Dine Like a Seasoned Traveler During Lake County Restaurant Week
By: Jonathan Jones 02/19/2020
Sometimes you can’t make that big trip to Europe, that safari excursion in Africa or that relaxing beach setting in Southeast Asia, Central America and/or the Caribbean Islands.
Lake County Restaurant Week is approaching, and you can have the next best thing from the comfort of an Illinois eatery.
Lake County Restaurant Week is February 28-March 8. It features over 75 restaurants for 10 days to savor highlighted by prix-fixe menus and dinner deals for attendees to devour delicious fare around Lake County.
Who says you can’t stay land of lakes local to eat traditional, rustic, ethnic and divine bites like a seasoned traveler abroad?
Here is a list of Lake County Restaurant Week participants that provide international fare (plus a few feature dishes to help you make your decision).
You just can’t get enough of Big Bowl. The chain eatery continues to wow foodies across the country. The Lincolnshire location is no different. Whether it’s sweet or spicy, rice or noodles, Chinese or Thai that you are craving, Big Bowl’s menu has it all. Culinary aficionados experience the bold flavors from every dish from the homemade curries to the dipping sauces. Big Bowl serves delectable dishes like Panang curry chicken (sliced chicken in peanut coconut curry sauce, peas, Fresno peppers and snow peas), shrimp Shanghai noodles (brussel sprouts, red and yellow peppers, spinach, scallions and sesame seeds), Mongolian beef (shiitake and button mushrooms, green and red onions) and more.
Big Bowl, 215 Parkway Dr., Lincolnshire, China/Thailand.
The Lincolnshire eatery is an Italian cuisine restaurant. The deli and market serving lunch and dinner is highlighted by subs, soups, salads entrées, pastas, steaks, wood-burning brick oven pizza and calzone. The fare is prepared with fresh imported and local ingredients. The Italian eatery also makes their own ravioli and gnocchi from scratch. "Lincolnshire's hidden gem" also caters private events.
Cafe Pomigliano is a breath of fresh air with a bright and modern take on authentic Italian dishes by Chef Eduardo Martinez in a stylish and cozy family-owned eatery. This Italian-inspired restaurant serves the classics in a warm contemporary space with a long bar and unique wine-bottle chandeliers. The Pomigliano family, for a fourth of a century, has prided itself on making daily, mouth-watering homemade dishes. The eats are prepared by recipes that originate from the small community right outside Naples, Italy. You must check out their Sunday brunch.
Cafe Pomigliano, 160 E. Cook Ave., Libertyville, Italy.
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The MainStreet Libertyville eatery features Greek and Mediterranean cuisine highlighted by octopus, pastitsio, moussaka, souvlaki, salads and a selection of 30 Greek vinos. The chef brothers, Nick and Theo Dimitriou, have a combined 20+ year career in the culinary industry. The brothers stay curious and prepare new innovative dishes constantly while being mindful of the changing seasons and utilizing local ingredients to put out an exceptional product.
Chrissoulas Restaurant, 602 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, Greece.
The Libertyville eatery specializes in Chinese cuisine. The traditional and authentic restaurant features a variety of dumplings, including shrimp, pork and Chinese chives, beef and onion, pork and celery, zucchini and egg, as well as vegetable side options. The family-owned restaurant folds goodness and happiness into each dumpling.
Dangela's Dumplings, 133 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville, China.
It’s like being ‘transported to another place and time in Highwood. This restaurant, reminiscent of vintage Italy, has a menu that includes pizza, fruit dishes, salads, pasta, Piatti, contorni and a slew of other delectable items. The scent of these delicious dishes permeates throughout the walls of this rustic and authentic establishment. You must visit Disotto for their divine brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays.
This authentic Mexican restaurant has a beautiful scenic view and is located on Nippersink Lake connected to the Chain O’Lakes. Watch a beautiful sunset on the Chain while enjoying the best Margarita in Lake County. The menuincludes Enchiladas, Chimichangas, sizzling fajitas, steak, seafood, burritos, combination platters and a variety of drinks, desserts and obviously tacos. Their three taco meal is served with lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and your choice of ground beef, chicken or steak. The platter also comes with Mexican rice and beans. The Fox Lake Restaurant also serves taco salad with your choice of ground beef, chicken or steak topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole. The restaurant offers three indoor dining rooms, a seasonal outdoor patio and a full bar with unique homemade drinks. Come by land or boat. Come rain or shine, you will be able to sit out in the patio under the canopy.
El Puerto Mexican Restaurant, 200 Forest Ave., Fox Lake, Mexico.
Renowned for its flavorful and familiar Italian dishes, this nearly 20+-year-old neighborhood institution is going strong. The menu features the zesty, earthy cuisine of Rome and the surrounding areas of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. The piattis are highlighted by salads, paninis, seafoods, pizza and various pasta delights, located in the heart of the city's downtown area.
Francesca's Intimo, 293 E. Illinois Rd., Lake Forest, Italy.
The Waukegan eatery serves authentic Mexican cuisine. All dishes are served with handmade corn tortillas fresh of the griddle to the table. The Waukegan Main Street restaurant’s highlighted eats include Pollo en Mole Estilo Guerrero (chicken in house-made mole sauce), Filete Gourmet (Bacon wrapped beef tenderloin filet with ham and chihuahua cheese), Chiles en Nogada (Poblano peppers stuffed with mincemeat, walnut cream and pomegranate), Cabrito Estilo Monterrey (grilled goat served with guacamole, cowboy beans and pasilla sauce), Filete Oaxaqueño (catfish filet in a banana leaf with zucchini squash blossom, chihuahua cheese and guajillo sauce), Platános Flameados (flamed bananas cooked with kahlúa, tequila Gran Manier and ice cream) and Nieve Frita (fried ice cream). Their two signature tacos include taco de cecina (guacamole, pico de gallo and beans) and taco de Lengua. La Cada de Samuel’s antojitos can be served with steak, chicken, pork or squash blossoms.
La Casa De Samuel, 120 N. Genesee St., Waukegan, Mexico.
Maggiano's Little Italy is an Italian-American themed restaurant located at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills. The restaurant was initially founded in 1991 in Chicago. Maggiano's became an enormous success and branched across the Chicagoland area and throughout the country. The Vernon Hills eatery is renowned for its authentic, homemade cuisine like signature flatbreads, hand-crafted cocktails, and entrees like their Taylor Street Baked Ziti and Zucchini Fritte. Maggiano's offers cooking classes as well as event space for parties and meetings.
Maggiano's Little Italy, 307 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills, Italy.
Every meal at the Mundelein Italian facility is prepared with care and the freshest ingredients like you're at grandma's table. Mambo Italiano features innovative cuisines developed by the Cardone family. The Italian tradition has been ongoing at this 15-year old business, and the menu is highlighted by pizzas, pastas, zoup and insalate, paninis, seafoods and a plethora of other delights.
Mambo Italian, 748 Butterfield Rd., Mundelein, Italy.
The rustic Highwood staple is a combination of traditional French bistro and Cuban cuisine. The family-owned eatery named after a Havana, Cuba suburb provides a delectable menu and delightful experience. The menu features divine appetizers, pasta, seafood (known for their oysters) burgers and more.
Miramar Bistro, 301 Waukegan Ave., Highwood, France.
