Jimmy Jo’s BBQ (665 N. Covent) in Bourbonnais is offering grilled or blackened salmon and grilled or blackened shrimp skewers during Lent.
They also will be serving smoked corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
For coupons, visit Jimmy Jo’s Let’s Eat Out page.
French Toast, a new breakfast and lunch restaurant, is expected to open next month at 161 E. Bethel in Bourbonnais, in space formerly occupied by Cheezer’s Pizza.
It will be “a gourmet cafe without the gourmet price,” according to owner Heather Lavine.
The breakfast menu includes waffles, crepes, pancakes, omelets and french toast, of course. Omelet fillings include fresh crab or smoked salmon.
Specialty breakfast items high on my must-try list are the spinach and feta hash browns, creme brulee french toast, and verde chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made with corn tortillas and green salsa.
Lunch offerings include a roasted portabella ciabatta sandwich and a croque-monsieur, a ham and cheese sandwich that’s dipped in batter and then grilled.
Lavine’s vision is for a restaurant similar to Toast, her favorite Lincoln Park cafe. She’s hired chef Justin Daniels to help develop the menu and lead the kitchen.
French Toast will lean toward the healthy, with some gluten-free and some organic items, and focus on quality, homemade ingredients. Dressings and sauces will be made from scratch, Lavine says, and pastries, breads and granola will be homemade on site.
Hours will likely be 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Lavine hopes to open sometime in April.
Legacy Bar & Grill (135 N. Kinzie Ave.) in Bradley is now serving breakfast.
The menu includes pancakes, omelets, steak & eggs, pork chop & eggs, and homemade biscuits & 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 last week and emailed 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 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 am. daily. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and at midnight Tuesday through Saturday.
The phone is (815) 936-1649.
Carmen’s Bakery & Deli (33 S. Oak) in Herscher is now serving breakfast on Sundays.
Sunday hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weekday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Carmen’s is closed on Saturdays.
The phone is (815) 426-2210.
Congrats to Jimmy Jo’s BBQ on one year in business!
To celebrate, they will have $1 rib bones and $1 BBQ sliders from March 8 to March 14. They will also be giving away concert tickets and other prizes. Stop in to the restaurant for more information.
Jimmy Jo’s is at 665 N. Covent in Bourbonnais.
For coupons, visit Jimmy Jo’s Let’s Eat Out page.
An anonymous reader called to recommend the fish fry at Knights of Columbus (187 S. Indiana Ave.) in Kankakee. Every Friday during Lent, they serve all-you-can-eat fish for $10 and all-you-can-eat shrimp for $12. The dinners include a salad bar and dessert.
Kids aged 6 to 12 are $5, and kids under 6 are free. Hours are 5 to 7 p.m.
For more information, call (815) 932-2031.
Luconi’s Pizza (496 S Kennedy Dr.) in Bradley is celebrating Customer Appreciation Week and has knocked $1 off the price of their lunch buffet. From today (Monday) through Friday, the buffet is only $3.99 per person instead of $4.99.
The buffet features pizza, salad bar and desserts. It’s served from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
I received this from Bennett-Curtis House (302 W. Taylor St.) in Grant Park:
“Bennett-Curtis House invites you to come out over Lent Season and enjoy a Special Seafood Dinner.
Seafood Specials (available every Friday thru Lent)
All dinners served with choice of soup or salad, fresh baked rolls, choice of potato, & vegetable of the day.ALL U CAN EAT CRAB LEGS
$28.95Baked Seafood Combo Platter
Crab Stuffed Shrimp, Lemon Herb Orange Roughy, & Stuffed Baked Crab
$22.95Grilled Seafood Combo Platter
Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Grilled Scallops, & Tilapia
$21.95Pan Seared Chili Lime Tilapia
$19.95Many other selections available. Call to place your reservations.”
Reservations are required at Bennett-Curtis. Call (815) 465-2288.
From a reader named David:
“China Wok in Momence is perhaps our town’s best kept secret. There is not much room for dining in, so they do a brisk carry-out business. You receive generous portion sizes; (there’s) so much food that I usually have enough for another meal or two!
My favorite dish is General Tso’s Chicken. There is enough heat in the sauce to be spicy, but not enough to set your mouth on fire. My wife enjoys their Sesame Chicken. The Hot and Sour Soup is also good, with the perfect balance of hot and sour. Their pork and shrimp egg rolls are the best I’ve had. An added healthy bonus is that they use neither MSG nor trans-fatty oils in their food.
We usually wait at least 20 minutes for our order, but last time we waited 40 minutes because the supper rush was busier than usual! Long waits mean good food and hungry customers!”
China Wok is located at 107 N. Locust St., across from the rear of the Momence Post Office.
Their phone is (815) 472-9938.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Here’s the Best Bites column that appears in today’s edition of The Daily Journal.
