Stage Door Sweet Shoppe (110 E. Washington) in Momence is now selling coffee in the mornings.
New hours for the store, which I wrote about in August, are 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The change comes a few weeks after The Daily Grind closed their doors.
Aava Java (163 E. Bethel Dr.) in Bourbonnais has new Sunday hours. They are now open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Daily Grind in Momence will close its doors for the last time at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The coffee shop, which is owned by Tracy Plein, had been open for almost four years at 110 W. Washington St.
Thanks to David, a Daily Grind regular, for contacting me about this. “We will miss their coffee,” he wrote.
I’ve got good news for those of you who were fans of the coffee at The Ray Cafe and Coffee House in Manteno, which closed earlier this month. The beans can be ordered directly from the roaster, and Bob Price, the former manager of the cafe, has persuaded the company to offer a special deal to former Ray Cafe customers. Here’s the email from Bob with the details:
“Morning Coffee Lovers and Friends,
I have had a lot of inquiries on where to find coffee beans – especially flavored coffees – now that The Ray Cafe has closed. At this current time, there is no other coffee shop nearby The Ray that carries beans from our roaster.
However, after discussions with our coffee roaster, I am excited to announce that you can buy all those great coffees online at the roaster’s Web sites listed below and $AVE 10% on every order. Simply follow the easy ordering instructions, and at checkout in the coupon box simply enter “BOB” and you will receive a 10% discount!! With the 10% discount and shipping, prices are going to be pretty close to what you were paying at The Ray.
Want to really save money? Get all you friends together and buy beans in 5 pound bags! Or if you can put together an order of 40 pounds or more, you will get your 10% discount plus shipping will be FREE!!
You can order the coffee through one of these Web sites:
www.kmojoe.com (roaster’s Web site selling 1-lb. bags)
www.kmocoffee.com (roaster’s wholesale Web site that sells 5-lb. bags)
Thanks for your loyalty and business at The Ray Cafe, if you have any questions please e-mail me (coffeeguru@comcast.net) and I will be glad to help. …
Bob Pierce
coffeeguru@comcast.net
Formerly of The Ray Cafe”
Bob also told me that this is the same supplier he used when he owned The Corner Perk Coffee Cafe at Northfield Square Mall or The Gathering Grounds at St. Mary’s Hospital, so if you loved the coffee at those places, you’ll like these beans.
More sad news from one of our area eateries. I just received this email from Bob at The Ray Cafe & Coffee House in Manteno:
Morning,
I am sad to inform you that The Ray Cafe and Coffee House and Aqueous Ideas has closed their doors. Randy, the owner of both, announced to the staff early Tuesday (July 7th) morning that due to the economy he was closing both businesses.
My staff and I appreciate the support that you gave us and the friendships that we made. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon.
If you loved our coffee beans, please stay in touch with me, as I am trying to find an alternate source from our roaster.
Thanks again for your support. If I can be of any assistance to you please feel free to send me an e-mail!
I’m very sorry to hear that, Bob. Best of luck to you.
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.
Higher Grounds (formerly Moon Monkey Coffee House) is closed until August, when Olivet students return.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
The Ray Cafe and Coffee House (150 North Prairieview Dr.) in Manteno now offers their sandwiches on 100% stone ground whole wheat wraps. This week, to introduce the wraps, they have the following specials:
Bourbon Peppercorn Hand-Carved Turkey Breast, $4.95.
Served on a Sundried Tomato Wrap with ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatos.
Dijon Roasted Garlic Beef, $4.95
Served on a Italian Herb Wrap with our own dijon roasted garlic sauce, provolone cheese, lettuce and tomatos.
The Ray Cafe offers free delivery. To order, call 815-468-0511.
Several readers have contacted me to tell me about Ray’s, and I’ve posted their feedback on the blog. Here are two links if you want to see what they had to say:
A reader named Sharon sent me this recommendation via email:
“If you are looking for ideas for your Best Bites article in the Journal, several of my friends think the small cafe at Riverside Health Fitness Center in Bourbonnais is very good for lunch. They have a new chef and he has added some nice things to the menu. Anyone can eat there whether a member of the Fitness Center or not. If you are in the area, check it out.”
The Cafe, as it’s formally know, IS a great place, and one that few people know about.
My husband and I went there for lunch recently and really enjoyed it. I ordered the vegetable quesadilla and a fruit smoothie, and Brendan got the southwest chicken wrap and cream of spinach soup. I also went back on Friday and had the tuna plate special. You can see from the photos below that the food is beautifully prepared and the portions are generous. Most importantly, it tasted as good as it looked.
The breakfast menu includes eggs and omelets. I’m told that the most popular item is a breakfast scramble made with egg whites and veggies. The lunch menu features sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, salads and burgers (garden, turkey and sirloin.) Other offerings include coffee, smoothies, snack bars and various to-go items.
I love that there are so many healthy offerings, but if you’re afraid it’s just “rabbit food,” don’t be. Try the steak and cheese quesadilla, or the Philly wrap, or the Turkey Reuben.
As Sharon points out, anyone can eat at the cafe, regardless of whether you’re a member of the fitness center or not. There are several tables for seating, and even a TV if you want to watch while you eat.
The cafe opens at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. It closes at 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 4 p.m. Wednesday, and 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. It’s closed on the weekends.
The new chef that Sharon referred to is Danny Ayers, an alum of Bishop McNamara and the culinary arts program at Joliet Junior College. He started at Riverside last June.
The fitness center, at 100 Fitness Drive in Bourbonnais, is on the east side of Illinois Route 45/52, about 1/8 mile south of St. George Road, a.k.a. 5000 N. Road. Click here for a map.
