Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal.

French Toast opened Tuesday at 161 E. Bethel Dr. in Bourbonnais. It’s “a gourmet restaurant without the gourmet price,” according to owner Heather Lavine.

The menu features numerous breakfast and lunch items, plus desserts. Breakfast offerings include strawberry rhubarb crepes, a fresh crab omelet (filled with crab, asparagus, chive oil, white truffle oil, mozzarella cheese and a basil garnish, along with house potatoes, for $9.95), or corned beef hash (fresh corned beef braised in cream sauce with sweet potato hash and eggs, $8.95).

For a twist on the ordinary, try pumpkin or lemon buttermilk pancakes or creme brulee French toast. On my first visit, I tried the verde chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made with layers of corn tortillas, roasted poblano peppers, tomatilla salsa and melted cheese. It was so good I kept taking bites long after I was full.

There are five gluten-free breakfasts to choose from, including arepas benedict (applewood smoked ham, cornmeal-scallion arepas, white truffle hollandaise and house potatoes, $8.95.)

Lunch options include roasted portabella ciabatta (sherry-roasted portabellas, basil pesto, shallots and goat cheese, served with cous cous, pasta salad or homemade potato chips, for $8.75) or sesame-crusted tuna salad (seared ahi tuna, arugula, grilled orange slices and shaved parmesan cheese in a sesame-wasabi vinaigrette, $11.75). If you’re nervous about ordering things with ingredients you can’t identify and/or pronounce, try the steak sandwich, chicken pita or rueben. Seven of the eight sandwiches on the menu can be ordered gluten-free.

For the kids, offerings include Superman pancakes and a PB&J sandwich.

French Toast is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Breakfast is served all day; lunch is served after 11 a.m. The phone number is (815) 929-3733.

A full menu is online at www.i57life. com/letseatout.

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You’ll have to wait just a little longer for the new Johnny Angel’s in Momence. I reported last week that they hoped to open this week, but it will likely be sometime next week. See my Best Bites blog (blogs.i57life.com/dining) for the latest.

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Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there! If you would like to go out to eat but haven’t yet made plans, I’ve posted a sampling of area offerings on my blog (blogs.i57life.com/dining).

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Here are a few other upcoming events for your calendar:

* Kankakee Rotary’s annual wine-tasting fundraiser will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 14 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kankakee. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at the door or in advance from a Rotarian. Attendees can sample a variety of wines, plus cheese and other hors d’oeuvres. There will also be a silent and live auction. For more information, please contact the Kankakee Rotary Club at (815) 939-0255.

* Also May 14 is the Asbury International Taste Night at Asbury United Methodist Church (196 S. Harrison Ave.) in Kankakee from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will feature themed booths with foods from several different countries. Tickets are 25¢ each for small tastes, or 50¢ for large tastes.

* R Bar (597 S. Washington Ave.) in Kankakee will be holding a Bloody Mary Make-off Sunday, May 16. The person who creates the best Bloody Mary will win a cash prize and their recipe will be used at the bar. Clamato juice, tomato juice, vodka and ice will be provided. Participants will need to bring any additional ingredients. The mixing begins at 1 p.m., but space is limited, so participants must register in advance at R Bar. Call (815) 939-0008 for more information.

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Denise Renckens Olszewski is general manager of online operations for The Daily Journal. She can be reached at (815) 937-3374 or at drenckens@daily-journal.com.

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