Sometimes it’s exciting to go to brand new places for a post on MBIP, but it’s also a little nerve-wracking for me because you never know what kind of reception you’ll get, if people will be nice and let you take pictures and there’s about 179 other things I get all worried about before going to some totally new place. That’s why sometimes it’s nice to have a “Norm” moment and go to places where everyone knows your name and there’s not as many worries about doing the blog. That’s what we’re doing tonight! We’re having dinner at a classic Peoria Italian restaurant, Agatucci’s and then a nightcap at the first bar that I ever got served at, back when I was a 16-year-old punk kid and bartenders took your word for it that you were old enough to drink in the bar. Oh...and they also took your money and that helped things out too! Anyway, I digress and whenever I digress I really build up an appetite, so it’s off to Agatucci’s we go on this fine Thursday evening!
Here we are at the first stop for the evening, Agatucci’s, a Peoria dining tradition for over ten decades now!
I’m having dinner with my parents Anne and Jerry and here they are leading the way into Aggie’s! There’s also two other special guests you’ll see in a few minutes.
There’s the bar where everybody knows my name and I see three people down there who I know as well! There’s Meg, who’s photo I’ve taken many times and Tony and Dan Agatucci! Great to see them as always, this is not only one of the oldest and best restaurants in Peoria, it’s also one of the most friendly and there's always a nice and relaxing vibe in here!
As you can see, other people feel the same way because there’s quite a crowd in here! If you look real hard in the center of the last photo, my parents have snagged a table in the middle of the main dining room. Let’s go join them!
This is Brooke who’s our pretty and friendly waitress for the evening! It was great to meet her and she volunteered to take a picture of our table, which was nice and so here goes Brooke taking a shot with the MBIP Camera!
Great shot, Brooke! And as you can see, myself, my mom and dad are joined by our friends, Amber and Joe, who are frequent Thursday night guests here on MBIP and it’s always fun hanging out with them!
And tonight we’re celebrating Joe’s birthday, which happens on Monday, but we’re here now, so happy birthday, Joe! As you can see, he got his name on the birthday board at Agatucci’s! Meanwhile, back at the table we’ve had a couple drinks and it’s time to order dinner. We don’t really need a menu here, but there’s a nice history of Agatucci’s on the front of it, you can also read about the history of the restaurant online, by clicking here. Oh, the wonders of these interwebs!
How’s this for service? Dinner is already happening, we all got salads and then dug into one of the famous Agatucci pizza pies. It’s definitely one of my favorite pizzas in Peoria and beyond! And if you’ve never had their fried chicken here, that’s also a treat as is everything on the menu!
After dinner I had a present for Joe’s birthday, it’s the Bruce Springsteen Live At The Roxy CD from a 1978 concert there. This was from the Darkness On the Edge of Town tour and it’s always been said that these were the best shows ever from Bruce and The E Street Band. I didn’t want Amber and my parents to be jealous so I got them a present as well. I got Amber a lovely black sweater...oh, okay, she left that at my apartment last week when her and Joe were over, but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right? I also got her a skull stress ball and I gave my parents a rubber comedy chicken. My favorite thing about the comedy chicken is that it’s labeled as a “Comedy” rubber chicken, as opposed to the “Serious” rubber chicken! Check out this hilarious rubber chicken video that Amber found online. This was a fun dinner and thanks to everyone at Agatucci’s and my parents for joining us. They’re calling it a night and going home, but Amber, Joe and I are going to have a nightcap at another classic Peoria landmark...
Whitey’s Tip Top Tavern!
The Tip Top has been in operation here on Sheridan Road as long as I can remember! Let’s head in the side entrance, where those in the know enter and there’s Anne, who was the bartender the last time we were in here! Hey Whitey, how’s about giving Anne a night off!
Speaking of Whitey, I see a familiar face back there in the kitchen and it’s the man himself, Whitey, the owner of The Tip Top Inn! I’ve known Whitey almost as long as I’ve been coming to this tavern! We both used to hang out here in the ‘70’s and know he owns the joint and I’m still drinking in here! Yes, I’ve stayed true to my course in life! Great to see Whitey, as always!
There’s the lit-up bottles on display back at the bar and I love the engraved, “Whitey’s” mirror back there.
The shuffleboard table is still back against the back wall and here’s a shot of Whitey’s from the back of the bar. And of course, there’s the classic Whitey’s Maximum Capacity sign, I love it!
Amber and Joe are down there at the far island and it’s time for me to relax on this Thursday night and put the MBIP Camera away, so we’ll just say, “Thanks to Whitey and Anne for a great night at Whitey’s Tip Top Inn and thanks as always to Amber and Joe for hanging out for the evening! Goodnight and we’ll see you all tomorrow!”
Related Posts: Thursday Night @ Hangovers, Jerry Wombacher’s Shocking 87th Birthday Party and Funfest @ The Peoria Civic Center!