Dining out: Portillo’s adds first new cake flavor in 20 years
Portillo’s is adding their first new cake offering in over 20 years with the Salted Caramel Spice Cake. Plus, Buffalo Creek Brewing hosts a Burger Throwdown on Sunday, and Yelp has ranked the top 100 pizza spots in the Midwest.
New Portillo’s cake
Step aside, beloved chocolate. Portillo’s is adding their first new cake offering in over 20 years with the Salted Caramel Spice Cake.
Available for a limited time, the new seasonal dessert features two layers of moist spice cake iced with salted caramel frosting. It can be ordered by the slice, whole or as a cake shake.
To highlight the new offering, guests can get a $1 slice of the cake during the month of September.
Burger Battle
Some of Lake County’s favorite burger joints will battle to see who will take home the top spot Sunday during the second annual Burger Throwdown at Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Lane in Long Grove.
The battle takes place from 1-4 p.m. in the brewery’s two-acre biergarten. Each guest will receive a freshly made beer and get to vote on samples of burgers from participants that include Guud Burger, Indaba USA, Burger Alley, Rep’s Place and Woodfire Tavern.
The event will feature live music, outdoor games and the release of the brewery’s Cherry Rasp amber beer. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Suburbs represent in Yelp’s top 100 pizza joints
When it comes to pizza in the Midwest, you’d expect the Chicago area to be well-represented. A recent Yelp Top 100 list with pizzas from a dozen states listed 16 Illinois restaurants, nine of which were from the suburbs and five from Chicago.
DoughDaddy’s Pizza in Westmont was the top ranked suburban pizzeria, coming in at No. 9. Other suburban spots on the list include Pomodoro E Mozzarella in St. Charles (33), Gianorio’s Pizza in Winfield (40), DeSalvo’s Pizza in Evanston (54), Nature’s Best Cafe in Naperville (58), Sal’s Pizza Company in Algonquin (61), Pie Life Pizzeria in Glen Ellyn (67), Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Schaumburg (70) and Elio Pizza On Fire in Addison (73).
Pequod’s Pizza was the top-ranked Chicago spot at No. 3. The No. 1 spot went to Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park, Michigan. Businesses were ranked by rating and review volume.
Geneva Red Lobster closes
In the end, even Flavor Flav’s love of Red Lobster couldn’t save the location in Geneva. The restaurant at 902 Commons Drive is one of 23 closing nationwide as part of the seafood chain’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.
Two other Illinois locations, in Bourbonnais and Peoria, felt the pinch as well. After this round of closures, the chain will have around 500 restaurants left, down from about 650 last year.
Dinner about a show
Theater enthusiasts can enjoy a themed dinner before attending the Marriott Theatre’s production of “1776” in Lincolnshire. Three Embers restaurant, next door to the theater, is offering a prix fixe menu curated to complement the show, capturing the essence of early American cuisine.
The $49 per person meal includes options like Abigail Adams Corn Chowder, Liberty Broiled Sea Bass, Congressional Grilled Chicken, T Jefferson Sweet and Sour Chickpeas, and Declaration of Independence (red, white and berry mousse cake consisting of red velvet cake and berry cream cheese mousse).
The menu can be enjoyed during the show’s run from Wednesday, Aug. 28, through Oct. 13.
Sip while you shop
Tapville Social has opened a new “Drink While You Shop” location in the Center Court at Yorktown Center in Lombard.
The self-serve center offers a curated selection of beer, wine and cider that you can sip while you stroll through the mall
Tapville Social also has a full-service restaurant in Naperville and other drink-while-you-shop locations in Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont and Fox Valley Mall in Aurora.
• Email dining news to rwest@dailyherald.com.