Belleville favorite to reopen under familiar chef as Collinsville welcomes new buffet

Jade Buffet in Collinsville opens Tuesday, Sept. 10, according to the restaurant’s business manager, Min Wen Lu.

Signs of life at the former Golden Corral site appeared in late July when the signage for the shuttered buffet was replaced with the Jade Buffet signage. A banner stating “China buffet coming soon” was also displayed.

Renovations to the building’s interior were made and included fresh paint, new flooring, changes to the buffet line and the addition of a sushi counter.

Lu said that the restaurant passed its final inspections on Aug. 28 and starting Tuesday will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and closed on Mondays.

Jade Buffet is located at 1079 Collinsville Crossing Blvd. in Collinsville.

Open again to an enthusiastic public

Golden Dragon in downtown Belleville reopened Wednesday, Sept. 4. I stopped by to see how things were going and learned that I just missed the lunch rush.

Tom Ball previously worked at Golden Dragon and also rejoined the team. He said that people are extremely happy to see them back again.

The eatery’s former owner and current building owner, Truc Truong, said that it was very busy and that he’s “very glad to come back.”

Truong, who bought Golden Dragon in February 1995, closed on April 2022 because he had too little staff to handle the high number of customers.

The restaurant reopened under a new owner, longtime chef Dat Nguyen and his business partner Han Bui.

Bui has more than 20 years of restaurant experience and came to Golden Dragon from China Express in Cahokia Heights.

Nguyen worked as the Golden Dragon’s chef for more than 20 years under Truong and brings back the original recipes that customers enjoyed for many years.

Truong said he “always wanted [Nguyen] to come back.”

Golden Dragon is located at 128 W. Main St. in Belleville and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. For more info, call 618-233-7714.

Now open in Fairview Heights

Frida’s Cocina Mexican Scratch Kitchen opened Tuesday, Sept. 3, at its new Fairview Heights location, celebrating with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with representatives from the city and Metro-East Regional Chamber of Commerce in attendance.

The restaurant moved from Scott AFB to 823 Lincoln Highway. Hours are listed on the Facebook page as 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Mayor Mark Kupsky mentioned the ribbon cutting at Tuesday evening’s city council meeting, adding that Frida’s Cocina is still awaiting its liquor license. So folks will have to enjoy the food without margaritas for now.

Have some great food with that beer

The Old Bakery Beer Company in Alton just released its fall menu , and I’m delighted to say that it includes the return of a favorite of mine: The Max Mayfield.

The Max Mayfield consists of fried brussels sprouts, roasted corn, peppers, black beans, spanish rice, jalapeño and sundried tomato cilantro crema on a tortilla, according to the Old Bakery Beer website.

I do love brussels sprouts.

Other menu items include seasonal sammies:

• Cheesesteak Melt: sirloin steak, provolone, onion, peppers and garlic mayo on a baguette;

• Holiday Turkey: roasted turkey, stuffing, provolone, cranberry sauce and gravy on sourdough;

• Mushroom French Dip: sautéed mushrooms, garlic aioli, carmelized onion and au jus on a baguette;

• Fall Grilled Cheese: fig spread, granny smith apple, white cheddar and smoked gouda on sourdough.

Signature sandwiches, burgers, appetizers, salads, chili, pork carnitas and daily specials are also available.

Check out the menu at oldbakerybeer.com .

The Old Bakery Beer Company is located at 400 Landmarks Blvd. in Alton. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.

For more info, visit the website or call 618-463-1470.

Savory or sweet? Why not both?

Mokka Bon, a new coffee and waffle shop in Troy, opened in late July.

The café serves coffee, tea and espresso drinks – all hot and iced – and a variety of waffles and pastries. Choose something savory or sweet. Or one of each – I won’t tell.

I got my usual caffeinated café beverage of choice, an Americano, and it was perfect – not bitter at all and not so hot that I scalded my tongue. (I’m impatient, so it happens a lot.)

Business is “going great so far” and really busy, said Katie Duff, who owns the business with husband Tyler Duff.

The café was a long time coming. She said it took four years from the time they came up with the idea to when they found a building to buy. From there, the renovation took 11 months.

“It’s been an adventure,” said Duff.

Mokka Bon is located at 100 W. Market St., Troy, and open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. For more info, follow the business’ Facebook page .