Food Blog

I was down in Bloomington-Normal for a few days last week and got the chance to eat a few things I remember from going to college at Bradley – namely Avanti’s and Steak N’ Shake. I didn’t have time for anything fancier anyway.

Avanti’s was perfect college food – simple, cheap and filling. A tub of pasta or a longer than foot long Gondola sandwich was affordable, fast and probably healthier than some of the choices in the dorm cafeterias back then.

A Gondola is a simple ham, salami, American cheese and lettuce on unique, fresh bread. The bread is slightly sweet and is what makes it good. No condiment is needed. An added plus is the bread seems to have a bit longer shelf life than most fresh bread – it’s fine the next day after a night in a dorm fridge – or these days – when a friend brings them up from down there during camping trips.

It’s only slightly different from what I remember – I recall it being a little sweeter, and of course it was college-student cheap back then, something like 2 bucks, but I guess that much food is still a value at 5 bucks now.

Steak N’ Shake is now a wide spread franchise operation, and has suffered slightly with the enforced uniformity of its products. We remember the real 24-hour diner feel we’d get, when we made the trudge over to exotic East Peoria to the older location to get cheap, good food, and now they’re too slick, burgers and fries sized down to fast food portions while becoming slightly more expensive then their competitors. However I still love them, they have a great quality food, so I don’t mind the price, since you’re paying for the quality, not something super-sized. Also, everyone seemed to be happy to be working there, putting smiles on all the customers faces too. Not something you see from the other trudging fast food grunts that bark ‘Next! Can I help you? (Damnit!)’ at you.