13 Instagrammable Cuisines This Lake County Restaurant Rally
By: Jonathan Jones 02/19/2021
The economy is hungry. The time is nearing to devour dishes like every day is Fat Tuesday. As we approach Lake County Restaurant Rally running February 26-March 7, we exclaim the age-old expression "do it for the gram."
Whether it's a meticulously and exceptionally prepared cuisine in front of you or the lovely libation you're ready to clink with the cronies, your #foodgram or #instafood awaits you.
We are also celebrating the reopening of indoor dining under the Restore Illinois Tier 1 Mitigation advancement as we still feel the effects of the public health crisis.
Let's help these fare technicians out the only we know-how. Feed the economy. These 13 instances of grammable grub set the tone for Lake County Restaurant Rally. Don't forget to share your snaps with #LetsGoLakeCounty and #LCRestaurantRally.
This Mundelein seafood staple and one of the land of lake’s eldest nautical fare establishments. Famous extensive menu of seafood flown in daily, Dover Straits also offers premium steaks, pasta dishes and other excellent selections for the most discerning diner. The renowned seafood stop is hosting indoor dining, carryout and take-out. Seen above is a mouthwatering Australian Lobster Tail broiled and served with drawn butter and served with your choice of tossed green salad or soup of the day and potato of the day or rice. Continue here to see their takeout special offer.
The chic Shakou decor complemented by sumptuous eats only scratches the surface of this delightful restaurant. Award-winning Shakou Executive Chef Sang Choi creates dishes with unparalleled flavor and flair. The Libertyville city-vibe fare facility is ranked in the top 100 restaurants in America, according to Forbes Magazine. The Japenese Inshoku-ten features signature items like Black Widow (battered eel, avocado and spicy mayo), Ocean Drive (Tuna, yellowtail, avocado cilantro and green pepper and tons of sushi tastes. The menu is also highlighted by sashimi, other seafood eats, wraps, salads and more. A vibe called Shakou is open for limited indoor dining, carryout, curbside pickup and Door Dash or GrubHub orders.
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 vintage Italian establishment. The carbonara is just an eye-opening dish. In this instance of the fuel noodles, it's spaghetti with pecorino, bacon, egg yolk and black pepper. You must visit Disotto for their divine brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. The Highwood Italian countryside eatery is open for a socially-distanced indoor dining experience or for takeout.
This downtown Grayslake pub serves innovative brews, modern American cuisine, locally-sourced craft spirits and top-notch draft wines, all handcrafted in-house. Light the Lamp has 14 craft suds drafts created internally. Besides libations, the hockey-themed also offers unique meals, including burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, shared plates and desserts. Check out Light the Lamp's Constant Squeeze, which is one of the two March 2021 Libations of the Month. The Lake County Libation Trail partner is open for indoor seatings, carry out and curbside pickup.
A Chicago staple, the stuffed deep-dish pizza makers, are offering no contact delivery and curbside pickup. Giordano’s has received acclaim as “Chicago’s Best Pizza” by NBC, CBS Chicago, the New York Times, Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Tribune and more. Za is kind of a big deal in the Land of Lincoln, as the U.S. Pizza Museum calls Chicago home. The delectable Windy City restaurant is offering limited indoor dining, delivery and curbside pickup.
A unique, hip and relaxed urban upscale GastroPub in Lake Zurich. The mission of the "zen" Zin eatery is to support local farms, distillers and beer makers with their farm-to-table cuisine. Its menu is highlighted by boards, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups and more. Let's give it up for cocktail weenies...well bacon-wrapped dates. This unreal meat/fruit snack features four large dates wrapped in milk and honey smoked bacon served with a honey pistachio glaze. As restrictions have been loosened, Zin features indoor dining, curbside pickup, takeout and delivery.
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 Casa de Samuel’s antojitos can be served with steak, chicken, pork or squash blossoms. It came with great sadness to hear the news of the creator of this phenomenal restaurant, Samuel Linares passed away due to COVID-19. His legacy lives on through his mastermind recipes and delectable cuisine.
Holy moly! If you can only check out this cannoli from Tony! The Mundelein confectioner creates traditional and unconventional cannolis for customers to indulge their sweet tooth. Tony Cannoli Specialty Pastries also conducts classes to teach visitors how to make the sweet Italian treat. Tony Cannoli offers curbside pickup and delivery during this time.
As the oldest restaurant/drinking holes in the state of Illinois (and probably in the top 10 oldest in the US), The Village Tavern has been in continuous operation since 1849. This family-owned restaurant, in a classic roadhouse fashion, has been a favorite watering hole in Lake County for generations. A spacious dining room and antique bar area preserve the establishment’s rustic authenticity. The 19th-century eatery is known for their great steaks, half-pound Angus beef hamburgers, hearty sandwiches, broasted chicken s and fish fry. You have to try their prime rib as well on Saturday nights. Indoor dining and carryout are available at the Long Grove mainstay.
The tradition that began in 2005 in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood now is being served in Vernon Hills. The heavy metal-themed bar and restaurant features burgers, sandwiches, appetizers, salads and a rotating 12- craft beer tap. The Land of Lincoln-based business has been featured on the Food Network, the Cooking Channel and the Travel channel. This unbelievable cuisine is called the Sourveign burger. This burger is your choice of protein: chicken tenders, bacon, cheese, waffle strips, maple syrup and raspberry aioli. Kuma’s Corner also is highlighted by live music. The burger joint is open for indoor dining and carry out.
Your destination for steaks, chops and seafood, along with a variety of fresh salads and sandwiches. The Lincolnshire steakhouse offers lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. These filet mignon wellingtons seen in the gram above will have taste buds in a frenzy. The steak entree is paired with mushroom stuffing, sugar snap peas and gratin potatoes.The modern-day 1940s dinner club is inviting foodies back into their dining room with limited indoor dining as well as carryout and delivery services. Each table has a four-person max.
The Shanty has been featured on two Food Network shows, “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” featuring Guy Fieri and “Triple D Nation.” The Wadsworth restaurant just recently expanded by quadrupling the size of its facility. The Lake County Restaurant Week participant is highlighted by their whiskey shrimp, tequila and orange grilled salmon, premium hand-cut aged steaks, organic goat cheese wontons and an array of other delectable dishes. Visit the eatery during restaurant week in late February/early March or any day of the week to pamper your taste buds. Take a walk in the past with restaurateur and owner Dimitri Kallianis. His family also owns Captain Porky’s. The Shanty is open for indoor dining and curbside pickup.
