Southside Shrimp House on 35th is closed, with a "For Rent" sign in the window. *tear

bananasandwiches wrote:The southeast corner of armitage and leavitt has been papered over for awhile, bearing signage indicating "coming soon, Wicked Desserts Cafe". Hubby and I were beginning to think it was never going to happen til last night, walking by we noticed their actual signs seems to be in place and the paper on one window is down to reveal a full dessert case, counter, and several seating areas are all ready to go. A shiny new espresso machine sat on the counter as well. I'm estimating we're days rather than weeks away from an opening here...hoping it will be good but we shall see.

It is open...coffee, and desserts that are all sourced from various commercial baking sources. $7 for a slice of chocolate cake. I don't see how they can last very long with mid-grade products at high-end prices.

bananasandwiches wrote:

bananasandwiches wrote:The southeast corner of armitage and leavitt has been papered over for awhile, bearing signage indicating "coming soon, Wicked Desserts Cafe". Hubby and I were beginning to think it was never going to happen til last night, walking by we noticed their actual signs seems to be in place and the paper on one window is down to reveal a full dessert case, counter, and several seating areas are all ready to go. A shiny new espresso machine sat on the counter as well. I'm estimating we're days rather than weeks away from an opening here...hoping it will be good but we shall see.

It is open...coffee, and desserts that are all sourced from various commercial baking sources. $7 for a slice of chocolate cake. I don't see how they can last very long with mid-grade products at high-end prices.

I've lurked for what is perhaps too long on this forum, and owe the members of this community thanks for their shared wit and wisdom.

It is with a twinge of regret that I enter the fray in order to echo the sentiments of one bananasandwiches about Wicked Desserts Cafe.
The items in the refrigerated case all sound delicious: Kentucky Pie (pecan on a chocolate chip cookie crust,) Chocolate cake available in German, 3d, Chambord, and Eruption varieties, and a personal weakness of mine Red Velvet cake. However, in execution the three items my wife and I sampled just didn't seem fresh. The coffee was hot and weak, perhaps 8:00pm on a Friday is an overly optimistic time to order coffee? And despite the fact that we were one of two filled tables, they forgot to serve us for 15 minutes. The owner made it clear he found this unacceptable, apologized sincerely, and gave us a postcard for 10% off on our next visit... ?!?
However, my wife and I will return. Months of anticipation blended with anticlimactic first contact has left us calling for a do-over. The atmosphere was certainly relaxing, the decor tastefully understated. Some tables were of the formica topped variety, but we cozied down in a soft leather love seat. The music never strayed above conversation level, and was consistently jazz (non-elevator.) The owner was charming and legitimately contrite about their errors, our return visit will be to encourage him as much as our sweet tooths.

Sorry for making a review in this thread, but I wasn't sure this merited its own line of discussion.

Welcome, Bucky -

I live near there too, so was hoping it would be good. We'll give it a try. Are they just coffee and dessert, or do they do morning breakfasty sorts of things?

Thanks for the welcome Leek, we are in an area where it is easy to be excited about the comings and goings, no?

Wicked has some tasty looking muffins, and an apple turnover that might just know a thing or two about delicious. Perversely, Wicked does not open until 11:00 (this is drawn strictly from memory and should in no way be considered valid or factual )
So if you would like a Wicked breakfast, you need to plan ahead and eat it a day older then it was at time of purchase. Or, be wonderfully open minded and shatter the preconceived notions of the time/food nexus, and just eat a muffin or turnover at what some people consider lunchtime.

Dodo will be closing October 29... some time in early 2008 they're opening at 2003 w fulton (or somewhere on that block--address from memory)

Tepatulco at Wrightwood & Halsted has a sign hanging that reads:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT "Las something or other"

MORE FLAVOR MORE TEQULIA

Adios, Geno.

Still love the hat!

From today's Dish, news of 2 upcoming openings within walking distance for me.

First, the promising:

Love Shack
Julio Nepomiachi (Tonic Room), an Argentina native unveiling his own BYO barbecue spot in Lincoln Park next month—Smoke Shack (800 W. Altgeld St.; 773-248-8886)—states his BBQ credentials as such: “I’m Argentinean. I’m a good cook.” So will it be North American or South American? “Very much like a mix,” he says. “I put the meat in a smoker for eight hours, and it rotates like a rotisserie but it’s a smoking machine.” Other features: Argentinean chorizo sandwiches, organic veggies, and multiple french fry options. “And I’m making chimichurri, too,” says Nepomiachi. “I have to do it. That will be one of the sauces.”

And, the not so promising:

Another Sushi X 
(1136 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-491-9232) will open this winter, this time in Lincoln Park at 543 West Diversey Avenue (formerly Zucco and Cucina Bella)

DMChicago wrote:Tepatulco at Wrightwood & Halsted has a sign hanging that reads:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT "Las something or other"

Las Fuentes? That's the name of the place that was there before Geno took over. I think they owned the building, so maybe they're coming back.

Chicago Magazine's Dish newsletter reports that Saltaus has closed. Did anyone notice that it was open? I ate there once, and thought it was decent, and I'm a little surprised it couldn't cut it on that stretch given some of the other places that have remained for so long (hello De Cero!!!). Oh well . . . certainly not a huge loss.

stevez wrote:

DMChicago wrote:Tepatulco at Wrightwood & Halsted has a sign hanging that reads:

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT "Las something or other"

Las Fuentes? That's the name of the place that was there before Geno took over. I think they owned the building, so maybe they're coming back.

