Best Bites column (March 11, 2010)
Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal:
There are a number of food-oriented special events this weekend. Some are fundraisers, but all are great excuses not to cook. Here’s a rundown:
On Saturday, the St. Anne Masonic Lodge will be holding a biscuit-and-gravy breakfast from 7-11 a.m. It will be held at 80 E. First St. in Chebanse. The cost is $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for kids younger than 6.
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Station Street Pub (101 W. Station St.) in St. Anne will be celebrating on Saturday evening with corned beef, cabbage and karaoke. Not only is this their annual St. Patrick’s Day party, but owners Scott and Sonny Albert will be marking their last day as owners of the bar and restaurant. The sale will become official on Monday, when new owners will take over. Sonny will stay on as manager, at least initially, to help with the transition.
The corned beef dinner will be served from 4:30-9 p.m., when the karaoke starts.
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St. Paul’s Lutheran School (1780 Career Center Road) in Bourbonnais will be holding their annual spaghetti supper fundraiser on Saturday from 4-6 p.m. The all-you-can-eat meal includes spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, breadsticks, dessert and beverages. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and under. Funds raised at this event are used to purchase educational materials for the classrooms.
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Last year around this time, I wrote about a corned beef dinner held every year in tiny Campus, Ill. Lots of folks made the trek out there, including Brendan and myself, and discovered just how good this dinner was and what’s so special about their warm mustard sauce. This year’s dinner is Sunday from 2-6 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Campus. It includes corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, sides, drink, dessert and their legendary mustard sauce. The cost is $8 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and under are free.
Carry-outs are available. Sacred Heart Church is at 290 Elm St. To get there from Kankakee, take Illinois Route 17 west almost to Dwight, turn left onto North 3300E Road, and drive south for five miles into Campus. (Thanks to a reader named Mary for that reminder and a reader named Sue for the information.)
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America’s Bistro (110 Meadowview Center) in Kankakee is holding a special dinner on Sunday. The five-course meal includes a glass of wine to complement each dish. It begins at 3 p.m. with champagne, and dinner will follow. The cost is $45 per person. Call (815) 932-6795 for reservations.
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On Wednesday, the Knights of Columbus (187 S. Indiana Ave.) in Kankakee will be offering a St. Patrick’s Day lunch. The traditional corned-beef meal begins at 11:30 a.m. Donations will be accepted at the door.
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Legacy Bar & Grill (135 N. Kinzie Ave.) in Bradley is now serving breakfast. The menu includes pancakes, omelets, steak and eggs, pork chop and eggs, and homemade biscuits and gravy. The offerings are available all day, and there’s a $1.99 breakfast special daily.
A reader named Tina tried the breakfast for the first time recently and e-mailed me this: “We went for breakfast today and it was excellent! … My biscuits and gravy were the best in the Kankakee area. My husband had the $1.99 special, a ham-and-cheese omelet that came with potatoes and toast. I will go again, and I would even bring the kids next time. The tables are low and it seemed OK for them, too. It really was great food. Check it out!”
Legacy opens at 6 a.m. daily. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and at midnight Tuesday through Saturday. The phone is (815) 936-1649.
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Speaking of breakfast, Carmen’s Bakery & Deli (33 S. Oak St.) in Herscher is now serving breakfast on Sundays. Sunday hours are 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Weekday hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Carmen’s is closed on Saturdays. The phone is (815) 426-2210.
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Get your votes in for round two of Pub Madness. The best local bar contest is online at www.i57life.com/win. We started with 40 bars and are now down to 32. Your votes will determine which ones advance to the Sweet 16. You must be at least 21 years old to play, but you can win prizes just for participating.
Denise Renckens Olszewski lives in Bourbonnais with her husband, Brendan, and 10-month-old son, Grady. She can be reached at (815) 937-3374 or at drenckens@daily-journal.com.
