Last year around this time, I wrote about a corned beef dinner held every year in tiny Campus, Ill.

Lots of folks made the trek out there, including Brendan and myself, and discovered just how good this dinner was and what’s so special about their warm mustard sauce.

A reader named Mary enjoyed the meal so much she called me today asking when they would be having it this year. Here’s the scoop, thanks to a reader named Sue:

“The dinner is Sunday, March 14, from 2 to 6 p.m., at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Campus.

As always, it is corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, sides, drink, dessert and our special mustard sauce, all for $8 adults and $3 children 6-12. (Kids 5 and under are free).

There will also be a 50/50 drawing at 6 p.m.

Hope to see everyone there!”

Sacred Heart Church is at 290 Elm St. To get there, take Illinois 17 almost to Dwight, turn left onto N. 3300 E. Road, and drive south for 5 miles into Campus.

Carry-outs are available.

The St. Anne Masonic Lodge will be holding a biscuit and gravy breakfast on Saturday (March 13) from 7 to 11 a.m. It will be held at 80 E. 1st St. in Chebanse.

Cost is $5 for adults, $2 for children 6-12, and free for kids under 6.

I am compiling a list of restaurants that will be open for Easter. Please leave a comment below if you have information to share.

I’ve heard that a new restaurant and bar will be opening this month in downtown Herscher. If you have any details, particularly the name and phone number of the owner, please call me at (815) 937-3374.

The Knights of Columbus (187 S. Indiana Ave.) in Kankakee will be offering a St. Patrick’s Day lunch on March 17. Here are the details I received:

What: Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with lunch at the Knights of Columbus

Where: Knights of Columbus Casey Club Room, 1st floor, in Kankakee

When: Wednesday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m.

Have you made your picks in Pub Madness yet?

Round 1 of the online contest ends tomorrow (Sunday), and Round 2 begins Monday.

To enter, go to i57life.com/win, or click here: http://kankakee.upickem.net/upickem/registration/login.asp?contestid=14725

Pub Madness is a bracket-style tournament in which 40 area taverns are competing for the title of best local bar. The winner of each random pairing is determined by user votes, and the winner then advances to the next round, until we have a champion. As a player, you get to vote on all the pairings, which are divided into four conferences.

To keep up on our latest online contests, become a fan of i57life.com on Facebook.

Here’s information on a spaghetti supper fundraiser:

“St. Paul’s Lutheran School is holding their annual Spaghetti Supper on Saturday, March 13th, from 4 to 6 p.m.

On the menu is spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, breadsticks, dessert and beverages.

The public is welcome for this all-you-can-eat supper! Funds raised at this event are used to purchase educational materials for the classrooms.

Tickets are available at the door for $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 12 and under.

The school is located at 1780 Career Center Road, Bourbonnais. Come join us!”

Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jimmy Jo’s BBQ (665 N. Covent) in Bourbonnais is offering grilled or blackened salmon and grilled or blackened shrimp skewers during Lent.

They also will be serving smoked corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.

For coupons, visit Jimmy Jo’s Let’s Eat Out page.

French Toast, a new breakfast and lunch restaurant, is expected to open next month at 161 E. Bethel in Bourbonnais, in space formerly occupied by Cheezer’s Pizza.

It will be “a gourmet cafe without the gourmet price,” according to owner Heather Lavine.

The breakfast menu includes waffles, crepes, pancakes, omelets and french toast, of course. Omelet fillings include fresh crab or smoked salmon.

Specialty breakfast items high on my must-try list are the spinach and feta hash browns, creme brulee french toast, and verde chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made with corn tortillas and green salsa.

Lunch offerings include a roasted portabella ciabatta sandwich and a croque-monsieur, a ham and cheese sandwich that’s dipped in batter and then grilled.

Lavine’s vision is for a restaurant similar to Toast, her favorite Lincoln Park cafe. She’s hired chef Justin Daniels to help develop the menu and lead the kitchen.

French Toast will lean toward the healthy, with some gluten-free and some organic items, and focus on quality, homemade ingredients. Dressings and sauces will be made from scratch, Lavine says, and pastries, breads and granola will be homemade on site.

Hours will likely be 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lavine hopes to open sometime in April.