Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings January - March 2011

Please all related news here.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

Opera, the Chinese/pan-Asian restaurant in the South Loop, has closed.

nsxtasy wrote:Opera, the Chinese/pan-Asian restaurant in the South Loop, has closed.

You should have quoted the best part: It is going to re-open as a "gastropubby sports bar." Can't wait. Maybe they'll make their own charcuterie too.

Eve has closed.

We actually had a reservation for brunch there yesterday. But they didn't have a table available for us even after waiting a little while, and the noise level in the restaurant was deafening. So we left. (We went around the corner and got seated immediately for brunch at Cafe des Architectes, which we loved.)

Adobo Grill Wicker Park is closed, apparently the landlord is opening their own restaurant in the space. There always seemed to be people there, but I didn't care for anything I had there the couple of times I visited over the last five years.

Link

SSDD

Stoney River's location in Deerfield has closed. The location in Deer Park remains open.

Just received an e-mail saying that Le Passage is now closed. Not sure what this means -- if anything -- for The Drawing Room.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Just received an e-mail saying that Le Passage is now closed. Not sure what this means -- if anything -- for The Drawing Room.

=R=

You can still make reservations for The Drawing Room on OpenTable, if that means anything...

kl1191 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Just received an e-mail saying that Le Passage is now closed. Not sure what this means -- if anything -- for The Drawing Room.

=R=

You can still make reservations for The Drawing Room on OpenTable, if that means anything...

Thanks, kl. I've never really been clear on what separated the 2 entities or if they actually were separate entities.

=R=

nsxtasy wrote:Eve has closed.

We actually had a reservation for brunch there yesterday. But they didn't have a table available for us even after waiting a little while, and the noise level in the restaurant was deafening. So we left. (We went around the corner and got seated immediately for brunch at Cafe des Architectes, which we loved.)

Didn't click through but let me guess: "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded?"

Rick T. wrote:Didn't click through but let me guess: "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded?"

From what I've seen and heard, the Sunday brunch has been crowded, but that does not necessarily apply to their dinner business seven nights a week.

We don't always know what the exact reasons are for any restaurant closing, but I'm sure in most cases it's a matter of insufficient business. And the article mentions reconcepting for "a lower check average", which sounds like that may be the case, especially at dinner.

Rick T. wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:Eve has closed.

We actually had a reservation for brunch there yesterday. But they didn't have a table available for us even after waiting a little while, and the noise level in the restaurant was deafening. So we left. (We went around the corner and got seated immediately for brunch at Cafe des Architectes, which we loved.)

Didn't click through but let me guess: "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded?"

I always thought the food was excellent, but the room was never more than half full. I only went there on Wednesday and Sunday, their BYOB nights.

Johnny Rockets & Halsted Street Deli will replace the Cosi Restaurant in downtown Oak Park sometime after April 1, announced Shaker and Associates.

Both eateries will be located at 1101 Lake St.

There's a brand new Super Tony's in what used to be a Dominick's (I think) on Greenwood just north of Dempster in Niles. This is probably the most northern Tony's in the chain.

Super Tony's Finer Foods
8900 N Greenwood Ave
(at Dempster St)
Niles, IL 60714
847-795-4600

The Dominick's at Western & Roscoe closed a while back. The place was a dump so it certainly won't be missed in mega-mart land.

Simple Gourmet, the carry-out prepared foods store in Evanston, has closed.

Pannenkoeken Cafe in Bucktown is now Yuca Cafe.

EDIT: Added location.

OTOM closed as of Jan 1 and a restaurant, called ING, that Chef Cantu is involved with will be opening in it's place.

—had a new project in the works. It’s called ING, and…well, that’s all anybody knew at the time.
Now we have a few more—but not too many—details. As its URL suggests, ING will indeed be a restaurant. Or, as it was described to TOC, “an interactive and playful dining experience.”

...

Homaro is sticking to his molecular style, unlike what his contemporary Grant Achatz will be doing at Next (which will be ING’s next door neighbor).

Link

SSDD

So ING is next, and Next is next to ING.

Enye at 330 State Street in Geneva has closed after 3 months. The owner said that the hard to pronounce name kept people away. My only trip there resulted in lousy, high priced food and poor service. The same owner is reopening as Table 38 keeping some of the Enye menu which was Latin American themed and adding "burgers, pot pies, fried chicken, meatloaf and seafood" as stated in today's Kane County Chronicle. This location started out as Isabella's and briefly became Citizen Kane.

http://www.kcchronicle.com/articles/201 ... /index.xml

new:
Table 38
330 West State
Geneva, Il.

