Downtown Peoria restaurant to 'finally come alive' with shareable menu

The COVID-19 pandemic changed plans for BLACK BAND Distillery in more than one way.

First, the planned 2020 opening was delayed until the spring of 2021. Then, when the business opened, the menu did not offer the communal dining experience the owner envisioned.

On Oct. 5, BLACK BAND posted an entirely new menu on its Facebook page. Owner Chris Ober said it was time to "purge" the old menu and pursue his original vision.

"The space will finally come alive as it was fully intended to be and that, to me, is the most exciting," he told the Journal Star.

The fresh start includes a revamped menu designed by new executive chef, Josh Adams. The Bar at BLACK BAND will feature separate branding from the distillery, including its own website and social media accounts.

Related:Why nationally renowned chef Josh Adams returned to the Peoria dining scene

Creating shareables

New menu options include chevre dumplings, chorizo tacos, leek & cabbage fritters and more. Most dishes range from $10 to $26, with the $48 steak frites being the most expensive dish. The menu's dessert items range from $12 to $14.

Whether working with crab apples, Japanese scallions or Mexican marigolds, Adams said he is committed to using seasonal ingredients from local farms. Menu items will change as ingredients come into season, but Adams expects to offer a couple of year-round options.

He draws from the history of cuisine and food cultures from across the world. For the leek and cabbage fritters, Adams said he combined cooking techniques from India and flavor profiles from Chinese street food.

“That wealth of knowledge is pretty awe-inspiring,” Ober said.

More:Check out these 22 new or reopened restaurants in the Peoria area in 2022

‘You’re left with the experience’

As a restaurantgoer himself, Adams said he remembers the dishes which tell an intriguing story. So, he worked to create food with thought-provoking and memorable stories – such as the roasted bone marrow dish.

Ober said BLACK BAND was initially used as a meat packing building. During renovation, he said he found beef bones throughout the building. The bread for the dish uses the same flour BLACK BAND uses for its distillery, and char from whiskey barrels are also included.

“It's like I would say the history of the building and the current use of the building kind of summed up into one plate,” Ober said.

Some dishes, such as the bone marrow dish or the chorizo tacos, are deconstructed when they arrive to the table. Customers can fill their own taco shell, or choose which topping to spread on their bread from the roasted bone marrow.

“Now you have, you know, the tactile feeling of touching the food moving it around and then, you know, I might build it different than you do,” Adams said.

More food:This Peoria pub brings back old favorites to its menu

'Retrain guests'

Of course, Ober said there has been some pushback with the changes. When the new menu was announced on Facebook, multiple people asked for BLACK BAND's burger to return.

Ober said he imagines putting the burger out as a limited and rotating option at the bar. Overall, though, he wants customers to branch out from traditional entrees and try unique, shareable items.

"If you put a burger on the menu, so many people are gonna order it, and they're just gonna get stuck there," Ober said. "So I think, from a business standpoint, it's probably not the smartest move because it's an easy sell. It's low-hanging fruit."

In Adams’s experience with June, he said it can feel like “you’re kind of having to retrain guests." Even so, Ober and Adams said the feedback from customers has been mostly positive – even if guests were initially hesitant about the new approach.

“As long as you have an open mind and you're willing to try stuff, I think it can be a new experience that you like better than something that was familiar to you,” Adams said.

Connect with Cassidy Waigand by emailing her at CWaigand@gannett.com or by following her on Twitter at @justxaxwriter.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: BLACK BAND distillery in Peoria ditches old menu for shareable items