Dining out: Piccolo Buco opens in Naperville, secret menu at Portillo’s, Labor Day brunches and more
Mangia, mangia!
Piccolo Buco Italian Restaurant is the latest dining addition to the new Block 59 development in Naperville.
The eatery at 456 Illinois Route 59 is the second suburban location for the partnership between Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant and Chef Luca Issa, owner of the original Piccolo Buco in Rome.
The menu showcases traditional Italian favorites and Roman-style pizza in Issa’s red, yellow or white varieties.
Modern Roman-style entrées include cacio e pepe, truffle fondue cappellacci and braised short ribs. Desserts include Mama Luca’s tiramisu, Amalfi poundcake and Chicago’s Raffaello gelato.
The Naperville location features 195 seats, including an enclosed patio and a wine tasting bar.
Not-so-secret menu
Portillo’s has added a pair of menu items, but you have to be an insider to order them. Fortunately, that just involves signing up to be a Portillo’s Perks member and ordering inside the restaurant.
The two new dishes, chili cheese fries and a triple cheeseburger, can be ordered only from the digital kiosks in restaurants by finding Pokey, patting her head and unlocking the treasure hunt.
The chili cheese fries are topped with Portillo’s cheddar cheese sauce and chili with beans, while the triple cheeseburger features three one-third pound patties, each topped with cheese, along with mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and ketchup.
If you like it ...
Speaking of Portillo’s ... they were the first restaurant to hit my inbox with an offer tied to the news of the engagement of America’s sweethearts Taylor and Travis. The release was chock-full of song titles and puns, but the gist is that Portillo’s Perks members can get a free small order of onion rings with any purchase of $1.13 or more starting Tuesday. Looks like the offer is good through Monday.
That email was quickly followed up by one from Lou Malnati’s, which is bringing out their heart-shaped pizzas to celebrate the engagement. They’re available until Thursday for dine-in, carryout and delivery.
Labor Day brunch
For those who don’t have to work on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1, a number of local restaurants are offering a special weekday brunch to celebrate.
Beatrix in Oak Brook will have its last summer Friday brunch on Aug. 29, as well as a special Labor Day edition Monday when you can dine on the ranchero breakfast burrito, migas egg scramble, light and fluffy lemon pancakes and more.
Grab a breakfast burger or bananas Foster pancakes at City Works Eatery & Pour House locations in Schaumburg and Vernon Hills. And since you’re not working, brunch shot options include the cinnamon toast with Fireball and RumChata, the jelly doughnut with Chambord and Baileys, and a mini espresso martini.
The Hampton Social will offer brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday with dishes such as wild berry French toast, lobster rolls, steak and eggs and cocktails including the signature frosé and espresso martinis.
Old Town Pour House in Naperville and Oak Brook will extend its weekend brunch to Monday and start an hour earlier, serving from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Menu favorites include stuffed French toast, avocado toast, chilaquiles, and chicken and waffles, as well as brunch cocktails, mimosa flights and more.
Revel in food and wine
If you’re up for a drive to Lake Forest next week, the Revelry Food & Wine Festival will feature some of the top chefs in the country cooking, teaching and judging during a four-day culinary celebration.
Taking place Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 4-7, the event brings together celebrity chefs including Beau McMillan, Stephanie Izard and Jonathan Sawyer, beverage professionals, artists and musicians while raising money for Northern Illinois Food Bank to fight food insecurity.
Ticketed events take place each day and include “Palate to Palette: Ladies First,” a celebration of women in the culinary, beverage and creative industries on Thursday. Friday features the “Masters of Taste Luncheon” with a multicourse meal designed by “Top Chef” finalist Lindsay Autry, and “Farm & Country” with farm-fresh fare at Elawa Farm. On Saturday, “Fedoras & Ferraris” will blend Italian sophistication with vintage automotive flair as guests are invited to don their finest fedoras and cocktail attire for an al fresco evening of Italian-inspired cuisine, rare wines, vintage Ferrari displays and live entertainment. “Whiskey, Wu-Tang & Wagyu” closes the event Sunday as 10 chefs battle to create the best wagyu burger.
Tickets for each event can be purchased at revelryfoodandwine.com/2025events.
• Email dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.