PERRY IN PEORIA

I MET PERRY 10 OR MORE YEARS AGO AT A NEIGHBORHOOD FARMERS MARKET. PERRY WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, SAW MY PRODUCT, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS STRICTLY FURNITURE MADE FROM ANTIQUE PINE.
ANYWAY PERRY STOPPED AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF. HE CHECKED OUT MY WORK AND MORE THEN LIKELY TOLD ME OF HIS LATEST PLAN. THE PLAN WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING LIKE A POP UP NIGHT CLUB DECORATED WITH ALL KINDS OF COOL FURNITURE, ART AND NEAT OLD STUFF ALL FOR SALE. PERRY ALWAYS HAD A NEW IDEA AND MOST WERE GOOD. I HAD FUN DOING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WITH PERRY WHILE HE LIVED IN ATLANTA.
MOST OF THESE PROJECTS INVOLVED ART, FOOD, MUSIC AND ALL KINDS OF HAND MADE STUFF. ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ALWAYS SHOWED UP TO A PERRY EVENT.

PERRY MOVED TO PEORIA, IL. A FEW YEARS AGO AND WE HAVE STAYED IN TOUCH.
ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WENT TO PEORIA TO SEE ABOUT DOING ART FOR A NEW RESTAURANT PERRY WAS INVOLVED WITH. THE ART DIDN'T WORK OUT, BUT I HAD A GREAT TIME HANGING OUT IN PEORIA WITH PERRY FOR 24 HOURS.
PEORIA IS WHERE PERRY GREW UP. HE KNOWS EVERYONE AND THEY KNOW HIM. HE SHOWED ME ALL OVER TOWN AND PUT ME UP IN A BED AND BREAKFAST WHICH SITS ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER. THE ILLINOIS RIVER IS A MIGHTY RIVER AND BARGE TRAFFIC IS HEAVY. THIS B AND B WAS ACTUALLY BUILT OVER THE RIVER. VERY COOL.
 THE BEST PART OF THE TRIP WAS GOING FOR DINNER IN DELAVAN, A SMALL TOWN ABOUT 40 MINUTES FROM PEORIA.
DELAVAN IS ONE OF THOSE TOWNS THAT HAS ONE OR TWO TRAFFIC LIGHTS. BUT, THE SMALL TOWN SURROUNDING THOSE TWO TRAFFIC LIGHTS IS A PRETTY LITTLE TOWN.
WE WERE HAVING DINNER AT THE HARVEST CAFE WHICH IS MORE FINE DINNING THEN CAFE.
A FRIEND OF PERRY'S OWNS THE CAFE AND THE HIGH END BOTTLE SHOP NEXT DOOR AND SHE IS ALSO CONVERTING THE LOCAL OLD BANK BUILDING INTO A SMALL BATCH DISTILLERY. THE DISTILLERY WILL ALSO SERVE FOOD, I THINK IN THE GASTRO PUB STYLE.
THE HARVEST CAFE IS FARM TO TABLE AND I BET MORE FARM TO TABLE THEN MOST FARM TO TABLE RESTAURANTS. BEING IN A RURAL AGRARIAN PART OF THE WORLD I BET THEY HAVE INSTANT ACCESS TO THE FRESHEST PRODUCE AND MEATS. AND IT SHOWED ON THE PLATE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN VENISON ON A MENU BEFORE. I HAD IT AND IT WAS GREAT, TRULY ONE OF THE FINEST PIECES OF MEAT I HAVE EVER EATEN. IT WAS LEAN AND COOKED TO PERFECTION.  IT WAS SERVED ON TOP OF A CAULIFLOWER PUREE WITH GREENS AND FRIED GARLIC. THE FRIED CHICKEN AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS PERRY HAD WERE AWESOME AS WELL. PERRY KNOWS HOW MUCH I ENJOY A GOOD MEAL AND THIS WAS REALLY A TREAT FOR ME.
AFTER CHECKING OUT THE TOWN AND HAVING DINNER AND A VISIT TO THE BOTTLE SHOP I THINK I MIGHT MOVE TO DELAVAN.