The former location of Eggsperience on Rt. 22 in Long Grove now sports a sign saying Rhapsody Café is coming soon.

Looked like interior modifications have a ways to go, so soon could be a relative term.

Crazy Jaws in Morton Grove (Waukegan/Dempster) is rumored to be opening in 2 weeks.

Stopping by the dry cleaner next store, I noticed activity in the former Rustik property (2515 N. California.) Signage indicates a Japanese/Korean restaurant is coming soon. Corrected name: Gosu.

Grubstreet report

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.

Was it really that bad? Didn't seem any rattier than the Jewel right next door.

Drover 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.

Was it really that bad? Didn't seem any rattier than the Jewel right next door.

Yeah, it was that bad. It was worse, but they did an upgrade a few years back and it was OK.
Then Jewel did an upgrade and was marginally better. Dominick's fell into the slough. The last time I was there, the meat case was 75% empty with the remaining product not smelling at all good. Now Jewel is in dire need of an upgrade. I look forward to meeting the new kids on the block--it can't happen quickly enough.


(edited to correct my Sun. AM pre-coffee spelling.)
(twice!)

The place that was The Hoagie Hut on Lincoln, Sheffield and Wrightwood is now Etno Grill ("real food fast") with a fancy sign and a cow on the roof.

Etno Grill is looking sharp! It says the website is EtnoGrill on the window and it opens in January.. Nothing @ that site yet. I'm hoping it's decent and they have some healthy options.. because they are my new neighbor!

Looks like Totopo Mexican Grill is open in Oak Brook. Its located in what was a former Go Roma on Butterfield and they are doing tortas, tacos and other Mexican food along with different varieties of tortilla chips.

Chang's Hot Wok quietly opened way far out in Carol Stream.
It's in a strip mall at Army Trail Road and County Farm Rd.

Chang's Hot Wok
802 W Army Trail Rd
Carol Stream, IL 60133

I stopped in for the Indian-Chinese food and it was delicious. If it weren't so far I'd be back again and again. The spiciness is guaranteed to put those little beads of sweat along your forehead as you shovel more food past your enflamed lips. Delicious, I say.

If I get a chance to head back, a full review may sprout.

Two new stores in the Loop. It looks like NJ and NYC are invading Chicago!

Crumbs Bake Shop
303 W Madison St
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 263-6500

Jersey Mike's Subs
200 West Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 263-0830

streets wrote:Two new stores in the Loop. It looks like NJ and NYC are invading Chicago!


Jersey Mike's Subs
200 West Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 263-0830

We have a few Jersey Mike's out in the suburbs, Naperville and Geneva that I know of. Tried the one in Geneva and wasn't impressed. Not saying I like Subpar or Quiznoze better, just wasn't to my taste.

T-Bob's Smoked Bar-B-Q will be opening in the old Dairy Queen space at 1165 Elmhurst Rd in Des Plaines (Just North of Algonquin). I have no idea when it will open nor do I have any idea whether it will be any good.

LikestoEatout wrote:

streets wrote:Two new stores in the Loop. It looks like NJ and NYC are invading Chicago!


Jersey Mike's Subs
200 West Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 263-0830

We have a few Jersey Mike's out in the suburbs, Naperville and Geneva that I know of. Tried the one in Geneva and wasn't impressed. Not saying I like Subpar or Quiznoze better, just wasn't to my taste.

Worst chicken parmesan sandwich ever. Totally overcooked and dried out, to the point of being jerky-esque.

stevez wrote: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.

Is this the same location where the "Coming Soon: Kabul House" sign lingered for months and months and months before KH finally re-opened on Oakton in Skokie?

tarte tatin wrote:

stevez wrote: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.

Is this the same location where the "Coming Soon: Kabul House" sign lingered for months and months and months before KH finally re-opened on Oakton in Skokie?

Yup - next door to the State Farm office.

There is a "grand opening" sign up at a new Korean restaurant located on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue in Buffalo Grove just north of Lake Cook Road and south of the Speedway gas station.

