On North Ave. 2 doors west of Leavitt (right across from Birchwood) there is a "Coming Soon - Oak Mill Bakery" in the space formerly occupied by an art gallery.

Yesterday I visited the brand-new Supermercado Morelia. I was excited about it, as I used to love shopping at the old Clark Street location, but sadly the experience was not what I had hoped for. The new store is quite small, and crowded, so much so that after ten minutes I gave up on trying to negotiate the aisles and left. Because of the navigational difficulty I can't report on much other than the produce (fine) and butcher (looks very good). Next time I'll go sans cart!

Re: Morelia: Great to know that it's finally open. Thanks for the tip - I'm off to the Lincoln Square market in a while, and I'll definitely make a scouting trip on the way home. I'm particularly interested in the butcher shop, myself. That was a strong suit of the original on Clark.

Sounds like we have a trade-off - the store may be smaller, but the exponentially larger parking area that's available is a big fat plus (not to mention having a liquor store right next door, for one-stop shopping!).

A blurb for Zebda crossed my inbox this morning. Zebda is an Algerian deli in Albany Park. One of the partners came from Mundial Concina Mestiza.

Zebda
4344 N Elston Ave, at Pulaski; Albany Park; 773.545.7000


Source: http://www.thrillist.com/chicago/zebda

New sign up at Elston and Irving Park for another outpost of Alps breakfast and pancakes. mmm...pancakes

Buona Beef has now opened in Rosemont on Touhy just west of Mannheim (next door to Steak 'n Shake).

montwyn wrote:Another new restaurant is currently under construction in Oak Park at the old S3 spot at 814 S. Oak Park Ave.

Word on the street (from a self-proclaimed owner) is that it will be a sushi bar.

Given how recently work started on it and how slow the building process goes in Oak Park (anyone remember how it took two full years for Nola's to open a half a block away) I don't think that place will be open for at least a year

I'm still waiting for a good sushi bar in the area - I haven't been too impressed with any of the ones around now. (I must admit that I am a bit hard to please. I used to live in Boulder CO and everyone who knows that area knows about Sushi Zanmai, which besides being great sushi, is also very affordable).

Ralph

REB wrote:

stevez wrote:

honus wrote:What's going on with Rustik in Logan Square - there are a couple posts on Yelp saying that they're closed.

I called their number and the recording says they're closed from Memorial Day thru June 2...

Anyone got the scoop?

It sounds like you do. Check back on June 2 and let us know how it goes.

The sign out front says they're on vacation until mid-June.

Ronna

The big sign out front still says they're on vacation until June 15th. No info on opening. Not promising.

Ronna

Tsang's Chinese at 3918 W. Touhy, Lincolnwood, is now a Joe Box Grill. I will head out there soon, but I'm angry that Tsang's is no longer. A dive for sure, I could get two days' worth of teriyaki skewers and fried rice for about $5. And those skewers kicked ass. Sigh.

Todd's Wine Shop on Damen next to Feast is kaput.

Lately there's been some activity in the space formerly occupied by Feed the Beast (4300 N Lincoln @ Cullom). Windows are papered so I couldn't see what changes have been made. There's now a notice for a license application on the front door that shows the name of the establishment as Bad Apple.

There's a new awning for a place right next to the Globe Pub on Irving Park. Place is called Red Brick. Don't really have a clue if it'll be bar/grille or restaurant.

http://www.redbrickchicago.com/

Rustik

Red Brick

Feed the Beast

Bad Apple

I hate restaurant names sometimes.

Across from the El Llano/Brasa Roja and Rapa Nui on Elston there used to be a Mexican bakery. There will soon be a place called something Chicken & Sandwiches (Grilled?), with a flaming black chicken on the sign.

We should organize an Elst-thon.

Feed the Beast

I hate restaurant names sometimes.

I always liked the name Feed the Beast, since that's what we say when we're feeding the cat.

Lately there's been some activity in the space formerly occupied by Feed the Beast (4300 N Lincoln @ Cullom).

