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Dining Divas Like Alton Restaurant
Dining Divas Head a Little Bit North,
Enjoy Classic Pub Food with a Twist
By Lisa Kampeter
It makes me happy when I find a “local” place that’s not a chain restaurant that we like. When I say “local,” I mean relatively close to North County. And I consider Alton relatively close. This past month, the Dining Divas tried out 
, located across the border on the north side of Alton, and we enjoyed it.
The owner of Elijah P’s is the same guy who owns Bossanova Restaurant and Lounge, another Alton restaurant, just around the corner from Elijah P’s. While Bossanova is known for its specialty martinis and hip nightlife, Elijah P’s focuses on burgers and beers. Named for Alton publisher Elijah P. Lovejoy, Lovejoy was known for his stance against slavery and for freedom of the press. He was shot in downtown Alton by a pro-slavery mob, not far from where the restaurant resides.
On a pleasant evening, late this summer, I’d stopped by Elijah P’s and sat outside, listening to live entertainment. I’m not sure who was scheduled to play, but this night, a couple different guitar players took a set and added their own twist to some classics and modern rock. When the weather’s good, the outdoor patio is an excellent option.
This time around with the Dining Divas, I realized that’s what Elijah P’s is all about. Adding their own twists to classics. We were excited to have the Alumni Divas join us. The Educator Diva ordered Tator Tots, except these tots were Pulled Pork Tots, with cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce. Such a great twist to an old classic. And although Elijah P’s touts having the largest selection of beers (60) on draught in the Metro-East, it also promotes its over 100 whiskeys, and the Educator Diva enjoyed her drink of choice, bourbon, along with her tots.
The Colorful Diva spent the entire evening catching up with the Alumni Divas. It’s one of those places that if you have a large group, it’s impossible to hear the other conversations. The wide-open layout makes the acoustics lousy. Fortunately, the group was micro-sized so that sound wasn’t really an issue.
If you want a history lesson of Alton, grab a couple beers at Elijah P’s, and you can be educated. The décor is Alton of the past and an overview is on the menu cover. But the only learning the Dining Divas were interested in was which burger we would like best. The Opinionated Diva would strongly suggest the Ultimate Mushroom Burger. A grilled portabella mushroom sat atop a juicy burger, topped with provolone cheese and a truffle mayo. She said it was one of the best burgers she’s ever had. And being that her side, onion rings, were covered in Panko breadcrumbs, another favorite, Elijah P’s gained a returning customer that night.
Beside the Ultimate Burger, there’s a Thai Burger, a Buffalo Bacon Burger, a burger with pineapple, ham, and BBQ called the Big Kahuna, and more. Elijah P’s definitely has added a twist to the classic burger.
The Beef Debris sandwich, Elijah P’s New Orleans style roast beef, was a great alternative to a burger and one that the Dieting Divas justified eating, because they split it. Half the sandwich and especially with a side salad, that is justifiably healthy in their eyes. And delicious!
The Chicken Pot Pie was a letdown. With not many vegetables and even less chicken, plus a gooey biscuit, the Soon-to-be-Surgical Diva wished she had gone with a safer bet… a hamburger. The Sloppy Joe Dip is “just like from school, but cheesier.” I don’t remember in school getting cheesy sloppy joes with fries to dip into, but I wish I had!
It was hard for the Dieting Divas to skip the Mac-n-Cheese, especially since Elijah P’s is made with cavatelli noodles and three kinds of cheeses. But a bite doesn’t count, right?
Our waitress was super sweet and attentive. I’m happy to report no one in the group embarrassed us. What a great way to end our 2016 season of Dining Divas. (Up next is the Divas Christmas)! Elijah P’s is a good alternative to eating “local.” And hopefully this Alton restaurant gets established and sticks around. We like our neighbors to the north to succeed. Plus, we really like a nice outdoor patio.
