Lillie's Q to open new food stall at Chicago French Market

Wicker Park barbecue joint Lillie's Q is bringing some Southern cooking to the West Loop's Chicago French Market.

Owner and chef Charlie McKenna said the new location will be a 200-square-foot booth serving an abbreviated version of Lillie's Q's menu, due to open later this month. "It'll be mostly takeout," he said.

The food will be prepared in the restaurant and taken to the booth every day, so McKenna said he chose items based on portability. The menu will include pulled pork, pulled chicken, tri-tip and hot links in sandwich and half-pound varieties, baby back ribs, crawfish rolls, the Q salad and side dishes such as baked beans, coleslaw, collard greens and grits.

http://articles.redeyechicago.com/2013- ... b-pimiento

polster wrote:Lillie's Q to open new food stall at Chicago French Market

Here a photo I took of their booth's progress the other day... in the former Fasta Pasta location:

Great Lake had their last night of service yesterday and a party tonight as their location on Balmoral closed. Hopefully they'll be open in a new location sometime in the future since their pizza is incredible.

The location of Red Hen on Diversey is closed. Windows are papered over and a sign thanks their customers and encourages them to visit the Bucktown and Oak Park locations.

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc. took over the shuttered Tilli's space at 1952 N. Halsted St. Now word comes the company is working on opening not one but three restaurants under one roof.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130121/BLOGS09/130129993/stella-rossa-pizza-coming-to-chicago

In other Evanston news, World of Beer unofficially opens tonight between 8 and 11pm. Official opening is tomorrow, 1/22.

World of Beer/Evanston
1601 Sherman Ave.
(on the corner of Sherman and Davis)
Evanston, IL 60201

Here's a bit more on World of Beer. Interestingly, they don't seem to serve food at all, which is an odd franchise approval choice for Evanston's notoriously restrictive city council. Should be interesting to watch the pearl-clutching and hand-wringing going forward.

A number of sources reported that the City Council approved a liquor license for World of Beer only if food prepared on site was available:

Evanston City Council members unanimously approved a license Tuesday night for a World of Beer pub to operate in the city’s core downtown, responding to the applicant’s pledge that he will now offer kitchen service.

SunTimes 4-11-12

Opened last week

Buona Beef
9525 W 131st street. Southeast corner of Lagrange road & 131st
Orland Park, Illinois 60462
http://www.buona.com/index.php

According to Norma Zaragoza, a reliable source, the Melrose Park location of Zaragoza is closed as of yesterday 1.20.13. The Pulaski location remains open, terrific and busy as ever.

Norma Zaragoza

Hi,

I am glad, glad, glad, we had our holiday party at the larger Zaragoza while we could.

Sometimes timing is everything!

Regards,

Finnegan's the faux-Irish restaurant/pub, which used to be Blue Angel, in Gladstone Park, on Milwaukee Ave., is now shuttered. They had less than a year run.

kenji wrote:Finnegan's the faux-Irish restaurant/pub, which used to be Blue Angel, in Gladstone Park, on Milwaukee Ave., is now shuttered. They had less than a year run.

I'm not particularly surprised

Shortly After They Opened I wrote:I took one for the team and ate there shortly after it opened. They've basically turned it into a bar serving pub food prepared not especially well. It's still run by the same Greek guys who have owned the place for quite some time. Even some of the waitresses are hold overs from the Blue Angel, unfortunately costumed in short skirts and tight tops.

We've got a nice little thread on Everyblock happening for the death of Finnegans:

http://chicago.everyblock.com/local-bus ... d-5681896/

Roma's Italian Beef and Sausage on Cicero Ave, in Portage Park, is now under new ownership. They've added new and different menu items including pizza and burgers.

Roma's Italian Beef and Sausage
4237 N Cicero Ave Chicago, IL 60641‎
(773) 725-5715
10am-10pm

kenji wrote:Finnegan's the faux-Irish restaurant/pub, which used to be Blue Angel, in Gladstone Park, on Milwaukee Ave., is now shuttered. They had less than a year run.

I was never looking forward to returning to "our spot" except for the fries. I hope this turns into another place to eat or drink, but since the nearest Starbucks is 1.4 miles away, I worry they'll snatch it up. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that it comes back as another diner! One without that gas stench.

riddlemay wrote:Awnings went up today for the breakfast-lunch-dinner restaurant that will replace The Grove at Diversey and Pine Grove. It is called Isabel. I can say with authority that they have a nice font.

