June

June is a modern American restaurant with a contemporary atmosphere with an open kitchen-  came here for my bf's graduation celebration dinner with a group of 12 (2 kids+ 10 adults) and went with the tasting menu. Tasting menu is basically a 7 course dinner with the option of wine or beer pairing ($85 without wine pairing and $135 with pairing). 5 courses of savory dish with 2 courses of dessert, each course is about 1/2 the size of the regular dish. The way the tasting menu works is that everyone at the table would have to do it so that they can serve the entire table and introduce each course as they come up.

It was overall a fun and enjoyable experience if you have good company (as the tasting menu is ~ 2-3 hours long). The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, wine pairing was great with each dish. They also accommodated the kids and was able to find something that worked for them. Out of the 7 courses, I was especially impressed with the mussels, pork belly, halibut and the coconut ice cream/salted peanut as part of the first course of dessert. The presentation of the dishes were also delightful- adds to the overall experience.

In general, the food was great with a few exceptions. The 5 savory courses had 2 fish courses- did not like the 2nd plate with Asian sea bass...tasted like fried asian fish that my parents can make at home (but I did like the potato and greens under the fish...) the sea bass was dry and just not very flavorful in general. I was disappointed with the fact that they served 2 fish course one after the other (especially the 2nd fish dish being worse than the first- shrug)- it might be more considerate to substitute the 2nd fish for something else- steak, scallops, shrimp...whatever, just not fish. bleh.

About the dessert....I was blown away by the coconut ice cream/salted peanuts- they are delicious (has some asian flare to it..loved it, light and not too sweet)!!! But the ice cream was probably 1/5th of the dish...it was part of some cake/white chocolate ganache dish (not impressed by the cake or the white chocolate ganache- white chocolate was way too sweet and took away the flavor from the fresh/light taste of the coconut ice cream and the cake was just too dry) I honestly can go without the cake and the chocolate- give me a full scoop of that coconut ice cream!!!   The last dessert dish was some sort of chocolate mouse and port ice cream(?) The ice cream in this last dish was not great....just tasted like syrup and wayyyyy too sweet. The mouse was good besides the fact that you can't cut through it with the spoon unless you make a huge noise with the spoon banging on the plate. Was a bit dissapointed with the chocolate/port ice cream I must say.

Even though there were some hit and miss with a few dishes out of the whole tasting menu, i would say if you get a chance to visit peoria and have some time to enjoy the tasting menu at June, I would recommend the tasting menu with wine pairing (if price is not an issue). Price was reasonable for the 7 course menu and really, you don't need to think too hard about what to order b/c the chef will make sure you get the fresh ingredients of the day- let's just hope there's some variety though.

Bonus: Bf got an extra tasting wine and a drink of his choice on the house for his big day :)

I have traveled the world, and this restaurant holds up to some of the best restaurants I have seen.  Truly a lovely experience.

The wait staff was attentive.  The sommelier was knowledgeable, and the food was impressive.  Highly recommended.

Was very impressed with the wine list, the quality of the beer, the freshness of the ingredients, and the thoutfulness of the menu.  This restaurant will not suit everyone as the choices are limited.  But the attention to detail, and the creativity of the menu is worth the experience.  I was very happy tonight to have found such a quality restaurant in Peoria of all places.

One of the best restaurants in Illinois, including Chicago.  Amazing and complex flavor combinations that are flawlessly executed.

We have done the tasting menu every time we've been here, and despite the price it is a great value.  They also do a great job with the wine and beer pairings.

I also love the decor here; it's a sort of unfussy "Midwestern minimalist".  The focus here is on outstanding food and service with no pretension.