Okay, last week we went to what I believe is Peoria’s oldest pizza parlor/restaurant, Agatucci’s and so I thought we’d mix it up a little bit and go to one of the newer pizza places in town, Sugar, which is located on Adams Street in downtown Peoria. I’ve had the pizza there at a Contributor’s Lunch, so I already know that it’s going to be a tasty treat.
They have a wood-fired stove there that they imported from Italy and the temperature goes all the way up to 1,000 degrees. In a moment inspired by memories of POP magazine’s Teenage, Nukologist, Megan Foster Campbell, I asked them if we could slide Gumby into the oven to see how he would withstand the heat. And being good sports, they agreed to this idea, so let’s go have some pizza and see Gumby getting baked like it’s 1976!
Last time I was here it was in the daytime, I like it much better at night time! It’s not nearly as bright out at night and I like that.
Let’s go in and see what’s shaking in Sugar.
Hey, I think I see a familiar face back there in the darkness...
It’s Jessie, the pretty and friendly manager of Sugar! Great to see her again.
They don’t sell Budweiser here (sob!) but this is the beer that Jessie suggested for me.
Here’s a closer look at the taps, they have a nice selection in here.
It’s all brick and wood in here and has a nice, artsy, downtown bohemian feel to it.
And over there to the right are the two MBIP special guests of honor for the evening...
John and Stacy! Stacy’s an official MBIP pal and John is her friend, so that makes him an MBIP friend as well. See how this works? And just for the record, for once I was a little late and I don’t want to say Stacy read me the riot act, so let’s just say she gave me major shit for it! Not minor shit...major shit! Then we moved on...
And posed for this picture. And there’s Gumby, who’s going to be in the hot seat soon...
But first, we must order, which is done right up here at the counter.
I ordered the BBQ Chicken Pizza and Juan agreed to let me take photos as he assembles the pie.
Wood roasted chicken and carmelized onions are layered on top of the BBQ sauce.
Peppered bacon is now introduced to the mix, looking good!
Then it’s covered with a generous layer of smoked gouda cheese. Looking gouda!
Juan delicately slides it into the oven and he told me that it won’t take long to cook, due to the high temperature of the oven.
He was right, here’s the pizza pie. It looks and smells fantastic!
I’ve added some pepper and hot sauce and it’s time to try pizza number two...
Wow, this pizza is so tasty. The BBQ sauce is tangy with just a hint of sweetness coming through. All the flavors of the chicken, bacon, carmelized onions and melted gouda cheese are doing a nice falvorful dance on my tastebuds. Delicious!
Even though it’s a super thin and crispy crust, no way could I eat the whole pie, so I’ve put the remaining portion in this to-go box and I now turn my attention to...
Gumby! You’ve probably heard of the TV show, “Man Vs. Food,” well, let’s call this, “Gumby Vs. Oven.”
Here’s Gumby loosening up, getting ready for battle! I’m rooting for you, Gumby!
We want to make sure that Gumby doesn’t fall down, so a lot of care and preparation is going into this to make sure he stays upright in his heated journey into what some may call an Italian hell.
And off he goes, stay strong, Gumby!
As he gets closer to the flames, I’m wondering if we’ve maybe made a mistake, but it’s too late to turn back now.
Gumby’s just a silouhette now as he bravely stands at attention in the 1,000 degree heat.
Stacy took a picture of me documenting Gumby in the midst of his heated battle.
We were told that when he started smoking, we had to remove him from the oven and that time is now! (Photo by Stacy.)
Oh no! He fell down on the journey back...it appears we’ve killed Gumby! Sob! I blame myself for allowing him to take part in such a reckless and cheap stunt that was only geared to getting publicity for MBIP...although this should result in getting a shitload of hits! Not that that’s...you know...important to me or anything.
Hold on...Juan took a stick and is standing Gumby up...
He’s alive! He’s also armless and part of his feet are melted, but he’s alive and that freakish Gumby smile is still plastered on his little green face.
I love you, Gumby!
Juan was kind enough to put Gumby in a to-go container so we could transport him safely back to MBIP Headquarters.
I’d say in this episode of “Gumby Vs. Oven,” Gumby wins!
Alright, time to sample the pizza the next day, straight from the fridge, Dad!
Really tasty! I’ve found that the tastes always seem to come out a little more the next day and this is no exception to that saucy rule. Thanks to Gumby for being a good sport about losing his arms and getting his feet and back melted and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
Pizza Rating
Three and a half Chef Boyardees. The pizza there is unbelievable and they get an extra half point for letting us bake Gumby in their imported Italian wood-fired oven. Great sports and even greater pizza!
Sugar
826 SW Adams Street
Peoria
309-676-0848
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Related Post: MBIP Year of Pizza @ Agatucci’s.