Tony Sacco Coal Oven Pizza is opening a Fox Valley Mall outlet.

Soft opening starts today or tomorrow.

After the previous Randhurst location wirte up last year, I'll probably give it a try.

Eataly, an Italian food-and-restaurant emporium, will open a more than 60,000-square-foot outpost in the former ESPN Zone restaurant in a building that is part of the Shops at North Bridge, 520 N. Michigan Ave.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... ace-report

Crains wrote: Joseph Bastianich, an investor in Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group and a well-known celebrity chef, told The New York Times he expects to sign a lease for the space, at 43 E. Ohio St., tomorrow, spending about $20 million to open the store by September 2013.

Lordy

Bogie's, formerly The Loft, on Kensington in Mount Prospect, has closed. They had been fighting bank loan issues for some time.

I'll miss their patty melt.

The Halsted St. Deli at Clinton & Monroe is kaput.

O'Hare upgrades International Terminal to first class.

Overseas travelers soon will get a taste of Chicago cuisine and Michigan Avenue shopping when they depart from O'Hare International Airport.
In its debut at O'Hare, Chicago's Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc. will open four restaurants in the International Terminal — including a new Mediterranean one called Urban Olive — as the facility undergoes a $26 million renovation and reconfiguration, its first major facelift since construction in 1993.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... irst-class

The new Benjyehuda (10 S LaSalle) will probably be open in a week or two ...

Center Square Journal tells us an unnamed "major chain" is planning a brewpub near the intersection of Ravenswood and Lawrence. From the wording, it's hard to tell whether this refers to a major chain restaurant looking to branch out into brewpubbery, or an already established brewpub looking to expand its Chicago presence/enter the Chicago market. Care to speculate? My money is on a CraftWorks joint, like Old Chicago or Gordon Biersch.

Restaurant planned for River East Center

A longtime Greektown restaurateur has cast his lot on the other side of the Loop, taking over the soon-to-close P.J. Clarke's in Streeterville for his first solo restaurant project.

Nick Tsoukalas, co-owner at Athena Restaurant with his father and brother, said he is leading a group that leased the two-level P.J. Clarke's space at the River East Center for an eatery he will call Bellwether.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/a ... ast-center

LPython wrote:Center Square Journal tells us an unnamed "major chain" is planning a brewpub near the intersection of Ravenswood and Lawrence. From the wording, it's hard to tell whether this refers to a major chain restaurant looking to branch out into brewpubbery, or an already established brewpub looking to expand its Chicago presence/enter the Chicago market. Care to speculate? My money is on a CraftWorks joint, like Old Chicago or Gordon Biersch.

Probably BJ's Brewhouse.

There are signs in the Depot Diner on Roosevelt saying it is under new management and undergoing remodeling. No reference to how long before it reopens

Italian Superior bakery posted on their facebook page that they will close for good on January 1rst. Horrible news.

Something called American Wildburger appears to be opening soon in the Old School Oakton portion of Des Plaines at 1550 E Oakton (60018). I know nothing about it, but I question why they decided to open a half mile from one of the best burger places in Chicagoland (Paradise Pup). There are quite a few other cuisines that I'd choose for a new restaurant before burgers, but I hope it's good.

Dave148 wrote:Restaurant planned for River East Center

A longtime Greektown restaurateur has cast his lot on the other side of the Loop, taking over the soon-to-close P.J. Clarke's in Streeterville for his first solo restaurant project.

Nick Tsoukalas, co-owner at Athena Restaurant with his father and brother, said he is leading a group that leased the two-level P.J. Clarke's space at the River East Center for an eatery he will call Bellwether.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/a ... ast-center

That's good news for us Streeterville locals. The P.J. Clarke's concept is very tired, with a menu that's substantially the same as it was when they opened. As busy as it was from the tourist crowd, we could use a good casual/upscale restaurant with late-night hours. The River East neighborhood is a dead zone after 10 PM, aside from the even more dated Timothy O'Toole's and the relatively new, but still establishing itself Local Root.

