Among all the negatives of quarantine life, one positive has been discovering Take-Out deals from local restaurants.
Being able to order Alinea To Go was a truly special treat. They have been offering all different, relatively,affordable packages throughout the year. What has been really great about these meals is that they come with a note from Chef Achatz explaining the flavors, and where he got his inspiration from. There is a little re-heating and prep involved but that is actually part of the fun and the directions carefully walk you through their elegant plating. The meals we got even included the famous table top dessert! Each dish was incredibly memorable and unique.
Our second favorite had to be the meals from the Lakeview Supper Club, which you can read all about in my prior article.
Next, is Next. This is another restaurant I have long wanted to dine at but couldn't justify the cost $200+ per person price tag. Next To-Go is about $35/person for one of their regional specialties three-course meal. Well worth the reduced ticket price!
Summer House Santa Monica offers everything from build your own pizza kits and spring cookie kits, to their new seasonal soups, and weekend brunch. We ordered the delicious Family Brunch. It was so much food. We actually had enough left over for breakfast the next day. All for about $43.
Want a dish from Summer House, but also craving a dish from another Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant? No problem! The Best of Lettuce is a really cool program that allows you to order your favorite dishes from multiple Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants all at once! Available for pickup at 59 West Hubbard Street at 5:00 PM every Friday - Sunday. Delivery available with-in a 6 mile radius of River North and delivery window is 5:00pm-6:30pm. Orders must be placed by 4:30 PM the day prior. We used this program to order the Ben Pao Family Meal for Four. Eight dishes for $88.88 (eight is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture) Again, this fed us for multiple days, and everything was delicious!
If you are not yet comfortable dining indoors at the beautiful, Le Sud, or in their outdoor dining domes, consider their Family Meals for Takeout. Your choice of Chicken Chasseur, Wood-Grilled Steak, Salmon, Pork Cassoulet, or Pasta. All meals include white quinoa pilaf, mixed vegetables in epeliette and herbs, baguette and house butter and range from $49-$69 for a family of four. We had the Wood-Grilled Steak this past weekend and it was SO GOOD!
Looking for seafood to go? King Crab House Chicago has great deals on various combinations of king crab legs, snow crab legs, shrimp, crab cakes that comes with appetizers, sides, desserts, and range from $39.95 to $159.95 and from 2-4 people.
While they don't have a family meal per se, one of family favorites is Low Country. Basically you customize your own seafood boil bag, choosing the type and amount of seafood protein, the sauce, the heat level, and sides. You bring that steaming hot bag to the table, cut it open, and dig into a mouth-watering smorgasbord! It is not only a meal, but an event, and the kids love cracking into and playing with the shells and claws.
Another great thing we found was Amazing Co.'s Mystery Picnic. You receive your first clue via email and then set out on an adventure, as you solve a series of puzzles and riddles leading you to collect delicious, gourmet, picnic food from local artisan producers. We did ours as a family in Lincoln Park, but there are many other versions, i.e. date nights, or drink discovery walks, and also other neighborhoods are available. We ended our adventure at a nice picnic destination where we could play frisbee, and enjoy what we collected along the way. My one piece of advice would be to bring a backpack or something, because all the plastic bags from the vendors get heavy as you go on your hunt.
So, with all these terrific take-out opportunities, what are you doing cooking at home?
*Don't forget Chicago Restaurant Week is beginning and Take-Out is included. Excellent chance to try something new!
