Antiquing and Foodie’s Cafe
Everything tastes better in a bacon bowl, Lord Farquaad doesn’t wear a crown and kneeling, naked nymphs are pretty cool. We learned all that, and much more, antiquing our way through Kankakee County on today’s Date Day.
We actually got an early start today. So early that we had to take the long way to our first stop since they didn’t open until 10am. We drove through the corn fields on gravel roads and got stuck behind a giant farm tractor, but finally made it to Manteno at 10am sharp.
Manteno Antique Mall
The Manteno Antique Mall is not much to look at from the outside. The building is nondescript and seems fairly small. Upon entering, however, you find a huge and immaculate antique store with aisle upon aisle of cases, cabinets and shelves. Everything in the store is neatly displayed and has a visible price tag. This is good, because many items are behind glass and you need to get assistance to actually pick something up.
Despite the high security, we spent a fun hour and a half browsing around the store. We saw a couple overpriced Toby Jugs, many strange knickknacks and a surprisingly large collection of baby carriages. Our favorite was the section dedicated to things made of shells.
The ladies running the shop were witty, fun and engaging and we enjoyed talking with them as we made our single purchase, the kneeling, naked nymph. We left the store, drove through a revitalizing downtown Manteno and headed off to Bradley.
Bargains and Treasures
Bargains and Treasures is a quirky little antique and consignment store in Bradley, IL. It has everything from mid-century modern furniture to giant umbrellas. The store is a little small, so we were able see everything in only 20 minutes. They were, however, a fun 20 minutes.
Theresa found a crown for Nate to wear in the school production of Shrek – he is the diminutive, yet funny Lord Farquaad. We also found a kit to make homemade bacon bowls, but one of us wouldn’t let the other buy it. Strangely, it was paired with set of Perfect Portions diet containers. Who needs diet containers when you have a bacon bowl?
Indian Oaks Antique Mall
We left Bradley and headed to Bourbonnais for our next stop, the Indian Oaks Antique Mall. We knew this was going to be a good find as we drove up. The antiques are literally spilling out of the store. Old ladders, lockers, chairs and signs cover the entire side of the building. Inside, we found a huge array of every type of antique imaginable.
We thoroughly enjoyed an hour browsing amongst the wares, but Theresa was starting to get hangry, so we had to leave. Tom wanted to buy a funky head and an Indian sign on the way out, but Theresa squashed his desires with a single withering look. Empty handed, we went in search of lunch.
Foodie’s Cafe
Foodie’s Café is a family-owned diner in Dyer, IN. They’ve been in business since 2011 and are known for great food at a reasonable price. They specialize in breakfast, but also have a wide variety of sandwiches, salads and early dinner options (they close at 7pm). Best of all, everything is made fresh to order. Theresa had been there before, but today was Tom’s first time.
We walked into the brightly colored and friendly diner and took our time with the large menu. In the end, we both opted for the soup and sandwich combo. Theresa went with the BLT and Tomato Bisque and Tom decided to try the Tuna Melt and Broccoli Cheddar. The portions were plenty large, and the food was great. We washed everything down with coffee and Perrier and headed to school to pick up Nate.
Lord Farquaad and His Crown
We sat outside the school with keen anticipation. We were so proud of ourselves for finding the crown for only $2 and had been looking forward to showing it to Nate all day. Finally, the time came, and Nate got into the car. He looked at us and could tell something was up. It may have been our giggling excitement. Theresa produced the crown with a well-practiced flourish and said; “Look what we got you today!”. The rest of the conversation went like this:
Nate: What’s that for?
Tom: It’s for the play dummy. Lord Farquaad’s crown.
Theresa: We found it in an antique store during our date. Isn’t it neat?
Nate: Uh, Lord Farquaad wears a hat. He’s a lord, not a king.
Us: Crap
If you are reading this and need a crown, let us know.
October 2018
Manteno Antique Mall
35 E 3rd St, Manteno, IL 60950
1.5 Hours
Bargains and Treasures
396 Kennedy Dr, Bradley, IL 60915
20 Minutes
Indian Oaks Antique Mall
1300 Larry Power Rd, Bourbonnais, IL 60914
1 Hour
Foodie’s Cafe
151 Joliet St, Dyer, IN 46311
$19 (They do not serve alcohol)
45 minutes
Free Parking
