Dining out: Eat, drink to support breast cancer charities, Big City Burger collab and new fall menus
Think pink
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many suburban eateries are serving up special dishes, creating cocktails and or finding other ways to raise money and awareness for the cause.
Antico Posto in Oak Brook has the pink dessert covered with strawberry cheesecake gelato ($7.95), with $1 from each one purchased benefiting Chicago’s In Good Taste, part of the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation.
Beatrix in Oak Brook has baked up a raspberry bran muffin ($5.50), with $1 from each purchase benefiting Chicago’s In Good Taste.
L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge in Lincolnwood is serving up a cherry old fashioned ($15), with $1 from each one ordered going to Chicago’s In Good Taste.
Lucille Restaurant at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace will host afternoon pink tea at 1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 25. It’s $65 for adults and $30 for kids younger than 12. For each guest attending, Drury Lane will donate $10 to Wellness House, supporting cancer patients and their families in our community.
Roka Akor in Oak Brook is supporting Editha House, which provides affordable lodging for adult cancer patients and their caregivers traveling for medical treatment. When you drink pink, specifically the JCB No. 69 Brut Rosé, they’ll donate $5 per glass or $20 per bottle to Editha House. Or you can order the hamachi serrano chili roll, $3 of which will go to the charity.
The Hampton Social will donate a portion of proceeds from each glass of H Rosé sold to the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation.
Big City Burger Collab 3.0
The folks at The Graceful Ordinary in St. Charles are tapping well-known Chicago chef Bill Kim of Cornerstone Restaurant Group for the third TGO Big City Burger chef collab.
The “Bill Kim Pizza Burger” features toasted garlic bread buns, sweet homemade marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan.
The $18 burger will be served from 4-5 p.m. during happy hour Tuesday through Friday and after 9 p.m. on the late-night bar menu Thursday through Saturday. It’s also available during lunch service on Saturday and brunch on Sunday.
Menu update, part one
Lazy Dog — with locations in Buffalo Grove, Naperville, Northbrook, Oak Brook and Vernon Hills — is welcoming the change of seasons with a lineup of 15 new fall-inspired dishes, small bites, cocktails and mocktails.
Included are several shareable small plates such as chef’s chips served with chipotle ranch dip, house bread, tikka masala meatballs, French onion pastry puffs, hot honey feta dip, roasted red pepper hummus and smoked trout dip.
Entrees include steak and veggie kebabs, wild-caught sea bass and pretzel-crusted pork schnitzel. A hibiscus margarita and peanut butter cold brew martini as well as several mocktails and campfire cookies round out the lineup.
Menu update, part two
Main Street Social in Libertyville is rolling out what they say is their biggest menu release in years, adding four new dishes they’ve been serving as weekend features for the past few months.
The new additions include pesto cavatelli, featuring traditional pine nut pesto, ricotta and blistered tomatoes; swordfish puttanesca with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, capers and Tuscan couscous; soppresatta and hot honey flatbread; and shrimp linguini with saffron cream and andouille spices.
The restaurant said this is part one, with more items to be added soon.
Main Street Social is hosting a Washington State wine tasting Sunday, Oct. 12, as well as a jazz brunch featuring Kevin Fort, who will play sets from 11 a.m. to noon and 12:30-1:30 p.m. The wine tasting, from 2-4 p.m., will feature over 40 wines, from bold cabernets to bright rieslings. The $20 tasting fee is waived with a $20 purchase.
Challenge accepted
Think you know your red wines? Truluck’s, at 9860 Berwyn Ave. in Rosemont, is inviting guests to put their palates to the test with the Sommelier’s Secret Red Wine Challenge in October.
Here’s how it works: guests can order a $20 mystery glass of red wine, with which they’ll get a tasting card and pencil. If they guess the exact wine correctly, it’s free. Since the mystery wines are likely valued at more than $20, guests win either way. It’s one guess per glass.
Candy camp
Morkes Chocolates is hosting a spooktacular candy camp Monday, Oct. 13, at 1890 N. Rand Road, Palatine. The hands-on, 30-minute Halloween-themed chocolate-making experience, offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., will guide participants through decorating and creating seasonal chocolate treats. It’s $19 per person and pre-registration is required at morkeschocolates.com/.
• Email dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.