Best Bites column (Dec. 3)
Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal:
If you’re looking for a restaurant with lots of character, take a drive out to Station Street Pub (101 W. Station St.) in St. Anne.
Among the reasons to visit:
* It’s rumored that Sonny, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Scott, has a photographic memory when it comes to names, and there’s a very good chance she’ll remember yours if you’ve been there before.
* Sonny also has a penchant for singing karoake, and she sings Happy Birthday to any guest upon request.
* You might get lucky and receive a specially marked dinner plate. Stickers on the bottoms of random entrees tell you if you’ve won a free dessert or even a free steak dinner.
* The menu includes main course dishes such as grilled pork chops, New York strip and spaghetti. There’s also pizza, sandwiches and salads. Weekly specials include Taco Wednesday, all-you-can-eat perch on Friday, and alternating barbecue ribs or prime rib on Saturday.
* And last, but not least, actor and comedian Norm MacDonald has stopped there twice, most recently in October.
Sonny and Scott Albert have owned the bar and restaurant since September of 2003. Earlier that year they were in England, where Scott was stationed in the U.S. military, when they found the business listed for sale on eBay. Scott was close to retiring and they were searching for a business to keep them busy afterward. Sonny’s father is from Ottawa, so the location was near family. They were still in England on June 14, 2003, when the purchase became official. They moved here and opened the restaurant in a matter of weeks.
So how did Norm MacDonald find his way there? Apparently he has connections to the Hoekstra family, many of whom live in the area and eat at Station Street. If you don’t believe me that Norm was actually there, Sonny has a photo as proof.
Station Street Pub opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (The bar stays open later.) It’s closed Sunday and Monday.
For more information, call (815) 422-0398.
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Two new restaurants are expected to open soon. Savannah’s, a Southern bistro/coffee house, will be at 2005 W. Court St. in Kankakee, in the space formerly occupied by Devon’s Bakery and Cafe. El Mexicano is at 503 Riverstone Parkway, Suite 201, in Kankakee. I’ll post more details on my blog (blogs.i57life.com/dining) as soon as I have them, and in my column next week.
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Bill’s Diner (597 S. Kennedy Dr.) in Bradley has new winter hours. They are now open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. They can be reached at (815) 935-2064.
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Rondinella’s Italian Imports & Deli (189 N. Kinzie, Bradley) will be offering samples of smoked ham and smoked pork loin on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The specialty meat can be ordered for the holidays. Call (815) 933-0080 for more information.
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Dinner by Design (1230 N. Convent St.) in Bourbonnais will also have a special taste-and-order event on Saturday. They’ve partnered with Sweet Gatherings of New Lennox and will be offering samples of desserts and other sweets from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call (815) 802-2003 for more information.
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I’ve been sharing contact information for vendors of the Kankakee County Farmers Market. Here are three more that offer online ordering during the winter or have restaurants that are open year-round:
* The Cheese People offer many of their products online. Order at store.theCheesePeople.com.
* Lydia & Groucho’s Coffee Shop & Deli is at 150 N. Schuyler Ave. in Kankakee. Their phone is (815) 935-5008.
* Bull’s Pit Smoked Barbecue is at 125 W. Station St. in Kankakee. Call (815) 932-2399 to order. There’s also a sister restaurant, Bull’s on Broadway, at 1010 W. Broadway St. in Bradley. The phone is (815) 935-9971.
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A complete list of market vendors and their contact information is on my blog. Go to blogs.i57life.com/dining.
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If you’re a restaurant that will be open on Christmas, please contact me at (815) 937-3374 or drenckens@daily-journal.com. I’ll be publishing a list in my column on Dec. 17.
Denise Renckens Olszewski is general manager of online operations for The Daily Journal.
