An East Peoria restaurant promises you will never leave hungry.
Eric Shangraw brings his old side–kick out of retirement for a trip to Grandvillage Buffet.

A trip to Grandvillage Buffet is a multi cultural culinary adventure.

"It is different traditions and it is has so many things I like," said customer Libby Lindsey.

The diversity in the buffet line is of course trumped by some more simple concepts more comparable with eating at a trough.

"You can eat until you pop! And it is good food. –Really, good food," said customer Gayle Miner.

"It is the best Chinese in town," said customer Barb Staton.

The master behind the buffet line is usually at the buffet line. Each hour, owner Sam Mach is measuring the temperature of each selection. His quality control is some of what make's Granvillage Buffet so great.

"We have to make sure every item is hot enough. I stir it up. I keep it fresh all the time. (How many items do you have?) From dessert bar all the way over, more than 100 items," said Mach.

Rural Food Critic Don Washburn and I grabbed a hot plate and went straight to the sushi bar to tell the fish how we operate in any Chinese buffet.

If they have good sushi, I think that's where you go first. Because that's where you get more bang for the buck.

"If they new how much sushi and shrimp I ate, they would charge me double," said Dubbs.

The salmon, eel and seaweed make for a delicacy for those who like sushi. It like a lot of wasabee mixed with soy sauce in each bite. Wasabee is an instant way to clear your sinuses.
It also make your eyes water.

After my sushi appetizer it was time for seconds.
Another adventure awaits you at the Stir Fry Station.

"Pick whatever vegetables you like. Put it in one of those bowls. Then mark on the paper what meat you want and what sauces. I always pick two sauces, the name and table number and they'll bring it to your table," said one customer offering me instruction.


After handing your bowl to the kitchen, it goes in a hot wok. These items are first bowled, then her meat and sauce selections are added, and its all cooked off fresh in a matter of minutes.
The result is fresh stir fry.
But if Chinese or Japanese cuisine is not for your pallet, there is the more traditional U–S items.

Barbecue chicken, meatloaf, barbecue ribs, steak–kebobs, pan fried potatoes, salmon filet, and pork chops. They have all the American food as well.

Back at our table Dubbs is picking apart barbecue shrimp on a stick.
After his third helping, he declares he's on a diet, and not going for desert.
I go for the shinny cake, strawberry flavored cream pie and a splat of chocolate ice cream.
Before 3:30 in the afternoon, a trip through the buffet line is $7.59 per adult.
Two hungry mouths are fed with tax for $16.39.
And at the Grandvillage Buffet, you won't be hungry again, until the next day.
.
.
.The Grandvillage Buffet is open seven days a week starting at 11 each morning.
It is on Camp Street just off of Route 116 in East Peoria.
After 3:30, it is $10.95 for a trip through the gigantic buffet line.

Bernardi's North is the latest location for the family business, which has been synonymous with great Italian food for three generations in Central Illinois.

"The times have changed and Toulon has been an old time tradition of people driving to Toulon for great food and service. We just wanted to bring it more to the backyard here in Peoria," said Co-Owner Stephanie Bernardi-Brott.

They serve what would be the ultimate picnic food.
Their fried chicken batter is an old family secret.
It is first mixed in a bowl.
Then raw chicken is submerged in the magic brew.
Each piece is then lifted into the fryer for an undisclosed amount of time.
The sections of bird emerge golden brown.
They're cooled slightly before being presented on a plate to each eager customer.

"They offer something for everybody. And I like the variety that they have," said customer Kathi Curtis.

"When we come in we are greeted with warmth and kindness and it is sort of like the Cheers thing," said customer Jim Curtis.

"I'm an Italian aficionado. The baked manicotti is really good," said customer Ede Kidder.

"I drive right by here on my way home. So I step in a couple times a week for the hospitality and I eat lunch here sometimes twice a week," said customer Jim Kidder.

