Weekly Planner: Lunch at Devon Seafood Grill, Taco in a Bag Pop-up, White Truffles at RPM and More
Lunch at Devon Seafood Grill
One of the most crowd-pleasing restaurants downtown just got even bigger and better, as Devon Seafood Grill introduces new lunch service in its upstairs Oyster Bar. David Rolon has created a branch new, expansive menu for the occasion too, featuring a bevy of appetizers, sandwiches and entrees. A sample of said items includes cornbread-crusted rock shrimp with white BBQ sauce, smoked salmon carpaccio, coconut curry mussels, mini lobster rolls, a prosciutto mozzarella burger, lobster corn dogs, grilled salmon panzanella, blackened chicken penne pasta, and more. Lunch is now available Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Taco in a Bag Takeover at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap
One of the quirkiest restaurants concepts in Chicago, Taco in a Bag, is popping up at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tavern for a little takeover event on November 29. Now downtown denizens can get a taste of the offbeat Lincoln Square eatery, with a visit to Jake’s Keg Room between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Guests will be able to choose from seven different bagged creations, like the Ultimate Jake Burger Nachos and the XXX Wing Adventure. For the uninitiated, Taco in a Bag is a food truck-turned-restaurant that specializes in indulgent flavor combos served in custom “bags” that you eat from with a fork. They’ve teamed with Jake’s for the event to create a variety of custom flavors, like the aforementioned Burger Nachos, which contains beer-braised ground beef, shredded cheddar, smoked bacon, romaine, pickles, Bloody Mary ketchup creme, potato straws and a poached egg.
Happy Hour at Imperial Lamian
Each week seems to bring more happy hour offerings to Chicago, and one of the latest is Imperial Lamian, which lends an Asian accent to the repast. Available nightly in the lounge from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., “Lamian in the Lounge” is great for a casual bargain bite with cocktails. The menu includes $15 lamian noodles, $5 select dim sum, $7 select appetizers, and $5 select beverages.
Happy Hour at Boleo and Vol. 39
Two more happy hours are also underway in the heart of the Loop, as both Boleo and Vol. 39 in the newly opened Kimpton Gray Hotel unveil their own weekday incentives. First, Boleo’s happy hour runs every Wednesday and Thursday. Called “8 for $8,” the South American rooftop restaurant is offering an eight-item menu focusing on specialty dishes by chef de cuisine Alexis Hernandez, plus cocktails by Jess Lambert, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Items to look for include empanadas, chicken thigh anticuchos, Argentine wine and Chilcano cocktails (aka Peruvian drinks made with infused Pisco, ginger, and carbonation).
Downstairs on the second floor, Vol. 39 has a happy hour program all its own. The “Turn Up The Volume” happy hour takes place Monday-Friday from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., wherein special pours of Louis XIII are available in half-ounce portions priced at $100 per ounce. If you’re feeling especially indulgent, make it a “PB & J and Louis Treize” by ordering a brioche French toast PB&J made with foie gras torchon and fruit jam. For something a little lighter and simpler, Vol. 39 also has Dom Perignon by the glass (!) for $40, along with oysters on the half shell for $2.50 apiece. And that’s not all. Later in the evening, Vol. 39 serves milk and cookies every weekday from 9:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Not just any milk and cookies, though, these are scratch-made chocolate chip cookies with Kelt Xo Cognac.
White Truffles at RPM Italian and RPM Steak
In other lavish news, Italian white truffle season is upon us, and both RPM Italian and RPM Steak are here to celebrate in style. Now through December, both restaurants are offering the ingredient as a supplement to various menu items. At RPM Italian, this means ricotta gnocchi with shaved white truffles, while RPM Steak has aged Parmesan risotto with shaved white truffles. They’re freshly sliced table side atop the pasta in five-gram increments. Guests can also opt to order white truffles with any dish of their choosing.
- Matt Kirouac