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AMERICAN
Danby's Station
750 Roosevelt Rd.
Glen Ellyn – (630) 790-3268

When you walk into Danby's Station for breakfast or lunch, you see a very diverse crowd. Tables are filled with business people, families with small children, retirees, college students and mixtures of all of these.

We arrived for lunch, and the room smelled delicious. As I perused the multi-paged menu, I couldn't decide between the many wraps, burgers or salads. An acquaintance of mine was enjoying her fajita salad at another table. At another table was savoring huge bowls of steaming soup with warm rolls. Just when I thought I had finally decided, our waitress informed me that you can order breakfast at any time! More choices: Danby's serves the whole breakfast gamut, from pancakes to skillets. I tried the Danby's special omelet, filled with spinach, bacon and cheese. You get a taste of each in every bite. Your choice of side is fruit or hash browns. My lunch partner chose the Mickey Mouse pancakes with chocolate chips. The pancakes were the perfect size for a third grader and declared fantastic.

The friendly waitstaff kept drinks filled and really hustled without making you feel rushed. We will go back to try some of the other items that made the other diners look so satisfied, and encourage you to do the same!

CHINESE
Café Jasmine
275 Rice Lake Square
Wheaton – (630) 690-2699

Café Jasmine in Rice Lake Square is surprisingly larger than the storefront suggests. The dining room is well lit, clean and offers mostly booth seating. Service is attentive without being overbearing. Our waitress was happy to help with questions we had about the extensive menu, and even offered suggestions to help our youngest diner's selection more kid friendly.

Café Jasmine's menu contains a large number of fish and vegetarian entrees. There are also several entrees that contain grilled chicken, which made this menu friendly for those trying to eat healthy. We tried a sampler appetizer platter. The BBQ ribs and beef skewer were tasty. The shrimp were large, and the tempura battered chicken was very kid friendly. The crab Rangoon's filling was pretty scant - our daughter thought it was simply a fried wonton at first.

For entrees, we tried Sweet and Sour Chicken (sauce on the side), General Tso's chicken, and Kung Pao beef. We were given choices about how hot we wanted the sauce for the latter. We found that the medium heat sneaks up on you, and that those who really want hot should select the extra spicy. Overall, the food was prepared and presented nicely but was a bit bland for our palates. Café Jasmine would appeal to those who are less adventurous with spicy food.