The Grove--the place that replaced Granny's

The place that replaced Granny's Waffle House on Diversey is called The Grove, and it's a real improvement. Clean; open; bright; appealingly varied "family restaurant" style menu (breakfast and fountain creations served all day); comfy booths; friendly. They expect to have beer and wine by next week.

Both mrs. riddlemay and I had soup to start our lunch--she the chicken vegetable, me the cream of cauliflower--and it was obvious from the flavor that both soups were "housemade," not institutional. Very nice. And we enjoyed our salads. Mine was greens with gorgonzola and pine nuts with a piece of grilled salmon on top--the salmon was a bigger piece than necessary, but I wasn't complaining. Very friendly owner; couldn't quite place his accent (either Eastern European or Middle Eastern); he also owns the Mirage banquet hall in the Sheraton Four Points out by O'Hare. (But there's nothing at all "chain" or "banquet hall institutional" about The Grove; it feels on its way to having a neighborhood character of its own.) We experienced a couple of minor "service issues," but I had confidence these are simply a result of the training wheels not being off the place yet, and expect things to sort themselves out.

Anyway, from the fact that I started a thread a few weeks ago desperately seeking decent places near Clark/Broadway/Diversey, it's clear that I feel that stretch of Diversey could use more options, and The Grove is a step in the right direction, I'm happy to report.