I was on maternity leave in August, and one of the things I missed was the opening of a new Subway in Bourbonnais. Located at 922 Convent St., just south of Bethel Drive, it’s the most spacious Subway I’ve ever been in.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.  The phone is 815-939-3355.

The Pizza Pan is set to open on Monday at 481 S. Main St. in Bourbonnais.

The restaurant is a locally owned franchise of The Original Pizza Pan, which has locations throughout the country. The pizza is available in three crusts: traditional hand-tossed, thin and crispy and Chicago deep dish. The menu also features ribs, sandwiches, calzones, stromboli and panzarotti, which is similar to a calzone but deep-fried. For dessert, there will be more than a dozen flavors of gelato and sorbet, and at least six flavors of Italian ice.

Orders are available for pickup or delivery, and there’s seating inside for about a dozen customers. If you go, enter at the north end of the parking lot. The south end is for exiting traffic only.

Noteworthy specials at The Pizza Pan include a buy-one-get-one-free offer that is good all day every day on the pizza and ribs. For a limited time they’re even offering buy-one-get-two-free on carryout orders. What makes the offers unique is that you can save the free item for a later date. Called their “Pizza in the Bank” program, it allows you to “bank” your free pizza or ribs. You can even donate them to a local sports team or charity.

One of The Original Pizza Pan’s claims to fame is that an independent study by Kent State University concluded that they were a healthier pizza option than their major competitors. The 2010 study found that Pizza Pan’s pizza was lower in calories, sodium, cholesterol and trans fat than pizza from Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s and other national brands.

The Pizza Pan opens at 11 a.m. daily and closes at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Call 815-939-1234 to place an order.

For more information and to be eligible for special offers, become a fan of The Pizza Pan on Facebook.

An Olive Garden and a Texas Roadhouse are both set to come to Bradley next year.

The Olive Garden will be constructed on Illinois Route 50 at the front of the Bradley Commons shopping plaza, which is anchored by Kohl’s and Wal-Mart. Construction on the restaurant is tentatively set to begin in October, and it should open sometime in the spring.

Texas Roadhouse will be a few miles south at Armour Road and Route 50. It will be at the southeast corner of the intersection, attached to an existing building that is home to a Subway and another business. They will remain open and the rest of the building will be remodeled and added to to conform to the Texas Roadhouse signature look. An opening date is tentatively set for mid-2012.

A second location of The Pizza Stone opened Monday in Manteno.

The new family-friendly restaurant and bar is at 183 N. Main St., in a remodeled building at the northwest corner of Main and Second streets.

In addition to pizza, the menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, entrees, broasted chicken, homemade soups and desserts. Specialties include Stuffed Shells, Grillroom Ribs and The Panther Burger, which is topped with American cheese, French fries, cheddar cheese sauce and bacon crumbles. For dessert, try the Tiramisu or the Ulimate Cookie, a hot cookie that’s topped with ice cream, whipped cream and caramel.

The pizza has a thin crust, but you can order double crust if you prefer something thicker. I highly recommend a calzone, which I had stuffed with spinach.

The Pizza Stone is open for lunch and dinner daily, and is also open for breakfast on Sundays. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

A lunch buffet is offered every weekday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes soup, salad bar, pasta and pizza.

Delivery is offered to the surrounding area. A separate door for carry-out and delivery is on the north side of the building.

The phone is 815-907-7480.

The original Pizza Stone is at 422 S. Governors Highway in Peotone.

Starting Friday, Sammy’s Pizza in Kankakee will be open for lunch three days a week. The restaurant and bar will open at 11 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.

Sammy’s is at 690 N. Fifth Ave. The phone is 815-937-9293. For coupons and a menu, go to i57life.com/letseatout.

Football season is starting, so Nancy’s Pizza in Bourbonnais again will be open on Sunday afternoons. New Sunday hours are noon to 9 p.m.

Also, Nancy’s recently added new “rustic” pizzas to the menu. The crust “is crispy yet fluffy, made with pure extra virgin olive oil” and a blend of cheeses.

Nancy’s is at 513 N. Convent in Bourbonnais. The phone is (815) 933-0900.

Oliver’s Bar & Grill is now offering a tapas menu every Thursday.

Tapas, a Spanish tradition, are appetizer-sized plates meant to be shared. Options include Pork Loin Medallions, Garlic Shrimp and Spanish Croquettes, which are meatballs that are stuffed and fried. I recommend the Queso Fundido, which is warm feta cheese topped with a spinach and tomato sauce and served with pita crisps.

Other regular specials at Oliver’s include $4 martinis every Thursday and the weekend breakfast from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

A full menu and coupons are available on the Let’s Eat Out Web site.

Martinez Taco is now open at 348 E. Station St. in Kankakee.

The once-popular restaurant closed several years ago due to a death in the family. The owners kept the adjoining grocery store open, though, which left many former patrons hoping this day would eventually come. Interest was revived when Martinez Taco recently began appearing at community events, such as the Merchant Street Music Fest and the Kankakee Farmer’s Market, and one loyal follower even started a “Bring back Martinez Tacos” page on Facebook, which attracted nearly 500 fans.

The community support was enough to convince the family to reopen. They’ve added some new items to the menu and also added a large lunch buffet to ensure that those on their lunch break can get in and out quickly. The buffet is offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every weekday and is even available for take-out at $4.95 per pound.

While the restaurant looks small from the street, there are many tables inside. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The phone is (815) 939-7817.

A Panera Bread is expected to open early next year in Bradley.

It will be located at the northeast corner of Illinois Route 50 and Larry Power Road, in the building that formerly was an Old Country Buffet. First National Bank of Grant Park now owns the building and opened a branch there earlier this year. Panera will occupy nearly 4,000 square feet of space that remained.

The long-rumored news became official last week, when officials for the popular chain restaurant signed a lease. The restaurant is expected to open in early February. I’m told that there will be a drive-up window.

Martinez Taco opened last week at 348 E. Station St. in Kankakee. The restaurant had a loyal following before closing several years ago. I’ll have more details soon.