I was checking out menus online to find this week’s chicken dish when I stumbled upon an interesting entree at Joe’s Original Italian & Martini Bar.
What is this chicken entree that intrigued me? Well, keep on scrolling and you’ll find out!
Here we are at Joe’s Original Italian & Martini Bar on “Restaurant Row” on Prospect in Peoria Heights. Let’s go inside and get this 48th week of chicken dinners rolling!
I’m dining alone tonight, so I thought I’d have a seat at the bar. I got all settled in and…
Kate, the beautiful bartender behind the bar served me up a Sierra Mule. Kate’s been featured here on the blog in the past and it was great to see her and catch up on things.
Kate said that Joe’s is under new ownership and she brought the new owner over to meet me.
And here he is, this is Shane who took the over ownership in August.
He said things are going great and that the key is that he’s got a fantastic staff working there. Shane also owns The Spotted Cow, an iconic Peoria restaurant.
Shane told me to feel free to wander around and take some photos while my meal is being prepared, so that’s exactly what I did!
There’s tables opposite the bar and bottles of wine are hung on the walls and in a rack next to the bar.
There’s the kitchen where this week’s chicken dinner is being prepared.
The dining room is in the back of the restaurant and I like the classic red-checked Italian styled table cloths.
They keep it local by using olive oil from Olio & Vino’s right down the street.
There’s booths in this elevated area for more private dining.
I ran into this quartet as they were leaving the restaurant, they are from left: Zach, Emily, Brett and Ryan.
Ryan told me that they’re from West Peoria and that he enjoys the MBIP blog! I always love to hear that and it was great to meet and chat with all of them!
Meanwhile, back at the bar…
Dinner is served!
I started off with the stuffed mushrooms and this was a fantastic beginning to the meal!
The mushrooms are stuffed with tasty crab meat and they’re swimming in a creamy rich sea of melted mozzarella cheese.
I also ordered a cup of the baked potato soup and this was a taste treat!
The broth was creamy with large chunks of potatoes and it was topped with smoky, crisp bacon and cheddar cheese.
I could’ve just stopped here and it would have been a wonderful meal, but the star of this dinner is about to be seen!
I got their stuffed chicken dinner and it looks and smells fabulous!
It usually comes with garlic mashed potatoes, but I substituted sautéed mushrooms instead.
Let’s dig in!
This is not only one of the best meals I’ve had on the chicken tour, it’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life!
The large chicken breast has a nice light crispy crust outside and it’s tender and juicy inside.
It’s stuffed with spinach, artichoke hearts and goat cheese. It’s served on top of a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and it’s one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever had!
The goat cheese is really rich and compliments the chicken so well. And the tomato cream sauce is the icing on the cake. You really should go and try this out, it was so delicious and flavorful!
After dinner, Kate introduced me to her sister Jessica who also works here. As you can see, good looks run in their family! And even better than that, both are so friendly, I had a nice conversation with the two of them!
For dessert, Kate served me up a chocolate martini! Sweet!
Chicken Rating
Four Dixie Chickens—This meal was so fantastic you need to go and try it yourself, I guarantee you won’t be sorry. Thanks to everyone at Joe’s for the nice hospitality and a wonderful meal!
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Joe’s Original Italian & Martini Bar
4609 N. Prospect Road
Peoria Heights
309-682-7007
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