Let's please keep this thread focused on reports of openings & closings.

Please feel free to start a new, dedicated thread if you'd like to discuss 42 Grams specifically, or the general issue of location, price, communal dining.

Thanks,
Darren72
For the moderators

I don't know if it has been mentioned, but a place called Bullhead's is opening on the north side of Morse Ave just west of the Red Line. It is billed as a Whiskey and Taco bar. Talk about exploiting the latest fads. It is replacing the Pomegranate juice and Bacon café.

I was traveling west on Belmont, and noticed a building with Big & Little's signs covering the windows. This was a couple blocks or so west of the Belmont red line stop, on the north side of the street. I just confirmed on Facebook that they will be opening a second location. Yes!

d4v3 wrote:I don't know if it has been mentioned, but a place called Bullhead's is opening on the north side of Morse Ave just west of the Red Line. It is billed as a Whiskey and Taco bar. Talk about exploiting the latest fads. It is replacing the Pomegranate juice and Bacon café.

I believe this is a second location for Bullhead Cantina in Humboldt Park.

DNAinfo article

d4v3 wrote:I don't know if it has been mentioned, but a place called Bullhead's is opening on the north side of Morse Ave just west of the Red Line. It is billed as a Whiskey and Taco bar. Talk about exploiting the latest fads. It is replacing the Pomegranate juice and Bacon café.

I thought it said Butthead's for a second. Though Butthead's would be a good name for a BBQ restaurant.

The In Fine Spirits/Premise/Brasserie 54 replacement in Andersonville called The Brixton is now open. Here's a blurb:

McMullen's menu (which can be viewed in the link above), features a selection of bar bites (an "always changing" jerky, popcorn with bacon powder, sambal and chives), small plates (sweetbreads, crab dip), and larger plates (The Brixton Burger, octopus). The restaurant also features a healthy spirits program.

This is good news because Andersonville really needs a bar with a good craft cocktail program. Hopefully I can make it over there tonight.


5420 N Clark St
(between Rascher Ave & Balmoral Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640
Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Edgewater

fropones wrote:

d4v3 wrote:I don't know if it has been mentioned, but a place called Bullhead's is opening on the north side of Morse Ave just west of the Red Line. It is billed as a Whiskey and Taco bar. Talk about exploiting the latest fads. It is replacing the Pomegranate juice and Bacon café.

I believe this is a second location for Bullhead Cantina in Humboldt Park.

DNAinfo article

Oops, after reading the linked article, I realized that I should not have been so quick to make fun of the establishment. First, I think that I may know the owner from a long time ago. Moreover, the concept actually sounds pretty good: a shot, a tallboy and a taco for $6 and specialty tacos for $3. I will likely patronize the place when it opens.

Meli Cafe has opened their third location in town this time at the Wyndham Blake in the Loop (500 S Dearborn, Dearborn & Congress). I don't know how many of you have had their food, but this is probably my favorite breakfast/brunch place in the entire city. They have some excellent food there and this is definitely a good thing for that neighborhood in my opinion.

chezbrad wrote:

PopcornMegaphone wrote:

AlekH wrote:Per Uptown Update, the former Sous Rising team are bringing a fine dining concept, 42 Grams, to the former Chester's Chicken space at 4662 N Broadway near Lawrence and Broadway. The concept sounds similar to other recent off the beaten path upscale concepts to open over the past year or two. It's a price point I rarely opt for but will probably give them a shot because I appreciate them taking a chance on Uptown.

42 Grams
4662 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
http://www.42gramschicago.com

That's really pricey, but living in the area I'm very curious as well. I think it's interesting they've decided to go with communal dining after Elizabeth's failed experiment (love the restaurant itself). I wonder if they'll be able to navigate around the same challenges. I think it's difficult for many potential customers to spend over 200 dollars per person when the table guests can be a huge crapshoot.

This is a ballsy play: more expensive than Elizabeth and Goosefoot and even further away from a highway to court suburban diners. Schwa had the luxury of being novel in 2005, and could afford to wait for momentum to build; this restaurant, with little publicity on it and all of it on all the places opening downtown, is going to have to turn heads immediately to have a chance. Should be interesting...

It may be a ballsy play for sure. But, we are very excited to be part of a revitalization of a up and coming neighborhood that we live in. As per your example, Elizabeth started out for a Saturday reservation at $205 for your diamond menu plus 9.5% tax and 20% service fee. The math with a 20% service fee comes to $269.37. 42 grams is $155/person plus service fee and tax which comes to $203.67. Plus, 42 grams is BYOB! Since then, she came down in price to $165/person plus tax and 20% service fee. We believe for the what you will get at 42 grams, we offer a good value for your money. You can see what people have said about our dining experience the past year on yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/elizabeth-restaurant-chicago?q=sous+rising http://www.yelp.com/biz/sous-rising-chicago So I totally agree with you that we need to turn heads immediately. I think we are up for the challenge and are looking forward to our opening weekend. We are selling seats for January and part of February now at http://www.42gramschicago.com .

marothisu wrote:Meli Cafe has opened their third location in town this time at the Wyndham Blake in the Loop (500 S Dearborn, Dearborn & Congress). I don't know how many of you have had their food, but this is probably my favorite breakfast/brunch place in the entire city. They have some excellent food there and this is definitely a good thing for that neighborhood in my opinion.

+1 on that. We're very partial to the River North location. Their date & nut parfait is great, they work with fresh ingredients, plus they have a killer frappe in the summer. I think they also make their own catsup as well.