The Dunlap location has an outdoor patio for those who like fresh air with their manicotti.
Rural food critic Don Washburn and I started enjoying our evening by combining Parmesan cheese with the trademark Bernardi's olive oil.
We then commenced wiping slices of homemade bread across the plate.
Warning: consuming too much Bernardi's bread with a fine wine can completely truncate your appetite before the entree arrives.
Dubbs ordered the Tortellini with homemade Italian sausage.
The tortellini is nothing short of terrific.
His sausage was deep fried like my chicken.
My Monday Night Special was half a fried chicken, served with salad and a side order of spaghetti. It is a four–dollar savings on the first night of the workweek.
We ate like Mafioso's.
But you won't need to shake down your next door neighbor to pay up after dessert. We had Terra Maseru.
With drinks our bill 42–dollars plus tip.
The Bernardi Family has been in the restaurant business since 1933.
You can taste every year of experience in each bite.
.
Bernardi's North Restaurant is on North Brentfield in Dunlap.
They are open for lunch and dinner weekdays.
And dinner only on Saturday and Sunday night.
They also have locations in Toluca, Washington, and Pontiac.

On the east side of the square in downtown Canton is one of those places you can eat at, all the time.
Ari's Place is a classic all American Greek Diner morning, noon and night.
Just ask Ron and Sheri Wildebour. These married lovebirds spend the end of each workweek together.
Tonight they even order the same thing: 21–piece shrimp dinner with soup and salad.

"There is good service. Good food. It comes fast and we have date night usually on Friday nights. And sometimes we end up here on Saturday mornings for breakfast, too," said customer Sheri Wildebour.

Owner Ari Lleshi and his brother are now expanding their culinary Canton empire.
They've renovated the building they own next door to be a steakhouse.
A pressed tin ceiling is overhead.

"We know Canton really needs a nice steak house. This is a place where you can have a nice affordable dinner with a glass of wine or beer or mixed cocktail. Breakfast and lunch will be served mostly in the other dinning room. And dinner will be served on this side. And any overflow for dinner will go to the other dinning room," said Lleshi.

Ari started us with specially coated deep–fried onion rings and Southwest egg rolls.
The egg rolls are wrapped around corn salsa, black beans, seasonings and chicken.
I had starved myself before showing up for dinner and admit to being a cranky crabby fool at first.

Eating onion rings made me feel better.

Let's take you back to the kitchen for some even better vibes. My Atlantic seared salmon just getting underway.
As it cooks, Ari starts to heat up a green vegetable medley. One flaming pan is cooking green beans in olive oil, another pan is full of peas.
Ari adds blue cheese and melds them all together.
Back at the table, I start into a nice leafy green salad with feta cheese and walnuts.
Back in the kitchen, further down the stove, Ari creates a cabernet reduction sauce to go on my fish.
He creates a plateau of rice and then pours the red sauce around the plate.
The salmon is laid to rest and then finely cooked asparagus spears are set into place with the grace of a ballerina.
Dubbs get deep fried tilapia and the same veggies.
Each morsel of Ari's meal is something special to savor.
He again shows his mastery of presentation with desert... it is artwork on a plate.
My Chocolate lava cake is served warm with ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Dubbs has peach cobbler, served with cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce.
Weight watchers are not welcome, at least at this table.

If you need to gain weight, come here because I just put on six pounds.

Our bill with a drinks, which included my fabulous raspberry tea, 29–dollars plus tip.
Ari's will please the armature and advanced palate equally.
.
Ari's Place is on the east side of the Square in downtown Canton.
They are open seven days a week starting seven in the morning.
He's open until ten Monday through Friday... closing at two on Sunday afternoons.

Maid Rite is one of those fun places to walk into just for the retro–eclectic décor.
The Pekin Maid–Rite in the morning is a place to stop not long after waking up.

The breakfast here is a bargain.
You pick your four favorite morning flavors for three–dollars and 99 cents with the purchase of a beverage. It is the Maid–Rite answer to the national economic downturn.

"A lot of places are doing dollar menus. So we decided to do the pick four to drive our breakfast business and it just became real popular so we stuck with it and continued to offer that to our customers especially during this time when money is tight," said owner Kevin Kraft.

If you're not only watching your money but your calorie intake, you can copy Loretta Hindahl and her husband.
They do the pick four divided by two.

"We really like a clean place to eat. And the food is good. We have the special and we split the special because it is so much food," said Loretta.

You pick four from a long list: 2 eggs (any style), 2 sausage links, a sausage patty, 2 strips of bacon, ham steak, 2 pancakes, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, fruit cup, toast, oatmeal or cereal.
The combinations are endless or obvious.

