Last week we had a contest here at MBIP, if you didn’t see it, you can revisit it by clicking here, because I really don’t feel like explaining it all over again! Anyway, we had a funny outcome to the contest, we had two half winners! Chip Joyce guessed the first part of the two-part question and Mae Gilliland Wright got the second part right, so now its time to meet both of them for a celebratory holiday lunch at Edge by Chef Dustin Allen!
Well, look at this, we’re not even to the restaurant and here’s the first contest winner, Chip Joyce! Chip picked me up and we’re headed over to Edge on this chilly-willy winter afternoon.
Here we are at Edge in Junction City. I’ve been here several times for dinner, but I’ve never been here for lunch. I’m excited to try lunch in here, but the only bad thing about lunch time is that it’s daylight out! Sunshine equals badness, so let’s go inside!
And as you can see, they are indeed open for lunch and there’s Chip leading the way inside. Away we go!
We’re a little bit past the lunch hour, so the main crowd has emptied out, which is nice for me to get a few photos of Edge in the daylight. It’s so...bright in here at this time of day! I love the back of the bar with the Edge letters up at the top of it. And as you can see, Chip’s settled into a table over there, but who’s that with him?
It’s my friend Lisa! Lisa works in sales for Maverick Wine Company and Edge is one of her accounts. Right before lunch she texted me and I told her we were on our way to lunch at Edge and she said she was getting ready to make a stop there, so she’s joined us for lunch! This is a holiday miracle!
There’s Lisa at the table wrapping up a little business and while I was standing there I also got an aerial shot of Chip’s head!
And here’s the other contest winner, Mae, with her husband Jon! The party can now officially begin! The last time I was here was a dinner celebration in honor of Mae and Jon’s wedding, check that out here. Great to see both of them!
Here’s Mae and Chip striking a holiday contest winner pose with two of their prizes, a copy of my Fire Truck book and 25 bucks apiece tucked away inside. The other prize is lunch, so let’s get cracking with that!
This is Tamarra, our pretty waitress who’s going to make that lunch prize happen! And she not only took our food orders, she took our photo! I love her!
And before you can blink three times, scratch your left ankle and say, “Bob’s your uncle,” lunch has started arriving at the table already! All of the orders here start with a complimentary butcher board of homemade bread and butter and it is so good. We also got a the spiced nut mix and deviled eggs from the snack section of the menu. The nuts were a nice snack, but for me the big treat was the deviled eggs. They were really tasty and the filling was creamy, rich and just a little spicy with a little hint of heat. So delicious!
Now the main courses have arrived to the table and they look amazing! Lisa, Mae and Jon all got salads and Chip and I ordered the Edge Burger, which owner and chef, Dustin claims to be the best burger in Peoria! That’s a pretty bold claim, so let’s check it out.
Wow, one look at this burger and I realize that was no empty boast from Chef Dustin! The burger has slices of cheddar cheese and thick smoky bacon on top with caramelized onions and it’s all housed in a fresh, homemade brioche bun! The burger is made from beef tenderloin and it is so satisfying and tasty! There’s a variety of flavors that hit you as you eat it and the entire burger is made from farm-fresh ingredients. I guarantee you that you will not find a burger similar to this anywhere in Peoria or beyond. The homemade brioche bun really added to it, both Chip and I agreed it had a nice biscuit quality to it and it was so delicious!
There’s Chip trying to do a Vulcan mind-meld with the burger and once I reminded him that he wasn’t a Vulcan he continued on with his lunch in a more sane manner. It was a great lunch and we had fun and great food, a great way to start this holiday weekend!
This is the man who created this magical holiday lunch, Chef Dustin Allen! Dustin said they just recently opened for lunch and it’s available from 11AM to 2PM, seven days a week, so you should definitely check it out. It’s so much better than your average fast food stop in the middle of the day. This would be a great place to take some of your co-workers to and have a nice holiday lunch!
After lunch, Mae and Jon gave me a Christmas gift and then Lisa and Dustin went to work getting his wine order ready for the upcoming holiday rush!
I went back home and opened up my present from Mae and Jon!
It’s a giant tub of Castle’s Patio Inn Cheese and a gift certificate there! That’s so nice and it’s a perfect holiday treat and gift! I love it! Looks like we’ll be heading over to Castle’s Patio Inn after the New Year, so stay tuned for that! Thanks Mae and Jon! And thanks to Mae and Chip for playing and winning the MBIP Holiday Contest and to Jon and Lisa for joining us for this fun holiday lunch, it was a blast! And mucho thanks to Tamarra and Chef Dustin Allen for the great service, hospitality and the delicious lunch! We’ll see you all tomorrow!
Edge By Chef Dustin Allen
5832 N Knoxville Avenue (In Junction City)
Peoria
309-692-3343
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Related Posts: The Contest, A Year In The Life Of A Sandwich @ Pioneer Smokehouse and The Sixth Tattoo.