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24 | March 26, 2020 | The wilmette beacon DINING OUT
wilmettebeacondaily.com
Quick Bites
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 5 days ago
North Shore eateries provide plentiful take-out, delivery options during quarantine
Staff Report
These are surely trying
times, but luckily, the
North Shore is filled with
restaurants that are stepping
up to the plate and
helping local residents
ease their minds a little
with the delicious food options
they’ve become familiar
with over the years.
With orders from Gov.
J.B. Pritzker last week to
close down dine-in options
in response to the COV-
ID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak,
area eateries needed
to pivot quickly to ensure
continued business and
to feed hungry residents
while doing it.
From curbside service
to local deliveries, restaurants
are getting food to
residents while also following
strict COVID-19
safety guidelines for food
preparation and exchanging
of the goods to customers.
Here at 22nd Century
Media, we are featuring
but a few of the options out
there and will continue to
work with local businesses
as we all adjust to the many
changes now and on the
horizon. Please reach out
to our individual publications
with any information
you’re hoping to get out to
our readers. Stay safe out
there and eat local!
Vegetale Fresca —
Convito Cafe and Market,
Wilmette
Since 1982, when Convito
Cafe and Market
opened its Wilmette location
at Plaza del Lago,
founder Nancy Barocci
and her daughter, Candace
Warner, have been
providing comfort foods
for North Shore residents.
Knowing it’s in their
The Vegetale Fresca ($5.50 for individual order) at Wilmette’s Convito Cafe and
Market includes peapods, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions with
an oregano vinaigrette. Photo Submitted
blood, it should come as
no surprise that they’re
continuing this important
service during the COV-
ID-19 outbreak.
“With the help and loyalty
of our customers, and
our diligence and great
team, we will strive to
continue to provide great
food and drink to our local
customers,” Warner said.”
Together, businesses and
customers can get through
this difficult time.”
Among the most popular
items Convito is offering
for curbside service and
deliveries is the Vegetale
Fresca ($5.50 for single
order), a dish that dates
back to the early days of
the market and was invented
by accident according
to Barocci.
“I literally invented it
out of what was left in the
refrigerator on the day that
Violet Caldarelli (our first
chef) nagged me to make
certain that I used the vegetables
in the refrigerator
before they lost their nutrients
and were no longer
fresh,” Barocci said. “To
this day, we use the same
recipe.”
On the menu every day,
the delicious, crunchy
vegetable salad includes
peapods, zucchini, carrots,
tomatoes, cucumbers, red
onions with an oregano
vinaigrette.
Convito Cafe and Market
is located at Plaza
del Lago, 1515 Sheridan
Road, Wilmette, and is
currently open 10:30 a.m.-
630 p.m. Monday through
Friday; 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday and 11 a.m.-6
p.m. Sunday. Call (847)
251-3654 for curbside or
delivery service.
Story by Eric DeGrechie,
Managing Editor
Bag ‘O Ribs - Papa Willie’s
BBQ, Highwood
While most places seem
to be shutting down to
avoid the spread of COV-
ID-19, it’s business as usual
for Papa Willie’s BBQ.
Well, as usual as it can be.
Papa Willie’s BBQ,
which mostly operates as
a carry-out restaurant during
non-pandemic times
is sticking to that, and offering
delivery through
DoorDash and UberEats
and curbside carryout for
customers who order over
the phone while restaurants
are ordered to be shut
down.
Owner Brian Merel is
not allowing customers
inside the restaurant and
is only accepting payment
over the phone by credit
card.
But Merel is trying to
keep it as close to normal
as can be — he’s still blasting
his signature Phish
soundtrack outside of the
restaurant for curbside
pickup customers to enjoy.
“I’m just doing the best I
can at following whatever
guidelines come,” Merel
said.
One of the items that
Papa Willie’s BBQ customers
have been driving
up for is the restaurant’s
Bag ‘O Ribs ($14 for a half
slab, $24 for a full slab) —
Other Wilmette dining options include
• 5B2F Akira Sushi — Order and pay online at
www.5b2fakirasushi.com. Call (847) 920-5332.
• Akai Hana Restaurant at 3223 W. Lake Ave. —
order online at www.akaihanasushi.com or call
(847) 251-0384.
• A La Carte — for orders, call (847) 256-4102
or (847) 256-9626 or email alacarte. catering@
sbcglobal.net.
• AO Sushi Wilmette — Online at aosushi.com,(847)
256-4404.
• Burhop’s in Plaza del Lago, (847) 256-6400.
• Homer’s Ice Cream, (847) 251-0477 Ext.1.
• Irving’s For Red Hot Lovers, (847) 251-6300.
• Pescadero Seafood, pescaderofish.com, (224)
215-3011 and press option 3.
• Napolita Pizzeria & Wine Bar, napolitapizza.com
to place an order or call (224) 215-0305.
• Nick’s Neighborhood Grill, (847) 251-3262
or email cater@nickswilmette.com. A one-day
advanced notice is requested. https://www.
nickswilmette.com/order-online/.
• Norshore Meats & Deli, (847) 251-3601
• St. Roger Abbey French Gourmet Patisserie,
(847) 251-3005, www.strogerabbey.org
• Torino Ramen, (847) 920-5075, www.
torinoramen.com.
• Ridgeview Restaurant, (847) 251-2770, www.
ridgeviewgrill.com.
• Valley Lodge Tavern at 1141 Central Ave., (847)
920-5675, www.valleylodgetavern.com
• Zier’s Prime Meats & Poultry, (847) 251-4000,
www.mercato.com/shop/ziers-prime-meats-poultry.
— From the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber
of Commerce. Complete listings at
WilmetteBeaconDaily.com.
literally, a bag filled with
ribs, covered in the restaurant’s
signature barbeque
sauce.
Papa Willie’s BBQ is
located at 148 Green Bay
Road in Highwood, and is
currently open seven days
a week, from 4-9 p.m.
Story by Erin Yarnall, Contributing
Editor
Korean BBQ bulgogi
— Gangnam Ramen,
Glenview
Sure, you’ve probably
stuck inside for longer
than ever hoped, but you
can still eat like royalty.
Glenview’s Gangnam
Ramen is currently offering
carryout and delivery
for its full menu, including
the Korean BBQ bulgogi,
a dish once reserved for
Korean nobility and special
events.
Story by Jason Addy, Contributing
Editor
Full story and more listings
at WilmetteBeacon-
Daily.com