Cakes and Pastries by Jorie is now open at 119 N. Main St. in Manteno.

Owner Jorie Roberts, who has been baking since she was 16, is making cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries and other desserts. She’s also recently been making taffy apples, and she plans to offer pies during the holidays. I was lucky enough to try one of the apples, which was covered in caramel and then drizzled with chocolate and nuts. It was the most beautiful taffy apple I’ve ever seen and the best tasting one I’ve ever eaten.

Jorie doesn’t have normal store hours or treats on display to buy, but she says people are welcome to stop in if she’s there and see what’s available to take home. To make an appointment for a consultation, call 815-468-7700. Jorie’s specialty is wedding cakes, and she also does sculpted cakes like the ones you see on many of the baking shows on TV.

(Thanks to a reader named Rai for that tip. Rai also recommends the cupcakes.)

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

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Here are a few upcoming food-related events for your calendar:

• The teen group at St. Patrick’s Church in Kankakee will be serving a breakfast buffet on Oct. 30 from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the Knights of Columbus in Kankakee. Tickets are $8.50 for adults, $5 for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and free for children younger than 4. The Knights of Columbus is at 187 S. Indiana Ave.
• Beginning Nov. 5, a Winter Farmers’ Market will be held at the Majestic Center in downtown Kankakee on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The winter market will continue every Saturday through Jan. 28, with the exception of Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. The Majestic Center is at 150 N. Schuyler Ave.
• The 43rd annual Sons of Italy Spaghetti Dinner will be Sunday, Nov. 6, from noon to 4 p.m. at Bishop MacNamara High School in Kankakee. The dinner includes salad, bread, spaghetti with meatballs or sausage, dessert and drink. Homemade cookies will be for sale, along with Napoleons and cannolis. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children under age 12. Carry outs are also available. Proceeds go to local charities and organizations.
• Turkey for Tots will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 13 at Paul’s Place in Kankakee. One hundred turkeys will raffled off, and there will also be draft beer, sandwiches and blackjack. Admission is $10. The annual event, which is organized by the Kankakee Valley Beverage Association, raises money for underprivileged kids.

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

Read the rest of this entry »

A number of area restaurants have recently updated their menu, changed their hours or hired new staff. Here’s a rundown:

• Marcotte’s in Momence has added some menu items, including a challenge pizza. If you and a friend can eat a 28″ by 36″ pie in under an hour you win a $100 bill and get the pizza for free. If you fail, you’ll have to fork over $52. Marcotte’s is open for lunch and dinner daily.
• Johnny Angel’s in Momence has resumed offering a brunch buffet every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Offerings include both breakfast and dinner items, made-to-order omelets and a cheesecake-filled French Toast that a colleague told me is “to die for.”
• French Toast in Bourbonnais has added several sandwiches to the menu. Ahi tuna baguette, smoked salmon flatbread, and wasabi crabcake baguette are among the new lunch offerings. New breakfast items include an apple crumble French Toast and a pita scrambler, which is your choice of three ingredients combined with scrambled eggs and stuffed into a pita. Also, Justin Daniel has returned as head chef. French Toast is open for breakfast and lunch daily.
• At The Big Kahuna Steakhouse in St. Anne, Grant Glessner, a trained sommelier, or wine expert, is now serving as general manager. Also, the menu has been updated with new items, and I’m told that most dishes are now under $10. New appetizer options include hot pretzels; new dinner options include beef strogonoff, beef briskett sliders, and tilapia in a lemon butter and white wine sauce. The Big Kahuna is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
• Poppy’s Club Irwin in Irwin has a new lunch and dinner menu. They’re also now open for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

The owners of La Villetta Restaurant have begun holding a weekly free soup kitchen. The free soup and crackers are offered from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday at The Kohl Center, 435 E. Oak St. in Kankakee. Everyone is welcome.

Thanks to a reader named Bill for this recommendation: “(I) had the Octoberfest specials from the Country Mansion in Dwight twice this season, once on their outdoor patio and once as a carryout. Both were great. … (Try) the Ukraine sausage.”

Congratulations to Ryan “Bull” Wilder of Bull’s Pit BBQ in Kankakee. Earlier this month he competed in Arthur, Illinois’, annual barbecue competition and his honey barbecue sauce was ranked third best among more than 35 entries.

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

Read the rest of this entry »

A new restaurant, 1517 Place, will be opening soon next to Busse & Rieck in Kankakee.

The family-owned restaurant will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu will feature American soul food, such as meatloaf, smothered pork chops, oxtails, and catfish. In addition to inside seating, customers will be able to order from the drive-thru window. The owners plan to be open by Nov. 1.

The address is 2005 W. Court St. I’ll have more details in a few weeks.