Royal Grocer & Co. Debuts Season Fall Menu

Royal Grocer & Co. - the new "farm focused" restaurant in Bucktown - has just debuted its seasonal fall menu from executive chef Rob Shaner and sous chef Maureen Neer. Located in the former Red Door space, Royal Grocer quietly opened to the public on August 17 at 2118 N Damen. Royal Grocer seats 18 guests at the bar, 16 guests at tables inside, 30 guests in its interior private party space, and 120 outside on the property's beloved patio space that also features four outdoor flatscreen TVs. There are plans to cover and heat a portion of the patio later this fall so guests can enjoy that space year round.

The restaurant is named after The Royal Blue Store that opened in the 1920s that was located in the restaurant's current space and address. It was a small grocery that served the neighborhood and community and the restaurant's mission statement is the same.

Royal Grocer is owned and operated by co-owners Mike Hartman and Clint MerandA. Hartman also owns Stocks & Blondes in the Loop and Las Reinas in Lakeview.
Shaner - a partner in Royal Grocer - was most recently the executive chef at West Town gem Homestead On The Roof and has also spent time in the kitchens of The Bristol, Little Market, and Branch 27. Neer is a former sous chef at Homestead On The Roof and was most recently a sous chef at Steadfast in the Loop.

Both Shaner and Neer favor working with local farms (Werp Farm, Nichols Farm, Leaning Shed Farm, among others) to create both vegetable-forward and protein-driven dishes based on the seasonal bounty of their purveyors. The dinner menu is broKen Down into "Small Plates" & "Shared Plates" and those dishes will change weekly and sometimes even daily. Current new fall menu highlights include Tortellini (Roasted Kuri Kuri Squash & Brie, Colonel Newsom's Country Ham, Swiss Chard, Apple Cider, Spiced Pepitas), Carrots & Farro (Smoked Carrot & Curry Purée, Farro, Braised & Fermented Carrots, Farro Crunchies), and Carolina Gold Rice Risotto (Porcini Broth, Lobster Mushrooms, Lichen, Goat's Milk Cheese). There are three signature staple dishes on Shaner and Neer's menu that will not change with the seasons.

They are: Green Circle Half Chicken (Citrus Brined & Fried, Smoked Collards, Cornbread, Fresno Garlic Maple Syrup), Radish Pasta (Radish Noodles, Uni Butter, Grilled Radish, Dashi, Smoked Trout Roe), and Bread Plate (Publican Quality Bread, House Butter, Village Batch Olive Oil). Brunch is served from 10am until 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Brunch menu highlights include Royal Benedict (Cornbread, Colonel Newsom's Country Ham, & Chow Chow) and Chicken & Biscuit (Green Circle Fries Chicken, Southern France Patisserie Buttermilk Biscuit, Maple, & Pickled Fresno Chiles).
Royal Grocer currently six specialty cocktails are all $10 each and the list is highlighted by "Fleeb Juice" (Ford's Gin, BroVo Lemon Balm, White Port, Honeydew, Lime). There are also two "slushie" cocktails that are also priced at $10 each: Frozé (Pisco Control, Maurin Quina, St. George Raspberry, Guava, Honey, Lemon) and Irish Coffee (West Cork Irish Whiskey, Coffee, Frangelico, Coconut). There are also two large format cocktail options that are served in copper owl and copper pineapple vessels. Royal Grocer pours 22 rotating craft drafts from the likes of Pipeworks, Three Floyds, War Pigs, and Half Acre, amongst others; sports a 25-bottle strong wine list; and has a tightly-curated craft small batch spirits program.

The Royal Grocer's food & beverage menus and its daily & happy hour specials are attached to this release in PDF format. The Royal Grocer's website is http://www.royalgrocer.com, and its phone number is 773-904-7805. Royal Grocer's hours will be 4pm to 2am Tuesday thru Friday, 10am until 3am Saturday, and 10am until 2am on Sundays.