sure he will make sure your experience is a good one. The Spotted Cow is known for having awesome ice cream, but it is Valentine's Day and I have already had my fill of sweets for the day. So I decided to try a burger. The cashier recommended I try the Western Burger. It has bacon, onion rings, cheddar jack cheese, and barbeque sauce on it. Warning, if you are on a diet, do not try this burger! It was not low cal by any means, but sure was delicious!

Even thoguh I wasn't in the mood for ice cream, I did take a few pictures for all my followers to drool over! Enjoy. :)

 



Mi Familia

This week I went to a restaurant called Mi Familia. They are located on 2007 N. Wisconsin, Peoria, IL, 61603. A friend of mine had seen the place growing up but had never gone, making it the perfect place for me to try!

When entering the restaurant you will see booths along the sides with a wide open space in the middle of the restaurant. A waitress came and brought us homemade chips with two different kinds of salsa.

I had never had salsa made with green tomatoes before. It was phenomenal. Definitely try green salsa if you ever get the chance! My friend had studied in Mexico before. While he was there he had a drink called Boing every day. So I had to try an authentic Mexican juice. I got a guava flavored one which was really sweet, but still delicious! I decided to play it safe and order tacos, but my friend was a little more adventurous and got chiles rellenos.

The food was delicious. It was refreshing to have an authentic Mexican meal!