Dining

Dining out: It’s pumpkin spice season at Starbucks

Posted August 20, 2024 6:23 am

Rick West

Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the Starbucks fall menu will be available in the U.S. starting Thursday. Courtesy of Starbucks

The day you’ve all been waiting for is upon us … the Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks on Thursday. Also, it’s always National Something Day, but there are a couple of food holidays coming up that come with some tasty offers. Plus we have some familiar suburban restaurant names opening a joint venture in Woodstock, and you can learn all about pisco at a tasting dinner in Arlington Heights.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbucks starting Thursday. Courtesy of Starbucks

Yep, it’s pumpkin spice season already

Never mind the weather and ignore the calendar, Starbucks tells us when its fall with the release of pumpkin drinks and their autumn menu. And fall starts Thursday.

Back for its 21st year, Pumpkin Spice Latte season comes at its earliest ever date and brings with it a lineup of other pumpkin- and apple-flavored drinks and snacks.

Since its debut in 2003, the PSL continues to be Starbucks most popular seasonal beverage. Made with real pumpkin, the drink is available hot, iced or blended.

Fan-favorite Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew also returns to the menu, as does the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and more.

New to the fall menu this year is the especially wordy Iced Apple Crisp Nondairy Cream Chai, featuring the warming spice flavors of chai combined with oatmilk and topped with nondairy apple crisp cold foam.

Celebrate National Waffle Day with the one-day only $5 Swaffle chicken and waffle sandwich at Fry the Coop. Courtesy of 312Food

National (fill in the blank) Day

• Saturday is National Waffle Day. Waffles for breakfast sounds delightful, but it doesn’t have to end there. Fry the Coop is offering the “Swaffle,” a handheld version of their chicken and waffles topped with spicy butter and maple syrup. It’s available on Saturday, Aug. 24, only, and it’s $5 while supplies last. Check their website for locations.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill is offering a four-course $44 meal for National Pork Chop Day. Courtesy of Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill

• And just as you come down off your waffle high, it’s time to celebrate National Pork Chop Day on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Where better to honor the day than the restaurant basically defined by their pork chop, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill. To celebrate, they’re offering a Four Courses for $44 special from 4 p.m. until closing at the suburban locations in Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Vernon Hills. The offer includes a starter, a choice of soup or salad, and a choice of entree that includes the lunch cut of their famous pork chop. It’s followed by a choice of dessert that includes their new Bacon Brittle & Cream. The special offer menu is available upon request and for dine-in only.

Squire on the Square will be opening in Woodstock in October. Bill Linardos, left, Tammy Linardos, William Linardos, Sophia Linardos and Bob Karas will operate the restaurant. Courtesy of the City of Woodstock

Squire to the Square

Months after the closing of the Public House of Woodstock, the historic Old Courthouse Center has a new restaurant on the way.

Squire on the Square, a new venture by veteran restaurateurs Bob Karas and Bill and Tammy Linardos, is expected to open in October at 101 N. Johnson St.

The restaurant is teased as a modern offshoot of the Karas Restaurant Group’s Village Squire, featuring many of the same Greek-inspired dishes like saganaki and gyros as well as prime rib, steaks, pasta and their ubiquitous free popcorn. They’ll also offer creative dishes, such as ahi tuna wontons, Asian nachos and myriad sandwich choices inspired by their other restaurants.

The new restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner six days a week with a bar, dining room, private event space and patio.

The Karas Restaurant Group also operates multiple Rookie’s All-American Pub & Grill and Alexander’s Cafe locations. The Linardos own Spring Grove restaurants Billy’s Beef, Hot Dogs and More and The Grove Pub & Grill as well as Sunset Grill in Antioch.

Dine on a curated four-course meal accompanied by pisco cocktails Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Mago in Arlington Heights. Courtesy of Mago

Pisco fever

Enjoy an evening imbibing the national liquor of Peru during Mago’s Pisco Tasting Dinner at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, in Arlington Heights. The evening starts off with a pisco brandy tasting and is followed by four courses prepared by chef Juan Luis, each paired with a Peruvian-inspired cocktail made with their featured pisco brandy spirits. Tickets are $90 per person and reservations can be made on OpenTable.

Laugh it up

Enjoy theater and beer? Then here’s an event for you. The Kirk Players of Mundelein will perform four original comedic short plays at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, at Tighthead Brewing Company in Mundelein. The $20 ticket includes one free Tighthead beer.

• Email dining news to rwest@dailyherald.com.

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