Dining out: New restaurants, bourbon and cigar dinner and more
Barely a week goes by that we aren’t welcoming at least one new restaurant to the suburbs, and this week is no exception. We’ve also got a bourbon and cigar dinner in Libertyville and a charity pizza cookoff.
New restaurant, part one
Mediterranean and California-inspired Ēma opened Tuesday in Glenview. It’s the second location for the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants concept.
The 230-plus-seat restaurant, located at 1320 Patriot Blvd., promises to “transport diners to a summer day in the Mediterranean with a mezze-style menu that spotlights the best-of-the-season ingredients paired with Mediterranean wines and spirits,” according to a news release.
The menu features a selection of mezze, Mediterranean small plates, with an emphasis on hummus, spreads, vegetables and kebabs. Signature dishes include Moroccan onion dip, tahini Caesar salad, octopus carpaccio and spicy brisket kefta kebab.
The beverage program includes craft cocktails with fresh Mediterranean ingredients, a curated wine list and a selection of zero-proof cocktails.
Ēma will be open daily for lunch and dinner with carryout, weekend brunch, delivery and large group event bookings to follow later this fall. Reservations can be made via OpenTable or at (847) 262-9500.
New restaurant, part two
Local fast-casual chicken shop Fry the Coop will soon open their ninth location, this one at 274 S. Weber Road, Bolingbrook.
The new location, the first one to feature picnic tables, is designed to feel as if you’ve stepped into a backyard cookout. The 2600-square-foot space will have 55 seats with hanging lights along with photographs and memorabilia that capture the history of the town — a tradition for every Fry the Coop location. It’s expected to open in October.
Charity pizza cookoff
It’s time for a parking lot pizza throwdown Sunday at Abt Electronics, 1200 N. Milwaukee Ave., Glenview.
Five chefs from local pizza restaurants will compete in Abt’s second annual Pizza Cook Off from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, for a chance to win a donation to the charity of their choice on behalf of the Abt Family Foundation.
Pizzaiolos from Giordano’s, Pizzeria Portofino, Paulie Gee’s, Pizza di Farfalla and Professor Pizza will battle using Ooni pizza ovens and will be judged by a panel of local food experts and influencers. The winning chef will get $2,000 for their chosen charity. Guests attending the competition will choose a “people’s choice” winner, who will get $1,500 for their charity.
Tickets to the event are $10 and include samples of each chef’s pizza, as well as lawn games, music and raffle prizes, including a grand prize of an ultimate pizza package from Ooni.
Dinner, brown liquor and stogies
Main Street Social in Libertyville is hosting its first Bourbon and Cigar Dinner at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, with the help of Gold Eagle Wine and Spirits and Neumann’s Cigar & More.
The four-course, $150 meal starts with lamb lollipops paired with Elijah Craig Toasted Oak Barrel, followed by braised pork rigatoni with Gold Eagle’s exclusive Town Branch Single Barrel Reserve. A Thor hammer bone-in beef shank is paired with James E. Pepper Barrel Proof. For dessert, dig in to apple crumble cheesecake and maple-bourbon gelato paired with Wilderness Trail Family Reserve Cask Strength. End the evening with 3 Diamond Crown Cigars.
Email pat@mainstreetsoc.com to make a reservation.
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day
Mexican Independence Day is Monday, Sept. 16 (no, not May 5), and you can celebrate with Chiles en Nogada, which dates back to Puebla in 1821 when the dish was prepared for the future emperor Agustin de Iturbide after the signing of the treaty granting Mexico independence from Spain.
Four restaurants in the Bien Trucha Group will offer the special dish Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 12-15. Their version features poblano peppers stuffed with shredded pork, pine nuts, almonds, raisins, peaches and apples and is topped with a walnut-based cream sauce, pomegranate seeds and parsley.
The restaurant group will have a limited amount available for dine-in at Bien Trucha in Geneva, a toda madre in Glen Ellyn, and Quiubo and Santo Cielo in Naperville.
The $110 to-go packages, which include four Chiles en Nogada and poblano rice and beans, are available for pickup on Saturday, Sept. 14, at three locations. Orders must be placed by Thursday, Sept. 12.
Mental health awareness
Long, late hours, an often dizzying pace in a high-pressure environment, demanding customers and an unconventional schedule can lead to stress, anxiety and burnout in restaurant workers.
With September being National Suicide Prevention Month and Mental Illness Awareness Week coming up Oct. 6-12, the team at The Graceful Ordinary is again partnering with Chicago-based nonprofit Hope For The Day on a monthlong fundraising initiative.
During September, $1 from every nonalcoholic cocktail sold will be donated to help Hope For The Day with their mission of proactive suicide prevention and mental health education.
It’s part of an ongoing effort by TGO owners Chris and Megan Curren to support their workers and others in the industry by making mental health resources available to them. In addition, they’ve partnered with Work Wiser, a mental health training platform that helps their staff develop healthy coping skills and stress management techniques.
• Email dining news to rwest@dailyherald.com.