A new sushi bar, cafe and yogurt shop will receive two grants from the village to open in downtown Skokie in the old Toscana’s restaurant site at 4907 Oakton St. Skokie business owner and resident Yun-Seok Baek said Cafe Hanah will be similar to some of the more-established sushi-yogurt concept restaurants on the eastern and Floridian coasts such as Yoshi Sushi & Yogurt and Soobak.

http://skokie.suntimes.com/15789439-781/grants-assist-new-downtown-skokie-sushi-yogurt-eatery.html

sdrucker wrote:That's good news for us Streeterville locals. The P.J. Clarke's concept is very tired, with a menu that's substantially the same as it was when they opened. As busy as it was from the tourist crowd, we could use a good casual/upscale restaurant with late-night hours. The River East neighborhood is a dead zone after 10 PM, aside from the even more dated Timothy O'Toole's and the relatively new, but still establishing itself Local Root.

To be a contrarian, at least P.J. Clarke's did what it did better than Athena does what it does. (If it weren't for its fantastic patio, I don't know that Athena would still exist). If I lived in Streeterville I'd probably agree with you that Clarke's needed freshening up, but since I only got there once in a while after a movie at River East 21, I appreciated their competence. Well, maybe the new place will be good.

riddlemay wrote:

sdrucker wrote:That's good news for us Streeterville locals. The P.J. Clarke's concept is very tired, with a menu that's substantially the same as it was when they opened. As busy as it was from the tourist crowd, we could use a good casual/upscale restaurant with late-night hours. The River East neighborhood is a dead zone after 10 PM, aside from the even more dated Timothy O'Toole's and the relatively new, but still establishing itself Local Root.

To be a contrarian, at least P.J. Clarke's did what it did better than Athena does what it does. (If it weren't for its fantastic patio, I don't know that Athena would still exist). If I lived in Streeterville I'd probably agree with you that Clarke's needed freshening up, but since I only got there once in a while after a movie at River East 21, I appreciated their competence. Well, maybe the new place will be good.

As a long time regular at the Gold Coast P.J. Clarke's on Dearborn, I must concur. Their comfort food might be unimaginative but it is reliably good (e.g. the meatloaf, the famous sliders, the salads).

As a sometimes regular of the original, ancient PJ Clarke's in Manhattan and the Chicago original (I believe on State, not Dearborn), I find it ironic that the oringinal fancier burger and beer place is called a tired concept. It's no gastropub by 2012 standards, but the loosely connected mini-empire was once pretty much as close as one got to that concept --and not too long ago, really. A lot of what's good about places like Maude's, Au Cheval, or Minetta Tavern has DNA from the original PJ's all over it. Edit: and I will admit the Chicago cousins ain't the original but they were as described upthread.

I spied with my little bespectacled eye a new Middle Eastern joint named "Falafelji" on Harlem just south of Pershing (while I was getting some char grilled carne asada and killer roasted chile de arbol salsa at Zacatacos down that way.) More, well, any Middle Eastern food in that area is very welcome, in my opinion. Thai is essentially covered, Mexican, Italian, Pizza...covered. Indian, Middle Eastern, and Chinese...yikes. Though Chinatown and Yilin are within striking distance, the Mid eastern Joints on south harlem are just about striking distance as well. Edible sushi is kind of hit or miss, and I'm talking about going to the same place and being hit or miss one day to the next. Middle Eastern tho, I'm excited to see there. 3910 South Harlem.

Signage indicating a second location of Burger Joint coming to Ogilvie's food court in the area that previously housed Gold Coast Dogs and the world renowned Best Pizza Express and WingStreat.

Which gives me an excuse to post these always-good-for-a-laugh photos...

Cafe Bolero on Western @ Belden is closed.

I was one of the 1st customers when I used to live over that way......hopefully- the family will keep my
hand-forged Metal Window Guards on the windows!
The Gonzales Family is offering a version of Juan's Media Noche Sandwich (a Cubano on yellow bread)
@ The Palador Restaurant on Milwaukee Ave- south of The Congress Theatre. (same folks who own El Cid as well)

A new restaurant in the old Golden Rise bakery location on Diversey @ Sacramento is kinda,almost open.
My acupuncturist's daughter is the co-owner- who hails from the Underground Food Scene.
No name at this point in time.

