Fantastic coffee on the Fox - Arcedium Coffeehouse, St. Charles

I lived in St. Charles for a year when I first moved to Illinois. I really loved the Fox Valley and was sorry to have to leave. It's probably a good thing that Arcedium wasn't around then, or it would have made it that much harder -- because this is a great coffeehouse.

Arcedium Coffee, 60 Indiana St., St. Charles, is nestled on the banks of the Fox River in a newly redeveloped section of downtown St. Charles. 

Inside, it's got lots of lovely wood, plenty of tables, comfy chairs and a large bar wrapping around the coffee roaster -- yes, they roast their own coffee here. The menu features tons of drink options, both caffeinated and not, plus light eats including soup, salad, panini and pastry. 

I visited on a Friday afternoon, and it was moderately busy but not jam-packed. I was trying to save room for dinner, so no pastries for me, but I very much enjoyed my iced cinnamon creme latte. Even though it was sweet, I could taste the richness of the espresso and it was quality stuff.

The next time I find myself in St. Charles, I think I'll be making an extra stop at Arcedium....

Onesti Dinner Club, St. Charles

Recently, I attended a holiday party at the Onesti Dinner Club in St. Charles. I've only visited St. Charles a handful of times but I love the charm of the city. 

Onesti is located downtown at 18 N. 4th St. I was told that it is a renovated old church and it is absolutely beautiful on the inside. (The weather was too rotten to take a good look at the exterior.) We began with cocktails in the basement lounge/bar which was furnished with big, comfortable couches and a few booths and end tables. The candlelit ambience was cozy and sultry at the same time. They served my date's Blue Moon just right, in a tall glass with orange and my riesling was cold and delicious.  After cocktails, we headed upstairs for dinner. After a salad and dinner rolls, I enjoyed tilapia with steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes. The tilapia was a bit on the fishy side, but the rest was great. Because it was a large catered party, our choices were limited to tilapia, chicken, or steak. Though I am not a big fan of red meat, the steak looked really good and received rave reviews. After dinner, we were treated to a small dessert spread with bite sized cheesecakes (the raspberry was a hit!), brownies, cookies, and coffee. I would have liked to have seen a little more variety on the dessert table, but what I had I enjoyed.  Later we headed back down to the lounge/bar for more drinks and a Frank Sinatra impersonator.  I was told they host live music in the basement lounge regularly. I would love to check out a good jazz band there when it might be a little less crowded!

If you're looking for a place to host a holiday party or event, Onesti Dinner Club is definitely something to consider. If you're headed out to a nice dinner, Onesti Dinner Club will treat you to it.  If you want to dine in a beautiful old church, bedecked with trees, candles, and fabulous architecture, try Onesti Dinner Club!

Mmmm, Thai. -- Siriwan Bistro, St. Charles

This past weekend we visited the fabulous Palermo's with my in-laws, and I already wrote about that, so I won't bore you raving about my spinach-filled gnocchi.

Instead, I'm going to highlight a fabulous little Thai place tucked in a strip mall in St. Charles.

Siriwan Bistro is on Prairie St. near the corner of Randall Road, in the Jewel shopping center. I lived across the street from this strip mall, so I walked over there a lot. When I first moved in, the restaurant was a craptastic little Chinese place, with some really mediocre food. I had no intention of getting take-out there again.

But then things changed. Apparently the owners changed, but not the cooks -- odd, considering how much better the food got! Now it's a Thai restaurant, with a few Chinese dishes for those who just really want some lo mein.

There is space to eat in -- maybe 6 or 8 tables, nicely decorated with white tablecloths and silverware. And if you do eat in, service is quite good. Of course, you can always get take-out too. The prices are reasonable, though a bit higher than your average crappy Chinese takeout.

I never had a bad meal from Siriwan Bistro. So I can forget the previous life the restaurant lived. One of my favorite things was the Tom Yum soup, which is just fantastic if you have a cold. But it was all good -- noodles, curry, chicken and veggie dishes. (I never had a beef dish, but I'm sure it was good too.)

I miss living across the street from such a great hidden treasure. If you live in or near the tri-cities, do yourself a favor and give Siriwan Bistro a try.