MM_050417

mokenamessenger.com DINING OUT
the Mokena Messenger | May 4, 2017 | 31
The Dish
Happy Hour taps into hunger, too, with new menu at Bonefish Grill
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
Stop into most bars between
4-6 p.m., and one will
quickly find that a strange
thing happens. Two hours
magically become one Happy
Hour, where the drinks
tend to flow freely thanks to
discounted prices.
But usually by the end
of those two hours, guests
are starting to recall that
they have not eaten since
lunchtime, should maybe
get something in their bellies.
But dinner is waiting
at home, so the $30 entrées
are out of the question. And
no one can seem to agree on
which apps to order.
Enter Bonefish Grill’s
new Hand-Crafted Happy
Hour menu, which alongside
four new cocktails offers
a smattering of food
choices in smaller portions,
with the $5 drink specials
complemented by $6 dining
options that hark back to
Bonefish’s former Bar Bites
offerings, but with a new
collection of flavors.
“We’ve had the drinks
side for quite some time,
but we finally brought back
the small plate platform,”
managing partner Nicholas
Kapellas said. “Guests were
asking for it, really. Maybe
they don’t want to have a
full meal but just want to
sit down and try a few new
plates.”
The crispy calamari and
mussels Josephine already
were on the appetizer menu,
though in bigger portions,
but everything else is new.
When asked about favorites,
Kapellas said the ahi tuna
poke is a must-try because
of its fresh avocado purée,
the wonton crisps and, of
course, the fresh tuna.
“You can’t get sushigrade
tuna in Orland in too
many places,” Kapellas said
of the appeal.
Bonefish Grill’s new Happy Hour menu includes (left to right, top) wagyu beef sliders, crispy au gratin bites, the tropical tiki martini, crispy cod sliders,
(bottom) ahi tuna poke, a fresh margarita, calamari and a raspberry vodka Collins. Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media, Illustration by Nancy
Burgan/22nd Century Media
Bonefish Grill
15537 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park
Hours
• 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday
• 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
• 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
For more information ...
Web: www.bonefishgrill.com
Phone: (708) 873-5170
But his go-to has become
the crispy au gratin bites
— or as the kids are calling
them, nowadays, “grat
tots.” The blend of potatoes
au gratin, cheese, bacon and
green onion is served alongside
two sauces: a smoky
ranch and sour cream.
“They have such great
flavor,” he opined.
But tastes, of course,
vary. And overhearing our
conversation, bartender Angela
DeMarco slyly pointed
toward the crispy cod sliders,
which she said she likes
even more than the special
menu’s wagyu beef sliders.
“This has the Bang Bang
shrimp sauce on it,” she
said. “They’re so popular.
They’re not heavy; they’re
not burgers.”
The following is a breakdown
of all of the offerings
on Bonefish Grill’s new
Hand-Crafted Happy Hour
menu. The selections and
the special price points are
only available during the
hours of 4-6 p.m., for dinein
only, but Bonefish offers
the menu seven days a
week.
And the Orland Park restaurant’s
40-seat patio is
open for the season.
The Drinks ($5)
• Blueberry Lemon
Drop: Absolut Citron, blueberry
purée, fresh sour mix,
sugar rim (pictured with
Life & Arts cover teaser)
• Tropical Tiki Martini:
Pineapple and Absolut infusion;
Captain Morgan;
flavors of mango and pomegranate;
and a hint of lime
• Raspberry Vodka Collins:
Tito’s Handmade Vodka,
fresh raspberries, fresh
sour mix, topped with soda
water
• Fresh Margarita: Olmeca
Altos Tequila, Cointreau,
fresh lime simple
syrup
• Select spirits singleliquor
mixed drinks (Tito’s,
Bombay, Bacardi, Dewar’s,
Maker’s Mark and Jack
Daniel’s) are $5 during the
Happy Hour. House wines
are $4. And draft beers are
$1 off, including Metal
Monkey, a Romeovillebased
local brew that has
been on rotating tap for the
past six months.
The Food ($6)
• Crispy Cod Sliders (2):
Alaskan cod on a savory
potato bun, with Bonefish’s
signature sauce, tomato and
lettuce
• Wagyu Beef Sliders
(2): Served on a savory
potato bun, dressed with
Bonefish’s signature sauce,
tomato and lettuce
• Crispy Au Gratin
Bites: Blend of potatoes au
gratin, cheese, bacon and
green onion
• Ahi Tuna Poke: Cucumber,
red bell pepper,
red onion, jalapeño, scallion
and sesame seeds, over
avocado purée, served with
wonton chips
• Calamari (small):
Flash-fried with peppers
and served with crispy
noodles and a sweet, spicy
Asian sauce
• Mussels Josephine
(small): Served with tomato,
red onion, garlic and
basil in a lemon wine sauce
(not pictured)