Wrightwood Skewers & Cafe

Gentrification in the form of shishkebab appears finally to have hit my own block of Wrightwood Avenue. Specifically, there are now signs for "Wrightwood Skewers & Cafe," with arty black-and white woodblock prints showing shishkebabs, hanging in the windows of a long-boarded up storefront just down the street from me. The other half of the building in question was converted to a real estate office a year or so back (yep, the Romulus and Remus of Chicago gentrification -- yuppie shishkebab cafes and real-estate-bubble condos for sale, right here in River City). Anyway, has anyone out there heard anything or know anybody connected with this operation? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for something good; it will surely have to beat the miserable excuse for a hotdog stand next door, which other than the roaming elotes carts is currently the only prepared food within short walking distance of my home.

How far west on Wrightwood is this? I just walked the dog and my son down to about Central Park earlier today and didn't notice it. New food never hurts out here.

If you had continued one-half block farther, you would have found it. It is right in the middle of the delapidated old commercial strip on the north side of Wrightwood that extends from Central Park to Hamlin.

It looks like this place has opened it's doors. Anyone been yet? I think we're going to check it out tomorrow. Can't say that it sounds that exciting...but it's pretty much right by my house, so I may as well give it a go, eh?

So far I have not been in, and it appears they are only open in the morning (or at least have been closed the evenings I have driven past). Tonight I saw a poster in the window advertising "Open for Coffee Time." I'll make an effort to get in there this weekend.

I popped in for coffee this morning and to check the place out a bit. The coffee was not particularly good, but the restaurant itself is very nicely laid out and decorated (dark woods, deeply saturated wall colors, halogen lighting), and even seems to have a semi-private dining room in the rear. They are open for coffee, lunch and dinner and I asked and confirmed they are BYOB. I scanned the dinner menu briefly and also grabbed a lunch menu, which lists about 15 choices (there are maybe twice that many choices for dinner). As the name of the place implies, the primary food offering is skewered food, with a pan-global ethnic mix to the styles (the lunch menu includes, among others, skewers with Greek, Mexican, French and even Russian themes). I'll try to get in there and sample one or two this weekend, then report back.

Just wondering if anyone's been back to Wrightwood Skewers recently. We live right around the corner and were excited to see a place enlivening this strip when it initially opened. Unfortunately, our first two meals were pretty bad: overcooked meat, missing ingredients, high prices for mediocre fare, uncomfortably effusive--though still not particularly good--service.

But we're rooting for this place and would like to try it again. I know they're doing live music now on Fridays, occasional art shows, and seem to have changed their hours and dropped at least their lunch prices. Maybe good signs?

If anyone's been back and can make a case for returning, I'd be interested to hear more.

Thanks,
Christy

I was there a few weekends ago for my mother's art reception. I thought the food was great!

I don't really drink regular coffee, but ironicly I was develpoing a taste for iced drinks and got thier iced mocha. The large was served in a giant mug, and ended up being the best one I've had so far. The small seems more manageable, but the large is a fun idea if you intend to hang out there with your friends for the evening.

The reception ended at 8 and we were there until 9 and left before it closed (not sure what time closing was though). There was also a live jazz ensamble, that set up at the front by the windows. Most of the tables had people at them through out the evening.

I really enjoyed it, but living in the suburbs makes it hard to gather all my friends together and return so soon. I intend to keep trying though.

Well, they lasted something less than two years. Closed a couple of months ago and now there is a new awning trumpeting the advent of "Super Pollo!" (emphasis added). The skewer place was just an odd, naive and ill-conceived idea that was never really run through the reality mill before somebody clearly went broke on building it. I suppose if the food had been better than mediocre, they may have stood a chance, but it wasn't and they didn't. The physical stuff was beautiful and obviously set them (or their banker) back a lot (they really did a great job of gutting and refitting a completely derelict building). That said, if they had obtained a liquor license, I think they would still be in business. They made an attempt to have live jazz on weekends, and if they had just had some hooch to add to the mix, things may well have gone differently for them.