Dining out: New Indian restaurant opening soon, free steak for grads and more
A much-anticipated restaurant in Highland Park is finally about to open, while a Naperville restaurant is cooking up something special for the Class of 2024 graduates.
Grand opening
Sukhu and Ajit Kalra, owners of Chicago’s acclaimed Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, are expanding into the suburbs with their first full-service restaurant, Indus Progressive Indian in Highland Park. The upscale Indian cuisine concept will officially open Wednesday, June 5, at 617 Central Ave.
“Indus will introduce Chicagoland to progressive Indian cuisine that re-imagines what modern Indian food should be, with a menu that will appeal to all palates — from Indian food aficionados to the uninitiated,” Ajit Kalra said in a release. Ajit was born in New Delhi and is the son of the late Indian culinary giant Jiggs Kalra, known as the “czar of Indian cuisine”
The couple say they’ve been working for a year to create a menu that pays tribute to classic Indian cooking with favorites like biryani and curries, while introducing unique fare such as Wagyu steaks adorned with varied Indian herbed compound butters and smoked brisket dry-rubbed with a blend of fresh-roasted Indian spices. Indus also will offer a carefully curated selection of wines and creative cocktails to complement the complex flavors of the cuisine.
Pomp and circumstance … and steak!
It’s graduation season, and CityGate Grille, 2020 Calamos Court, Naperville, wants to help the Class of 2024 celebrate in style. They’re offering all 2024 grads a free “Graduate Cut” 18-ounce prime rib-eye steak, plus a choice of side. The offer is valid Monday through Friday with dinner reservations for groups of four or more through Saturday, June 8.
Shrimp & Crab Boil
It’s boil season again at Bluegrass, 1636 Old Deerfield Road, Highland Park, and they’re kicking it off with a shrimp and crab boil Sunday. The Cajun crustaceans will be paired with wines from Hess Winery and craft beers from Temperance Brewing. It’s $75 per person and is available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The shrimp and crab boil often sells out quickly, so make a reservation at (847) 831-0595.
Patio season
The Graceful Ordinary, 3 E. Main St. St. Charles, recently opened its riverside terrace for the season, and what better way to enjoy it than with some happy hour goodies. From 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, stop by for the oyster and martini happy hour, with $2 shucked oysters and a specialty menu of $10 martinis. The team at TGO also released a new lineup of summer cocktails, including the “Prickly in Pink,” with watermelon-infused mezcal, prickly pear and ginger liqueur, and the “Some Like it Hot” featuring cucumber vodka and jalapeño tequila.
Suggestions?
Last week, in the name of journalism and adventure, I tried cicada-infused Malört. It was kind of gross and kind of fun, and now I’m almost ready for more. Do you know of any place that serves an unusual concoction of some kind that more people should know about? I’m not saying that I’ll for sure eat or drink it, but I probably will. Email me the off-the-wall menu items or specials you’ve seen from local eateries, so I can share them with the suburban world.
• Email dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.