Roister Now Serves ‘Highbrow’ Southern-Style Seafood Boils and More Intel

— The Alinea Group’s Roister is the latest Chicago restaurant to serve trendy southern-style seafood boils, although this one is different. Management describes theirs as “highbrow” and “elevated by global flavors,” and plastic bags don’t appear to be part of the program, as they are at the myriad of other local spots to jump on the trend. Roister’s dinners, which are served family-style in Roister’s basement, cost $85-95 a person. Tickets are available on Tock.

UPDATE: Check out the menu below. Roister service manager Jorie Taylor writes that “we tend to slate towards southern food in general, and this particular menu is brimming with nods to the coastal New Orleans barbecue/street food/seafood boils of yesteryear. For example, our Hot Shrimp Dumplings are filled with, essentially, shrimp and grits.” Beverages revolve around an “ice-filled cow tank” where customers can choose from sake juice boxes, sparkling rose, mini Miller High Lifes, and more.

— Move over, sushi burritos. The newest novelty Japanese-Mexican fusion food is the sushi taco, which will go on sale on Monday, July 24 at all Sushi Burrito Chicago locations (Lincoln Park, East Lakeview, Wicker Park, Evanston). There’s even a video.

— Belly Up, the South Loop barbecue spot from the owners of Bellwether, may be shuttered. Sloopin reports papered over windows and no answer via the phone. There’s no official word from ownership, however. It opened in January 2016.

— Pastoral’s Jordan Edwards is the 2017 champion of the Cheesemonger Invitational, aka the “Olympics of Cheesemongering.” He described the event as “like American Gladiators but with cheese.”

— The Tribune checks in on Chicago’s happy hour legalization two years after it took effect. The takeaway: “The law has been more effective at filling bar stools with midweek drinkers than state and city coffers with new money.” Eater Chicago’s analysis on the first anniversary is here.

— And finally, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel continues to focus on Chicago restaurants and bars in the media, this time on his podcast. Rahm interviewed Tiny Tapp owner Mark William Johnson about the Chicago cocktail scene and the riverwalk, as well as asked him which are Chicago’s best bars right now. Take a listen here. A spokesperson says the mayor “will have more dining-related episodes coming up soon.”