If I had never met Vic Burnett, you wouldn’t be reading this right now because it wouldn’t be here. Probably none of you would know who I am and I seriously wonder if I would still be alive. Meeting Vic Burnett 30 years ago set me off on a journey that I’m still traveling on today. You can read the whole story here, but here it is in a nutshell.
In 1986 I created a game with my friend Greg Owens called, Trivial Trivia—The Idiot Edition. It was a satire of Trivial Pursuit and it was a deck of cards with idiotic trivia questions like: "Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb? How many members were in the original Jackson 5?" I’m sure you get the drift, if you don’t, well, I don’t know how you figured out how to turn your computer on!
Anyway, I wrote the questions and Greg designed it and we couldn’t get it into a store because nobody got the joke. Except Vic Burnett, who gave it to Gene Konrad who talked about it on WIRL radio, then it got into the local paper, the local news, then the U.P.I. Wire Service picked it up and ultimately we were interviewed by Jane Pauley on The Today Show in 1986. That was my fist time in New York and I remember walking around with Greg and I said to him, “I’d really like to live here.” Seven years later I was living there at 75th and Broadway! All because Vic Burnett gave that game to Gene Konrad!
Vic Burnett and I at lunch in December, 2012
I’ve had lunch with Vic a few times since moving back here and we’ve become friends. A few weeks ago, Vic called me on the phone and said he had been inspired by Jerry Seinfeld’s online series called, “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.” He told me had made a list up of people that he wanted to spend some time with and talk over coffee. I was honored when he told me I was on the list and so let’s go have some coffee talk with the weatherman who changed my life, Vic Burnett!
I had to park a few blocks away and when I got out I noticed I had parked kind of sloppily and at an angle. If a certain someone is looking at this now I’m probably being judged harshly on this rotten parking job, but what are you going to do? All I can do is to keep moving along and try better next time!
Okay, we’ll walk a couple blocks up Main Street To Buzzed Coffee Bar And Lounge!
We did one episode of Coffee Talk here at Buzzed last October when it first opened up and I thought it would be fun to come back and check it out after it’s been in business for a while. The bar is looking good, let’s go up and see who’s behind it today...
It’s Rebecca who’s looking cute back there and she also looked familiar and she reminded me that we met back in 2013 when I stopped into Jimmy C’s! Great to see her again! I told her that I’m not a coffee drinker and she said she’d think about a coffee drink that even I might enjoy. Before that happens though, let’s take a look around in here!
As you can see from the colorful menu on the wall, there’s a lot of coffee, tea and specialty drinks to sample in here.
In addition to coffee and tea there's also fresh pastry and breads from Sweet Cakes By Rachael and they have potato chips, soft drinks and juice for those who have more pedestrian taste buds...not that there’s anything wrong with that!
There’s tables up in the front room where you can enjoy your coffee and pastries while watching the activity on Main Street roll on by.
The art in here is all by local artists and it’s all for sale and it’s fun to look at the different designs.
There’s a jewelry case towards the back of the room with locally made jewelry designed by Nicole Galenty.
More art adorns the wall here in the back and there’s a lounge area back here with comfortable chairs, a couch, magazines and a flat screen TV on the wall. They have events back here and this Saturday (April 30th) is a special event. It’s a Kids Paint Night and there’s a painting lesson held by Gallivanting Art from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. There’s drink specials for the parents and you can find out more by calling Buzzed at 309-713-2594 or checking their facecrack page.
Meanwhile, back at the coffee bar, here’s the pretty owner of Buzzed, Amber! Great to see her again and she said business has been good, which I’m glad to hear!
Okay, time for a coffee drink that even a non-coffee drinker like myself might enjoy. Rebecca decided to make me an Almond Joy Latte and here she is making the drink. As you can see, there’s a lot of steps that go into making this drink! Here she is serving it up at the bottom shot!
It’s frothy, sweet and very delicious! Great job, Rebecca!
I also got a piece of coffee cake and it was bakery fresh and very delicious! Great coffee and pastry here at Buzzed!
And here he is, the guest of honor, Vic Burnett! Always a pleasure to see Vic!
Rebecca’s shift was over and here she is saying goodbye to Vic and I! Great to see you again, Rebecca!
Jane took over for Rebecca and made Vic some coffee and I switched over to iced tea. Check it out, Jane and I have matching hairstyles!
As we settled in for the afternoon I showed Vic some proofs for a 30th anniversary edition of Trivial Trivia—The Idiot Edition that will be coming out this summer. I’ll report more about that later as it unfolds, but I’m working with Greg on it and we’re both really excited to be doing another version of it. It also led myself and Vic to talking about how he changed my life by giving the original copy to Gene Konrad which got the ball rolling to getting national attention for the game. Crazy memories!
Vic brought me a present of a banana and a tin of anchovies! He said he got them for me because they’re an acquired taste just like I am! Ha ha ha! We had a lively conversation and I learned some facts about Vic’s past including the fact that back when he was a soprano choir boy in St. Louis, he was so talented he was invited to join the Vienna Boys Choir when he was just 10-years-old! His parents didn’t want him moving to Germany to do that, but what a great story! He also told me that when he was going to college at St. Louis University he hosted a radio program and once when Rosemary Clooney was in town, he called her hotel and managed to get her on his show for an interview! Vic told me that WEEK TV hired him in 1959 as a producer/director and he became the weatherman for the station in 1964 for 15 years.
I’m honored that Vic included me on his personal version of Comedian’s In Cars Getting Coffee. He’s calling these get togethers, Cafe Amis, which is French for something I forgot to write down. Stacy Peterson thought of the name and she’s been one of Vic’s coffee guests. Future guests that Vic is meeting with include Peter Couri, Louis T., Suzette Boulais, Steve Tarter, John Nicoara, Otto Merz, Paul Gordon and Ann Hagemann. Thanks again to Vic for letting me part of this, always great to see him and thanks to Rebecca, Amber and Jane from Buzzed, it was a blast! We’ll see you all tomorrow!
Coffee Talk Rating
Four Linda Richmans—Wonderful coffee and pastry at Buzzed and so great to see Vic Burnett again...I’d say more but I’m getting a little verklempt over here...talk amongst yourselves.
Buzzed Coffee Bar & Lounge
315 Main Street
Peoria
309-713-2594
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