Published in The Daily Journal March 22, 2013
Last week, my taste buds went on a vacation — a vacation to paradise.
Imagine sipping some of the finest wines and sampling some of the most exquisite fare right in our own community. My palate hasn’t been this excited since we found Salt of the Earth restaurant in Fennville, Mich.
Flight 102 Wine Bar owners, Brian and Kelly St. Aubin, have created a quintessential blend of atmosphere, food and wine. The name itself comes from the word “flight,” which is a term for tasting several wines, and “102″ for the establishment’s location on State Route 102 in Bourbonnais.
Chef David Basile pairs his food with some of the most delicious wines in the world, and he pairs them perfectly. The cuisine is served as small plates, a miniature version of an entree — very European.
For starters, try the Hummus Three Ways — a pita waffle cone served with roasted red pepper hummus, traditional roasted olives and feta cheese.
One of the small plates we tried was the housemade pappardelle – roasted cherry tomatoes with wild mushrooms, garlic, white wine cream sauce, shaved fresh Romano cheese and micro basil served over homemade noodles. Chef paired this with the Raymond R. Chardonnay wine, and it was delicious. The flavors exploded in my mouth.
Another sampling was seared white fish served with forbidden rice, braised fennel, roasted tomatoes, nage brown butter foam, herb salad and a grilled baguette. Chef David paired this with a Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay, a delicate pairing for fish.
The seared pork belly is made with maple-glazed baby carrots, butternut puree, Brussels sprout leaves, cippolini onions, preserved lemon, smoked paprika and coral.
The Charcuterie Plate includes soppressata (Italian dry salami), capicola and imported prosciutto with garnishes.
Wines come from California, Italy and France and range from light to full-bodied, even sparkling. Flight 102 also serves red and white house wines. The Chateau Haut Peyruguet is excellent. Wine flights (a flight is a sampling of three glasses of wine) include Chardonnay, Cabernet, Old World and the You’re Not Sweet Enough.
Flight 102 Wine Bar is at 565 Main St. NW in Bourbonnais, just east of the Jewel-Osco. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. It is closed to the public Sunday and Monday, but open for private parties. Call 815-556-9463.
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Owner Newton Hood said his restaurant, Caribbean Delite, is merging with Pizza Pan, 481 S. Main St., Bourbonnais, and its owners, Howard Hertzberg and M. J. Abraham. Hood said his restaurant at 559 E. Court St., Kankakee, will remain open, and he will be serving his wonderful menu items at the Pizza Pan, as well. The merger will take place in a few weeks.
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Did you know there is a little cafe, Chloe’s Cafe, right inside Riverside Health Fitness Center in Bourbonnais? I didn’t. Dave Dickerson, of Bourbonnais, recommends it.
Owner Threasa Doyle said anyone can come for breakfast or lunch. You don’t need to be a member. She makes her own homemade soups with fresh vegetables. All her salad sandwiches, such as tuna, egg and chicken, are homemade, as are her side salads. Threasa uses Weight Watchers and heart-healthy cookbooks, so you know her food is healthy.
She also recently ordered a new frozen yogurt called Only 8. It’s a soft-serve yogurt that is safe for diabetics — only seven carbs, two sugars and 33 calories in a half-cup serving.
Runners will enjoy the high-protein burrito made with scrambled eggs, homemade refried beans and cheese on a flour tortilla. Or try the two-egg omelet with your choice of three ingredients — just $3.50 — or two multigrain pancakes for $2.50.
Chloe’s Cafe is at 100 Fitness Drive, Bourbonnais. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. To learn more, call 815-929-1200 ext. 251.
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Karen Schmidt, of Kankakee River North Dining & Banquets, said the Freight House Pub, which used to be upstairs at the restaurant, has moved downstairs and is offering new menu items. The restaurant is also serving a fish fry basket with fries and homemade tangy coleslaw through Lent.
Kankakee River North Dining & Banquets and Freight House Pub are at 555 S. West Avenue, Kankakee. Call 815-939-1210.
Best Bites appears every Friday in The Daily Journal. Tinker Parker can be reached at 815-802-5101, at bestbites@daily-journal.com, or follow her on Facebook at Facebook.com/TDJBestBites.