Dinkel's Cafe has finally opened in the storefront just south of the bakery. The menu is basically sandwiches, many of which use bacon or ham from Paulina Market.

Dinkel's Bakery and Cafe
3329 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago 60657

Say goodbye to Salatino's on Racine. I just took a jog through the neighborhood and saw a rented truck and movers loading all of the restaurant equipment. A peek in the windows revealed a restaurant being completely emptied. I moved to DC from the neighborhood a year ago, so I am not terribly familiar with Salatino's success (or lack thereof).
Before I moved, friends and I walked over and dined there a couple of times. It was meh.
Anybody got the scoop?

CTB wrote:Say goodbye to Salatino's on Racine. I just took a jog through the neighborhood and saw a rented truck and movers loading all of the restaurant equipment. A peek in the windows revealed a restaurant being completely emptied. I moved to DC from the neighborhood a year ago, so I am not terribly familiar with Salatino's success (or lack thereof).
Before I moved, friends and I walked over and dined there a couple of times. It was meh.
Anybody got the scoop?

Odd thing is, as a sort of reincarnation of Gennaro's (at least as I understand things), Salatino's didn't seem to spread the word much of the connexion... A number of my pals here on Taylor Street, who liked Gennaro's, were unaware of their being some sort of relationship between the two...

Not a great location over there, parking-wise... I hope Dough Boys survives...

Antonius

Panther in the Den wrote:... and what is up with...

Lalo's Mexican Restaurant
804 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park

Lalo's name on the sign and awning is covered over but the restaurant is still open. Even still have the Lunch Buffet sign out front.

Maybe a change of ownership?

Who cares? One of the worst restaurants I ever went to. Horrible in every way. Not Mexican in the least.

http://www.oakpark.com/News/Blogs/08-03 ... n_Oak_Park

apparently, they broke free of the chains of franchising, maybe wanting to be more unique and have some character, a creative new beginning...

... if they've made it 30 years-they must be doing something right

Dateline: Corner of Milwaukee Ave. and Lawrence Ave., Jefferson Park

Middle Eastern Pita Bite transforms virtually overnight into Moroccan Merguez.

http://chicago.everyblock.com/local-bus ... w-5306681/

That corner has been about 30 different places in the last 10 years. Let's hope this one sticks!

Tandoor Restaurant in Park Ridge is papered over and the phone line is disconnected.

The former Austin's Tacos space on Davis in Evanston has signs in the window announcing that Cheesie's Pub & Grub is coming soon, promising "perfectly grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade soups."
It joins the Cheesie's at 958 West Belmont in Chicago (773/388-1574).
https://cheesieschicago.com/

Edited to add the link to this thread from 2011 ("Attention Drunks: Cheesie’s is coming"), which I missed the first time around:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=31720&hilit=cheesie
Belmont location also mentioned in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=32347&hilit=cheesie

Jellyfish, above Ted Baker and Scoop NY on Rush Street, is supposed to open today..for lunch and dinner. Anybody go yet?

Just so that I get this rt, in the upcoming months (I think all this fall) the Loop is getting new locations of:

Cafecito
Naf Naf grill
Ba Le
Benjyehuda


Amazing.

The Reservoir is now (finally) open in Uptown. Quite difficult to find any information other than the fact that it's open.

The Reservoir
844 W Montrose

Pie Lady wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I may be mistaken, but I think Zebda is gone. It was dark at 6:45 tonight.

I guess they're not gone. Odd.
https://www.google.com/offers/home?utm_ ... HDZKTTJZM8

Tried to call tonight; their phone is "temporarily disconnected". I think your first hunch was correct. I've walked past it a couple of afternoons in the last few weeks and there's no signs of life, nor anything left on the shelves or in the display cases that I could see.

Dave148 wrote:Coming soon to the former spot of Sweet Table by Feliz:

Libanais Baklava Bakery
4708 W. Touhy Ave.
Lincolnwood

Sign above the door says "Restaurant Bakery"

Grand opening today.

Looks like the owners of the now-defunct (and demolished) Manzo's in Irving Park finally made good on their promise to re-open a smaller, updated space. Tano's is now open in the former Cousin's IV space at 3038 W. Irving Park. Yelp reviews have been mixed; seems they have some kinks to iron out. I hope they eventually nail down the old pizza formula because Manzo's made some of the best old-school thin-crust in town.

