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Gallagher's is an American restaurant located in Waterloo, Illinois. It serves burgers, pastas, steaks and other American fare.

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Popping up from the farmers' fields about halfway between Waterloo and Valmeyer, Dreamland Palace occupies an 1875-vintage building that once served as a tavern, general store and post office at a stagecoach stop for folks traveling to and from the mighty Mississippi. The space is crowded with clocks and tapestries and such but not overly kitschy, and owners Mike and Joan Lang have parlayed Joan's family recipes into a pleasing menu of German favorites.

Niall Campbell has cooked in New England, Puerto Rico and California, but he and his wife, Kristie, decided to open Firefly Grill in wee Effingham, Illinois. The result is worth the nearly two-hour drive from St. Louis: a beautiful, eco-friendly restaurant serving classic American bistro fare, much of it grown in the restaurant's own garden or sourced locally. Steaks and pork chops are grilled over oak, and pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven. Unusual dishes like elk and upscale takes on crab rangoon fill out the lengthy, oft-changing menu.

Blue Springs Café, whose sister restaurant is Diamond Mineral Springs, serves up home-style cooking. Choices include fried chicken, livers, roast beef and meat loaf. On the weekends guests can enjoy chicken and dumplings. Meals are family-style, which includes beets, coleslaw, applesauce, mashed potatoes and green beans. For lunch, diners will find sandwiches as well as "blue-plate specials." Dessert at Blue Springs features the restaurant's famous "foot-high" pies.