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.

A reader named Gypsy sent me this via email:

“If you’re ever going through Momence, stop at Yanni’s on Washington (where Simpson’s used to be). Home cooking, good sized portions, reasonable prices. From the biscuits and gravy to skillets in the a.m. to pork chop dinners and homemade ravioli in p.m. with different specials every day. They’re open until 8 p.m. Thur., Fri., and Sat. evenings. Then go a couple doors down to the Stage Door Sweet Shoppe for the most delectable ice creams like Belgian Chocolate, Amaretto Cherry, and Tennessee Toffee!”

I had never been to Yanni’s, but this prompted me to make a trip out there for lunch. I had the Yanni’s Skillet, which is described on their menu as “Golden country home fries blended with chopped spinach, bacon, tomato, onions and topped with feta cheese and 2 eggs any style.” I love a good breakfast skillet and have tried them many places, and that was one of the best I’ve had. The salty feta cheese was a perfect compliment to the other ingredients.

The skillet also came with a side of pancakes, which I normally don’t bother eating. These, however, were also fantastic. They gave me new insight into the phrase “light and fluffy”, and I now know what pancakes SHOULD taste like. To top it off, they came with a little glass of syrup that was so good I was almost tempted to drink it like a shot. (Don’t worry, I didn’t. But it really was that good.)

Yanni’s is at 102 W. Washington. Hours are 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Phone is (815) 472-4600. They offer a large menu, and breakfast is available any time. All menu items are available for carryout.

After my carb-loaded lunch I walked two doors down to Stage Door and managed to consume even more calories. Read my separate post about what I found there.

The "Yanni's Skillet" at Yanni's on Washington in Momence.

I drove out to Momence on Aug. 4 to chase a tip about a good ice cream parlor. By sheer coincidence (or maybe my cosmic connection to all things edible?), I happened to find them on their one-year anniversary and they were giving out free cones. Talk about having a lucky day!

Stage Door Sweet Shoppe is at 110 E. Washington in Momence. Ice cream is their primary commodity (Ashby’s Ice Cream, to be exact), and they offer 24 flavors on any given day, with seasonal flavors regularly rotating through the mix.

“It’s the best ice cream in the world,” said one loyal patron I talked to. I only tried one flavor, Amaretto Cherry, but I can confirm it was very, very good.

If an ice cream headache is your idea of a good time, may I recommend the Momence Mountain — seven scoops of ice cream surrounded by brownies, smothered in chocolate and caramel sauce, and topped with a marshmallow, whipped cream and a sparkler. No one has yet been able to eat all of it solo, but photos of those who have found friends and family to help can be seen on the store’s wall of fame. (The wall of shame is reserved for anyone who might manage to consume all those calories by him or herself.)

For smaller appetites, there’s also the Redskin Pile Up (five scoops and all the toppings) and the Kiddy Pile Up (three scoops and all the toppings).

In addition to cones, sundaes, malts and shakes, Stage Door sells nuts, candies (including licorice imported from Australia), and imported coffee and tea. Also, the handiwork of area artists appear throughout the store and are available for purchase.

Stage Door owner Mark Noller oversaw all the restorations that were necessary to turn the ground floor of the 138-year-old building into an ice cream parlor. It was a lengthy and costly process and included a battle with the former mayor and city council over enforcement of a modern building code that Noller argued should not apply to a historic building. Noller prevailed, and finally, on Aug. 4, 2008, he saw his vision for a family-friendly hangout in the downtown area come to fruition.

Today, patrons can enjoy movies on Wednesday nights and open mic night on Friday nights. For groups needing their own space, Stage Door also offers a private dining room for luncheons.

Stage Door is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Call ahead to order pints or quarts. Their phone is (815) 472-4280.

A pizza parlor is slated to open soon in Momence.

Marcotte’s will be at 118 E. River St., and it will feature Helen’s original pizza recipe. I’m told that Helen’s once was a popular restaurant in Momence, but closed about 10 years ago.

I’ll share an opening date as soon as I hear of one. So far I’ve been told they hope to open sometime in September.

If you remember Helen’s pizza and can tell us more, please leave a comment below.

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.