Remember going to Carnegie’s in the Hotel Pere Marquette? The overstuffed chairs, the fine linen. The heavy drapes pulled back to reveal each booth. The well-dressed waiter who never let your water glass get less than half-full. The silver dome plate covers that were all lifted in unison to reveal everyone’s meal at once. The quiet, elegant atmosphere and slow, relaxed pace perfectly conducive for dining and conversing. The beautiful chandeliers. The grand piano providing soft dinner music. The sorbet between each course to cleanse your palate. The dessert display. The chocolate-covered strawberries that came with the bill. Remember that?
Well, that’s all it is now: a memory.
The new Carnegie’s 501 is your average hotel restaurant. Nothing special. The decor has been changed dramatically — gone are the drapes, the piano, the overstuffed chairs. Added: a salad bar and a couple of noisy beverage machines. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be seated next to the buzzing coffee and juice bar. Nothing reminds you that you’re eating in a hotel better than a sound that makes you feel like you’re in a hallway near the ice machine.
Our waitress, dressed in a half-tucked gray shirt with black apron and hairnet, looked as if she doubled as a short order cook when she wasn’t on the floor waiting tables. Her grammar could use some work (Question: “Is Jerry still managing here?” Answer: “Not no more”), but to her credit, she was pleasant and attentive.
We were seated promptly at a table for two with a black tablecloth and white linen napkins. We were given one-page menus in clear-plastic page holders. There was a wide selection; you could get a filet mignon or meatloaf, for instance — two beef dishes at opposite ends of the culinary spectrum. I got the filet; my wife got the ribeye. We both ordered the dinner salad with raspberry vinegrette dressing and baked potatoes with butter.
I will say this for Carnegie’s 501: the steaks were cooked to perfection and delicious. The salad was simple (iceberg and romaine, cucumber and tomato slices), but crisp and fresh. The dressing was thicker than one might expect from a vinegrette, but sweet and tangy. The potato was warm and probably could have been baked a bit longer. Even though we asked only for butter, we were given butter and sour cream.
Surprisingly, we didn’t receive any rolls. We asked our server if the meal came with bread or rolls, to which she promptly replied, “Sure, I can get you some,” then hopped over to the salad bar and grabbed a few pieces of sourdough bread and a handful of butter pats, put them on a plate, and served them to us. The rolls were cold — another departure from the old days of Carnegie’s when they would serve you a variety of hot rolls with chilled, molded pats of butter.
Since it was our anniversary, we did receive a complimentary dessert. That was a nice touch. We both got the cheesecake with strawberries. It was served in the most unusual way — in a humongous martini glass. The slice of cheesecake was standing on end, surrounded by a mixture of strawberries and melted ice cream.
Carnegie’s 501 really isn’t bad for what it is — a hotel restaurant. Unfortunately, anyone who’s lived in Peoria long enough to have experienced the old Carnegie’s will be hard-pressed not to have high expectations based on previous experience. So, be forewarned, despite the similar name, it’s not Carnegie’s anymore. It’s Carnegie’s 501 — good food, casual atmosphere, laid-back service, for about the same price as the old Carnegie’s.
Vonachen’s Old Place (VOP), a staple in Peoria for over 50 years at 5934 N. Knoxville Ave., will close by the end of this year.