(773) 478-3070

Sign in the window of the forthcoming Brasa Roja on Pulaski south of Addison says opening September 14. This store front is immediately south of Manee Thai.

im Thai has a "business for sale" sign in the window.

Sign in the window of the forthcoming Brasa Roja on Pulaski south of Addison says opening September 14. This store front is immediately south of Manee Thai.

I hope it proves to be worth the wait...its been coming soon for about 18 months.

Pie Lady wrote:im Thai has a "business for sale" sign in the window.

Okay, I'll play. Are we talking Tub Tim Thai in Skokie?

TomInSkokie wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:im Thai has a "business for sale" sign in the window.

Okay, I'll play. Are we talking Tub Tim Thai in Skokie?

im thai
4706 W. Touhy Ave.
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
(847) 677-2290

Driving by yesterday, saw signs for "Authentic Vietnamese Sandwiches" in the old Mario & Gino's space at 2057 W Roscoe. Couldn't tell if that was the actual name of the restaurant or just what they planned to serve.

clogoodie wrote:Driving by yesterday, saw signs for "Authentic Vietnamese Sandwiches" in the old Mario & Gino's space at 2057 W Roscoe. Couldn't tell if that was the actual name of the restaurant or just what they planned to serve.

It's going to be another location of Banh Mi & Co. They were supposed to open sometime this week.

Drover wrote:Looks like the owners of the now-defunct (and demolished) Manzo's in Irving Park finally made good on their promise to re-open a smaller, updated space. Tano's is now open in the former Cousin's IV space at 3038 W. Irving Park. Yelp reviews have been mixed; seems they have some kinks to iron out. I hope they eventually nail down the old pizza formula because Manzo's made some of the best old-school thin-crust in town.

(773) 478-3070

I live on Kedzie right off of Belmont and some months back I received a menu from Tano's in the mail and I wondered if it was finally the Manzo's reboot because it was so close on Irving Park but I never read or saw anything that connected the two.

In other news, I have been noticing all summer that Golden Crust at 4620 N Kedzie has been doing some major renovations. My husband and I used to go here when we first dated and the decor dated back to the same time warp Manzo's was in but the pizza was always pretty decent until an unfortunate incident made me never want to go back. Now I see that they are spending money to update I was wondering if it was under new owners and/or management?

Frontera Fresco Coming to Northwestern's Norris Center.

From the press release:
"Acclaimed Chicago chef Rick Bayless is opening a Frontera Fresco location at Norris University Center, the chain’s first establishment on a college campus. The quick-service Mexican restaurant is now under construction and projected to open in late October.

'We at nuCuisine are thrilled to be working with Rick Bayless and Frontera Fresco,' said Steve Mangan, resident district manager for nuCuisine. “It’s fresh, it’s local, it’s culinary-driven, it’s Chicago and now it’s Northwestern. It’s a perfect match.”

Might be the easiest Evanston Lunch Group meeting for me ever!

Based on the permits, Pazzo's Cucina Italiana is opening another location at 101 N Wacker in the old Emil's space. I've never been there before, but glad to see another vacancy gone.

Embeya, at Randolph & Jefferson, opened yesterday. Atilla is super talented in the FOH and Thai, formerly of L20, helms the kitchen. Am excited for this one.

clogoodie wrote:Driving by yesterday, saw signs for "Authentic Vietnamese Sandwiches" in the old Mario & Gino's space at 2057 W Roscoe. Couldn't tell if that was the actual name of the restaurant or just what they planned to serve.

Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up. Mario & Gino's closed?

Whole Foods Market new store at 15260 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park will be opening on Friday, Nov. 2.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:

clogoodie wrote:Driving by yesterday, saw signs for "Authentic Vietnamese Sandwiches" in the old Mario & Gino's space at 2057 W Roscoe. Couldn't tell if that was the actual name of the restaurant or just what they planned to serve.

Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up. Mario & Gino's closed?

Closed for the second time actually.

I spoke to the owner yesterday as he was doing some final painting. He said they will open on Friday.
I hope this place works out.

El Tesoro in West Chicago is now Mr. Papa's. Nothing's been remodeled and the phone number is the same but they appear to have new specials. The tacos I got on Tuesday were huge (FWIW).

129 Roosevelt Rd
West Chicago IL 60185
630-293-0190