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Lowcountry Bringing Seafood Boil, Karaoke and Beer Pong to Wrigleyville

By Ariel Cheung | September 1, 2015 5:50am
 Lowcountry will open Sept. 15 at 3343 N. Clark St., offering seafood boils, beer and karaoke in Wrigleyville
Lowcountry Seafood Boil Coming to Wrigleyville
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WRIGLEYVILLE — With late-night beer pong, karaoke and piles of seafood, lowcountry should have no problem fitting in when it opens in Wrigleyville later this month.

The spot at 3343 N. Clark St. was previously home to Blokes & Birds, a gastropub and karaoke lounge that closed June 15. Pan Hompluem ran the pub for about a year to get a feel for what the Wrigleyville area needed before closing for renovations.

"We felt there were not a lot of seafood options in Chicago in general, and when you go out, it's usually a big commitment. There are not a lot of value seafood spots," Hompluem told DNAinfo.

The newly christened lowcountry is set to open Sept. 15 with fresh paint, a nautical theme and revamped private karaoke rooms in the lower level.

Lowcountry, set to open in Wrigleyville on Sept. 15, will serve up casual seafood boil, beer and karaoke at 3343 N. Clark St. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

Customers at the Carolina-style lowcountry will choose one type of by-the-pound seafood and pair it with one of four house-made sauces and a spice level between 1-4. Side dishes like beignets, Cajun fries and honey butter jalapeño cornbread round out the menu.

"The goal was the make this place as approachable and low-brow as possible. The whole concept is for people to get their hands dirty," Hompluem said.

To that end, a water trough is centered among the picnic tables for easy cleaning access, allowing customers to dig in with abandon.

Lowcountry, set to open in Wrigleyville on Sept. 15, will serve up casual seafood boil, beer and karaoke at 3343 N. Clark St. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

After the kitchen closes at 10 p.m., the picnic tables will be used for games of beer pong and flip cup during "brocountry" hours.

Seafood boils are a childhood tradition for Hompluem, whose family traveled to New Orleans every summer for the crawfish, crabs and shrimp. After 15 years in the restaurant business, 39-year-old Hompluem said it was exactly what he and his wife Dana Ferm felt the neighborhood needed.

Throughout the South, seafood boils are frequently organized as fundraisers or community get-togethers. Lowcountry seafood boils, named for the southern coastal area of the state, have been a tradition in South Carolina for 50 years, Hompluem said.

The lowcountry boil — also known as Frogmore Stew, a Beaufort boil or a tidewater boil — tends to be slightly milder that its spicier cousins, but it still has strong ties to Caribbean, African, New Orleans and Cajun cuisine.

Five private karaoke rooms are decorated with tapestries and black leather couches at Lowcountry, planning on opening in Wrigleyville on Sept. 15. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

Pan Hompluem is planning on opening lowcountry in Wrigleyville on Sept. 15, which will serve up casual seafood boil, beer and karaoke at 3343 N. Clark St. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

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