ARDOR Breads and Provisions — Restaurant in Peoria

Never in my life has a server made me feel like I was being watched awkwardly and mistrusted while in the restaurant.

I ordered the bread and butter with jelly. My son, I got him the chocolate pudding pastry. A few friends of mine, a couple, newly married decided to join me as I wanted to celebrate them. We all woke up late and just wanted coffee and some bakery items. Of course it's per person ordered, well I ordered for myself. Without even getting my own saucer set at the table my friend asked the waiter to bring a few plates bc the server didn't get me my plate yet. One for me and for my son as well. I shouldn't have to explain who or why someone gets a saucer. If we want side plates I damn well better be able to have one without explanation. How rude was it to make us feel as you withheld the plates until I tell you who is eating bread? He asked who would be eating bread? All I asked was for a saucer, I don't need to tell you how many are eating bread bc I ordered for 1 clearly. I said it's my order. I shouldn't have to tell you who is eating one and I damn well should be able to give a slice to my 5 year old. We felt we were being watched the entire meal. My friend asked, if I don't finish my bread won't she bring it home either way, so why must I feel this way while I am a paying customer just trying to have a sit down with some coffee and enjoy it. If I want to later offer to my friend, I should be able to break bread. And it was the Sabbath too! How insane!

I went to the bakery and asked him to explain bc clearly after two communications the server didn't understand that just bc you can order for 1+ or 3+ people, that after I order for myself I have to tell you if I'm going to share my bread. The bakery thought it was the strangest question, that I would have to ask permission to share my bread. If I ordered a sandwich and decided to cut it in half and share it, would you tell me then that I would be charged for an additional person? No! When it hit the table, the order amount of bread was what was served for me. Whoever I decide can have a slice of it is my decision and I should not be questioned in front of my guests. On top of that when I asked the baker to confirm and ask the manager to explain this to me, the manager didn't even approach our table. The server clearly had no understanding of how out of place and step he was. Then the server comes up to our table to tell me, we charge per person again , as if he was correct and in his rights to make our table feel this way. Yeah buddy, I ordered for myself. Then he told me I won't charge your son for his bread this time. Like what the what? My friend was still barely woken by this round and upset too, he couldn't even enjoy his coffee all bc I said pls have some of my bread and the server said he would charge my guest if he grabbed one. What kind of world is this turning into? I can't break bread with a friend after I order for myself and somehow I'm supposed to act like a hoarder and eat it all or get charged? I will never support this place again. Absolutely ridiculous. Over bread for Goodness sake. Count y'all's grains bc they are def. counting...

Honestly, this restaurant doesn’t need our review. There is nothing that hasn’t already been said and by much more respected professionals. However, the experience we had is something we still feel needs to be shared to simply show our appreciation and gratitude. The food was wonderful, well above the upscale bar food that seems to encompass Peoria.

Chef Cody gave us a mixture of classics reinvented and new/unique flavors/ingredients to experience. Such a wonderful and welcome departure from common Peoria cuisine.

Christian was a wonderful first impression. His ability to make sure everyone who enters feels not only welcomed but appreciated/valued/recognized…is the perfect start to anyone’s meal. He continued to manage the room where when you looked around everyone seemed to be having a lovely time.

Kostas’s knowledge and curated wine menu was above and beyond expectations. The thoughtfulness to have a wide range of diverse options, including affordable selections, of wine you won’t find at a local store didn’t go unnoticed. His pairing recommendation was delightful and we will be seeking it out to enjoy in our home.

Sydney, for it being her first night on the floor solo, she was incredible. Her showing clearly demonstrated how well she’d been trained and that Ardor keeps the entire experience in mind. Her willingness to admit when she didn’t know the answer but would find out was refreshing. We asked a lot of inquiring questions she probably wouldn’t normally get and it didn’t seem to phase her. Her overall knowledge, on top of her ability to read our needs, was apparent. It’s rare to find that type of service in Peoria.

Marco was often subtle enough he might be missed, but when he actively engaged his presence was heartwarming and knowledgeable. We aren’t sure of his exact role in the dining room, but he seamlessly filled the spaces in between servers & runners and ensured everyone had an enjoyable experience through thoughtful management of the subtleties in dining that often go overlooked; but make all the difference for the experience.

The food is absolutely worth it, but we were most impressed by the service and overall quality of our experience. A true restaurant isn’t just about the food. Far too many places forget this but luckily Ardor makes sure it is an experience, not just a meal to remember. We could not be more honored to have them settle in Peoria, and although a bit heartbreaking, we know it will become increasingly harder to get a...

Ardor was my favorite place to go for a long time, but it has had a very significant downhill trend lately.

To start, the menu rotates far too regularly and usually at the expense of items I enjoy. I enjoyed the brown butter fries and then next week they were gone. I enjoyed the pork burger for the majority of the time the business has been open. Suddenly, that left the menu and was replaced by an $18 cheeseburger that did not taste good at all.

The prices at Ardor have always been high, but I'm willing to pay a premium for the quality they used to deliver.

Further dragging the experience down, twice now the kitchen has implemented a no customization policy. They gave it up the first time when it was clearly an incredibly bad decision, but recently brought this stupid policy back. They will not remove items, even if you have an allergy to something. The same $18 burger came out covered in a metric ton of garnishes and other items I do not enjoy the taste of that left their residue on the burger, ruining it. It ended up somehow tasting like a McDonald's burger. There is no world where I'm paying $18 for a McDonald's burger.

Finally, the new hidden 15% fee on pickup orders is INSANITY. The backlash online for this practice is well deserved. The response of, "We're just trying to provide for our staff," is inane. If you want to provide for your staff, you could pay them a living wage to begin with. You definitely charge enough for that to be a thing. A little acrylic placard saying that you'll remove the hidden fee if asked is a dishonest business practice and one I cannot abide by. If I want to leave a 15% tip, I'll do it of my own volition. To be tricked into paying 15% for someone to simply bag an item that was already there is ludicrous and is clearly meant to prey on people in a hurry.

In short, there is a chance Ardor turns around their recent shortcomings. If so, I'll gladly change my review. However, I won't pretend like I am not disappointed since this spot was my go to. I haven't been in weeks, and I have no current intentions on returning with the way the place is...