In my younger years a birthday party was a huge
deal. You didn’t get a “friends” party on every birthday and when you did – and you got to choose where it was at –
you pretty much hit the birthday jackpot.
My
seventh b-day was spent at the coolest, raddest and most bodacious place a seven-year-old could think
of… Showbiz Pizza! Billy Bob led his gang of animatronic pals in “Happy
Birthday” as I stared, mesmerized at the giant gorilla on keyboard. When Chuck
E. took over the place it was never the same. Oh sure, they still have
cardboard pizza and probably even the vat of multicolored balls that creeps and
psychos allegedly put dirty needles into, but with Billy Bob and his gang went
the innocence of my youth.
Fast-forward twenty birthdays. I’m
quite a bit older but still need a night of ski ball, bowling and fun that is
considered “unadult-like.” And the cardboard pizza just won’t cut the mustard anymore.
So let’s see… grownup food, childlike fun. Sounds like I’m going to Jillian’s Billiards
Club to play with my food!
When we arrived at Jillian’s, a
festive birthdayesque table was all ready for the N4U foodies. We sat down and
ordered our beverages. Jillian’s contains two fully-stocked bars. This is
another plus for both frazzled parents and adults out looking for a good time.
I glanced around at the décor of the game room – the videogames were
intertwined with antique-looking circus posters adding softness and charm to
the electronic atmosphere.
Placed adjacent to our table was a
spread of various items from both the regular Jillian’s menu and the catering
menu. If you weren’t aware that Jillian’s provides both on and offsite catering,
don’t feel alone because I had no idea either. You can rent out a portion of the
restaurant or even the entire establishment for your next event. Jillian’s has
hosted rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions and business meetings.
We started off with the vegetable skewers, bourbon glazed ribs, cornbread
and pork sliders – all items from Jillian’s gourmet catering menu.
The vegetable skewers were filled with grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, green
peppers and red onions and seasoned to a delicious finish. The cornbread was so
fluffy, sweet and moist it had more of a cake texture than conventional cornbread.
It was served with a red pepper apple jelly. One taste of this sweet and spicy
jelly stung my tastebuds with a snappy bite but came back with sweet
undertones. It was different and was a definite favorite in the mix of flavors.
The two bar-b-que items were next on our list. The sliders’ sweet and
tangy flavor made my mouth pucker a bit when it hit the sour dash of pickle and
onion. The bourbon glazed ribs were completely out of this world. Fall off the
bone ribs smothered in BBQ hinted of Kentucky bourbon and were a favorite among
the group.
We sampled some of Jillian’s regular
menu items including a house salad that included fresh salad greens, topped with grape
tomatoes, shredded cheese and crispy tortilla strips. The salad was refreshing
and crisp and the dressing was creamy and flavorful. We also tried the crispy
fried chicken tenders and grilled cheese – both children’s favorites and cheesy
garlic pizza bread. If you really need some pizza with your play, this is the
choice for you. Four primo cheeses are baked onto crispy French bread, topped
with pepperoni and served with marinara dipping sauce. It was a more mature,
gourmet style of “pizza.”
We
rounded out the meal with two chocolatey deserts – the triple chocolate cake
and fried brownie bites. A generous slice of triple-layer chocolate cake filled
with rich, creamy chocolate frosting held a surprise in every bite and the
fried brownie bites consisted of something that is naturally delicious –
brownies – fried. Pure culinary genius. It was a very happy ending.
Looking
back, some of the greatest birthday parties of my life were at Showbiz but
Jillian’s is a great place to make new memories – birthday or not. And with
over 80 regular menu items, 600 high quality banquet items, bowling, ski ball,
video games, flat screen TVs, billiards and lots of family fun it’s a great
place to eat and play. Jillian’s Billiards Club is connected to Ri Ra’s Irish
Pub and like Ri Ra’s is open to those under 21 until 10 p.m. and then is
exclusive to adults. There is a $5.99 lunch special every Monday through Friday
and ½ priced sandwiches on Thursdays. While you are there be sure to have fun
and play with your food!
Comments (
In my younger years a birthday party was a huge
deal. You didn’t get a “friends” party on every birt
