A reader named Rob recommends The Peotone Bierstube.

“I have always had terrific food there, and always recommend it heartily.”

The Bierstube is at 306 N. Harlem Rd. (Rt. 50) in Peotone. It’s especially fun to visit on nice summer evenings, as they have an outdoor biergarten and live enterainment every Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Great Steak & Potato Company at Northfield Square Mall has started offering delivery to Bradley and Bourbonnais. The service costs 75¢ and is available 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. To order, call (815) 932-5177.

Great Steak claims to serve “America’s premier cheesesteak,” but did you know they also sell Chicken Philly, Turkey Philly and Veggie Delight sandwiches? Other menu options include baked potatoes and fresh salads topped with your choice of grilled meat, onions and cheese.

I checked out their nutritional information, and the salads are relatively low-cal. For example, the steak salad without dressing only has 400. Most of the sandwiches are 600-700 calories for a 7″, which isn’t horrible, but they top the sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and mayo unless otherwise requested, so make sure to tell them you don’t want mayo if you want to keep the fat and calories in check.

I had my first Great Steak sandwich yesterday. They grill the fixings right it front of you, which is fun to watch and also ensures that it’s hot and fresh.

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

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 12, when the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold their (second  annual?) Tailgate Challenge. The grilling competition takes place behind Commonwealth Credit Union and Brickstone Restaurant & Brewery in Bourbonnais.

For more information on the event, read my blog post about last year’s competition. (In a nutshell, there was lots and lots of awesome food.) You can also see photos on the Your Pix section of this site.

BrickStone Restaurant & Brewery is unveiling their latest craft beer today. “ReplicAle ‘09,” a Belgian Witbier, debuted on Saturday at Ale Fest in Chicago, but you can try it locally tonight. The tapping party begins at 6 p.m.

Dinner by Design (1230 N. Convent St.) in Bourbonnais now sells lunch four days a week.

The made-to-order meals are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lunches cost $5.50, and you can add dessert for $1.50. To ensure your order is ready when you get there, call 30 minutes ahead.

The menu options are:

Buffalo Turkey Burger – Served on a kaiser roll with buffalo & bleu cheese sauces with a side of roasted red potatoes.

Parmesan Herb Chicken Sandwich – Boneless chicken breast with a crunchy bread coating on a bun with a side of roasted red potatoes.

Stuffed Bacon & Cheese Burger - Gourmet burger stuffed with bacon and cheddar cheese with a side of roasted red potatoes.

California Chicken Wrap – All white meat with raisins & walnuts in a lite, creamy sauce with a side of veggies.

Thai Chicken Pasta Salad – Chicken breast, sugar snap peas, bell pepper, shredded carrot and pasta noodles tossed with homemade sesame-peanut dressing and served over romaine lettuce with a LaBrea roll on the side.

Caesar Salad with Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken – Chunks of flavorful chicken over romaine lettuce with our homemade Caesar dressing. With a side of garlic toast.

To order, call (815) 802-2003 or download the order form.

A reader named Ashley sent me this recommendation via email:

“If anyone is looking for a delicious smoothie or coffee drink, I highly recommend Mocha Island in Bourbonnais! Every day they have happy hour from noon to 2 p.m. and all drinks are half price! What a great deal, & their smoothies are the perfect way to cool down during the hot summer afternoons.”

Mocha Island is at 415 Main St. NW (a.k.a. Illinois Route 102) in Bourbonnais. They’re on the north side of the road in front of the Jewel plaza. Their hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Another local eatery will be shutting their doors for good: Tom’s Pizza in Bourbonnais will close on Thursday after 12 years in business.

Owner Tom Klonowski told me this morning that they were the latest casualty of the difficult economy.

When I interviewed Tom in January for my column, he foreshadowed this announcement by saying, “If you want to help the recession, order a pizza.” At the time I just thought it was a great quote. Now I can see the painful truth behind it.

It’s always sad to see locally owned businesses shut down, and it’s a far-to-common reminder for us to support the many small businesses that are owned and operated by members of our own community.

Best wishes to Tom on his future endeavors.

Higher Grounds (formerly Moon Monkey Coffee House) is closed until August, when Olivet students return.

A final inspection tomorrow morning and a food delivery on Wednesday are all that stand in the way of JR’s Chicken opening in Bourbonnais. The owner expects to open at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The second location for the restaurant known for its fried chicken and macaroni salad is at 654 N. Convent, which is next to Thomas David Salon at the north end of the former Kroger building. Unlike the Kankakee location, it will be carry-out only. Most of the regular menu will be available, except for grilled items.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Their phone is (815) 929-0735.

1. Iced Tea – we got a tea brewer and are brewing ice tea from fresh tea leaves. You had a sample at the Parade of Homes.
2. Lemon Shake-ups – we have fresh lemons at the shop and are making fresh lemon shake ups. Warning for the diet conscious – they do have lots of sugar, but if you want to let the barista know to put in ½ the sugar, they’ll do that for you. Still good – just not as sweet as the ones you get at the fair.
3. Chicken salad on Croissants – we’ve been serving these for two weeks and are really going over well. It’s a chicken salad (without nuts for those with allergy concerns) on croissant with a side of chips or a Dole fruit cup for $5.50. We also have a couple customers who stop in the morning and pick up the sandwich on their way to work for lunch later.