Isabel's Restaurant opened yesterday. The menu looks good. I can't wait to check it out.

http://www.isabelsrestaurant.com/

Eater has more details here: http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/01/22/isabels-open-today-in-former-the-grove-space.php

Pie Lady wrote: I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that it comes back as another diner! One without that gas stench.

We need a Middle Eastern, Halal, falafil hut, kind of place, that is really good, not mediocre. It would be the perfect place for commercial passenger vehicle drivers to pull of the Kennedy to get a good home cooked meal.

That would be fine with me.

Istria Café, located inside of the Hyde Park Art Center, closed its doors on Sunday, Jan. 20....this was reported in the Hyde Park Herald today. I hear the coffee there was darn good.

I used to live near the French Market--and although the lunch business is picking up I never felt it got a decent amount of after work communter business. I also noticed that when the outdoor markets open in the spring there tends to be a vender migration. Certainly not the mainstays like Pastoral and Bahn Mi, but still I wish Lillie Q the best!

Also, I hear that Orange on Grand/Halsted is closing and being taken over by some big chef. Anyone else hear this?

VICKYD wrote:Also, I hear that Orange on Grand/Halsted is closing and being taken over by some big chef. Anyone else hear this?

It's already closed. As shown on their website, they're down to two locations: on Clark in Lincoln Park, and on Roscoe in Roscoe Village.

The new restaurant at 730 W. Grand is from Billy Lawless of the Gage and Henri, as noted in this article.

Important Reminder:

LTH,

Please, do not post about a closing without making absolutely certain that your information is correct and accurate in every way.

Please, do not post rumors of closings without linking to a credible, 3rd-party source that substantiates your report. (i.e. "Eater.com reports . . ." is ok)

It's far more important to be accurate than early with your information. The best course of action may be to make a phone call to the establishment before posting anything. But whatever you do, make sure you are 100% correct before posting about a closing on this thread or any other in these forums.

Thanks again,

=R=
for the moderators

La Pasadita has closed their original location at 1161 N. Ashland, as of January 5. The two Pasadita restaurants on the west side of Ashland (1160 N and 1134 N) are still open.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130123 ... r-35-years

Complete with imported pretzels, sauerkraut and live music, Munich's famed Hofbrauhaus opened a Rosemont location on Tuesday.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130123/BLOGS09/130129905/hofbrauhaus-opens-in-rosemont

Looks like Da Lobsta will be opening this Friday in the former Ashenaz Deli site right near State & Cedar. Per Eater, the owner is toying with the idea of keeping the place open until 3am or 4am on weekends for the bar/club crowd in the area.

http://dalobstachicago.com

Also, Red Square Cafe Lounge is now open in the former Division Street Russian and Turkish Bathhouse in Wicker Park. The bar isn't open yet, but the restaurant is open from former L2O, Rodan, and Japonais chef David Gebhardt. I am also interested to see what the new bath house is like. Apparently you can eat at the lounge in your bathhouse wear (i.e. robes), bringing back a little old style at least to a legitimate overseas bathhouse. Bathhouses can be very good, so it will be very interesting to see how this turns out. Hope the food and bar is great. I believe they will be opening a bed & breakfast later on too.

Dave148 wrote:

Complete with imported pretzels, sauerkraut and live music, Munich's famed Hofbrauhaus opened a Rosemont location on Tuesday.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130123/BLOGS09/130129905/hofbrauhaus-opens-in-rosemont

Sadly, no Schweinshaxe on their US menu, like there was in Munich - crispy skin, dark beer sauce, mmmm

marothisu wrote: Bathhouses can be very good, so it will be very interesting to see how this turns out. Hope the food and bar is great.

Whoa, back up there.

Can I still catch a shvitz?

kenji wrote:

marothisu wrote: Bathhouses can be very good, so it will be very interesting to see how this turns out. Hope the food and bar is great.

Whoa, back up there.

Can I still catch a shvitz?

hah, Real bathhouses. I have experienced the real thing before in foreign countries, but I realize this is in the US where bathhouses don't exist often, so who knows what to expect. In any case, I think there is some optimism with the restaurant/bar in the least.