Good lord, how many failed restos have been in this space since the demise of Heidelburger Fass? It's gotta be getting toward double figures. Odd, considering that it's really a good location. Perhaps an old German curse is at work.

Here's a good one. Pizza Hut is changing its name to The Hut.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_dis ... 75f9af753d

I can't wait so I can call and ask to speak to Jabba.

Cogito wrote:Here's a good one. Pizza Hut is changing its name to The Hut.

http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_dis ... 75f9af753d

I can't wait so I can call and ask to speak to Jabba.

A more recent article clarified that they will only be re-branding some locations as The Hut - most will remain Pizza Hut. Still...

Pizza Hut is the absolute epitome of a chain where the ONLY thing you should ever eat is the original menu item (the thin crust pizza).

Unless Burger King is...

(Arby's, by the way, is the exception to this Mike G Rule-- EVERYTHING is better than that original pressed beefette made out of snouts and toenails and imitation beef broth flavor substitute.)

There is now a sign up at the new 90 Miles Cuban Cafe on Armitage saying they'll be opening on Monday.

90 Miles Cuban Cafe
2450 W. Armitage
Chicago IL 60618
www.90milescubancafe.com

There is a new sushi and noodles place opening up on the SW corner of Des Plaines and Madison in Forest Park...

Another doomed corner.

AngrySarah wrote:New sign up at Elston and Irving Park for another outpost of Alps breakfast and pancakes. mmm...pancakes

A post both interesting and confusing. To my knowledge (which admittedly goes back only to about 1991), Elston and Irving was the location of the original Alps (Alps East at Irving and Lincoln being the "outpost"), so unless I'm just very confused, I'd say it sounds less like an outpost opening here and more like the Mothership has returned. That would be good news. Used to go there often before or after attending services at Parkview Lutheran down the block, and it was always very good, especially the soups and the milkshakes. The Elston/Irving Alps closed down some time ago, so I guess this is a renaissance? I think one of the many unneeded bank branches that pullulated over the north side during the mid-'00s took it over (a WaMu, correct?) Well, I'd be glad to see it back as Alps.

A new Brazilian pizza place opened on Diversey near Sheffield. I don't have much more info other than that, as their web presence is pretty minimal.

Fogo 2 Go
926 W Diversey Ave
(between Mildred Ave & Wilton Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 880-8052

Ralph Wiggum wrote:A new Brazilian pizza place opened on Diversey near Sheffield. I don't have much more info other than that, as their web presence is pretty minimal.

Fogo 2 Go

I have been seeing that hanging sign for some time and didn't even realize it was a food establishment, let alone a Brazilian pizza place! (I guess the signage said something more like hair salon, or something, to me.) Well, that's interesting.

A new Brazilian pizza place opened on Diversey near Sheffield. I don't have much more info other than that, as their web presence is pretty minimal.

You're not kidding! Isn't there some kind of word for a google search that turns up exactly one result? (This was using quotation marks so that all the other fogo-de-somethings didn't come up.)

The restaurant that is being built at the corner of Dundee and Pfingsten in Northbrook is going to be a Greek restaurant.

I've heard that Meathead Burgers are going in Northbrook where Moe's Southwest Grill was.

What on earth would a Brazilian pizza place be like? I have no concept of Brazilian food, except that it might be something like Portuguese run through a Latin-American blender.

geli wrote:You're not kidding!

Yep, and the only real result is two reviews on Yelp, one of which seems to pretty clearly be shilling.


Here's the thread I found describing what Brazilian pizza is, as I was unfamiliar with the premise:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/301266

Ted's Restaurant in Evanston re-opens.

The new place being built on Dundee and Pfingston is owned by Georgie V of the same name restaurant in downtown Northbrook. My understanding is it will serve lunch and dinner whereas Georgie V's serves breakfast and lunch. Don't know if it will be a Greek restaurant or a Greek coffee shop.
Paulette