I noticed an LED scrolling sign in a shop window on Ridge just south Granville that said "Opening soon BBQ" last night while driving home. It is in the same strip mall as some Ethiopian restaurant (Blue Nile?). I didn't see a name for the new restaurant, but it was dark out and traffic was moving so I might have missed the sign.

New Soul Cafe in Evanston, site of an Evanston lunch group event last year, has closed.

In other Evanston news, Wild Geese is scheduled to open Feb. 7th

LabRat wrote:I noticed an LED scrolling sign in a shop window on Ridge just south Granville that said "Opening soon BBQ" last night while driving home. It is in the same strip mall as some Ethiopian restaurant (Blue Nile?). I didn't see a name for the new restaurant, but it was dark out and traffic was moving so I might have missed the sign.

I drove by tonight on my way home from work. It is in the same strip mall as the Blue Nile. It's where the old Chinese take out place used to be. Looking as I drove by, it looks like it will be a Pakistani/Indian place (maybe in the same vein as Bismillah just up the street?). I also saw a few new tables and chairs through the window. (and yes, I saw this all as I slowly drove by )

Sharona

I haven't been inside yet, but Bridie McKenna's in Highwood says they're now (finally!) open for business:

http://bridiemckenna.com/

Katie wrote:I haven't been inside yet, but Bridie McKenna's in Highwood says they're now (finally!) open for business:

http://bridiemckenna.com/

After how many years? Unless someone reports on good food offerings I will not likely go.

Regards,

Well, we have our next book group meeting scheduled for there, so I'll have a chance to check it out. I looked at the menu on line and saw a lot of things I like to see at an Irish pub. I hope it lives up to my hopes. I'm always looking for reasons to drive over to Highwood.

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned yet but Parlor on North Avenue appears to be closed. There was a for sale sign in the window. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere when I crave chicken n' waffles...

I know virtually no one will be shedding a tear about this but me. The Szechuan Restaurant on Michigan Ave is closed.

While I do not miss the very average to below average food that catered to the tourist crowd (although I did enjoy the overpriced lunch buffet for what it was), I am sad that this is the end of one era and the near closing of another.

The era of white table cloth tux clad large scale chinese restaurants seems to be coming to an end in Chicago city (with the lone survivor being Phoenix, I think). I just came back from NYC where there were at least three near my hotel on Lexington Ave (Mr K, Shun Lee Palace, and S Dynasty).

ALSO, the near end of the pure chinese restaurant in this part of the city. All that is left is bad take out (Yu Shan), slash restaurants (Thai/Chinese/Japanese), and watered down big box chinese (Ben Pao and PF Changs).

I will not miss the food per se. I will miss what it was.

Yo wrote:I know virtually no one will be shedding a tear about this but me. The Szechuan Restaurant on Michigan Ave is closed.

While I do not miss the very average to below average food that catered to the tourist crowd (although I did enjoy the overpriced lunch buffet for what it was), I am sad that this is the end of one era and the near closing of another.

I'll join you in mourning. Working between Dearborn and Clark on Grand in the early '80s while I was in school, getting taken to Szechuan House by my boss was always a high point. Szechuan escargot, pot stickers, kung pao... always a great lunch back then for me, but probably would seem tarnished by the great experiences I've had since. It wasn't the first Sichuan experience for me (the west end of Northbrook had a decent place back then, long since renamed and downhill), but it was a great luxury for a college kid.

D'Andrea and Sons in the spindle mall in Berwyn has closed. Very sad, they had great sausage, ricotta and cannolis and other italian goods.

I also think that Nicky's in Berwyn in closed, I tried to go there 2x in december and it was dark with a closed sign in the door, but I wasn't sure if it may have been just for the holidays or permanent. If so, again very sad, they had terrific gyros and fresh fruit shakes that sustained me throughout my pregancies.

LO

Yo wrote:I know virtually no one will be shedding a tear about this but me. The Szechuan Restaurant on Michigan Ave is closed.

