Flavor Festival Offers Deals At 100 Lake County Establishments: ‘we Have A Wide Range Of Restaurants’

Some Lake County restaurateurs participating in the annual February Flavor Festival are noticing its impact on customer behavior, as well as bargain hunters trying their establishments for the first time.

As the monthlong event sponsored by Visit Lake County enters its final week, specials offered by places like the Vine Martini & Wine Bar in Grayslake and Tony Cannoli in Mundelein are drawing attention.

Tony Volpentesta, the owner of Tony Cannoli, said half the people buying the sampler box of seven cannoli-themed desserts for $17 — a 20% savings — are new to the shop.

Michael Pruitt, the owner of Vine Martini & Wine Bar, said he assembled a large salad, a burger, a chicken plate and a dessert together as a package, enabling customers to get all four for $75. It can be a meal for a group

“I’ve seen a lot of couples or groups come in, share them and save a little bit of money at the same time,” Pruitt said.

As the February Flavor Festival draws to a close, ending next Saturday at more than 100 restaurants, bars, breweries and distilleries throughout Lake County, business owners are reporting good-sized crowds.

John Maguire, the senior director of community engagement for Visit Lake County, said with the holidays behind them and still in the middle of winter, February can be a slow month for people in hospitality businesses. It makes the month a good time to promote the industry.

Maguire said in its current form, the February Flavor Festival is an amalgam of the onetime Libation Trail, promoting not only bars but craft breweries and distilleries, as well as Restaurant Week geared to eateries. Now it is a month-long event with each participant offering a perk.

“We have a wide range of restaurants all through Lake County,” Maguire said. “We hope people will look through our website and choose one they haven’t tried before that appeals to them.”

Locations range from Highland Park to Antioch, and from Barrington to Zion. The three restaurants at the American Place casino are among 10 participating in Waukegan.

At Bluegrass restaurant in Highland Park, owner Jim Lederer combines the flavor festival with Mardi Gras, offering 20% off chicken and sausage jambalaya. Servers put beads around diners’ necks after they are seated.

“It’s a signature item and uniquely different from any restaurant in the area,” Lederer said. “America is a melting pot, and we offer a variety. We have a bit of southern cuisine, Midwestern and a little Italian. We have a little something for everyone.”

Starting its 22nd year, Lederer said Bluegrass had no outdoor dining until COVID created a need for outdoor tables. It now has a patio. A lot of people started ordering carry-out meals then, and they have continued to do so, adding to the usually full dining room.

All three restaurants at the casino — L’Americain, Asia-Azteca and North Shore Steaks  & Seafood — in Waukegan are offering diners an incentive. Brooke Wallace, the casino’s public relations manager, said, “This goes along with our values of supporting the community.”

At L’Americain, Wallace said diners can get a steak and eggs breakfast for $7.77. Available for the rest of the month, it will be part of a new menu at the restaurant starting March 3. It is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Angela Cox, the general manager of Main Street Social in Libertyville, said the restaurant brings an urban vibe to the suburbs. Its pasta is made fresh daily on the premises. It is offering a four-course meal for $49. Diners can choose from a variety of options.

Cox said people can start with a choice of bruschetta, French onion soup or fried fritters. Next, they pick from an apple, crispy Brussels sprouts or wedge salad. The main course options are pappardelle, four-cheese spinach lasagna or brick roasted chicken. The dessert is either zeppole or gelato.

A four-course dinner is also available at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille in Vernon Hills. Lesa Sorrentino, the Texas-based chain’s chief strategy officer, said an appetizer, soup or salad, main course and dessert are available for $99.

Sorrentino said diners can start with a four-ounce tempura-fried lobster with crabmeat, a three-ounce strip steak or crabcake Oscar. Next, there is a choice of two soups — turtle gumbo or French onion — or one of two salads, wedge or Caesar.

A selection of six main courses includes a filet, fried redfish Oscar style, seared sea bass, a pecan-smoked New York strip, lamb chops or a ribeye steak. There are also four options for dessert.