From a reader:

I had written you I believe last year or the year before, recommending Green Street in the Kankakee area for the best Hot Dogs next to Chicago. Now I have come across the hot dogs that they are making over at John Panozzo’s Produce. Quite frankly, these are the best I have ever had. Better than Portillos or any mom and pop hot dog stand in the Chicagoland area, including downtown Chicago.

I am originally from the Chicago area, and moved down here due to business. I always was frustrated that I never could find a hot dog in the city of Kankakee that was made the Chicago way. Which is topped with fresh mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish (dyed neon green), a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. Now I have, and I would really appreciate it if you let others in Kankakee know about this as well. Thank you, and have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,
Stephen R.

P.S. I forgot to mention that they also use fresh poppy seed buns for their Chicago Hot Dogs at Panozzo’s. This is key.

P.P.S. Also let me tell you that they give you a deal of 2 Chicago-style hot dogs for $5.

I’m a big fan of John Panozzo Produce, too. Here’s what I wrote about them back in 2008. Amazingly, the prices haven’t changed!

“I bet you didn’t know they have a deli counter inside where you can get a sandwich for only $3, and a soup-and-sandwich combo for $5.50. For the sandwich, select any meat and cheese from their well-stocked deli case. If that wasn’t reason enough to stop in, I also find it to be a great place to grab last-minute perishable items for dinner. I can be in and out in about two minutes, which is wonderful.”

John Panozzo Produce is at 1310 N. Hobbie Ave. in Kankakee, on the northeast corner of Illinois Route 50 and Brookmont Boulevard.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. They are closed on Sundays until April.

Their phone is (815) 933-3305.

Cheezer’s Pizza Buffet opened Friday at 906 N. Convent St. in Bourbonnais.

The buffet includes:

• 10 different kinds of pizza
• a pasta bar, with two kinds of noodles and three kinds of sauce
• a salad bar
• soup
• breadsticks
• a selection of desserts that includes warm brownies, cinnamon sticks and Rice Krispies Treats.

The cost is $4.95 for adults, $3.95 for children aged 3 to 11, and free for children aged 2 and under. Beverages are purchased separately.

The restaurant, which has a 50’s diner-themed decor, is located in the new Promenade of Bourbonnais strip mall. That’s on the east side of North Convent, south of Bethel Drive.

Owners Cindy and John Karasiewicz have owned and operated Cheezer’s Pizza in the Bradley area for more than 20 years. For the last several years they’ve been at 161 Bethel Dr., which is about a hundred yards from the new location. They decided to expand to a buffet-style restaurant last fall.

The new space has ample seating and easily accommodates large groups.

Carryout is still available, and I’m told the prices are lower than they were at the original restaurant.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The phone is (815) 939-2229.

Friend them on Facebook.

In my column two weeks ago I joked about my fondness for Tuna Noodle Hot Dish. A very nice reader named Candy called and asked for the recipe. I’ve never actually written it down before, but I did for Candy. Here it is for anyone else who would like to try one of my favorite comfort foods:

1. Prepare half a (12-oz) package of egg noodles.
2. Dice 1 cup of white or yellow onion.
3. Dice two stalks of celery.
4. Sweat the onion and celery with a little butter until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Put the noodles and vegetables in a casserole pan.
6. Add two 5-oz. cans of drained tuna.
7. Add 17 oz. (a 12-oz. can and a 5-oz. can) of evaporated milk.
8. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
9. Bake at 350 until hot, about 35 minutes.

Optional variations:

• I usually had a handful of frozen peas, too.
• I like to add a cup of finely shredded cheddar or colby cheese, either to the mixture, to the top, or if I’m trying to use up the bag of cheese, both. You can never have too much cheese, right?
• Instead of cheese, try crushed potato chips on top. My dad loved it that way.
• My mom always adds a 2-oz. jar of diced pimientos. You’ll find them in the vegetable isle, usually on the top shelf by the artichoke hearts.

Notes:

• I have one of those really nice Dutch ovens that can go from the stove to the oven. If you have one of those, you can use it to sweat the vegetables on the stovetop, then throw everything else in and put it in the oven, which makes for one less pan to clean.
• My mom always made Jiffy corn bread muffins with this. Sometimes she made honey-butter to go with them. Good stuff.

Schoop’s Hamburgers (515 S. Main St.) in Bourbonnais will be open New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to  9 p.m.

Also, Schoop’s will start picking a monthly winner of a $25 dinner certificate. To enter, fill out a form with your name, address and phone number and drop it in a jar at the counter.

Old Route 66 Family Restaurant (105 S. Old Route 66) in Dwight will be open from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Reservations for large groups would be helpful. Call (815) 584-2920.

Saturday (Oct. 17) was the last Kankakee Farmers Market of the season. Some of the vendors offer their products year-round. If you would like to order from them, here’s how:

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A recent blog post asked for your help in tracking down a recipe, and my plea was answered. Here’s the recipe for the Cream of Chicken Noodle soup that was served at Little Corporal, which at one time was a popular Kankakee restaurant.

Thanks to a reader named Gary (a.k.a. Chef Garibaldi) for sharing the recipe, and thanks to a reader named Kevin for making the request. It apparently was a well-liked soup, as I heard from several people who shared Kevin’s fondness for it.

You can click to download a PDF copy of the recipe, or read it here:

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