Wooil
185 Milwaukee Ave
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Phone:(847) 215-4949

saluki68 wrote:There is a "grand opening" sign up at a new Korean restaurant located on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue in Buffalo Grove just north of Lake Cook Road and south of the Speedway gas station.

Wooil
185 Milwaukee Ave
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Phone:(847) 215-4949

I noticed this also, never was able to see the name though, so didn't post. Anyone been there yet?

"Mi Restaurant" (I thought it had an e on the end, but the menu doesn't) has a grand opening at Wolf and Kensington in Mt Prospect (former site of Rico's Tacos, still has the sign).
I stopped in on a whim and had a Taco al Pastor $1.75. They have a torno, but it was not in use when I stopped in. Nice char and some pineapple presence, but not a lot of flavor to the meat, or their green salsa. Maybe when the torno is hot, it'll be better.

Menu includes carne en su jugo, I'll have to go back for that.

Mi Restaurant
1742 E Kensington Rd
Mt Prospect, IL 60056

Another pretender to the Hot Doug's throne has opened in the Loop, according to Dish

Dish wrote:“We buy the meat. We grind it. We spice it. We case it.” —Mike Wojcik, a partner in Westminster Hot Dog (11 N. Wells St.; no phone yet), a Loop counter-service spot specializing in house-made sausages and opening today. Twelve sausages occupy permanent places on the menu, and more exotic meats, including elk, antelope, and kangaroo, rotate in and out of other menu slots.

Now, this looks interesting.

Five Guys Hyde Park

(53rd street, November or December)

Al's Beef in downtown Evanston (622 Davis) is gone. According to an article in The Daily Northwestern, part of the problem was the high rent at that site. The article also says that the franchise owner may look for a new location closer to the NU campus.

http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/city/e ... -1.2434258

Orland Fatburger to close Thursday
The Fatburger restaurant in Orland Park owned by rapper Kanye West will close its doors Thursday, according to a district manager with the company.

A Fatburger in Chicago’s Beverly community will remain open, Trent Hollingsead said Wednesday.

Operated by KW Foods LLC, the Orland Park location, southwest of the intersection of LaGrange Road and 151st Street, opened in September 2008. The Beverly restaurant, 2341 W. 95th St., is also owned by West’s KW Foods.

Hollingsead said that Fatburger is buying back franchised stores operated by KW Foods, and made the decision to close the Orland Park location. He said poor sales were one reason.

akoostik wrote:Etno Grill is looking sharp! It says the website is EtnoGrill on the window and it opens in January.. Nothing @ that site yet. I'm hoping it's decent and they have some healthy options.. because they are my new neighbor!

We are offering all natural, hormone/antibiotic free beef, chicken and pork, all homemade toppings on a signature European roll.
We brought over 2 cooks from eastern Europe and they are supported by a local chef that earned a degree at the CIA in New York.
Plenty of healthy options and plenty of ways to get indulgent too!

Tambreet wrote: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.

The new place is Abiquiu and it's New Mexican food. It's open now at 1034 W. Belmont. There's a small writeup in this week's TimeOut Chicago here: http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/res ... estaurants

European Cafe in Vernon Hills has closed. I was there once with a friend and was not impressed. I'm not shocked, never really saw anyone in there.

Mill Race Inn, a mainstay of Geneva since 1920 or so, will close Sunday Jan. 23 as reported in several local newspapers this morning.

Wholly Frijoles in Gurnee is now open

RallyMike wrote:Wholly Frijoles in Gurnee is now open

5414 Grand Ave.
Gurnee
(224) 399-9762

Jasubar wrote:The former location of Eggsperience on Rt. 22 in Long Grove now sports a sign saying Rhapsody Café is coming soon.

Looked like interior modifications have a ways to go, so soon could be a relative term.

The Rhapsody location in Gurnee closed sometime in December.

Bar-B-Que Bob's on Howard is now closed. I guess this is where the Southern Pride Smoker that was on Craig's List came from. Too bad as they were just starting to hit their stride lately.