Dining: Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Week debuts, plus Buddy's Bites N Brews opens in Schaumburg

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Week

Now here's a deal: The inaugural Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Week will be offering three-course lunch, brunch and dinner specials from Monday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 4. Participating suburban restaurants include Antico Posto ($24 lunch, $35 dinner) and Beatrix ($24 lunch, $35 dinner) in Oak Brook, Di Pescara ($24.95 all day) in Northbrook, L. Woods ($24 lunch, $35 dinner) in Lincolnwood, Shaw's Crab House ($24 lunch, $45 dinner) and Tokio Pub ($24 all day) in Schaumburg, and Saranello's ($35 all day) in Wheeling. Specials, which will be available for dine-in or pickup, also will be available at the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in Chicago. For details and menus, see leye.com/.

A new Buddy's

Have you heard? Sports bar Buddy's Bites N Brews is now open in Schaumburg. The home of the jumbo slider, Buddy's offers a variety of 100% Angus and chicken sliders, sidekicks, appetizers, and drafts, bottles, boozy shakes, spiked sangria punch, wines and more. Oh, and there's pool, darts, a jukebox and bingo, too. Daily happy hour specials, good from 4-6 p.m., include $1.50 Rachael Ray's sloppy joe sliders and $2 domestic bottles on Mondays and Thursdays; $1 tacos and $3 Cuervo margaritas on Tuesdays; 50-cent wings and $3.50 flavored tall Long Islands on Wednesdays; $1.50 fish tacos and $3 jumbo drafts on Fridays; and $1 tacos and $10 buckets on Saturdays and Sundays. Plus, during all Bears games, specials include $1.50 tacos, $2 sloppy joe sliders, $6 wing platters, $3 jumbo Coors and Miller drafts, $4 large craft drafts, $5 Svedka Bloody Marys and $10 buckets.

Buddy's Bites N Brews is at 1540 N. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, (847) 519-7555, buddysbnb.com/sch/index.php.

RBG cocktail

Raise a glass to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a special cocktail created in her honor. The Barn Steakhouse in Evanston is offering the 'Gin'sburg Martini, a mix of London dry gin and Riserva Speciale Ambrato Vermouth, for $11.

The Barn Steakhouse is at 1016 Church St., Evanston, (847) 868-8041, thebarnsteakhouse.com/.

Church Street turns 8

Itasca's Church Street Brewing Company celebrates its eighth anniversary with a four-day bash Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 24-27, featuring the opening of its new taproom, plus food trucks and live music on the patio each day. Friday features Dr. Dogs available from 5-8 p.m. and Lincoln Land Kettle Corn from 5-9 p.m., with Johnny Don't playing on the patio from 6-9 p.m. On Saturday, Relish Catering Kitchen will be selling food from 1-9 p.m. while Keithen Banks plays on the patio from 1-4 p.m. and Bob Hartwell performs from 5-8 p.m. Sunday brings Bopbar food truck from 1-7 p.m. while Keithen Banks performs on the patio from 2-5 p.m.

Church Street Brewing Company is at 1480 Industrial Drive, Suite C, Itasca, (630) 438-5725, churchstreetbrew.com/home/.

End of Summer Party

Have plans for Saturday night? If not, check out Allgauer's End of Summer Party on the patio featuring Crooked Fences performing an acoustic set from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, while patrons enjoy dinner and cocktails. Cover charge is $10, and there's a two-drink minimum. Reservations are required as space is limited.

Allgauer's on the Riverfront is at 2855 Milwaukee Ave., Northbrook, (847) 664-7999, allgauersriverfrontrestaurant.com/.

It's electric!

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams' founder Jeni Britton Bauer recently collaborated with artist Tyler, The Creator to create Jeni's newest ice cream flavor: Pluto Bleu. The limited-run flavor - think a tart blue raspberry slushie swirled with a citrusy orange push-pop - released Monday, Sept. 21, is only available in shops and online while supplies last.

Jeni's Ice Creams is at 521 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 822-7996, and locations in Chicago. jenis.com/tyler-the-creator/.

Fall into autumn

With the start of autumn comes seasonal specials from chef Craig Couper at Michael Jordan's Restaurant. Try the Chilean sea bass with sriracha soy broth and wilted vegetables for $36, cider-glazed Faroe Island salmon with fingerling potatoes for $29, balsamic-glazed grilled half chicken with green beans and garlic butter for $23, and blackened pork chop with green beans and apple ginger jam for $25.

