Chicagoans can now subscribe to lunch and save

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IMG_0150
IMG_0150 Generic lunches. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s not delivery convenient, but it’s a chance to get out and exercise without killing your whole lunch hour or having to rush through a restaurant meal.

MealPal launched its subscription lunch service in Chicago today with more than 50 restaurants on board. Choose menu options from local restaurants for less than $6 per meal – and skip those annoying lines.

Chicago and DC are the latest cities to join the crowd. In New York, San Francisco, Boston and Miami, weekday lunch crowds have now ordered over 500,000 meals from more than 1,000 restaurants. MealPal has also recently introduced Pal, a smart bot that uses artificial intelligence to personalize your choices.
  • Preferences. Pal will ask you a series of questions to understand which ingredients you like and don’t like. That way you see meal options that fit your tastes.
  • Reminders and calendar integration. Pal will remind users to reserve lunch on any given day if you forget, and will add lunch reservations to your calendar.
  • Longer booking window. Previously, you couldn’t start ordering until 7pm the day before to select your lunch for the following day – but now you can check out the next day’s menu starting at 5pm.
 The service is simple to use. Visit the website or mobile app to browse the daily menu, filtering meals by cuisine and portion size. Reserve your meal by 9:30am, choosing a time to pick up your lunch. When you pick up your food, skip the line and be in and out of the restaurant in less than 30 seconds.
Six bucks for lunch? Not bad. And you don’t have to sign up to use it everyday. As of right now, it’s only available in the Loop but they expect to add more ‘hoods soon.
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Binge on ’em all week before Shaw’s Oyster Fest

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Indulge all week before Shaw's Oyster Fest 2016
Indulge all week before Shaw’s Oyster Fest 2016

Oyster Fest Presented by Shaw’s Crab House returns to Chicago on Friday, September 30, 2016 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Chicago’s River North for its 28th year featuring great food and live music. Shaw’s Chicago and its sister restaurant, Oyster Bah, are great at creating fun food events all year, but check out the fun they’ve got planned for Oyster Fest week.

Sunday, September 25
William Fèvre Chablis Dinner at Shaw’s Crab House Chicago: This four-course dinner, plus reception, includes chablis selections and seafood pairings. Guests can enjoy glasses of Champagne Henriot and Bouchard Père & Fils courtesy of William Fèvre sister estates in Champagne and Burgundy. Priced at $75 per guest (tax and gratuity not included), the dinner will begin with a 6 p.m. reception and seated dinner at 6:30 p.m. Reserve at 312-527-2722. Event menu here.
Tuesday, September 27
Founders Beer Dinner at Shaw’s Crab House Chicago: Founders Brewing Co. has teamed up with Shaw’s as a sponsor of this year’s Oyster Fest, pouring delicious brews all festival-long. In celebration of the partnership, Founders is co-hosting a four course beer dinner with special guest and co-founder, Dave Engbers. The cost is $75 per guest (tax and gratuity not included), beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. and seated dinner at 6:30 p.m. Reserve at 312-527-2722. Event menu here.
Wednesday, September 28
Oysters, Oysters, and More Oysters at Shaw’s Crab House Chicago: Chicago Gourmets have teamed up with Shaw’s to welcome special guest and author Cynthia Nims for an oyster luncheon celebrating the recent publication of her book,Oysters: Recipes That Bring Home a Taste of the Sea. The luncheon features recipes from Cynthia’s book plus wine pairings and is priced at $75 per person (tax & gratuity not included) and will begin at noon. Reserve at chicagourmet.org.
Meet-and-greet the author who’ll sign books in the Oyster Bar from 4 to 6 p.m. where books will be available for purchase.
Happy Hour with Rowan Jacobsen at Oyster Bah: James Beard award-winning food writer Rowan Jacobsen will join us to promote his upcoming book, The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation (out on October 4th). From 4 to 6 p.m. Rowan will be posting up at the oyster bar as the guest shucker, but will also curate the day’s oyster list and introduce oyster pairings with his favorite William Fèvre chablis wines. Click here to stay tuned on wine features.
Thursday, September 29
Books, Oysters, and Cocktails with Rowan Jacobsen at Shaw’s Crab House Chicago: Rowan Jacobsen will also be hitting up Shaw’s Chicago to promote his book and from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Oyster Bar, guests receive a signed copy of Rowan’s new book, slurp down on Rowan’s favorite oysters (plus snacks) and enjoy some custom cocktails from our local bartender friends in Chicago’s cocktail scene. The event is priced at $75 per person and reservations are recommended. Call 312-527-2722 or visit the website here.
All week long: Oyster Bar Happy Hour: Starting Monday, September 26, Shaw’s Chicago will be featuring all day Happy Hour in the Oyster Bar! Enjoy one East coast and one West coast variety on special all week long at half-price ($18 per dozen).
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