June is having an exceptional year, despite an economic downturn, said owner and executive chef Josh Adams.
The Peoria Heights restaurateur brags that in the past six months, the restaurant has had only five or six slow nights. 
“It has exceeded our expectations,” Adams said.

A slow road
The restaurant is the sole food operation in the area using the souseide cooking method — essentially the slow cooking of food in a heated water bath.  And, when Adams says slow, he means slooooow.
“We have short ribs we cook at 140 degrees for 72 hours. We cook steak at 135 degrees for two hours. Chicken is cooked at 155 degrees for 15 hours,” Adams said. “An egg is cooked for one hour and 45 minutes.”
And, it is not just the food that has taken time to prepare. Opening the restaurant and getting his career off the ground, Adams said, also took some time.
Opening the restaurant took about nine months. That was largely due to a custom-made oven and other equipment.The restaurant boasts an oven made in France that took five months to complete. But, that was lightning quick compared to the path Adams took to Peoria Heights.
Adams found the kitchen at the age of 10 in a cooking class. Then, during a meal at Charlie Trotter’s, he found his calling.
Adams, according to his bio, went to both the French Culinary Institute and ICC’s culinary arts program. 
In January 2007, he began work at Vie in suburban Chicago.
It was at this restaurant he was introduced to the farm- fresh approach.
Under his mentors, Adams said he found his style — one he calls a “unique blend of farm direct and molecular gastronomy.”
 Adams said he wants to preserve and accentuate the natural properties of the ingredients through “precision” cooking techniques. 

Style
“The overall concept of farm to table is what makes us unique," Adams said. “We use the best quality ingredients. We offer something very healthy, but also unique. Our more modern cooking techniques and an open kitchen are attracting people.”
Adams said his style is different than most in the Peoria area, but it is appreciated, he said.
Adams contracts with farmers within a 40 mile radius to supply his vegetables and fruits.
Adams uses only line- caught fish shipped fresh to the restaurant. He uses the ink from squid to color his pasta black.
“That is different,” Adams said.
“Chicago is the only place around here you can find what we’re doing. What we are doing is growing in popularity across the country, but it is still in its infancy.”
Adams said his restaurant’s success has illustrated something he believed about Peorians — that they are more adventurous than the meat and potatoes reputation they have.
“I think people in the past fit that mold because they didn’t have the opportunity to be adventurous,” Adams said.
“They are getting adventurous now. Steak is not even our best seller. We sell much more seafood. We’ve tried raw scallops on the menu, which you might think would not sell in Peoria. We’ve sold a ton of them.”
Adams said what Peorians are discovering is that they do not have to have a cuisine- educated palate to enjoy fine dining.
“For many, their education starts here,” Adams said. “Everyone can have a good experience here. Good food is appreciated by everyone. There’s something here for everyone.”