Magnolia's on Prospect: Fine Dining with a Southern Twist
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- Published on Friday, 09 March 2012 19:34
- Written by Paul Gordon
In the south, the magnolia is considered not just a flower, but a symbol of elegance and style.
In Peoria it's the new name and style of the former Butcher Block Steak House at Junction City, a restaurant that has undergone a transformation in recent months to become what its owners always envisioned it to be.
Magnolia's On Prospect serves a tighter, more focused menu while billing itself "Fine dining with a southern twist." It no longer serves lunch but is open seven nights a week because "dinner is our forte and we want to focus on that," said owner and president Kelly Mohr.
(Photo by Paul Gordon) Kelly Mohr, left, president of Magnolia's on Prospect, Dustin Allen, the restaurant's executive chef, and manager Ashley Allen show off the new bar at the restaurant at Junction city that formerly was known as Butcher Block Steak House. The restaurant has upgraded its decor as well as its menu to offer customers a fine dining experience."We've gone through a lot of changes the past few months and in fact, we're still doing some remodeling work. Our plan is to give our customers the kind of experience and atmosphere they deserve," Mohr said recently. The change took effect March 1.
Mohr said many people still consider the Butcher Block to be a combination meat shop and deli, which is what it was when she came to be manager there under the previous owners. When she bought it a little over two years ago, she and her son, executive chef Dustin Allen, turned it into strictly a restaurant boasting great steaks but an otherwise eclectic menu.
"We began to realize Butcher Block pigeon-holed us and many Peorians were unable to make the leap from there. We still had people coming in just weeks ago looking for the meat counter," she said.
"This is what we want to be. This type of restaurant has been our vision all along."
Mohr said that from a business aspect, it was a logical move. But she agreed it was somewhat gutsy considering it has been gaining momentum as Butcher Block Steak House.
"Already the reception has been very good. Our regular customers seem to like it. They understand why we did it. We know we aren't for everybody but we felt there was a need for this and that people should be able to go to a restaurant and get great food with great service in a pleasant atmosphere," she said.
Among the physical changes, more private dining space and a larger back dining room have been created within the space that used to be very open. A partial wall separating the dining area from the entrance and bar has been added and the tables are spaced further apart to give a better feeling of privacy.
Businesses have noticed, Mohr said, as Magnolia's has become a popular place for small business dinners.
A new bar has been installed and Magnolia's boasts 24 different varieties of bourbon, billing itself the largest Bourbon Bar in Peoria. But it also offers what it calls "signature cocktails" for which restaurant manager and chief bar tender Ashley Allen has worked hard to master. The Bourbon Bar also has a special small plate menu.
"Having a bourbon bar like this goes well with our southern aspect. Plus, we wanted to be different, to differentiate ourselves from other restaurants in the area," Ashley Allen said.
Mohr said the name Magnolia's also is intended to differentiate this restaurant from others, but otherwise has no special connotation. "Dustin has lived in the south and he wanted something with some southern flair. We kicked a few names around and when Magnolia's was mentioned, he said 'that's the one.' We think it symbolizes elegance and that's what we want to offer our customers," she said.
The menu offers ribeyes and other beef products Dustin Allen buys directly from area farms and it also has several seafood dishes, chicken and duck, pasta, salads and several made-from-scratch side dishes, including a four-cheese Au Gratin potato dish.
The menu can be viewed on the website, magnoliaonprospect.com.
Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com