Far better IMO than Yolk (I only go to the one in our Streeterville neighborhood when they're slow and I'm in a hurry during the week), and at least as good as Willdberry, which is impossible to go to on weekends due to the standard hour-plus waits unless you plan your morning around eating there.

Ajida Ramen opened at Wells and Lake street today. Menu looks pretty great.

Lawry's Restaurants Inc. is putting an American gastropub in River North.

The Pasadena, Calif.-based owner of Lawry's The Prime Rib is opening SideDoor February 18, officially, though a soft opening is set for January.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -prime-rib

rabbitsnake wrote:Ajida Ramen opened at Wells and Lake street today. Menu looks pretty great.

This place is near my office and i've been admiring their plastic food on my daily walks. Thanks for the heads up.

Don't know if it was already mentioned but La Creperie is un-closing, starting tomorrow night.

Bow & Stern Oyster Bar opens tonight at 1371 W Chicago ave in Noble Square. Chef Brian Greene (The Savoy and The Purple Pig) is heading the kitchen

1371 W Chicago ave
http://bowandsternoysterbar.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BowSternChicago

Just an FYI, they are having a contest to promote their opening. They are giving away a dinner for two. https://www.facebook.com/thebrixtonchicago/posts/825563854136335

PopcornMegaphone wrote:The In Fine Spirits/Premise/Brasserie 54 replacement in Andersonville called The Brixton is now open. Here's a blurb:

McMullen's menu (which can be viewed in the link above), features a selection of bar bites (an "always changing" jerky, popcorn with bacon powder, sambal and chives), small plates (sweetbreads, crab dip), and larger plates (The Brixton Burger, octopus). The restaurant also features a healthy spirits program.

This is good news because Andersonville really needs a bar with a good craft cocktail program. Hopefully I can make it over there tonight.


5420 N Clark St
(between Rascher Ave & Balmoral Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640
Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Edgewater

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet but the Golden Angel (Golden Apple?) on Lincoln just south of Montrose closed. I didn't think places like that ever closed! Good location with a parking lot. Could be a spectacular site for someone looking to open something new.

It's going to be a Malnatis.

River Valley Farmer's Table, the new cafe/grocery by the River Valley Ranch & Kitchens mushroom farm (a perennial favorite at the Green City Market), opened Mon 12/16 in Ravenswood in the former City Provisions space. They're open 6:30 am-7 pm daily (and for last-minute shoppers, open Christmas Eve 9 am-5 pm).

River Valley Farmer's Table
1820 W. Wilson
Chicago, IL 60640
(872) 208-3267
River Valley website
Facebook

Chicagoist is reporting that the Lincoln Restaurant is closing at the end of the year.



http://chicagoist.com/2013/12/20/lincol ... g_down.php

StevenStern wrote:Chicagoist is reporting that the Lincoln Restaurant is closing at the end of the year.

Their sign definitely needs to end up at Intuit or in somebody's private outsider-art collection. I've been thinking that for years.

cleanplateclub wrote:Not sure if it's been mentioned yet but the Golden Angel (Golden Apple?) on Lincoln just south of Montrose closed. I didn't think places like that ever closed! Good location with a parking lot. Could be a spectacular site for someone looking to open something new.

The owner was retiring and sold to Malnati's.

OON has closed. I am not shocked. The place was riddled with issues before it even opened. It was usually mostly empty and day of reservations were always available on the weekends. On the bright side, the business has been sold to someone..

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/ ... s-done.php

Some place called Snarf's is closing.

Cru Kitchen & Bar, Debbie Sharpe's place on E. Delaware, is closed, according to Eater.com.

According to the Sun-Times, Penny's on Sheffield in Wrigleyville closes this weekend.

sdbond wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

sdbond wrote:Corrected name for new restaurant on 715 Devon Avenue in Park Ridge: Shawarma Inn. Saw a permanent sign above the restaurant and a flashing neon one last night when I was picking up my bird across the street at Devon Avenue Meats, but they do not appear to be open for business yet.

Presumably a second location of the one on Lincoln in Budlong Woods?

I'm not quite sure. I will look more closely next time I go up that way. But if it is, we are in for some good food, based on the menu I just looked up!

I still don't know the answer to your question! They are open in Park Ridge, so I stopped in and picked up a to-go menu. There is no other location listed on it, and no website, either. The tagline for the restaurant is "Your Favorite Place for Middle Eastern Cuisine."

Regulus, the Portage Park coffee shop, is closing its doors on Dec. 31 but will continue to sell its roast online.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20131226 ... oast-beans

StevenStern wrote:Chicagoist is reporting that the Lincoln Restaurant is closing at the end of the year.



http://chicagoist.com/2013/12/20/lincol ... g_down.php

Perched atop a dark brown pole on North Lincoln Avenue, a red, white and blue sign with President Abraham Lincoln's image has greeted newcomers and regulars to Lincoln Restaurant for decades.

The mom-and-pop diner and its Civil War theme thrived for years in the North Center neighborhood, but it has not been able to survive the threat of outside competition and changes in consumer preferences.

On Sunday, the Lincoln will fire up its grills one last time. It will not be easy putting the restaurant to rest, but the closing was a long time coming, owner Tony Athans said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 3423.story

Hi,

The Lincoln, along with the since closed Harris on Irving Park near Kedzie, were on my maternal Grandfather's regular rotation of places to eat. He would be perfectly happy with a pork chop, mashed potatoes and lots of gravy. I think he would have loved Depot Diner.

Regards,