While I do not miss the very average to below average food that catered to the tourist crowd (although I did enjoy the overpriced lunch buffet for what it was), I am sad that this is the end of one era and the near closing of another.

The era of white table cloth tux clad large scale chinese restaurants seems to be coming to an end in Chicago city (with the lone survivor being Phoenix, I think). I just came back from NYC where there were at least three near my hotel on Lexington Ave (Mr K, Shun Lee Palace, and S Dynasty).

ALSO, the near end of the pure chinese restaurant in this part of the city. All that is left is bad take out (Yu Shan), slash restaurants (Thai/Chinese/Japanese), and watered down big box chinese (Ben Pao and PF Changs).

I will not miss the food per se. I will miss what it was.

Amen to that. The neighborhood's never quite been the same for Chinese after Szechuan House moved to Ohio Street in the 90's (they closed a few years ago, became "Golden Budha" in the Western part of the Loop, and then disappeared altogether). There's nowhere to get Chinese dishes like Beef Chendu or Taiwanese spring rolls unless you want takeout. There's Niu in River East, but they've got a few heavily westernized Chinese dishes to go with their predominantly Japanese menu. As for Pacific Bistro, they make Alhambra Palace look authentic, mistaking "large portions" for satisfying. The sushi's a different story.

The exception, of course, is Shanghai Pavillion, which is indeed a white tablecloth restaurant at the Penninsula, but it's at a price point which makes it a "special occasion" destination rather than a neighborhood staple for Chinese.

At least we have a few Thai places in Streeterville, of which the Spoon offshoot near Rush & Superior is the best - but they seem to have Westernized a bit too over the past few years unless you specifically ask for "Thai spicy". The best I can say about Dao is that they're open late, cheap, and great for when you have no plans on a Saturday night because it's never too crowded.

Unfortunately that's often the case in Streeterville: unless you like common-denominator food, Italian, or steakhouses, it's a great neighborhood to go somewhere else from if you want ethnic (Sayat Nova's the exception). Don't even start me about Indian Garden.....

LabRat wrote:I noticed an LED scrolling sign in a shop window on Ridge just south Granville that said "Opening soon BBQ" last night while driving home. It is in the same strip mall as some Ethiopian restaurant (Blue Nile?). I didn't see a name for the new restaurant, but it was dark out and traffic was moving so I might have missed the sign.

Drove by tonight - Mirch Masala appears to be open - lots of taxis in the parking lot.


Mirch Masala
6130 Ridge Chicago

A flash in the pan, Fan Si Pan is closed.

1618 W. Chicago Ave
Chicago 60622

Yeah, I noticed it was dark at 5 on a Wednesday last week. I'm a little surprised, but when I was there last and heard the staff badmouthing a customer (who had called in, not to their face) for not knowing what "pho" is, all while pronouncing it "faux"... well... I don't really feel too sorry for them.

From this week's Dish, the scoop on what's going into She She's old location:

Troy Graves, for three years the skilled executive chef of the now-shuttered Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar, will head the kitchen at Tallulah (4539 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-942-7585), a 45-seat American bistro coming to the old She She space in late February. “I am doing new takes on bistro classics, like steak frites [$26] with a garlic soy jus,” says Graves. “And the fries are going to come with yuzu togarashi mayo for dipping.” Who’s doing desserts? “I’m doing everything,” says Graves. “I want to do a chai crème brûlée.” His boss, Matt Fisher, formerly owned Bad Dog Tavern next door.

For a place described as an "American bistro" the dishes mentioned seem more asian influenced.

Daisy11 wrote:From this week's Dish, the scoop on what's going into She She's old location:

Troy Graves, for three years the skilled executive chef of the now-shuttered Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar, will head the kitchen at Tallulah (4539 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-942-7585), a 45-seat American bistro coming to the old She She space in late February. “I am doing new takes on bistro classics, like steak frites [$26] with a garlic soy jus,” says Graves. “And the fries are going to come with yuzu togarashi mayo for dipping.” Who’s doing desserts? “I’m doing everything,” says Graves. “I want to do a chai crème brûlée.” His boss, Matt Fisher, formerly owned Bad Dog Tavern next door.

