This Saturday is the second annual Lucktoberfest sponsored by Lucky’s Modern Dive. I missed last year’s festival and thought I’d stop by and get some information on this year’s festival along with some dinner and drinks. So it’s off we go to Lucky’s Modern Dive on this fine Thursday evening!
My friend and frequent MBIP guest star, Amber is behind the wheel tonight steering us to Lucky’s and looking pretty as always! And check out the festival of fun in her car: There’s a rubber ducky on the dash, sheep and a kitty cat below that and candy cigarettes! This is a regular fun emporium on wheels, I tell you!
Fun is fun, but enough is enough! Time to concentrate on the road which will lead us to...
Lucky’s Modern Dive in the Heights! It’s been a while since I’ve been in here, so let’s get inside and get ready to start this Thursday evening!
Amber and I got a seats at the end of the bar and as soon as we sat down I noticed a familiar face and it’s Kate the beautiful bartender on duty this evening! She was working on our last stop in here and great to see her again! Seated near us at the bar were Suzanne and Dan who are regulars here and are Peoria Heights natives! They told us they’re coming to the Lucktoberfest this Saturday and as we talked further it turns out we have several friends in common and Suzanne remembered me from the POP magazine days, which always makes me feel good that people remember that magazine! It was wonderful to meet and chat with both of them!
Joe just arrived at the bar and our party is now complete! Time to order something for dinner now and then I’m going to leave Joe and Amber for a little bit to do that MBIP thing that I do!
Lucky’s has live music in here and the stage is right here, opposite the bar. I love all the vintage album covers on the wall! Nice to see Tom Jones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Steppenwolf all sharing wall space and getting along together!
Here’s a shot of the back of the bar and the half dozen beers on tap. At the end of the bar is a cooler filled with some of the bottled beer selections and the window to the kitchen where our dinner is being prepared! And the last shot is a photo from the end of the bar back here, I love the tin roof in here and how the colors play off of it. It’s a nice little flashback moment for me!
There’s tables opposite the bar and a board featuring the chalk art of local artist, Devon McGlone. Below that is a sign that says that Elvis has left the building. But look what I found on a wall just around the corner! Proof that Mojo Nixon’s song still rings true!
I love the Blind Tiger Whiskey And Wine Lounge in here! It’s really a beautiful room with wooden walls and it’s loaded with whiskey behind the bar. The lounge can be rented for private parties and corporate events, call Lucky’s for information.
Meanwhile, back at the bar, I have a strange feeling that dinner is about to be served...
And I’m right, its amazing how my timing is always perfect! The food looks amazing, so let’s dig in!
We got an order of the Mac and Cheese and it was amazing! It’s twice-baked macaroni, wrapped in bacon and topped with toasted bread crumbs. It tastes just as unbelievable as that sounds! The Mac and Cheese is rich and velvety smooth and the bacon is smoky and sweet and I think this just may be the best mac and cheese in town! Amber suggested the Pulled Pork Nachos and those were so delicious! There’s fresh fried corn tortilla chips on the bottom and they’re topped with a melted cheddar cheese sauce, jalapeños and pico de gallo and slow-cooked pulled pork. The entire dish is really savory and tasty and the Pulled Pork is tender, juicy and melts in your mouth. Amber told me it was the best pulled pork she’s ever had and I agree with her! Both of these were on the appetizer menu, but they made for one delicious meal!
Suddenly...Barney Fife says to, “Man up!” Well, there’s only one thing you can do when this happens...
And that's walk down the hall to the Men’s Room and...
Man up for an obligatory mirror shot! And what an obligatory mirror shot it is! The mirror is framed by Playboy magazine covers and on the wall opposite are a display of other men’s magazines including covers of the defunct Gear magazine, which was published and edited by my friend, Bob Guccione, Jr. who graced a cover of my magazine, fishwrap back in the ‘90’s. I have no idea how to get in touch with Bob these days, but my hope is that somehow he sees this and I know he’ll be happy that Gear lives on in Peoria, illinois!
And finally, don’t forget about the Lucktoberfest Block Party tomorrow! The entire block is traffic free and there’s gong to be food, drink and live music all day and night here in the Heights! Check out all the details by clicking right here! Thanks to Amber for driving and to her, Joe and Luke (who once again wasn’t pictured) for hanging out last night! It was lots of fun and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
Lucky’s Modern Dive
4538 N Prospect Road
Peoria Heights
309-839-1839
Related Posts: Thursday Night @ Hangovers, Whitey’s Tip Top Inn and 8 Bit Beercade.
Surprise link...click on it, I dare you!
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Peoria Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides Walk
In addition to the Lucktoberfest tomorrow, there’s also a walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation tomorrow that you can take part of before the block party! Cheriz Kunkel sent me these photos from last year’s walk:
The first one is her CF2 team, then there’s people hanging out after the walk and the third photo is Cheriz giving a speech to the crowd. This is a fun event and it’s for a great cause so check out the details right here. And you can also read Cheriz’ blog by clicking on this link!