You could just order links, patty, bacon and ham steak. Then you would just have a meat breakfast.

They will fix your eggs to meat your order, no matter how you request it.

"The yoke, yokey, and no snot. (What's the snot?) –The whites not done," said customer Dan Zimmerman.

My picks included two eggs over medium, a sausage patty, B's & G's and sour dough toast.
Dubbs chose the same eggs, same sausage patty, bacon strips and hash browns.
Lets' make this clear, Maid Rite does breakfast right.
Everything is cooked fresh.
The biscuits and gravy is filling.
Dubbs bacon was crispy.
The eggs cooked just right.
Dubbs also ordered a large orange juice and we each had coffee.
The bill for our breakfast: 13–dollars plus tip.
You'll improve your chances of having a good day, when it starts at Maid–Rite.
.
Maid–Rite is on Court Street in Pekin.
They are open from six am until nine pm Sunday through Thursday.
Friday and Saturdays they stay open until ten at night.
That pick four deal goes until eleven o'clock each morning, but breakfast is served, all day long.

Avanti's is a local tradition with a reputation that reaches around the globe.
Beth Miles and her family now live in Japan. When they return for a Peoria visit, they make a catalogue of "things to do."

"We come here every summer and stay. And we make a list of all our favorite places. And Avanti's is at he top of our list," said Miles.

"I like the bread and butter because it is really good," said customer Melanie Katelsen.

"I like the bread," said customer Livy Sutton.

The sweet bread is also well known to Transportation Security Administration workers.

"I actually got a call from the head of security at the Peoria airport. And he said the number one thing that they find in suitcases when they open them up is our bread that is produced in Peoria and taken out of town," said owner Stephan Zeller.

The Peoria Avanti's dough is make at the Avanti's commissary and then delivered to the different store locations and then baked fresh. Same goes for the sweet sauce used for the pizza bread and spaghetti.
At the North Knoxville location, rural food critic Don Washburn and I started with a nice salad and then ordered some of the new items on the menu.
I had the Sausage Peppers Ala Marinara.
It comes with sliced Italian sausage, sauted in red peppers and garlic infused olive oil and then tossed with red and green bell peppers, red onion, and penne pasta.
This is an outstanding new entrée' for anyone who likes a little more kick in the dish.
Dubbs had the blackened Tilapia. Its' spicy. The fish fillet is specially seasoned and oven baked, served with roasted red potatoes, peppers and onions. Dubbs joked that he could go through an entire second helping of Talapia, of course then I would have to listen to him belly ache about eating too much. Instead, we caved to the visual appeal of chocolate pie and cheese cake.
The chocolate creations are made in Peoria. My chocolate chip cheesecake is an import, and a good one at that.
While we finished, the compliments kept rolling in.

":I like the service. They're quick. It gets here real fast. And the food is real good. And their bread is the best," said customer David Cox.

"Great food. Great bread. Great atmosphere. And we always have to take the bread home," said customer Shellie Sharp.

"You can bring a family here of six and eat for 25–dollars. There is not a lot of places you can do that. So value for the dollar is what really Avanti's has been all about for many–many years," said Zeller.

That value deal means sticking with spaghetti, bread and no dessert.
Not this case for this dynamic eating duo. Our bill 30–dollars plus tip.
Avanti's is one of those Central Illinois traditions that seems to be as reliable as a fine wine, improving with age.
.
Avanti's has four locations in Peoria and two in the twin cities.
They offer carry–out, delivery and dinning rooms for you to eat in.

A new pizza joint has taken the small town of Lacon by storm.
Eric Shangraw tries the Mediterranean Chicken at The Pizza Peel in this week's You Gotta Eat.


The Pizza Peel is on 5th Street, the main drag, in downtown Lacon.
It's in the basement of the old American Legion building, which has been remodeled.
Owner Travis Guthman spent the last 13–years running pizza places in Colorado. He seized the opportunity to move back home and open his own pizza parlor.
Guthman talks about the elements of making a pizza crust like a scientist reviewing a periodic table.

"When we throw the dough, it spreads out the glutton–molecules, and makes it a little flatter. It makes it more even and consistent. When it hits the oven and it springs right, we have a consistent baked–all–the–way through pizza," said Travis Guthman.

