Weekday Planner: "Adult Swim" at Ocean Cut, Ocean Day Sake Dinner at Izakaya Mita, Storytelling at Uncommon Ground, and Oyster Wednesdays at Dusek's
“Adult Swim” at Ocean Cut
New to the happy hour scene is the adorably dubbed “Adult Swim” at Ocean Cut, the new seafood and steak venture from the folks behind Chicago Cut. Available on weekdays from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., the promo takes place in the restaurant’s Shark Bar, and it features one of the best food and beverage pairings we’ve seen in a while. For just $15, guests get a variety of dishes and drink pairings, including dressed oysters with sudashi sorbet and basil paired with Jane Ventura White Blend Cava; chilled Jonah crab with brandy mustard and horseradish cocktail paired with Moody Tongue lemon saison; prime steak brochettes with spring onion, oyster mushroom, and mushroom aioli paired with Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon; and tuna tartare with charred melon and cilantro paired with Domaines Ott Les Domineers Rosé blend.
Ocean Day Sake Dinner at Izakaya Mita
Sake dinners at Izakaya Mita are not to be missed. They’re affordable, delicious degustations exhibiting authentic Japanese food and drink in perfect harmony. Next up, the Bucktown restaurant is celebrating Japan’s national Ocean Day on July 18 to honor the bounty of the sea. Hence, a six-course all-seafood dinner will be paired with sake, all for just $50 per person. The first course is wakame seaweed salad with onions, sweet peppers, squid, scallops, and sweet shrimp, followed by a second course of akita-style chilled lobster chawanmushi. Next is binchotan-broiled salmon marinated in sake pressings, and fourth course is mini “scattered” sushi, a dish that originated as a way for the poor to have fish trimmings, but now deemed one of the best ways to enjoy fresh sushi. Iwate-style mini soba bowls with “bird’s nest” seafood tempura is the final savory course, and a Japanese fruit dish with azuki and kanten jelly is for dessert. The menu will be offered all evening long, and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.
Stories From the Soil
Stories and organic ingredients come together for an evening of “Stories from the Soil” at Uncommon Ground in Edgewater on July 20. From 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., the esteemed restaurant will host the event to benefit Growing Home, featuring storytellers from throughout the city and a rooftop reception with appetizers made from Growing Home’s produce. The story sessions will take place downstairs, with tales of food and family. Tickets for the event are $30, which includes appetizers, two pints of beer, and admission to the stories. Purchase yours here: growinghomeinc.org
Oyster Wednesdays at Dusek’s Board & Beer
Oysters are a great way to get over the mid-week hump. Dusek’s Board & Beer helps make Wednesdays that much more exciting (and delicious) with their new Half & Half lunch promo. Every Wednesday, the Pilsen restaurant offers a half dozen oysters at half price from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
- Matt Kirouac