Yep, that's right. I guess the local frat crowd couldn't handle the mole.

I wonder if they'll put the big screen back out back?

When I was in Big Buns tonight, the owner told me that Norka finally sold the Cafe Salamera space, and a Persian restaurant is going in there.

Another Potbelly's has opened - street-level at 2 N. Riverside Plaza - at the SW corner where the Chicago River meets Washington St. - in the space Big Herm's once occupied. As was the situation with Big Herm's - the Potbelly's offers a large outdoor seating area (in good weather). No beer (or other alcoholic drinks), and no bean bag horseshoes . . . and the palm trees are gone.

Bill wrote:Another Potbelly's has opened - street-level at 2 N. Riverside Plaza - at the SW corner where the Chicago River meets Washington St. - in the space Big Herm's once occupied. As was the situation with Big Herm's - the Potbelly's offers a large outdoor seating area (in good weather). No beer (or other alcoholic drinks), and no bean bag horseshoes . . . and the palm trees are gone.

What a shame.
Potbelly serves good food, but it just can't compare to the character of a place like Big Herm's.
Every time I have lunch at Harry's, I realize that I would have gotten a much better meal (with more entertaining staff) at Big Herm's.

Parlor at 1745 W. North is history.

Seems to have been within the last few weeks.

huh - I liked Parlor... them's the breaks tho.

ab wrote:huh - I liked Parlor... them's the breaks tho.

They were cranky (the managerial-type folks anyway).

There is a new restaurant on Elmhurst Rd. in Des Plaines called Bowl Square.

Korean fusion is how the chef/owner? described it to me. I am by no means an expert on Korean dishes but the few times that I have eaten there have really impressed me. The freshness of the ingredients and vegetables have really drawn me back to it. Their menu says "Let's eat healthy" so its right up my alley. Their Green Rice Bowl (Bibimbap) and Hot Chili Chicken (Buldak) were very good. It's a pretty small place with only about 4-5 tables with some counter space along the walls but its worth trying.

Bowl Square
1051 Elmhurst Rd
Des Plaines, IL
60016

Daily Candy had positive things to say about the previously mentioned La Madia, the new Roman-style pizza place at 59 W. Grand. Take that rec for what it's worth, but some of the pies sound intriguing at least: homemande fennel sausage, sweet peppers, and vidalia onions. I could be convinced to try that.

Hey, I'm new here(found about this joint in today's Good Eating). What a great forum.

Anyhow........

- in the space Big Herm's once occupied.

Any idea what happened to Herm's? After leaving the Merc after 12 years last year this bit of info hit me like a ton of bricks.

Mulan (Chinatown) has closed...I'm surprised it lasted this long.

Don't recall seeing this, but 41 North, on Skokie Blvd in Northbrook, has closed.

sujormik wrote:Don't recall seeing this, but 41 North, on Skokie Blvd in Northbrook, has closed.

It did get a brief mention upthread, but it's easy to miss such things.

But also in today's Dish, it was announced that they're moving, hermit crab style, into a location recently vacated by another restaurant.

Try to Follow This One
The eight-year-old Forty One North (445 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook) has lost its lease, and closed on October 9th. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Cafe (1791 St. Johns Ave., Highland Park) closed October 15th. So, in early November, the owners of Forty One North will open The City Park Grill, a more upscale neighborhood restaurant in the old Metropolitan space. And the owners of Metropolitan, Kathy and James Govas, will focus their time on their clubby Grille on Laurel (181 E. Laurel Ave., Lake Forest; 847-234-9660): "It's taken on a life of its own," says Kathy Govas. "And we just hired a pianist: Joe Delaney, formerly with the Artie Shaw Orchestra."

Is Tepatulco gone?

What happened?

make wrote:Is Tepatulco gone?

What happened?

I reported a few days ago that a sign indicated that it was under new management and renamed Las Fuentes (which is what it used to be). Last night, I saw another sign indicating that it's a combined Tepatulco/Las Fuentes now. I think Las Fuentes will be in that "back" or "side" room and Tepatulco in the front. Don't know who gets the patio but that'll be moot soon.

The owner of Handlebar is planning to open a brewpub/restaurant (Revolution) right around the intersection of California and Milwaukee.

Yup, I just saw the news about Revolution on Ald. Colon's website. Great to hear that it is from the owners of Handlebar -- us Logan Square residents have a reason to cheer!

Thanks for sharing more info.

miss ellen

Snackville Junction reopened on Oct 15th under the management of the Perez family.
This was in today's Daily Southtown.

9144 S Kedzie Ave
(between 91st St & 92nd St)
Evergreen Park, IL 60805

The Indian Garden in Westmont appears to have changed their name to Saffron? We ordered from there last week and it seemed to be the same type of food as before.

The windows of "The King of the Burritos" on the south side of Lawrence Ave. between Fairfield and California have been papered over -- signage proclaims that The Taste of Havana is coming soon and will be featuring "authentic Cuban steak sandwiches."