The Laconites are just glad they don't have to go out of town to mine a good "zaa."

I asked, before this place, when you wanted pizza, where did you go? "We went all the way to Washburn or Chillicothe," said Jordan Prather.

"It is nice to have a new pizza place here in town," said customer Kimberly Kelly.

"It is a nice addition to the community," said customer Diana Longman .

We started with cheese bread. It is more like a mini pizza and dangerously filling. Then came our reason for the road trip to Lacon; A half–Mediterranean Chicken and half veggie pizza. 14–inches of pizza glory. The Mediterranean comes with extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella, chicken breast, red onions, fresh garlic and feta cheese. Photographer and sports guy Josh Simon and I both had them hold the olives. With a dash of fresh oregano, it's a perfect piece of pizza pie. The Pizza Peel keeps honey on the table. Josh added a touch of sweet to the last few bites of crust and explained its' what they do in Colorado. The veggie half of the pie was fine, but completely outclassed by its Mediterranean twin. Next time, we're going all Mediterranean. Our bill with drinks, 25–dollars plus tip. A drive to Lacon is worth the trip for a meal at the Pizza Peel.


The Pizza Peel in open six days a week starting at eleven a–m.
They are closed on Sundays.
(309)246-7400

Tonight's You Gotta Eat enjoys a high–end meal.
Eric Shangraw is having dinner at Boyd's Steakhouse.


Boyd's Steakhouse is in the Paradise Casino.
It is a dark–quiet sophisticated setting.
There's no gambling on whether you'll have a dynamite meal.
It's such a sure bet, Sam Valentine and his wife eat here two to thee times a week.

"You don't have to come here and gamble. You can come here and eat and it is worth every penny," said Valentine.

Professionally trained chefs run Boyd's kitchen.
Every item is made from scratch.

"The way we purvey is so consistent because we speck out the steaks to the best of our likings. It is aged at a certain grade. It is graded to a certain percentage of fat," said Food and Beverage Director Scott Simon.

Photographer Josh Simon and I stared with an onion soup. And it actually comes in a hollowed–out onion... the broth is rich, the cheese – "cheesey" and the croutons just right. The presentation alone makes for a super-soup experience.
Josh followed the edible soup bowl with a bone–in ribeye and garlic–mashed potatoes.
He ordered his meat medium rare. They have you cut into the piece of beef before the waiter leaves the table to make sure it meats your expectations.
I had surf and turf. My plate came to me with a thick, juicy, tender filet and lobster tail.
This lobster is from Australia. He's bigger than a cold–water shellfish and sweeter. Dipped in warm butter, it's a seafood encounter like no other in Central Illinois.
If you were to order the same meal Josh and I experienced, be ready for the bill; 124–dollars plus tip.
Boyd's Steakhouse is a taste of culinary heaven in East Peoria.
I'm Eric Shangraw reporting..
.
.

Boyd's Steakhouse is open seven days a week for dinner.
They are offering a Father's Day Brunch this Sunday from eleven until 2:30.
Call ahead for reservations.

A restaurant right off Interstate–74 is getting more than its share of travelers.


Eric Shangraw takes you to the Morton Family Restaurant in this week's You Gotta Eat.


The Morton Family Restaurant is a classic American diner. The menu has breadth, diversity and what the owners likes to call "farmer food."

"We have a little bit of everything. Breakfast all day. Lunch buffet. Breakfast buffet on Saturdays and Sundays," said owner Leslie Perez.

"We come here quite often. They have great soups!" said Dan St. Aubin.

"They had some pork chops that were excellent. And they have a (darn) good cookie bar. Oops! They have a very good cookie bar," said customer Alan Baker.

The spot on Morton Avenue is decorated with photos of Hollywood stars and other Americana.
It is know for magnificent omelets. I ordered the All American, which allows you to pick your own additives.
I went with green peppers, sausage, spinach and mozzarella cheese.
The cook slipped a biscuit in the middle of my egg creation during the fold–over phase.
It was a nice fluffy surprise sitting among the spinach.
And the cheese-factor required the skills of eating pizza.
Photographer Warren Brinagar started with a potato soup.
But he lost his train of thought when his Philly Cheese Sandwich and fries showed up. The French roll and its' contents were bigger than his head!
And his noggin must be twice the size of his stomach.
He brought half home in a doggie bag for another meal.
With drinks our bill: 19–dollars plus tip.
For huge portions of homemade flavor, make your way to the Morton Family Restaurant.
I'm Eric Shangraw reporting.


