One of the greatest loves of my life is food. I love a good meal, a tasty beverage or a little treat. I always say this is my favorite part about traveling, but it’s truly one of my favorite parts of life in general.
As such, it’s often a topic of conversation for me. It’s fairly common for me to ask someone, “If you were having your last meal and had to pick an appetizer, entrée, dessert and beverage, what would that selection be?”
I’ve always answered – appetizer: original salted pretzel with cheese from Wetzel’s Pretzels; entrée: Rigatoni D from Maggiano’s or a cheeseburger from Portillo’s (I no longer eat beef, but, if it’s my last meal, I’m going for it); dessert: a peanut butter crunch blizzard from Dairy Queen; drink: a Diet Coke.
I was having this conversation with a friend and coworker recently, and he provided his answers. Then, he did something that no one has done before when I’ve asked this question, and he gave answers tailored to places he’s lived, including Kankakee.
Having never thought of it from a themed perspective, I’ve been thinking about how I would tailor my answers to Kankakee-specific foods. While a blizzard and a Diet Coke are obtainable here, I decided to select a whole new menu.
Appetizer: boneless wings either from Oliver’s (West Station Street) or 5 Star Wings (also West Station Street); entrée: fried chicken pita from Paul’s Place (South Washington Avenue); dessert: either ice cream or a paleta from La Delicia (Henry Street); beverage: Honey Biscuit from Knack Brewing (South McMullen Avenue).
If we’re looking at the Bourbonnais area, some strong contenders are: a shrimp tempura roll from Koi (N. Convent St., Bourbonnais); a chicken salad sandwich from New York City Deli (North Convent Street, Bourbonnais); chicken voulette from Tucci’s Italian (Bradley Boulevard, Bourbonnais); Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookie from Josephine’s Bakeshop (North Convent Street, Bourbonnais).
In Bradley, I love chicken hibachi from Kansai (inside Northfield Square Mall) and anything from LoveALatte Coffee (West Broadway Street).
It’s hard to narrow down favorites in a specific area, let alone overall picks. But, should any of this be on my plate, I’m a happy camper.
Is there anything you think is missing that I should try? Send me a message!
· Taylor Leddin-McMaster can be contacted at taylorleddin@gmail.com.