Spring Break
B-N restaurants offer outdoor seating, to-go menus for warm weather
Amy Gorczowski
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: Features
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"We have a patio that is open for the summer," Sarah Fit, the general manager at Central Station Café in Bloomington, said. "Weather permitting we have it open everyday now."
Contrary to the name, Central Station Café offers so much more than a stereotypical café. And with a patio that can seat up to 30 people, the popular menu is a staple for outdoor eating.
"We offer sandwiches and salads around lunch time," Fit said. "But for dinner it's more of a steak, pasta and seafood place."
Open Tuesday through Saturday, Central Station Café breaks their dining times into three parts. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. is lunch, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. is dinner and appetizers are served all day from open to close.
For people looking for a more exotic flair to their food, Garden of Paradise in Bloomington offers a wide variety of options on their menu.
"We specialize in Greek food," Hami Sager, owner of Garden of Paradise, said. "But we have just about everything else to. We offer American food, and we're really big on breakfast too."
A favorite for many in Bloomington-Normal has become the Pub II in Normal. Recently, the Pub II has added an outdoor seating area to accommodate diners.
"We started construction on it last June and finished just in time for homecoming," Terry Stralow, co-owner of Pub II, said. "This will be our first full season with it open, though."
With an occupancy of 150 people, the new addition to the restaurant has already proved to be a popular outdoor hangout for catching up with friends over a meal. Most menu offerings inside carry over to the outside menu as well.
"We do offer a little smaller menu outside," Stralow said. "There are a lot more grilled foods like burgers and brats outside. We also offer wraps, pizza and all of our appetizers."
Newer to the area, but quickly gaining a reputation for fresh and healthy food is The Garlic Press in Uptown Normal. Offering breakfast, lunch and early dinner this small-scale shop and restaurant provides food for any palate.
"We offer outdoor seating in the months that it is appropriate," Jackie Pope-Ganser, co-owner of The Garlic Press, said. "We also have a carry-out menu that features our hot and cold sandwiches as well as anything from our deli counter and bakery."
While it has a café look to it, The Garlic Press' menu is much more extensive than that of a café. In addition to sandwiches and deli counter offering, The Garlic Press serves entrees as well.
"We have entrees like meatloaf and macaroni and cheese with a gourmet flair," Pope-Ganser said.
Some restaurants even offer their entire menu to go.
Central Station Café, Garden of Paradise, Pub II and The Garlic Press all offer their menus to go. Additionally, there is another notable restaurant in the area that provides a broad to-go list.
"You can pick up a menu and get anything to go," Chuck Williams, owner of Lucca Grill in Bloomington, said.
While they do not have an outdoor seating area, Lucca's extensive menu is perfect for picnics. Mostly Italian dishes, Lucca Grill also has American options as well as appetizers and side dishes. Located in historic downtown Bloomington, Lucca Grill is open seven days a week.
But where to take the food from all of these restaurants? Both Bloomington and Normal offer several parks suitable for a picnic.
"All of our parks are wonderful," Doug Wiggs, the assistant director of Normal Parks and Recreation, said. "All have tables, grills, shelters and restrooms."
While Wiggs stressed that all parks are adequate for picnics, he recommended a few in particular. Among the ones recommended were Anderson, Fairview, Underwood, Maxwell and Ironwood.
"At Fairview, we are just about ready to pour a trail," Wiggs said.
However, the parks in Normal do have hours that must be followed.
"By ordinance, all the parks in Normal are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.," Wiggs said.
Those looking for a quaint picnic spot can also head over to Bloomington.
"McGraw and Tipton are both pretty new," Beth Crowley, an office support member for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said. "They're pretty big too."
Crowley explained both of these parks have new playgrounds with "spray grounds." These are devices that shoot water out from the ground for children to play in.
This makes these two parks especially nice for people looking to have a picnic and entertain children as well. Whether looking for a restaurant with a cool outdoor seating area or one with a full service take out menu, Bloomington-Normal provides many options for dining in warm weather.
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