The Morton Family Restaurant is on North Morton Avenue right behind the B–P gas station.
1800 N. Morton Ave.
Mon-Fri 5am-3pm
Sat-Sun 6am-3pm
(309)263-4145

Today's You Gotta Eat is featuring lunch on the river.

Eric Shangraw tries the special at Johnny's Hideaway.


Johnny's Hideaway is the latest restaurant name to take advantage of the old power station building on Peoria's Riverfront.
The bar, formerly known as Crooked Water, formerly known as Roxy's, just started serving food about three weeks ago after being retooled at the end of last year. The wait staff gets a work out running up and down from the second floor kitchen.

"We have some lounge areas with our couches. We have a sky bar upstairs. It is a nice bar with a crystal fireplace. We also have the front patio and the back patio," said manager Paula Baize.

The deck, which hangs out over the river, gives you up close and personal views of boaters and big barges.
If you had a pocket full of cash and no responsibilities in the real world, one could easily waste an entire afternoon and evening sipping suds and watching the river.
Or you could just eat, drink pop, soak up and sun and run.

"I had the Philly Steak Sandwich. And the tatter tots with cheese. It was very delicious," said customer Bob Lizer.

"On a sunny day at the river I don't think you could beat it in the summertime," said customer Kim Lister.

My photographer Josh Simon ordered the Mexican Burger topped with cheddar cheese, chili, jalapenos and a fried onion ring.
I started with the loaded baked potato soup. It is stout, full of hearty spud cuts, sour cream and real crunchy bacon.
The soup was great. Then came my chicken cordon bleu sandwich with a side of tater tots.
The tater tots where fine. The sandwich was just okay.
Not much flavor between the bun.
Josh felt the same about his burger.
– With drinks our bill; 19–dollars plus tip.
If you like a million dollar view, Johnny's Hideaway is a worthy escape for drinks.
I'm Eric Shangraw reporting.


Johnny's Hideaway
330 SW Water St.
Peoria
(309)637-0100
Kitchen Hours;
Monday-Thursday 11am-8pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm
Sunday 11am-10pm

Some health professionals say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Eric Shangraw gathers a couple friends for a morning meal at Gebby's Family Restaurant, in this week's You Gotta Eat.

There is no better way to start a day than gathering with the gang at Gebby's. At least, that's according to the crusty old guys at the counter.

"Come down here and have a coffee every morning. And then I talk with some of the guys I know around here," said customer Greg Guth.

"No one is stuck up. There are just good old boys here and god food. And its' cheap!" said Ken Newell.

And no wait for refills, they put a coffee pot at every table!
The brains and brawn behind Gebby's economical menu is Bobby Williams and his wife Pam.
Whether it is bacon, pancakes, potatoes, ham or hash browns, it is all cooked fresh and served with a positive attitude.

"We try to treat employees and the customers the same. We treat them great. And our customers love us because when they come to the door we smile, we laugh with them and have fun with them," said Bobby between flipping pancakes.

I decided to create my own A–M amusement by inviting some former 25er's for breakfast on the company dime.
Christine Zak immediately started acting like she was my Mom again. Made me try her order of grits, which I worried, would be gross but in the end tasted like... nothing.

"They taste like something to me," quipped Zak.

Retired photographer and rural food critic Don Washburn had the "Number 4: Hearty Breakfast." It comes with three eggs, a pancake, American fries with gravy, sausage and toast. These retirees make breakfast part of their daily routine.

"Saturday I have three fried eggs. 3 or 4 days a week I have scrambled eggs using egg beaters. And then the other days I have hot cereal," said Washburn.


"It gets you charged up. –Horse don't eat. –Horse don't run," said Zak.

I ran with two eggs over easy, hash browns, a couple of exceptional pieces of sausage and toast.
The bill for our trio, $22.52 plus tip. After exchanging gossip and reading the paper for a while, we parted ways... hoping to gather again for breakfast at Gebby's.



Gebby's is at 736 War Memorial Drive. (309)685-7811
They are open seven days a week from 6am until 2pm.
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are the only times they are closed.