And also in Logan Square- Gaslight Coffee @ Fullerton and Milwaukee Ave. is finally open and pouring
their own Roasted Coffee's.

Hombre de Acero wrote:A new restaurant in the old Golden Rise bakery location on Diversey @ Sacramento is kinda,almost open.
My acupuncturist's daughter is the co-owner- who hails from the Underground Food Scene.
No name at this point in time.

Pretty sure the name of the restaurant is Flour and Bones--it's the new venture from Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo of X-marx.

Angelo's Taverna at 1612 N. Sedgwick has closed.

Hombre de Acero wrote:
A new restaurant in the old Golden Rise bakery location on Diversey @ Sacramento is kinda,almost open.
My acupuncturist's daughter is the co-owner- who hails from the Underground Food Scene.
No name at this point in time.

And also in Logan Square- Gaslight Coffee @ Fullerton and Milwaukee Ave. is finally open and pouring
their own Roasted Coffee's.

My husband did marvel quizzically yesterday at the fact that there finally appeared to be something going in that corner but it had no name.

The space that housed JK Sweets (in one incarnation or another) for more than 30 years is now the home of Koco Table, serving Korean cuisine. Opened a couple of weeks ago, the space has been redecorated and brightened, while the menu offers the expected Korean dishes. The server did tell me that they are working quickly to expand the menu. They also continue to offer ice cream and coffee drinks, like the old JK Sweets--a must, I guess, that close to the Northwestern campus.

Koco Table
720 1/2 Clark Street
Evanston, IL
847/866-7055

They list their website as www.kocotable.com, but I'm not sure it's up yet.

How about a "restaurant modification": Guacamole's (or sometimes Don Guacamole's), formerly Marko's Tacos, near Newport/Clark/Sheffield has closed off its dining room portion. The entrance between the two spaces has been drywalled off and only the front portion remains, with the old dining room up for lease as a new space. There are still a few tables up front. This place is one of the best in Wrigley/Lakeview for tacos and other Mexican fare; hope the menu doesn't change. They already stopped doing things like menudo, which was always fantastic there, in the Marko's days.

Havent been here in a long time, but in my youth it was a frequent stop;

After 80 years, Chicago's legendary Hamilton's Bar and Grill is closing. Our final day of business will be Saturday, October 27, 2012.

Until the final drink is poured, the final food item is served, we invite you - our family and friends, current and former regulars, Loyola Alumni and community characters - TO COME REMINISCE , CELEBRATE AND SAY GOODBYE to this institution in Rogers Park, this historic landmark of a bar, for the past 80 years.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTYING WITH YOU ONE LAST TIME ! 1933 - 2012

Please share your memories on our Facebook page




http://www.hamiltonsbarandgrill.com/

KajmacJohnson wrote:

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.

Look up Manzo's old phone number, give it a call, and see who answers.

boudreaulicious wrote:

Hombre de Acero wrote:A new restaurant in the old Golden Rise bakery location on Diversey @ Sacramento is kinda,almost open.
My acupuncturist's daughter is the co-owner- who hails from the Underground Food Scene.
No name at this point in time.

Pretty sure the name of the restaurant is Flour and Bones--it's the new venture from Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo of X-marx.

I think actually that it isn't going to be Flour and Bones, Abe said there was some sort of legal/trademark issue with that one.
Whatever it will be called, it's 2957 W Diversey Ave.

leek wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:

Hombre de Acero wrote:A new restaurant in the old Golden Rise bakery location on Diversey @ Sacramento is kinda,almost open.
My acupuncturist's daughter is the co-owner- who hails from the Underground Food Scene.
No name at this point in time.

Pretty sure the name of the restaurant is Flour and Bones--it's the new venture from Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo of X-marx.

I think actually that it isn't going to be Flour and Bones, Abe said there was some sort of legal/trademark issue with that one.
Whatever it will be called, it's 2957 W Diversey Ave.

Fat Rice.

http://chicago.eater.com/tags/fat-rice