Sweet Tamarind at Belmont & Kenmore has closed. There is signage for a new restaurant that says it's opening next week, although I forget the name.

GNR Poochies is moving a few blocks east to 3602 W. Dempster. Depending on how the build out goes, they are expecting to complete the move sometime in March.

On my way home from HarvesTime this afternoon I saw that one of the Greek coffee shop/restaurants on Lawrence that seem to be de facto if not legally private clubs for elderly Greek men has morphed into Broken Plate Bar and Grill with Greek Gourmet Food according to the sign in front of Lawrence Plaza. The building has added a VERY splashy huge neon sign. This tiny strip center houses Paprika Restaurant and Azur Meat Market. The liquor license is still held by Lefkos Pyrgos Coffee Shop, Ltd. Signage was quite subdued until very recently. Neither the interior nor the customer base was notably changed as far as I could see from about a car length away.

Broken Plate Bar and Grill
2547C West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

tem wrote:The Dominick's at Western & Roscoe closed a while back. The place was a dump so it certainly won't be missed in mega-mart land.

Here's some info on what will be taking its place.....
http://www.roscoeviewjournal.com/news/m ... s-to-leave

A Chinese / Korean / American buffet has finally opened in the former Fiesta Market location in Albany Park. Weekday lunch $8 (pay in advance); Weekend dinner $10.

Yummy Buffet
3925 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago IL 60625
773-539-3388

durzia wrote:

tem wrote:The Dominick's at Western & Roscoe closed a while back. The place was a dump so it certainly won't be missed in mega-mart land.

Here's some info on what will be taking its place.....
http://www.roscoeviewjournal.com/news/m ... s-to-leave

I've heard nothing but good things about the Mariano's in Arlington Heights; I haven't made it over there yet. That must be remedied!

Ibiza Cafe on River Road just south of Kensington in Mt Prospect, which replaced the awful Accent Cafe, didn't last more than a couple months.
I was suspicious when their lot wasn't plowed on previous snows, but now the sign has been removed. That at least gives hope that someone has another plan.

Sign in window says open soon. Harold's took over the old place where Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken use to be.


Harold's Chicken
13653 Cicero Ave
Crestwood, IL 60445
(708) 389-7873
EDIT : Now open
Mon-Fri 10:30 am till 11pm
Sat 10:30 am till midnight
Sun 10:30am till 11pm

abe_froeman wrote:

durzia wrote:

tem wrote:The Dominick's at Western & Roscoe closed a while back. The place was a dump so it certainly won't be missed in mega-mart land.

Here's some info on what will be taking its place.....
http://www.roscoeviewjournal.com/news/m ... s-to-leave

I've heard nothing but good things about the Mariano's in Arlington Heights; I haven't made it over there yet. That must be remedied!

As I've noted on another thread, it's not all that revolutionary. It certainly is a step up from Roundy's, but nothing worth a detour to Arlington Heights. For the most part, it takes the standard fare you'll find at Jewel/Dominicks and gives it a Whole Foods presentation. For example, their "olive bar" has about 3 varieties of olives (if you can count black olives as their own variety) presented in about 6 or 8 variations. Their bakery looks good, but most of it is outsourced and they have a 20' long cooler full of sheet cakes with different fondant wraps - look nice, but they're just sheet cakes. Their sushi is comparable to Mitsuwa in quality and variety (which is to say "not much") but it's pricey for store sushi.

They do have a decent variety of international product but it's more on par with some of the fruit markets as opposed to Fresh Farms.

I'm not dissing it, just don't expect to be "wowed."

New Asia Restaurant has opened in the space that most recently attempted to house KennyZ's unknown taqueria with its unfulfilled promise of handmade tortillas, and formerly housed Con Sabor Cubano (RIP) and Rinconcito Michoacano. Closed on Monday, so I was not able to get a carry out menu or phone number. Layout has not changed much since its previous incarnations: 4 or 5 dinette tables in front, a service counter about half way back with open kitchen behind. A sign in the front window advertised a lunch special for under $5. Is this the restaurant that will finally break the curse of this Location Of The Damned? For those who are interested, yes you can still get live poultry or a tattoo on this block.

New Asia Restaurant
Eat-in, carry-out or delivery
2739 W. Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60625

posted hours:
closed Mondays
Tues - Sun: 9 - 9