KJVL - Bessie's Dinner

Siouxpilot77

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Oct 23, 2016
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19
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Sugar Grove, IL
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Siouxpilot77
Went to KJVL last week to eat breakfast at Bessie's Dinner. Food was great and the atmosphere was nice. The fresh apple donuts are worth the trip.

It's a welcome addition to an area that doesn't have a ton of 100 hamburger options located on the airport.
 
I couldn't agree more. It's a lovely airport restaurant, priced right, not tacky like many on-airport restaurants. Fantastic food and an overall unbeatable meal!
 
I couldn't agree more. It's a lovely airport restaurant, priced right, not tacky like many on-airport restaurants. Fantastic food and an overall unbeatable meal!
Agree with the pricing as well! We were surprised when the bill came back! Hopefully this will keep the local's coming back, so they stay in business! Always hate to see it when we lose a good airport restaurant.
 
It does look really good!
 
did my checkride at JVL BUT haven't been there inquite a while. there used to be a cafe on the airport but it closed a number of years back. is Bessie's on the field? when at JVL we always walked over to the cafe at the golf course. maybe she'll increase traffic at JVL cuz that was one quiet little airport.
 
NEW terminal? well, i should get back up there one of these days.
 
Just went there for the first time this past weekend, and I was impressed! Nice new facility, the place was packed, and the food was excellent - Especially the biscuits and gravy! I had some sort of french toast thing but I'd been to breakfast at a different restaurant with my wife the day before, she ordered the biscuits and gravy and I had been planning on stealing one of hers, but it turned out they were out and so I didn't get any. Ordered one on the side, and it was fantastic - The gravy had a nice kick to it.

I'll definitely go back. Unfortunately, KUES-KJVL in the Mooney is only a 15-minute flight!
 
Just dropped in yesterday for the 2nd time, the wife was along. It was great again, have the ground frequency handy for pilot access.

The weather was ideal, about 6 planes parked at the high point. At least a few families came so some could watch planes by the sounds of it.
 
I'd like to second all the good stuff that has been written about Bessie's at KJVL so far. I flew there today and I loved the place. The new terminal is spacious. Access from the ramp requires an entry code which is the ground frequency for the airport: easy to remember since it was the last frequency you dialed, right?

The food was excellent and the service very friendly. Good crowd mix: locals and fly-ins.

Even though I got there around lunch time, I opted for a breakfast plate, the chorizo benedict. Very, very good but it's the kind of stuff that will make you fail your 3rd class medical :rolleyes:. I hope Bessie's adds dinner hours down the road. It would be a great night flight for me, especially the return trip towards the Chicago lights, to 06C.

I got an order-to-go of the apple-cinnamon donuts to bring home, and I don't recall this little Archer rental smelling that good before!

Here're a few pictures for @Ryanb. (The American Champion shown is not my airplane. It was the coolest airplane among 10 or so aircraft parked in front of the diner today though). There was too much light and shade in the room to capture, even with the iPhone's so-called HDR feature, but that shiny thing over the bar is indeed a wing.

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Looks nice. When do y’all midwesterners want to go again? I’m in and will try to persuade my lady. Thoughts @Mtns2Skies , @Terry M - 3CK (Chicago) , @GreatLakesFlying , @flyingcheesehead , @Siouxpilot77 , etc??

I am in as well. Plenty of time between now and Thanksgiving. I'd rather not fly on weekends because rental availability out of 06C may be tight. Also because Bessie's gets very busy on weekends, and the wait for a table could be quite be long (making my rental window even tighter).
 
I'd like to second all the good stuff that has been written about Bessie's at KJVL so far. I flew there today and I loved the place. The new terminal is spacious. Access from the ramp requires an entry code which is the ground frequency for the airport: easy to remember since it was the last frequency you dialed, right?

The food was excellent and the service very friendly. Good crowd mix: locals and fly-ins.

Even though I got there around lunch time, I opted for a breakfast plate, the chorizo benedict. Very, very good but it's the kind of stuff that will make you fail your 3rd class medical :rolleyes:. I hope Bessie's adds dinner hours down the road. It would be a great night flight for me, especially the return trip towards the Chicago lights, to 06C.

I got an order-to-go of the apple-cinnamon donuts to bring home, and I don't recall this little Archer rental smelling that good before!

Here're a few pictures for @Ryanb. (The American Champion shown is not my airplane. It was the coolest airplane among 10 or so aircraft parked in front of the diner today though). There was too much light and shade in the room to capture, even with the iPhone's so-called HDR feature, but that shiny thing over the bar is indeed a wing.

View attachment 68535 View attachment 68536 View attachment 68537
Great pics! Wish I was close enough to join y’all.
 
I'd be in on this too. Been meaning to check that place out
 
I would try to make it. Given my lack of medical, I would likely be driving. With kids and work, I'm a wildcard. I'll try to make it when scheduled.

I've always found finding 06C at night difficult without GPS. Really tests my situational awareness.
 
I've always found finding 06C at night difficult without GPS. Really tests my situational awareness.

It's a bit tricky alright. The runway lights are not clearly visible until you are in the downwind. It takes some faith in your GPS to fly into 06C's pattern.

By now I've identified a few landmarks that make the approach a bit easier but I remember the first time I flew solo back into 06C. I had KORD's tower on standby and I was ready to beg for mercy :)
 
Okay as the moderator I clearly need to take charge :D.

So weather doesn't look great this weekend. But we should do this before it gets too cold, I propose Saturday Nov 10th @ JVL Bessie's diner at 10:30AM.

I am in, planning to depart 06C around 9 AM. This will be my first POA fly-in, so how do we connect once on the ground?
 
Well depending on when parts get in I may actually be closer to 50/50 for making it to this... Silly avionics.
 
Crap i haven’t been following the thread! I hate when having to be an adult gets in the way of my time on these interweb’s :)

Buddy and I went up today. Was delish.

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Update. Odds are looking good I'll get the plane back early next week... So who else can we wrangle up to join?
 
Would like me to meet up with you guys, but I gotta work that day. Have some apple donuts for me!


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Wx looks good. Winds are dying down. Hope to see everyone soon.

Planning wheels up from 06C at 9:30 AM. Bringing my friend Eric for the ride. At least one of us will be wearing an orange hat with a ham radio call sign. Looking forward to meeting a fellow CSU alumn.
 
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Looks good from here. I should be off before 9
 
Just got here. Wave to the guy in the black coat and leather hat.
 
I should be there around 930a this Saturday. A small group from EAA 790 at 3CK is planning to meet for breakfast if weather holds out. Hope to see some of you there.

@Red Rider - anyone in that group have a LSA (Champ or otherwise) based at 3CK they'd like a partner in to reduce costs?

ETA: @GreatLakesFlying same question regarding 06C
 
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