For a place described as an "American bistro" the dishes mentioned seem more asian influenced.

I'm taking bets on whether the restaurants will last for more/fewer months than the cost of the steak frites. At $26, all the money is on fewer, so I'd strongly suggest they rethink that price. Seriously, Meritage on your resume is decent enough pedigree, and I'm sure Sysco has upped the price of soy sauce lately, but come on. Graves can't get away with charging more in Lincoln Square than Liccioni does in Old Town.

Kennyz wrote:I'm taking bets on whether the restaurants will last for more/fewer months than the cost of the steak frites. At $26, all the money is on fewer, so I'd strongly suggest they rethink that price. Seriously, Meritage on your resume is decent enough pedigree, and I'm sure Sysco has upped the price of soy sauce lately, but come on. Graves can't get away with charging more in Lincoln Square than Liccioni does in Old Town.

Looks like they're going after the Bistro Campagne and Chalkboard crowds at that price point. Bistro's steak frites are priced at $22 according to their online menu - so that better be some fabulous soy jus!

I have no problem paying $26 for Steak Frites if they are great.

I think I heard its the owners of Bad Dog own this new place. I'm not certain though so take that for what it's worth.

Octarine wrote:In other Evanston news, Wild Geese is scheduled to open Feb. 7th

I don't know if the timing is still working out, but I have intel that the name is going to be changed...

JLenart wrote:I have no problem paying $26 for Steak Frites if they are great.

I think I heard its the owners of Bad Dog own this new place. I'm not certain though so take that for what it's worth.

Maybe you "heard" that from the very post you responded to.

Haven't seen anything about this on Dish...

A new Mexican restaurant, La Bahia, is to open soon
just north of the intersection of Lincoln and Irving Park Rd.

Sign says they'll be serving seafood. When I passed by last night, there were people working inside.

La Bahia
4111 N. Lincoln

I'm not sure if many of you are into the 'top restaurants' but discussion over dinner at Alinea the other night was that Schwa is to reopen after its sudden close on Oct. 5th where chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Ferran Adria of El Bulli (the best restaurant in the world) enjoyed their tour of the city.

Jayz wrote:I'm not sure if many of you are into the 'top restaurants' but discussion over dinner at Alinea the other night was that Schwa is to reopen after its sudden close on Oct. 5th where chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Ferran Adria of El Bulli (the best restaurant in the world) enjoyed their tour of the city.

This issue has been followed on this board since at least January 5th.

It is not just Ma and Pa taco joints at LTHforum!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

Jayz wrote:I'm not sure if many of you are into the 'top restaurants' but discussion over dinner at Alinea the other night was that Schwa is to reopen after its sudden close on Oct. 5th where chefs such as Charlie Trotter and Ferran Adria of El Bulli (the best restaurant in the world) enjoyed their tour of the city.

This issue has been followed on this board since at least January 5th.

It is not just Ma and Pa taco joints at LTHforum!

Regards,

Hahaha...sorry to sound like a snob.

But yeah I guess I was late on the subject...it has reopened.

On another note...Sixteen at the Trump Tower opened Wednesday.

Hi,

Don't worry. I sometimes revisit my statements and wished I restated it a bit differently, too.

Regards,

If you're planning on going to Salerno's on Grove in Berwyn for pizza or Italiano, you may want to call first. It looks like they have made some changes:

http://www.salernosbar.com/

Damn, talk about adapting to changing demographics!

Props to the Salerno family on the redesign.

In case you were in need of another Thai restaurant in the North Center / Lincoln Square area, in the old El Palmar space at Western and Cullom, there is a new sign that reads something along the lines of "Kan Pou: Cooking and Baking with spices in the Thai style."

Well hopefully I don't go 0 for 2 on ths statement but...Kevin's Restaurant (yes thats the actual name) is closing. His fresh menu was really a delight. But don't worry, his new endeavor will be Shikago near the W on Adams. The dinning room is in the Lasalle building, I recommend trying it out.