Dining out: Turtle gumbo, National Hot Chicken Day and a restaurant closing in St. Charles
If you’re not from Louisiana, or a few other small pockets of the country that regularly feature turtle on their menu, now is your chance to try it at Perry’s restaurants. Also, Sunday is National Hot Chicken Day and local chain Fry the Coop has a special for you.
Turtle power
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille regularly offers seasonal specials, and their most recent lineup includes a dish not seen on a lot of menus in the Midwest.
For a limited time, you can enjoy a Cajun-spiced turtle gumbo, made with Louisiana turtle and Perry’s homemade Texas sausage. The cup of gumbo ($14) is accompanied by a shot of fino sherry to add if you like.
The seasonal menu also features The Three Kings Mignon ($65), an 8-ounce bacon-wrapped filet topped with king crab and truffle butter; roasted hamachi ($54) with a parsley pesto crust with an Arrabbiata sauce; and white chocolate cheesecake ($12).
Perry’s has suburban locations in Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Vernon Hills.
Some like it hot
Sunday, March 30, is National Hot Chicken Day, and local chain Fry the Coop will be offering $5 Lil’ Sandwiches, while supplies last, at all locations.
The slightly scaled down lil’ sandwiches feature a 4-ounce chicken breast that is hand breaded and double-fried in beef tallow and comes on a brioche bun in Nashville, Chicago Hot, Chicken & Cheese or Spicy Butter varieties.
Fry the Coop’s suburban locations include Bolingbrook, Darien, Elmhurst and Prospect Heights.
Time for lunch
Taverna Violi in Oak Brook has introduced a new, two-course lunch special highlighting its authentic Greek cuisine.
The menu, available for $24.99 per person, starts with a choice of horiatiki, avgolemono soup, spanakopitakia or grilled meatballs. The second course selections include grilled chicken gyro, roasted lamb gyro, grilled prawn souvlaki or Violi chopped salad with grilled chicken.
Violi opens at 11:30 a.m. daily for lunch.
St. Charles restaurant says goodbye
Shakou has bid a final goodbye to St. Charles. The restaurant, which specialized in sushi and Asian cuisine, closed on March 23.
The eatery opened the St. Charles location on Main Street in 2015, but closed in 2019 with plans to repurpose the space into a central commissary for their other locations. They later reopened in 2021.
Shakou still has locations in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Libertyville and Park Ridge. A Facebook post from the restaurant said gift cards and membership points are valid for all locations.
• Send dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.