Monticello, IL - 1 Inquiry & 1 Report (The Bistro)

[i debated about posting this in the Champaign-Urbana thread, but since both of the restaurants are in Monticello, i decided to make a new thread - hope that is okay!]

Today a school project landed us in Monticello, a town i'd never visited before, over the lunch hour. We were immediately attracted to a sleek-looking restaurant called Montgomery's, which had a rather impressive menu for the area - lots of locally raised meats & produce. (The downside - it has a martini bar. Give and take, i know.) Anyway, Montgomery's was out (it's only open Th-Sat for dinner), but i'm interested in hearing from someone who has dined there. Particularly, when they say "wild mushrooms," do they mean store-bought exotics (e.g. shiitakes & portobellos), or something worth the trip from Champaign (e.g. morels)? i sent an email, but first-hand accounts are always best, especially from LTHforum!

We ended up eating at a restaurant next door called The Bistro. R & i wondered if it was run by the same people as Montgomery's. To be brief - i hope it isn't. The place looks quaint enough - exposed brick, local artwork, a few scattered tables in an awkwardly shaped room. We were told to seat ourselves & soon a server came by with the menu. The restaurant is only open until 2pm & serves breakfast all day as well as sandwiches, soups, & salads.

R ordered French toast & thought it was fair, although his side of bacon was disgustingly burnt (it looked like tinder). i ordered a cup of the soup of the day - mushroom brie - along with a garden salad. The salad was pretty disappointing in terms of quality as well as quantity (it was in a bowl smaller than the cup of tea i was served). For $3, i don't expect much, but three $1 bills ripped into bite-size pieces would have caused that bowl to overflow.

The soup was the big let-down - i was hoping for something truly interesting. What i got tasted like a salt lick with a few pieces of mushroom thrown in. i'm pretty sure this was a canned cream of mushroom soup to which some kind of powdered cheese or cheese product had been added. i didn't taste brie period (though R thought he did), but regardless, real brie would have given the soup a very different texture (not the gritty feel this had).

All in all, not worth it. i'm glad i didn't order anything else. i didn't see anything that seemed to stand out on their menu as a specialty... so i wonder whether they have many repeat customers.

Montgomery's isn't much better. Here's a review I wrote about our visit there. We've also been there for lunch, and it's mediocre. They talk a good game, but the product is a major letdown.

Hi,

I was at a restaurant in Antioch that served a Mushroom Brie soup, too. While walking back to the restroom, I saw a shopping list with the soup purchased from Sam's Club. I found the same product at Costco. Amazing coincidence or maybe you have the very same product?

Just west of Monticello is a you-pick berry farm run by a Greek family whose name is sort of like Pontillius (sp?). Comradelaura has been there, so she can set us straight on the name. In years past, you could pick raspberries for $1.50/pound and blueberries for $1/pound.

I've driven through Monticello a number of times on my way to Allerton Park. Is the hobby train museum still in operation? The guy who ran it was pretty ancient. I have been wondering if someone took it over after he went to the great train ride in the sky.

Regards,

I've been summoned!

Its Pontius Farm in White Heath. I love that place! There are about a dozen ancient dogs and cats wandering around. If you read their website you can learn all about the old animals that they've adopted. You can also see which crops are available - they also have herbs, blackberries, corn etc. They run it on the honor system - you weigh your goods, calculate the price, and leave the money there.

There's also a good apple orchard somewhere between Champaign and White Heath but I can't recall the name (not to be confused with Curtis Orchards). I can find out details if anyone is interested.