Dining out: Country music and fresh oysters at Shuckin' Shack, Geneva brewery grabs gold
Fresh & Raw Tour is back
The second annual Shuckin' Shack Fresh & Raw Tour 2023 is back at the Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar in Naperville Sunday, Oct. 1. The free, 16-stop charity concert tour pairs live country music with contests and food and drink specials to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This year's headliners include "The Voice's" country rock star Barret Baber and up-and-comer Taylor Goyette, in addition to local openers. The event, which raised over $52,000 last year, starts at 2 p.m. at 8 W. Gartner Road, Suite 140, and goes through the evening.
Penrose grabs gold
Penrose Brewing in Geneva won big at the recent 2023 U.S. Open Hard Seltzer Championship, bringing home three gold medals and one bronze. Their Lemon Seltz-Up and Lemon Tea-Up won their respective categories while the Pink Lemon Seltz-Up and Blackberry Lemon Seltz-Up took gold and bronze respectively in the flavored lemonade division. Almost 70 hard seltzer brewers from across the country entered a record 251 hard seltzers in the competition. It's the second big win for their Lemon Seltz-Up this year, after being awarded a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute in July 2023. The Lemon Seltz-Up, Blackberry Lemon Seltz-Up, and Lemon Tea-Up are all available in four-packs at the Penrose Taproom at 509 Stevens St. in Geneva. Penrose plans to release a new Apple Cider Donut flavor on Friday, Sept. 29, at the taproom.
What's better than brunch?
Let's face it, brunch is the best meal because generally you can't have it every day. Miller's Ale House asks: Why not? The sports-themed casual dining chain has introduced its first brunch menu, available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. Brunch entrees start at $10 with offerings that include a Tex-Mex burrito, bacon and egg chicken sandwich, skillet-baked sunrise scramble and brunch burger topped with candied bacon and a fried egg. Brunch cocktail specials, including $5 Mimosas and Bloody Marys, could make watching football (and a certain local team) on Sunday more palatable. Suburban Miller's Ale House locations include Schaumburg, Aurora and Lombard.
Bring the heat
Just as it's starting to get cool outside, Shake Shack is bringing the heat with the return of four specialty Hot Menu items. Hot Chicken, Spicy Shackmeister Burger, Spicy Fries with Ranch Sauce and Spicy Cheese Fries with Ranch Sauce will be available until Jan. 8 at all locations. Shake Shack's signature spice features a blend of cayenne pepper, brown sugar, vinegar powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Shake Shack's suburban locations include Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Skokie and Vernon Hills.
Huntley Panera opens - finally
Six years after it was announced, a new 3,500-square-foot Panera Bread cafe has finally opened at 12032 Route 47 in Huntley. It's the second Panera opening in the area in this month, coming on the heels of a new location in McHenry.
Pal Joey's
The West Chicago Pal Joey's location announced they're closing after 50 years. The restaurant opened in 1973 at 920 Roosevelt Road before moving to 440 E. Roosevelt Road around 2005. Attempts to reach the restaurant went unreturned. Pal Joey's still has a location in Batavia at 31 N. River St.
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New dining guy alert: Send dining news to rwest@dailyherald.com.