Dining out: True Food Kitchen open in Oak Brook, Stolp Island Social opens in Aurora
Black Friday
Once you've had enough of shopping on Black Friday, Nov. 29, here are some places where you can relax, kick back and be proud of your bargain hunting.
Bahama Breeze Island Grille: From 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, enjoy live music and specials such as the $4, $5, $6 Happy Hour. That means select appetizers (beef empanadas, firecracker shrimp, goat cheese and bell pepper dip, chorizo meatballs and more) are half-off. And drink specials feature $4 classic cocktails and 20-ounce drafts and bottled beers, $5 specialty drinks (Frozen Bahamarita and Mojito Cubano) and $6 Legendary Island Cocktail of the Month. The restaurant is at 406 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 884-7060 or bahamabreeze.com/.
Beatrix: Be one of the first 100 tables of the day - starting at 8 a.m. Friday - to receive a free chocolate chunk cookie and a $10 gift certificate to use on a future visit. The restaurant is at 272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 491-1415 or beatrixrestaurants.com/beatrix/oak-brook/.
Shaw's Crab House: All carryout orders from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday are 25% off (not valid for delivery). The restaurant is at 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722 or shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg/.
Tokio Asian Fusion: Friday is all-day happi hour, meaning drinks and snacks (pot stickers, maki, togarashi tots and more) are half-price from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant is at 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 278-5181 or tokioasianfusion.com/.
True Food Kitchen is now open
True Food Kitchen, which sources fresh in-season ingredients for its dishes, recently opened its second Chicago-area location in Oak Brook led by executive chef Mike Edgar. Diners can choose from seasonal dishes including the Ancient Grains Bowl, organic Tuscan kale salad, Inside Out Quinoa Burger, spaghetti squash casserole, butternut squash pizza, seasonal ingredient salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, the vegan plant-based Unbeetable Burger, Thai coconut sea bass and flourless chocolate cake. The scratch bar mixes up signature cocktails such as the Citrus Skinny Margarita and Juniper Rose and seasonal selections feature Beets By Jon, Pom Collins, Ginger Margarita, Apple Gold Rush and the Oaxacan Piña Punch. Plus, social hour features $5 drinks and bites from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The kids' menu has a banana and apple sandwich, chicken teriyaki bowl, mozzarella and organic tomato pizza and more. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
True Food Kitchen is located at 105 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 716-3056 or truefoodkitchen.com/oakbrook.
Stolp Island Social opens Friday
Amy Morton is opening her newest restaurant venture, seasonal kitchen and steakhouse Stolp Island Social, on Black Friday, Nov. 29, in the former Block and Kuhl department store in downtown Aurora. “The vibe is 1920s Aurora meets Coco Chanel today,” Morton says. Co-chefs Steve O'Neill, formerly of Evanston's Found Kitchen & Social House, and MJ Avalos, formerly of Harry and Eddie's in Hinsdale, will be serving up dishes such as roasted tomato hummus ($9), burrata and eggplant ragout ($12), Chicken 3 Ways ($21), Farm Steak Frites ($24) and more. “Our cocktails will be both classic and seasonal,” Morton says of the drink menu, which includes G & T Rethunk (CH Key gin, house tonic syrup, lime wedge and soda) for $12 and Chorus Girls' Milk (Aviation gin, Gouguenheim Rose, lemon juice, Peychaud's bitters and a lemon twist) for $12. Located near the Paramount Theatre, there are plans for theater-themed events. Plus, there will be a live jazz brunch on Sunday as well as happy hour and late-night bites menus. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Lunch and brunch hours are set to begin Jan. 15.
Stolp Island Social is located at 5 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, (630) 340-4980 or stolpislandsocial.com.
Feast of the Seven Fishes
Join Victory Meat and Seafood for its special Feast of the Seven Fishes Italian holiday celebration starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3. The six-course dinner features raw oysters (East and West Coast), raw middle neck clams, Sicilian seafood salad, fried smelt, calamari and shrimp, zuppe di mare, Chilean sea bass Tuscan-style and torte di Nona. It's $95. Reservations are required.
Victory Meat and Seafood is at 116 N. York St., Elmhurst, (630) 359-5599 or victorymeatandseafood.com/.
Comfort food
Warm up with new winter comfort food menu specials at Village Squire in Crystal Lake and McHenry. Try new apps such as saganaki, fried zucchini and whiskey shrimp on garlic toast; entrees including schnitzel, winter time pot roast, chicken Marsala and the filet medallion trio; and handhelds such as bourbon barbecue bacon burger and Darn Gouda Grilled Cheese.
Village Squire is at 4818 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake, (815) 455-4130, and 4512 W. Elm St., McHenry, (815) 385-0900, or thevillagesquire.com/.
Email clinden@dailyherald.com with dining and night life events.