Last February, after being shut-in for over a year, I finally ate a meal in a restaurant. And this legendary lunch took place in the Untamed Chef.
Those were pre-vaccination days and now that I’m fully vaccinated I thought we’d celebrate with yet another lunch at the Untamed Chef’s unique restaurant experience and so, just like Jackie Gleason, away we go!
Here we are at the Untamed Chef off of University Street, near Pioneer Park.
This year they installed a lovely patio area to eat outside at. But I think we’ll dine inside today, so let’s go inside and see what’s happening.
The Kitchen area is on full-display in here and let’s go say hi to the people that are making lunch happen today.
There’s the owner and Executive Chef Becca with Jen who’s a waitress at the Untamed Chef.
This week’s luncheon guest star is Daniel Ackley.
Daniel is a multi-talented artist, documentary filmmaker and promoter here in Peoria. You can read about Daniel’s projects and art here at his blog and follow him on facecrack here.
Daniel interviewed me last March on his blog and you can read that here.
It’s great to see him and catch up on things and we settled into a table at Untamed Chef to enjoy our lunch.
We checked the menu out and…
Gretchen came by and took our order. Check out her fancy blue fingernails, nice!
Wow, the appetizer order appeared just moments after we ordered it!
The service in here is spectacular!
This is the Gourmet Parmesan Chips appetizer and it was delicious. The chips are crespy and homemade and they’re served with a cheese sauce that is rich, creamy and downright decadent!
What a fantastic start to our lunch!
The dining area in here is very spacious and there’s a large communal table in the middle with tables off to either side of the space.
I see a familiar face over there in the corner…
It’s my friend, Brian Carroll, who’s a local musician and a Realtor for the Jim Maloof company.
Way back in the day Brian used to write for my magazine, People of Peoria and it’s always great to see him!
I wrote down the name of his friend he was having lunch with on my phone and somehow it got erased. I’m pretty sure her name started with “M”, so we’ll call her M.
Wonderful to see both of them!
When I got back to our table, lunch had arrived.
Daniel got the steak tacos and mac and cheese and I got the crab cakes.
The lunch was delicious, Daniel raved on about his tacos and the mac and cheese and the crab cakes were exquisite!
The food here is a one-of-a-kind Peoria experience and if you haven’t tried it out, you should definitely stop by.
Chef Becca told us that they’re expanding into the space next door and gave us an exclusive sneak peek!
There’s going to be a full bar and dining area in here and the hours will expand into dinner hours every night!
Right now she’s having soft dinner times that you can reserve in advance, but soon the Untamed Chef will be open for dinner every night with a full bar!
Stay tuned for updates on the Untamed Chef’s website right here.
And now it’s that time on Lunch At First Bite to ask Daniel, our luncheon guest…
The Same Three Fucking Questions!
Does ketchup belong on hot dogs?
No self-respecting hot dog eater puts ketchup on a hot dog. The correct order of condiments is a great chili recipe, tons of mustard, and chopped onions. If it has a great bun and is served wrapped in wax paper, all the better. If you are broke, however, ketchup can be used in an emergency situation. Better to avoid ketchup altogether in that case, though, and go to Ramen...
Is deep dish pizza really pizza or is it a casserole like Jon Stewart says it is.
Deep dish pizza is really pizza. I had some killer deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati's in Chicago...pizza is all about mood. If you are in the mood for any kind of pizza, that is okay...except pineapple on pizza...that is fucked up.
Why do fools fall in love?
Fools fall in love because they have a need to feel loved and appreciated...A fool falls in love out of an idealistic, romantic notion that true love exists and is possible with this person in front of you at the moment. Also, fools fall in love sometimes because they want some nookie, but that is another topic for another day.
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7338 University Street
Windsor Square
Peoria
309-231-0906
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Related Posts: Lunch At First Bite @: Blue Margaritas Mexican Bar & Grill, The Pour House and Jim’s Bistro.