Gold Bowl Buffet opened last month in Meadowview Shopping Center in Kankakee. Formerly know as Best Buffet, Gold Bowl (1248 N. Kennedy Drive) offers all the same cuisine but has added Japanese cuisine, including sushi and hibachi, to the offerings.

On my first visit I headed straight to the Japanese station in the back corner. I enjoyed the sushi, especially the eel that they were kind enough to prepare for me when I asked, but the hibachi was my favorite. To start, pile your own mix of raw meats, vegetables and noodles on a plate. Then give it to the waiting hibachi chef, who adds some seasonings while it cooks in front of you on the griddle. My dish of lightly sauced noodles with a little chicken and lots of mushrooms and broccoli was excellent.

Gold Bowl bills itself as Kankakee County’s largest buffet, with 150 items to choose from. In addition to the numerous Chinese options, there’s also fresh seafood, including shrimp, oysters and crab. One buffet station is filled with fresh fruit, and one is filled with desserts. There are also salads and American favorites, including French fries. So even if you’re not a fan of Japanese cuisine, or even Chinese cuisine, there’s still a good chance you’ll find something that does suit your taste buds.

Best Buffet was owned by two partners, one of whom now owns Gold Bowl. Other changes include updated decor, which is why the restaurant was closed briefly during the transition. A banquet room is available for private functions.

Gold Bowl Buffet opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The lunch buffet is offered from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and costs $6.78. The dinner buffet is offered from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and costs $9.19. On Sunday, it’s an all-day buffet from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. for $9.19. Carry-out buffet is available. They also have a regular menu for dine-in or take-out.

Call (815) 939-2811 to place an order.

See their Let’s Eat Out Web page for a dowloadable menu, coupons and more.

America’s Bistro (110 Meadowview Center) in Kankakee is offering prime rib and steak dinner specials every Saturday from 4 p.m. to close.

Diners can order two prime rib dinners for $30, or two sirloin steak dinners for $25. Both dinners include a choice of soup or salad, homemade bread, baked potato and vegetable.

The new owners of Club Irwin (4460 Main St. in Irwin) had hoped to be open by now, but it will likely be sometime in July instead.

John and Linda Naese of Aroma Park, and Sue Stevenson of Kankakee, purchased the restaurant in April. They immediately began cleaning and remodeling, and had wanted to open by June 1. However, unexpected issues have caused the work to take much longer than expected. It now could be sometime in July before they’re ready to open for business.

Poppy & Sue’s Club Irwin, as it will likely be called, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and have a full-service bar.

Ray’s Ranch House (208 W. Main) in Essex is now offering delivery.

Communities in luck are Reddick, Union Hill, Braidwood, Custer Park, Gardner and everyone in between. Order between 4 and 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 4 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (815) 365-2858.

I’m writing this post at River Bend Bar & Grill (6070 E. Illinois Route 17)  in Kankakee, which now offers free Wifi access. It’s not available on the deck, but there’s still a beautiful view from the dining room, plus it’s easier to see your laptop screen indoors.

Johnny Angel’s opened today at 119 W. Washington in Momence.

Menu offerings include steaks, chops, ribs, chicken, pasta, pizza and seafood. Serious meat-lovers can indulge in a 48-ounce porterhouse for $24. All their meat is prime grade, wet-aged for at least 21 days and never frozen. Pork lovers will want to try the Triple “P” sandwich, which is a piece of fried pork topped with pepper bacon and ham. For seafood fans, there’s catfish, walleye, perch and shrimp. Frog legs are a weekend special, as is liver.

On the side, try their horseradish and asiago cheese au gratin potatoes. All entrees come with a complimentary slice of angel food cake topped with cherry sauce.

The thin-crust pizza is priced by the inch, so a 12″ pizza costs $12, etc. They offer all the traditional toppings plus a few specialty combinations, including a macaroni and cheese pizza. I couldn’t resist trying something so unique and was glad I did. The chewy crust, which I particularly enjoyed, was topped with white sauce, cheese and penne pasta. I added a little crushed red pepper and liked it even more.

Johnny Angel’s is large and spacious inside, with ample seating and a full bar. There’s a separate entrance for take-out orders so customers can pick up their food without going through the restaurant.

The restaurant is named after owner Mike Casper’s adopted grandson, 11-year-old Johnny Angel. Mike told me that Johnny was born prematurely to a drug-addicted mother, who gave birth at home. When police arrived at her apartment to help, she handed them Johnny in one hand, the placenta in the other, and closed the door. Johnny was rushed to the hospital, where nurses feared he wouldn’t make it through the night. They gave him the name Johnny Angel so that he wouldn’t die as a nameless John Doe.

Not only did he survive, of course, but Johnny has overcome those challenges and grown into a normal, healthy boy who is an inspiration to his family, who adopted him when he was 11 months old. “If we can follow his example, we will be successful,” Mike said.

Johnny Angel’s is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The phone is (815) 472-6801.

Two weeks ago, when I listed restaurants with outdoor dining, a reader named Tammi alerted me to one that I missed. Here’s what she sent me via email:

“One of our favorite places to dine outdoors is Traxx in Grant Park. … They have the best pizza, and it’s even half price if you go on a Tuesday evening. Also great lake perch!”

The perch is offered on Friday and Saturday. In addition to the thin crust pizza special on Tuesday, double crust pizzas are half price on Wednesday, and deep-dish and stuffed pizzas are half price on Sunday. (Those specials are good after 4 p.m.) On Saturday, they have $4 burgers.

Traxx is at 102 Dixie Highway. The kitchen opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Delivery is available in Grant Park and nearby areas. The phone is (815) 465-2000.

Sgt. Pepper’s Bar & Grill reopened last weekend in Kempton.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily, except on Sunday the bar doesn’t serve alcohol until noon. The kitchen is open for breakfast daily, and for lunch at 11 a.m. The kitchen closes at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Sgt. Pepper’s (221 Main) closed in late March. New owner Wendell Perry plans to keep the name, at least for now.

The new phone number is (815) 253-9009.

(Thanks to a reader named Cherie for that tip.)

I’ve just learned that Johnny Angel’s will open Tuesday at 119 W. Washington in Momence.

The hours will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The phone is (815) 472-6801.

I’ll post more details soon.

Carmen’s Bakery & Deli (33 S. Oak) in Herscher has new summer hours. They are now open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Sunday hours are still 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Carmen’s is closed on Saturdays.

In addition to traditional bakery and deli items, they also serve ice cream, milk shakes and smoothies.

The phone is (815) 426-2210.