Main Street Social is joining restaurant row on Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville with an opening date of May 27, 2017. This new industrial-chic styled, upscale restaurant and lounge will enter the already iconic dining destination of downtown Libertyville, featuring from-scratch, Italian-Mediterranean cuisine, boutique wines and craft cocktails. The restaurant will go live on Open Table beginning on Thursday, May 11 for reservations. But until the restaurant opens, Little Lake County invites you to experience a sneak peek at what Main Street Social will soon offer.
From A to Z, or in this case, from ambiance to zeppole (Italian donuts, served from a walk-up window), Main Street Social is destined to dazzle. According to Operating Partner Duke Ross, the menu is created to be “playful” and classic dishes are presented with Main Street Social’s own “special twist.”
Cheese and charcuterie platters will resemble works of art, and dishes will include Pastoral cheese from the West Loop area of Chicago. Craft cocktails will bear the names of well-known Chicago streets. Diners will enjoy oysters, piadina (flatbread), Mediterranean-inspired salads and an array of homemade pasta dishes, as well as meat and seafood entrees.
I sampled few dishes and wines at a recent event held by Main Street Social and Bright Angel Wines at the David Adler Music and Arts Center, also in Libertyville. Main Street Social has its own house label wine, and will serve a selection of Bright Angel Wines. All of the sips and tastes received my personal stamp of approval; I’m sure you will enjoy them too.
First I sampled the Di Stefano burrata with tomato confit. The burrata (soft Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream) nicely complimented the tomato confit, and was served atop grilled bread. The cheese was extraordinary and melted in your mouth.
I also highly recommend the meatballs with whipped ricotta, basil and roasted tomato sauce. Everything about this dish was wonderful and flavorful, and it tasted so fresh and authentic.
Other dishes of note include roasted cauliflower macaroni and cheese (made with orricchietti), whole roasted Branzino (sea bass) in a large portion to be shared, and Greek baby back ribs. The menu also lists entrees such roasted chicken, salmon, pork and skirt steak, each prepared in a way or with an accompaniment that makes it unique to Main Street Social.
Exposed brick, a hammered zinc bar, pendant lighting, chandeliers and wrought iron details fuse to make the 100-seat indoor space attractive. The bar area is more casual, with televisions, while the main dining area and 12-seat semi-private dining room have design elements that make it a bit more formal without stifling the ambiance.
© J. Johnson | Little Lake County.com | 2017
Outside, a cozy patio with a fireplace will seat another 30 guests, as well as accommodate visitors to the walk-up dessert window. Here, enticing shakes, gelatos and zeppole will be dispensed to dessert seeking diners via a sliding window.
Make your reservation beginning on May 11 on Open Table for the first available seats at Main Street Social. Whether you opt for an early meal with the family or choose Main Street Social for your next date night, I am confident that you will not want to miss this newcomer to Lake County’s urban chic dining scene.
Main Street Social
608 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
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