Bull’s on Broadway posted this information on their Facebook fan page on Sunday:

“We’ve added a couple of menu items to our Bradley menu that seem to be going over great:

First, try our cheeseburger balls…yup, you heard it right…cheeseburger balls (insert joke here). We start with 1/4 pound meatballs, and stuff them with your choice of cheese. Then we deep fry them to perfection! When you bite in, the melted cheese oozes out. These are already a big hit!

Next, we’ve added the “volcano burger” for those who like it hot and spicy! We take our traditional oversized 1/2 pound hamburger, add a selection of fire-breathing peppers, then top it with a special hot sauce. The fire department has asked that you not eat this burger while seated under the heat detectors due to the multiple alarms that get set off!

As of today (Sept. 27, 2009) six people have tried to conquer the five pound Impossi-Bull burger, and to date, only one has made it. Are you game?

And a reminder…the dining area at Bulls on Broadway, in conjunction with our friends at The Spot, is ready, willing, and able to host your next event. Civic club, social group, sports banquet, or just a bunch of folks wanting to get together for a Bears party, keep us in mind. We do the work, you eat, drink, and enjoy!

See ya soon at Bull’s on Broadway, located in The Spot, 1010 W. Broadway (corner of Broadway and Forest) in Bradley.”

A reader named Kelly sent me this recently via email:

“Were you aware that Niro’s Gyros on Kennedy drive in Bradley has been serving falafel for a month or two? It is delicious! Possibly the best I have ever had. The owners of the restaurant told us they were creating an entire Mediterranean menu.”

I’m a big fan of falafal, which are kind of like hush puppies, but made with ground chickpeas (or sometimes fava beans) instead of ground corn. Herbs and spices are added to the batter, which is formed into balls and deep-fried. I like mine dipped in tahini, which is a sauce made with ground sesame seeds.

I tried the falafal at Niro’s a few weeks ago, and they were very good. If I remember correctly, they came wrapped in flatbread and drizzled with sauce, so it was like a sandwich.

If you go, be prepared to wait. I lucked out and they had just finished a batch when I pulled into the drive-through, but the falafel must be made fresh to be good, and that could take about 15 minutes.

Niro’s is at 545 S. Kennedy Dr. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. To order, call (815) 935-1790.

As a side note: I had a falafal craving several months ago, before Niro’s began offering them, and I went in search of a Middle Eastern restaurant. The closest one I found was Al Basha in Palos Heights, about 35 miles from Bourbonnais. The restaurant is in a strip mall at the northwest corner of 119th Street and Harlem.

Armenise’s Eighteen 75 in Bourbonnais will close on Oct. 11 to undergo remodeling. The work is expected to take 10 days to two weeks, and when the transformation is complete, it will be a new restaurant, complete with new name and new menu.

I’ll post more information here when details of the changes are finalized.

One thing that will not change is the owners. Joe Armenise and his wife, Patsy, first opened Armenise’s Eighteen 75 nine years ago in Kankakee. The address — 1875 W. Station St. — was the inspiration for the name, which followed the restaurant when it moved to Bourbonnais in October of 2004.

If you’ve got an Armenise’s gift certificate stashed away, get it out and use it. All gift certificates must be redeemed before the 11th.

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.)

La Villetta restaurant posted this note on their Facebook page today:

“June 28th will be our Last Sunday Buffet- Our Sunday Hours will still remain 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Also, we will be closed on July 4th and 5th. We hope you all have a safe 4th of July weekend!”

As a semi-regular visitor to El Campesino in Bradley, I was surprised on my last visit to find that the menu has received a dramatic face-lift and also features 15 new items.

The menu is now several pages long and includes pictures (always helpful) of some dishes, along with other cosmetic enhancements. (Does it matter that the menu is pretty? Not really, but it sure doesn’t hurt. It also made me look at parts of the menu I hadn’t perused before.)

Among the new items is Tierra y Mar ($13.50). It features generous amounts of shrimp, scallops and chicken, along with sauteed zucchini and peppers in a light but flavorful sauce, and was served with rice and tortillas. I enjoyed it and would order it again.

Also, on my way out the door I was given a VIP card, which earns the customer a free lunch after 10 visits. (You get one punch per visit with a minimum purchase of $7.)

If you’ve never had lunch at El Campesino, they have several specials that are a bargain at $4 to $5, and I’ve had great luck getting my order very quickly.

El Campesino is at 580 N. Kinzie Ave. in Bradley. Call (815) 934-0151.

A reader named Dan sent me this tip yesterday via Facebook. It’s about Great Steak & Potato Company at Northfield Square Mall:

“I was at the mall today, and the manager handed me a flier. They’re going to start delivery service to the Bradley/Bourbonnais area starting 6/22/09. There is a 75 cent delivery charge. The phone number is 815-932-5177.”

Thanks for the info!

I have learned that Romer Bakery in Bradley has closed. The bakery, which was also home to A Piece A Cake and Mr. Java’s Coffee House, was located at 200 N. Washington.

I am trying to find out if they have reopened their Kankakee location at 275 S. Schuyler Ave. That location opened in September of last year and closed a few months later, but I believe it recently may have opened again.

If anyone has any details, or knows the phone number to the Kankakee location, please let me know. (The phone number of the Bradley store has been disconnected.) You can leave a comment below, or call me at (815) 937-3374.

Thanks to a reader named Donna for that tip.

Soft shell crab is in season, and you can get it for a few more days at Armenise’s Eighteen 75. The special runs through the 21st.

More information is available by downloading the pdf of the weekly specials.

Armenise’s Eighteen 75 in Bradley is currently offering free appetizers from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The special offer is only available in the bar.