After a busy schedule, when sessions have successfully concluded, attendees will be eager to unwind and discuss the lessons of the day over a nice meal and a glass of wine.
Throughout Central Illinois there are plenty of restaurants that accommodate groups, including the following.
Alexander’s Steakhouse in Peoria accommodates private dining for finicky groups that prefer an extensive menu, including steaks, chicken and seafood dishes, plus a plentiful salad bar.
A unique and appealing feature for diners at Alexander’s is the opportunity to cook their own steak. Of course, if they’d rather sit back and relax, the kitchen will prepare filets, rib eyes, New York strips and sirloins exactly how each customer desires.
According to Trianna Stark, sports events manager at the Peoria Area CVB, customizable menus complete with personal photos, and picturesque views of the Illinois River, round out the Alexander’s dining experience.
“Be sure to try their famous skillet cookie,” she says. Bloomington-based Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, with its 100-seat private dining room, is a great location for a business meeting and a variety of group meal functions.
“Its high ceilings, Italian background music and warm and elegant lighting provide the perfect setting to commemorate a special event,” says Matt Hawkins, sports marketing manager for the Bloomington-Normal Area CVB.
Menu highlights include crab cakes and bacon-wrapped dates to start, pizzas made with handmade dough, butternut squash ravioli, sea scallop risotto and chicken parmesan.
Also in Bloomington is Epiphany Farms, which has private dining spaces and, according to Hawkins, is an ideal location for both business meetings and social gatherings.
“Their farm-to-fork concept allows them to only use ingredients that are locally sourced, which in turn increases the culinary traditions of the Midwest,” he says, adding that the restaurant’s rustic decor allows customers to feel relaxed and at home.
The seasonal menu offers a variety of salads and vegetable dishes to start, as well as “shareables” such as ham and cheese croissants and main courses of seafood, poultry and lamb.
Located in the heart of corn country, groups are encouraged to dine at Big Grove Tavern, which, according to Terri Reifsteck, marketing and business development director at the Champaign County CVB, is the county’s premier farm-to-table dining experience.
“Their private room can host your group and give you a taste of fresh, local ingredients from farms in and around Champaign County,” she says.
Menu specialties include a few salads, and chili and cornbread to start, free-range roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin for the main course, and seasonal sorbets and date bread pudding among the dessert choices.
And in Springfield is Mariah’s Steakhouse and Pasta Restaurant, where groups will find both ample dining room seating and private rooms for larger parties.
The restaurant also features big-screen TVs for watching a game, fireplaces that make the overall ambiance cozy and a diverse menu featuring everything from calamari and onion petals to start, to encrusted tilapia and veal cannelloni for the main course.
