There is a perception of a food critic sneaking into a restaurant incognito, discreetly eating and publishing an honest [sometimes harsh] write-up in a large magazine or newspaper.
The critic’s review, it’s thought, can make or break an establishment. While this might still happen in big cities and on TV shows, Central Illinois food writing does not have an institutional arm. Facebook pages, Yelp reviews and blogs have guided Central Illinois diners’ tastes for years.
Larry Carius died earlier this year. He was a retired McLean County health inspector and proprietor of the popular Facebook page Bloomington-Normal Restaurant Scene. His page was known for its business-first info on new restaurants, ownership changes and other practical insider info on the local restaurant world.
The Facebook page covered all things Central Illinois food with a no-nonsense approach. Carius’ page is remembered for its telegraph press-release-announcement style posts focusing on the comings and goings of the local food scene. Carius had a pulse on the local restaurant beat. He knew the right people to talk to and always seemed to get the scoop early. Openings, closings, management changes. In an industry where the only constant is change, he was on top of the insider info.
Conspicuously absent in Carius’ posts were descriptions or opinions on the quality of the food. The taste, presentation and style; the creative distinctives that get chefs out of bed in the morning — these were of secondary importance to Carius, a truly Midwestern man.
With his page dormant, other voices in the area—with their own flavor—are emerging to help local diners decide where to eat.
One of these voices is the Facebook page Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois run by friends and foodies Terry Fitts and John Malkin. Their approach is very different from Carius’, taking a hands-on, media-heavy approach focusing on food quality and regional establishments.
Central Illinois is known for its abundance of chain restaurants, but as more eateries open with an emphasis on quality and hospitality, and as people become more selective on eating out due to economic pressures, food-focused writing and blogging like Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois help diners decide which establishments to frequent. Since “blogs” are now an underused relic of the recent past and no local news outlets employ a dedicated food writer, citizen-critics take to Facebook to cover the food scene.
Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois
The Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois page aims to explore “the vibrant food scene, spotlight local chefs, hidden gems, spirits, and delicious foodie events.” Their page, which launched early in 2025, is just picking up steam with 2,400 followers. The content is a mix of food-forward reviews, videos and giveaways. You won’t find the same inside baseball business talk Carius became known for. Instead, there are visceral reviews and an emphasis on the experience of dining out.
The Culinary Chronicles review process is nothing like that of the incognito food writer of the past. When Fitts and Malkin visit a restaurant, you know they’re there. They intentionally seek out the owner or manager, take photos and videos of food and diner alike, and even attempt to collaborate with the restaurant on a gift card giveaway.
And you won’t find a negative review on their page. They prefer to keep it positive.
I met John and Terry the next week at another local establishment, Acres Inn in Pontiac. Acres Inn is a small cafe, market and restaurant that prioritizes local and artisan food. Chef/owner Jake Haag has a vision to “bring local, high-quality ingredients to Central Illinois and create excellent, unique dishes.”
As we ate, Fitts—a gregarious extroverted personality—began walking around the establishment taking photos and chatting with the manager.
“We do it all: photo, video, giveaways and write-ups,” he said.
Their review process is anything but discrete, usually involving [if allowed] a trip to the kitchen and chats with staff.
“We try to give owners a heads up, but we do make cold calls,” Fitts said.
Fitts and Malkin asked the Acres Inn staff for recommendations, as we settled on a few staples: the Acres Double, a Korean chicken sandwich, house-made pimento and house-made cheese curds. While Fitts is the main photographer and videographer, Malkin is the primary writer.
“I like to let the experience guide me, every one of my reviews is different,” Malkin said.
After soliciting gift cards for giveaways on their Facebook page [Acres Inn declined] and taking a few more photos, the duo headed back to Bloomington to put their review together, with the promise of a post within 24 hours.
And they're not the only ones helping foodies find their next meal. Eat Local - Bloomington-Normal is another popular Facebook page.
Difficult decisions
As food prices continue to rise and dining out becomes a more serious financial consideration for many, hospitality, locality and food quality continue to factor more prominently into the decision making of local diners.
As chefs and diners alike continue to choose quality over convenience and discover the abundance of great produce and meat from farms like Henry’s Farm in Congerville, Downriver Farm in Benson and Spence Farm in Fairbury that historically supply their organic produce to high-end Chicagoland restaurants, Central Illinois should expect to see more restaurants creating high-quality culinary experiences and more writers taking hospitality seriously to help navigate the burgeoning local food scene.
The role of the critic, wrote music critic Griel Marcus, is “not just to tell the truth, but to find the words and arrangements of words to make the hidden clear, the forbidden plain, the argument not just convincing, but, as thinking, thinking in public, which is what critics pay themselves to do, thrilling on its own terms.”
As restaurants come and go, diners will continue to look to bloggers, critics and influencers to think, judge and hopefully, sometimes, thrill.
