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

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Big Randy’s Bar & Grill reopened today at 2212 W. Station St. in Kankakee.

Owner Randy Aitken said he closed the restaurant in July due to the sluggish economy but wants to give it another try.

The kitchen is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The menu hasn’t changed, with offerings such as burgers, sandwiches and wraps. Specials include 25¢ wings from 5 to 10 p.m. on Mondays, and $1 burgers from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Big Randy’s Bar & Grill can be reached at (815) 614-3091.

(Thanks to Mike Frey, Metro Editor at The Daily Journal, for that tip.)

A reader named Elizabeth called to tell me about Chatterbox Cafe (140 S. Schuyler Ave.) in Bradley. She says they have great food and service, and her favorite dish is The “Mess.” It’s a combination of scrambled eggs, American fries, onions, green peppers and meat (your choice of sausage, bacon and/or ham), which is then covered in sausage gravy. It comes in full and half portions, and after trying it for myself, and can tell you that the half order is very generous and plenty for most appetites.

Chatterbox Cafe is “a friendly place to chat and enjoy home cooking at its finest,” according to the menu. It’s open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Delivery is available. Their phone is (815) 937-4402.

Cheezer’s Pizza in Bourbonnais closed Dec. 13. The new Cheezer’s Pizza Buffet should open shortly after the first of the year.

The new location is at 906 N. Convent St., in the new Promenade of Bourbonnais strip mall. That’s only 100 yards or so from their old home, at 161 Bethel Dr.

The buffet will include salad bar, soup, pasta, at least 10 different pizzas, a dessert bar, and kid-friendly food, like macaroni & cheese and French fries. Carryout will still be available.

The new space will have seating for 100 and have a 50’s diner-themed decor.

Read my post from Oct. 14 for more details.

The new Liquor Zone (963 N. Convent St.) in Bourbonnais won’t be open for Christmas or New Year’s, but it should open early next month.

I spoke with Peter Vachhani, one of the owners, on Tuesday. He said they hope to be ready to open within the first or second weeks of January.

Peter and Lucky Vachhani also own Liquor World in Kankakee.

Read my post from Oct. 12 for more details.

Firehouse Twenty-Eight Cafe opened three weeks ago at 28 N. Dixie Highway in Momence. The firefighter themed restaurant is currently serving breakfast, and will start serving lunch and dinner in January.

Breakfast is currently served from 6 to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sunday. “It is a simple menu and our most expensive breakfast is $3.50,” according to John Sokol, the owner.

Starting next month, John will take over the kitchen currently leased to Soul da Soul. Firehouse will then remain open until 1 p.m. daily to serve lunch, and will be open from about 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for dinner. (Exact hours are still being worked out.)

John also owns The Border Town Pub, which is next door at 22 N. Dixie Highway. The bar is open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day except Sunday, when it’s open from from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Food is served until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Border Town has been open for eight years. Regular customers will notice remodeling inside. The work was completed at the same time as the work on Firehouse Twenty-eight Cafe.

Both businesses can be reached at (815) 472-4340.

Momence is only 8 miles from Bourbonnais. Now that 3000 N. Road goes all the way through to Momence, it’s an easy and quick drive. (MapQuest, Rand McNalley and Google maps don’t show that the road goes through, but trust me, it does, and has for probably two years.) Go east on Armour Road, which becomes 3000 N. Road, which becomes E. 2nd Street once you get into Momence. To get to Firehouse or Border Town, turn right when you get to Dixie Highway and go about 2 blocks south. I believe they’re on the east side of the road.

Here’s more info from the Firehouse and Border Town Web sites:

“Tucked away in a little border town from the early 1800’s on historic Dixie Highway is a little hideaway called Border Town Pub, a great place to eat, drink & have fun!

Step through the doorway and slip into the past, as we have remodeled and brought back some of the original beauty of these two late 1800s buildings, including real hardwood floors, the original crown moldings and tin ceilings.

Our pub is home to great food, always at a great price! Awesome burgers, BBQ pulled pork & rib tips, Italian beef, fried chicken, award-winning wings and more. We also have your favorite appetizers & pizza served all the time.

With our new expansion and the addition of Firehouse Twenty-Eight we now offer a private sit-down dining area with its own entrance. This nostalgic firefighter themed café is open daily and available for private parties.

If entertainment is what you seek, we have a new dance-floor with an amazing light show and a state of the art digital sound system. We offer music for everyone’s taste and over 25,000 Karaoke songs.

Our TouchTunes™ Juke Box gives you access to 2 million songs from the 50’s-Today! Play interactive Nintendo WII™ games on our 72″ projection big screen TV. Enjoy some of the best Video Games, shoot Darts or play a game or two of Pool. We even have free Wi-Fi Internet.

We have all your favorite food, beer, liquor & frozen drinks. Last but not least, enjoy one of our famous martinis or experience one of our top shelf tequilas. Not only are they all good, they’re affordable!

You can visit the pub @ www.BorderTownPub.com and the Cafe @ www.Firehouse28.com.”

Schoop’s Hamburgers (515 S. Main St.) in Bourbonnais will be open New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to  9 p.m.

Also, Schoop’s will start picking a monthly winner of a $25 dinner certificate. To enter, fill out a form with your name, address and phone number and drop it in a jar at the counter.

PJ’s Ice Cream & Coffee in Manteno will be closed from Dec. 31 to Jan. 7. They will reopen Jan. 8 at 5 p.m.

Here are restaurants I know of that will be open on Christmas Eve:

• The Bennett-Curtis House in Grant Park will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. offering its full menu, plus a host of specials.

• Tucci’s (1560 N. State Route 50) in Bradley will be open until 9 p.m.

• America’s Bistro in Kankakee will be open from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. Call (815) 932-6795 for reservations.

• One Sixty Four North in Kankakee will be open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. A full menu is available and reservations can be made at 164north.com or by calling 815-936-0164

• BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery in Bourbonnais will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations can be made for parties of 8 or more by calling 815-936-9277.

• RiverBend Bar & Grill (6070 E. State Route 17) will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ADDED 12-21-09)

• The Homestead (1230 S. East Ave.) in Kankakee will be open until 8 p.m. (ADDED 12-22-09)

• Chicago Dough in Bourbonnais will be open until 8 p.m. (ADDED 12-22-09)