Print column for April 16, 2009
Best Bites appears in The Daily Journal every Thursday. Here’s today’s column:
One of my favorite things to do in this column is help spread the word about “secret” places to grab a meal, and here’s a recommendation that’s long overdue: Country Fruit Market, which includes Cakes ‘N Lace Bakery and Country Florals and Gifts, has a deli counter that’s open seven days a week. Hours for the store and deli are both 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The store is at 1695 S. Schuyler Ave. in Kankakee, making it one of the few places to grab food once you head south over the river. The menu features a variety of sandwiches, from the basic (turkey, ham or roast beef), to traditional (Italian beef and barbecue pork), to subs and clubs. They also serve hot dogs, Polish sausage, tamales, daily specials, soups and salads.
Owned by Dick and Sharon Panozzo, the store is an eclectic mix of edible, smell-able and plant-able items, plus home decor and gift items. Besides the deli, notable offerings in the edible category include fresh and dried fruit, a large selection of cheeses, deli meats and smoked salmon, gourmet jellies, and confections. In the latter category, I recommend the chocolate-covered cashew crunch, which tastes very much like English toffee.
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If you’ve never been to Country Fruit Market, Sunday would be a great day to go, as that’s the annual spring open house. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be an orchestra, petting zoo, barbecue and samples of their food products. You can also stock up on garden goodies, of course.
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While you’ve got your calendar out, here are a couple other events of note:
* Saturday is the grand opening for Spinner’s Tailspin Inn in Kankakee. Festivities will include free food starting at noon, $1 well shots and a chance to win a boat or an airplane ride. The Tailspin, formerly Heather’s Tap, is at 1895 S. Schuyler Ave.
* On April 25, the Kankakee County Spring Farmers Market opens. This early in the year you can expect vendors to mostly be offering plants.
* X-Line Sportsman’s Club in Kankakee is holding their annual chili cook-off on April 26, and there’s still time to enter. It costs $10 to participate, and all the money will be redistributed as first-, second- and third-place prizes. I’m not sure if last year’s winners (Rich “Bones” Huffman of Bradley, Nick Monacelli of Kankakee and Leanne Provost of St. Anne) will be returning to defend their titles, but the more competitors there are the more fun it is. The cooking starts at 9 a.m. and concludes at noon, when the judges will do their thing. Then, as in past years, the public can enjoy the fruits of the competition. $5 gets you a trip through the line, where you can sample any or all of the entries, or grab a hot dog. The public tasting will go until 4 p.m. To enter the competition, call LeRoy Smith at (815) 935-9700.
* Also on April 26, I’m due to have a baby! No, that’s not food related, and I certainly don’t expect you to actually put it on your calendar, but it’s my way of giving everyone fair warning that this column will be taking a short hiatus at some point soon.
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While I’m sharing personal information, here’s a story about Cakes ‘N Lace Bakery, mentioned above: When Brendan and I got married in October of 2007, our wedding cake (carrot with buttercream icing and cream cheese filling) came from Cakes ‘N Lace. Not only was it delicious the day of the wedding, but on our one-year anniversary we followed tradition by unwrapping a frozen portion, and much to our surprise, it was STILL fabulous. That somewhat made up for the fact that I had to wash it down with sparkling grape juice instead of the bottle of Dom Perignon we’d received as a wedding gift!
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The Ray Cafe & Coffee House (150 North Prairieview Dr.) in Manteno now offers their sandwiches on 100 percent stone-ground whole wheat wraps. Free delivery is available. To order, call (815) 468-0511.
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Denise Renckens, general manager of MyKankakeeCounty.com, has a Best Bites blog on that Web site. Check it out daily for new information, plus photos and videos. She can be reached at drenckens@daily-journal.com.
