Best Bites column (July 16)
Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in the July 16 edition of The Daily Journal:
A new bar, Escape, opened last week at 383 W. Station St. in Kankakee. Now owned by Jason Beckner, the bar most recently was The Alamo. It’s open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. (Thanks to a reader named Steve for that tip.)
***
Big Randy’s Bar & Grill in Kankakee reportedly closed July 3. (Thanks to a reader named Tom for that tip.)
***
Funny story about Big Randy’s: When Brendan and I got married in 2007, we found ourselves with time to kill between the ceremony and the reception, and a limo at our disposal. We thought it would be fun to recreate, in part, our first date. So, along with Brendan’s brother Matt, we first headed to the bar inside the Hilton Garden Inn in Kankakee. That was my home (the hotel, not the bar) for the first seven weeks I lived here, and I was sitting at the bar drinking a Rolling Rock when Brendan walked into the lobby and we first saw each other. Our second stop was Big Randy’s, because that’s where we had stopped for a nightcap on our way home from dinner. Imagine the surprise of the bartender and the three or so customers when I walked through the door on that beautiful Saturday afternoon in my wedding dress followed by two guys in tuxes.
***
Funny story #2: A complete recreation of our first date would have also involved a trip to Ray’s Ranchhouse. After Brendan picked me up at the Hilton that first night, we headed out Illinois Route 17 toward Essex. I had only lived here about a month, and as we kept passing field after field I started to get nervous and tried to recall who I had told about this date so if I went missing the next day they would know where to look for my body. Good thing he turned out to be a nice guy!
***
The Ray Cafe & Coffee House in Manteno has also closed. In an e-mail to customers, manager Bob Pierce wrote, “My staff and I appreciate the support that you gave us and the friendships that we made. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon.” Also closed is Aqueous Ideas, which shared space with the cafe and gave it such a peaceful ambiance.
***
Do you remember a Bradley restaurant by the name of Mother McGee’s? The now-demolished building was near Illinois Route 50 and North Street, where the Arby’s parking lot is today. It was reportedly a popular restaurant in the 1980s, and the man behind the kitchen door went by the nickname Chef Garibaldi. Chef Garibaldi (a.k.a. Gary Paruszkiewicz) will be making a comeback on Saturday at Rondinella’s Italian Imports in Bradley. Starting around 1 p.m., he’ll be preparing ham Florencia pasta salad, a Sicilian potato salad and a “sanguige,” which is his own version of the classic muffaletta sandwich. Rondinella’s is at 189 N. Kinzie Ave., which is about one block south of North Street on the west side of the road.
***
Great Steak & Potato Company at Northfield Square Mall has started offering delivery to Bradley and Bourbonnais. The service costs 75ยข and is available 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. To order, call (815) 932-5177. (Thanks to a reader named Dan for that tip.)
***
Two area businesses have new summer offerings. Aava Java in Bourbonnais is now serving iced tea, lemon shake-ups and chicken salad on a croissant. In Manteno, PJ’s Ice Cream & Coffee has a new custom flavor. Pink Grapefruit Gelato is made exclusively for them and I’m told it’s “sweet, tart, smooth and extremely refreshing.”
Denise and Brendan Olszewski live in Bourbonnais. Denise can be reached at drenckens@daily-journal.com.
