Best Bites column (Dec. 17, 2009)
Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal:
If you don’t have plans for Christmas, here are a couple dining options:
* The Homestead (1230 S. East Ave.) in Kankakee will be open on Christmas Day from 1 to 7 p.m. Diners can choose from several daily specials or order from the regular menu or the children’s menu. Call (815) 933-6214 for a reservation. The Homestead will also be open Christmas Eve until 8 p.m.
* The Great American Grill inside Kankakee’s Hilton Garden Inn (455 Riverstone Parkway) is having a Christmas Day buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $20.95 for adults and $12.95 for children 12 and under. Children 4 and under are free. Call (815) 932-4444 for reservations.
* Tuscany Steak And Pasta House in Manteno will be offering Christmas Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet-style meal costs $12.99 per person or $8.99 for kids 12 and under. Reservations are recommended; call (815) 468-9810.
* Family House Restaurant (312 S. Kennedy Dr.) in Bradley will be open their regular hours (6 a.m. to 9 p.m.) both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They don’t take reservations, so they ask that you be patient with your server if you are there at a busy time. Family House will also be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, too.
* The 15th annual Christmas Day Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at eight locations throughout the county. There is no cost to the meal, which is catered by La Villetta restaurant. The intent is to bring together people who would otherwise spend the holiday alone, so carry-outs are not available. For locations and reservations, which are required by Dec. 23, call (815) 295-3804 Monday through Friday.
* Tucci’s (1560 N. State Route 50) in Bradley will be open until 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
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I was at The Homestead last week for a special lunch with Terry Cordes, a senior at Herscher High School who thought it would be fun to job-shadow a food critic. “I’m very picky about my food,” he admitted, but he gave a thumbs-up to the cheeseburger, and he thought the staff was exceptionally attentive. We also noticed that the historic restaurant now is accommodating to diners in wheelchairs. Renovations in February 2008 included the addition of a wheelchair ramp out front and wheelchair-accessible restrooms.
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Another restaurant that has made changes to welcome disabled diners is Legacy Bar & Grill (135 N. Kinzie Ave.) in Bradley. Recently, several of the high-top tables have been replaced with standard-height tables, making them wheelchair friendly. The kitchen at Legacy is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily. They have food specials each day of the week, including an 8-inch pizza for $1.99 on Fridays, which is popular with several people I’ve talked to. Legacy updated their menu a few weeks ago and added nearly a dozen items, including a sloppy Joe sandwich, sliders, wraps and some pasta dishes. They also added a new dessert menu, which includes an ice cream sandwich for $1.
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Fiesta Taurina in Kankakee will close at the end of business on Sunday. The restaurant, at 1515 W. Court St., opened in February 2008.
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If you’re looking for something easy and new to bring to a holiday gathering, try grape acorns. Here’s what you do: 1) Finely chop about a cup of honey-roasted peanuts. 2) Melt about 8 ounces of white chocolate in a small bowl. 3) Dip one end of a green grape into the melted chocolate, then the crushed peanuts. 4) Place the ‘acorns’ onto wax paper and chill in the refrigerator. They taste just like caramel apples, and they’ve become a favorite at the Olszewski family Christmas celebration. I think it’s because the fruit is a refreshing counterpoint to some of the other, richer treats. It’s an even better recipe in the summer, when the grapes are less expensive but just as refreshing. When making them, I suggest finding a nearby kid who can help with the assembly. The dipping isn’t hard, but it does get a little monotonous for impatient people like me, and the more fingers to help the better.
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I will not have a column next Thursday, so I’ll send you my holiday wishes a little early. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with health, happiness, good cheer and lots of presents under the tree.
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Best Bites appears every Thursday in The Daily Journal. Denise can be reached at the phone number above or at drenckens@daily-journal.com.
