Big eating season is upon us. It starts with dessert on Halloween, then becomes a progressive meal from Thanksgiving, to Christmas, to New Year’s … then dessert again on Valentine’s Day. Hold onto your waistline!
At Takeout25’s owners and managers meeting there was talk about the stress that many, if not most, of our dining establishments are under these days. Whether it’s economic pressures to stay home or immigration action fears keeping diners and workers worried – our restaurants are feeling the pinch. Consider picking up your Covid stay-at-home ways and plan to order or eat out once a week. We saved our menu options then; we can do it again now. They need our community support!
Gyumon Japanese BBQ is open! The stunning dining room at 105 N. Marion St., in Oak Park started serving up meals last week. Here’s the deal: all-inclusive dining comes at two levels $45 per person or $55 (which includes a wider range of options). Appetizers, soup, entrees, dessert and select beverages are all included. The protein list is extensive: wagyu beef, marinated chicken, shrimp, pork sausage, squid and more. Each table is fitted with a yakiniku grill. S’mores at the end of the meal is a special indoor treat.
Ecuadorian food began as a weekend specialty, but it is now available daily at Golden Pizzeria, 6606 W. North Ave., Chicago. Owner Marta Pilco started out working in pizza restaurants, but she has taken the entrepreneurial plunge. Her menu features extensive Italian options, including very generously sized pizza slices, but it’s food from her home country that caught my attention. Encebollado is the national dish of Ecuador – a silky soup with tender flakes of tuna, pickled red onions, yucca, all floating in a rich broth. You can also try bolones, salchipapas, and more. Grab a can of Inca Kola!
There’s a new sushi shop, Happy Izakaya, inside and upstairs at Habrae, 7230 Madison in Forest Park.
The OPRF Chamber of Commerce celebrates achievement in the local business community at its annual Spotlight Soiree on Nov. 19. Earlybird tickets are available now for $35.
Takeout 25 Community Cookbook release party is set for Nov. 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Book Loft, 1047 Lake St. in Oak Park. In honor of the group’s fifth anniversary, 25 local restaurants shared their recipes. It’s also packed with info about the history and evolution of dining in our community. Perfect for holiday gift giving!
Congrats to Anfora Wine Merchants, which lead off the Chicago Tribune’s recent article about the best places to sip and savor wine in the suburbs. Also mentioned were Cooper’s Hawk, Citrine Café, Hemmingway’s Bistro and Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits. In fact, all the locations mentioned for vino in the ‘burbs were around here!
Alice and Friends’ Vegan Kitchen is up and running in the old Munch space on Marion.
If you missed the invitation to meet at Bobby’s Eastside for the first incarnation of Eats-out – where local food lovers gathered, ate well and talked turkey – you’ll have another chance come January when we give the gathering another go.
Got news, questions or ideas for this column? Email them to us at Eats@oakparkeats.com.
