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18 | January 24, 2019 | The Lockport Legend life & arts lockportlegend.com Lockport resident helping grow Rustic Knead in Lemont Thomas Czaja Contributing Editor Celebratewith us in apicturesque setting surrounded by lush gardens, beautiful flower beds,and thousandsoflights. Call Now: 708.349.6940 x5 14700 S. 82nd Ave., OrlandPark, IL silverlakecc.com When Lockport resident Robert Kruczak and his brother Richard first opened Rustic Knead on July 1, 2015, they came into the community of Lemont with their business to test their product and concept there. They rebuilt and refurbished the existing space, which previously housed The Great American Bagel, into what is now both a café and bakery that has its bakers in plain sight behind a glass window at the back of the business. Nearly four-and-a-half years into operation, they have long since carved their niche in town, with regulars enjoying the quality of the food and atmosphere, which has a rustic, wooded look with the interior. “The rustic angle I think is back to the basics – back to the way it used to be,” Richard said. “The décor and environment is warm and homely, comfortable.” For Richard and Robert, the chance to do breakfast and lunch seven days a week and also extend catering to families and companies in the community and surrounding area has been rewarding. The name Rustic Knead features both of their initials, with the RK logo incorporated on the wall by a cushioned seating area near the front entrance. The next business development for the brothers is to partner with Lia P Gluten Bakery. The new glutenfree bakery is to open several doors down from Rustic Knead within approximately the next month or so, Richard said. “The selection [at Lia P] will be a lot deeper and go The interior of Rustic Knead is intentionally designed to be a warm and homely concept inviting to customers, according to owners Robert, of Lockport, and Richard Kruczak. Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media into details of things we don’t here like cupcakes, coffee cakes,” Richard said. Meanwhile, the Kruczak brothers will maintain Rustic Knead, which serves the breakfast portion of its menu until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11:30 a.m. on weekends. The Kruczaks, who each of years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries, wanted to have healthy and creative menu options, ones they refined by working with different ingredients on the sandwiches. As for the baked goods Rustic Knead offers, Robert said preferences range across the board, and the dark chocolate Nutella, blueberry Danish and almond paste are some of the top flavors of choice for the individual croissants they bake. As owners, Robert and Richard are hands-on with their business, crediting their wives for helping with their children and supporting Rustic Knead, as well as the help from other family and friends. Introducing new things to the community, whether via the bakery, restaurant Rustic Knead 1130 State St. in Lemont Hours • 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday- Friday • 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday For more information ... Web: www.rusticknead. com Phone: (630) 296-0660 or retail aspect of the business, while also doing some wholesale baking to supply other nearby restaurants and working on seasonal pastries, Rustic Knead and its sibling owners stay busy wearing different hats. They hire staff with a baking background to keep the multi-step fermentation process for the bread perfected, leaving them to maintain the equation of ingredients, procedure and temperature to continue churning out the product Rustic Knead has come to be known for by its patrons. “It’s a great community that supports the business very well,” Richard said in summary.
lockportlegend.com dining out the Lockport Legend | January 24, 2019 | 19 The Dish Ever-evolving menu keeps EggCetera Cafe fresh Mokena breakfast, lunch spot thrives on customer service Thomas Czaja, Contributing Editor EggCetera Cafe opened its doors to the Mokena community at its first location downtown in 2003 before adding its second spot in 2010. Since then, the business has become known for its breakfast and lunch selections, offering fresh ingredients in comforting meals at two cozy spots where friends and family can gather. To reward its loyal nucleus of patrons, Egg- Cetera introduced a rewards program early last summer. “It’s fantastic,” owner Dino Bastas, a Mokena resident for nearly 22 years, said of the program, which allows diners to rack up points for every dollar spent to get various discounts, deals and freebies. “We have some customers coming in here every day. Why not reward them?” Those interested can search Egg- Cetera Cafe in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download an app to sign-up for the program, or do so at the restaurant and receive a rewards card. But a bigger part of what makes EggCetera a continued success may be the customer service. Customers who frequent the business might find that their usual server or servers come to know their order, and a sense of familiarity established, Bastas explained. “These regular folks come in; their order is already in there,” Bastas said. “Sometimes, the cooks will peek through and start something [for regulars].” Those who have been to Egg- Cetera on numerous occasions know it has a diverse menu that is occasionally tweaked. A rotating specials menu also is available. For breakfast, one of the more recent menu entries is the triple berry stuffed French toast ($9.49), which Bastas said has strawberry EggCetera Cafe • 10120 191st St. • 19709 Mokena Street 191st Street Hours • 6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily Mokena Street Hours • 5:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday- Friday • 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday- Sunday For more information ... Web: www.eggcet.com Phone: (708) 478-0070 (191st Street), (708) 478-6051 (Mokena Street) cream cheese in the middle, with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries piled on top. Regardless of the breakfast or lunch selection, the owner looks to make sure to use fresh ingredients, while still making a quick product. “It’s real vegetables, nothing out of a can,” Bastas said. “That’s the biggest thing. As much fresh vegetables and fresh ingredients as possible that have been processed the least. “That’s the key: trying to get people a healthier option.” For those looking for something filling, the biscuits and sausage gravy ($8.69) are a big hit for the breakfast folks, with buttermilk biscuits cut in half and smothered in a thick, homemade pork sausage gravy, topped with two eggs. In addition to the triple egg skillets, egg-ceptional omelettes, pancakes, crepes, French toast, waffles and scramblers, the business offers a variety of melts, wraps, a homemade soup of the day, 100 percent certified Angus beef burgers, salads and a sandwich grill for the lunch crowd. Under lunch, the chicken Philly ($9.49) — containing a grilled chicken breast, topped with sauteed onion, pepper and mushroom, smothered with mozzarella cheese, on French bread — is a big draw. “A couple of my cooks play around, and we talk,” Bastas said The red velvet pancakes ($8.99 on their own) are a seasonal special available through Valentine’s Day that are topped with a homemade cream cheese icing and can have raspberries and chocolate chips added for $2. Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media “You can get food anywhere. There’s more eateries now than ever before. What differentiates us from all other eateries is the staff, the customer service. Good food tastes great with good service.” Dino Bastas — EggCetera Cafe owner of how they tweak the menu. “I’ll look to put something new on, and we’ll work together.” Of course, the specials always include some seasonal tweaks. The current specials are slated to run through Valentine’s Day, according to Bastas. Those include the hearty and heartfelt red velvet pancake breakfast — $10.99 as part of a meal that has two eggs, two strips of bacon or sausage links, hash browns and a short stack of Egg- Cetera’s red velvet pancakes. In the fall, pumpkin pancakes continue as a special through the holiday season. After Thanksgiving and through the holidays, gingerbread pancakes also find a place among the special. After the red velvets complete their run, carrot cake pancakes grace the specials through Easter. “People just want something different,” Bastas said. Corporate catering also helps the business, especially during the winter months. And Bastas said approximately 95 percent of their catering is to businesses in town and other surrounding communities. And with a resurgent economy and businesses steadily popping up in the area, Bastas expects that catering part of EggCetera to grow. “We are here to stay,” Bastas said. “I tell people all the time: You can get food anywhere. There’s more eateries now than ever before. What differentiates us from all other eateries is the staff, the customer service. “Good food tastes great with good service. That’s what we are working on.”
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