Michael Jordan's Restaurant is at 1225 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, (630) 828-2932, michaeljordansrestaurant.com/.

Rumaway Mondays

Got a case of the Mondays? Bahama Breeze's new Rumaway Mondays virtual concert series on the restaurant's Facebook Live page is here to help. Tune in at 6 p.m. Mondays now through Oct. 12 for a little pick-me-up. Latin duo JC2 performs Monday, Sept. 28; reggae performer/steel drum player Patrick Simpson plays Monday, Oct. 5; and singer and steel drum entertainer Chesley Rolle entertains on Monday, Oct. 12. To go with the music, Bahama Breeze is offering its Rumtoberfest Party Pack for Two for $40. It includes a choice of two appetizers (coconut shrimp, beef empanadas, jerk chicken wings), a choice of two entrees (jerk chicken pasta, grilled chicken with cilantro-crema, half rack baby back ribs), and a slice of Key lime pie.

Bahama Breeze is at 406 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 884-7060, bahamabreeze.com/home.

Presenting Dinner With Elvis

Why not wear your blue suede shoes for The Chocolate Sanctuary's two Elvis-themed Chef's Dinners featuring live Elvis impersonator performances and Elvis trivia? Presenting Dinner With Elvis, from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 1, features a four-course menu with cocktail pairings from Chef Marcov. The $55 dinner starts with pork belly with cauliflower, peanut chili sauce and pickled blackberries paired with a Blue Suede Shoes (muddled berries, Tito's vodka and freshly squeezed limeade) before moving on to maple-glazed salmon paired with Jailhouse on the Rocks (bourbon, frangelico, triple sec, bitters and orange peel over ice). Then indulge in chicken and waffles paired with an All Shook Up (grapefruit juice, gin, rosemary and honey) and for dessert: banana bacon doughnuts served with peanut maple bourbon sauce paired with The Presley (crème de banana, Bailey's Irish Crème and frangelico). Reservations are required; indoor and outdoor seating will be available.

The Chocolate Sanctuary is at 5101 Washington St., Gurnee, (224) 944-0808, thechocolatesanctuary.com/.

Tap it in

Table at Crate recently added some new tap cocktails featuring Tattersall Distilling. Sip on the Prairie Sky (Fino sherry and Tattersall orange crema and blueberry liqueurs served over crushed ice) or the Sunset Spritz (rosé, Tattersall bitter orange and orange crema liquors and prosecco). Both libations run $11.

Table at Crate is at 35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 590-9444, tableatcrate.com/.

On the patio

Looking to extend the outdoor dining season for as long as possible, The Drake Hotel Oak Brook's Colonial Room and Le Meridien Oak Brook's Longitude 87 Restaurant have both added heaters to their patios. The Colonial Room, which hosts breakfast, dinner and Sunday brunch services on the patio, offers dishes such as citrus crusted Chilean sea bass, mesquite-seared French chicken, a bacon chicken avocado sandwich and more. Longitude 87 Restaurant, which offers an a la carte breakfast menu, an Illy coffee bar and dinner on the enclosed patio, serves specialties such as cheddar cheese curds, barbecue spiced chicken sandwich, seared salmon, risotto and more.

The Drake Hotel Oak Brook's Colonial Room is at 2301 York Road, Oak Brook, (630) 571-0000, thedrakeoakbrookhotel.com/colonial-room.htm. Le Meridien Oak Brook's Longitude 87 Restaurant is at 2100 Spring Road, Oak Brook, (630) 368-9900, marriott.com/.

Drive-up at Fresh Stack

Fresh Stack Burger Co. in Kildeer recently added drive-up service to its chef-driven restaurant founded by Sean Thomas (grandson of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas). In a prepared statement, Thomas said: “Although we're not a fast-food restaurant, we realize that consumers are looking for on-the-go convenience and safety. ... Since our food is not premade, we ask our guests to be patient as each order is made fresh - wait times will be about 10 minutes.” The menu features made-to-order burgers and hand-breaded chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, shakes, gourmet salads and sides.

Fresh Stack Burger Co. is at 20413 N Rand Road, Kildeer, (847) 847-7223, freshstackburger.com/.

Send restaurant openings/closings, events, news and deals to clinden@dailyherald.com.