Suburban Eats: Winter Menu at Bonefish Grill

Practically from the moment we bonded over our mutual hardcore love of seafood, Ashley began urging me to go to Bonefish Grill in order to try their famed Bang Bang Shrimp. She swore up and down that I would fall in love with the spicy sauce, crispy breading, and juicy shrimp. Based on her recommendation, I added it to my restaurant list years ago, but let's be honest, that list is ridiculously long (but not quite as long as my to-read books list - yikes!). Years flew by and I was still Bang Bang Shrimp-less... until one day earlier this month in which I was invited to stop by the Skokie location to sample some favorites from their winter menu.

Bonefish Grill is an upscale casual seafood restaurant chain that originated in Florida; they started out as a family joint and slowly grew from that one location to over 200 locations across the country. As they shifted from a local spot to a nationally-known chain, they worked to maintain their roots - many of the recipes found on the menu today originated from various family members and friends. Bonefish is also committed to seafood sustainability and responsible fishing practices, along with the original owners' daily ritual of receiving, inspecting, and hand cutting the fish (now practiced by the partners at each individual location).

16 from '16

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and an uneventful start to 2017; after the craziness/sadness/ridiculousness of last year, I know that's about all many of you were hoping for (sigh). As per usual, I spent the first few weeks of my winter break in perpetual party mode (well, as much of a party mode a thirty-something who likes to be in bed by 10pm can shift into): it was all day drinking, Christmas celebrations, movie marathons, and restaurant visits. Alas, the time has come for me to stop acting like I'm a professional lady of leisure; not only do I need to put the finishing touches on my syllabi (classes start next week), but also, I have to shift back into student mode, as my next graduate course begins tomorrow.

Before I dive headfirst into my big plans for the year, I thought I would take a look back at some of the foodie highlights of 2016. I know I say it every year, but 2016 was truly an epic food year! As I did in 2015, I used the summer to make a nice dent in my must-visit restaurants list, as well as discover an abundance of new spots with my lovely group of foodie friends. I also had the opportunity to take a mini-trip to Canada with Diana, in which we ate our way through two cities (more to come on this!). While there were quite a few events during the year that left me puzzled, angry, and devastated, overall, it was still a fab year of food. :-)

Here are 16 of my favorites from 2016:

Lobster Mac & Cheese, with Tallegio and sweet corn from Smack Shack. I don't know what sort of mac & cheese wizardry they have going on over there, but this was not only my favorite of their dishes but also my favorite version of lobster mac I've *ever* had. The mild, tangy cheese pairs perfectly with the buttery lobster and the breadcrumbs add a crunchy texture to the dish (which helps to cut through the richness). So much deliciousness!