Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings - July - September 2013

Please post all related news on this thread.

For last quarter's Openings and Closings, please this thread:

Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings - April - June 2013

Please, remember, that per our Posting Guidelines, posts pertaining to health code-related issues are not permitted here unless they include a link to a credible, third-party source.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

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

Looks like Farmhouse Restaurant Evanston (2nd location for the Chicago original) will be opening around July 4 in a cursed space in downtown Evanston, in the Orrington Hotel building.

Farmhouse
703 Church Street
Evanston, IL.

Pie Lady wrote:
On the corner of Milwaukee and Devon, ages ago, there was a gyros joint. When it died it became a law office I think, and for over a decade it's been vacant. Now there are hanging sconces and a sign in the window saying that Blaze N Grill is coming soon. Keep your fingers crossed; this corner seems to be doomed and parking is nearly non-existent.

Gotta be the NW corner. At one time that was a KFC, before they called themselves KFC.

Blaze n Grill has been trying to open for about two years. I drove by about 8 months ago and saw an equipment delivery. I believe not getting permits approved with the City of Chicago was the problem. No one takes two years to open a fast food restaurant. Paying rent for months without revenue is usually the end before the beginning.

Indeed it is the NW corner. They have awnings up with food names on them now. I hope their fate isn't doomed like the rest of the businesses there. I think it would be better if it was a walk-up burger and ice cream joint like Hamburger Heaven; at least then people wouldn't necessarily expect to park.

PapaSpiros grand reopening at their new 728 Lake St. location in Oak Park will be Friday, July 5, with an official grand opening slated for Wednesday, July 10.

per Groupon

Panther in the Den wrote:

PapaSpiros grand reopening at their new 728 Lake St. location in Oak Park will be Friday, July 5, with an official grand opening slated for Wednesday, July 10.

per Groupon

Oak Park Boys?
Or too soon?

zoid wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:

PapaSpiros grand reopening at their new 728 Lake St. location in Oak Park will be Friday, July 5, with an official grand opening slated for Wednesday, July 10.

per Groupon

Oak Park Boys?
Or too soon?

I wasn't impressed on my last visit a few weeks before they closed... No bar was one issue.

The new middle eastern/mediterranean in Logan Square (my friends' place) is set to open up in Late July or early August. It was originally going to be Zaytoon, but to avoid confusion with the Bridgeport restaurant Zaytune, they changed the name to Mimosa. This is in the space below Suite 25 Sports Bar (which is on the 2nd floor).

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130703 ... gan-square

2529 N Milwaukee Avenue
Floor 1
Chicago, IL

Panther in the Den wrote:I wasn't impressed on my last visit a few weeks before they closed... No bar was one issue.

They closed the one in the basement?

zoid wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:I wasn't impressed on my last visit a few weeks before they closed... No bar was one issue.

They closed the one in the basement?

The Basement has been closed for a long time. I am sure they had bar service upstairs though. I could be wrong...

Walking down Randolph I saw a location next to Olympia Meats that was boarded up with "Brunswick" spray painted on it. Anybody have any insight?

jordanhojo wrote:Walking down Randolph I saw a location next to Olympia Meats that was boarded up with "Brunswick" spray painted on it. Anybody have any insight?

It's a new bar from Stephen Cole and the team behind Barrelhouse Flat (Ben & Ben). I'm not sure if Greg Buttera is also involved. I think it's primarily intended to be something of a waiting room and after dinner-type bar for all the Randolph Street dining overflow. I'm pretty sure I remember Stephen telling me it is scheduled to open sometime in the second half of August.

=R=

I drove past the Black Ram in Des Plaines today- there was a big sign on the front that said, "Opening Soon! Same great food! Even better management!" or something like that.

Even though I grew up about three blocks from the place, a wedding reception is the only time I'd been there. I remember it having decent comments here, so I hope to check it out sometime.

The storefront at 1627 Chicago Avenue in Evanston (a couple of doors south of Found) has a sign saying "Joy Yee Szechuan Kitchen coming soon." I wasn't able to find any additional info.

tarte tatin wrote:The storefront at 1627 Chicago Avenue in Evanston (a couple of doors south of Found) has a sign saying "Joy Yee Szechuan Kitchen coming soon." I wasn't able to find any additional info.

So with Phoenix Inn and the upcoming Evanston branch of Lao Sze Chuan, that makes three Sichuan places in a one-block radius??? Is Sichuan the new Kyrgyz?

Danny's Pizzeria has a sign up now at the former Pompeii Restaurant location, at 4216 N. Arlington Heights Road. I don't know if they are open yet and I couldn't find a website for the business.

The Nile Restaurant opened its new, roughly 2,600 square foot space on June 14, while Chicago Heights-based Bergstein’s NY Deli owner Bill Davis said he hopes to open his Hyde Park store by Labor Day.

According to Nile owner Rashad Moughrabi, the new location, at 1162 E. 55th St., which he called “a pretty big upgrade,” is around 400 square feet larger and includes seating for 85, compared to 67 at its previous one, located at 1611 E. 55th St. It also currently includes outdoor seating for up to 35 seats.

http://hpherald.com/2013/07/03/nile-moves-new-deli-coming-to-55th-st/

According to Crain's, Ada's Deli in the loop is now closed.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130708/BLOGS09/130709885/adas-deli-closed

Noooooooooooo
That was our go-to place for late night chow in the Loop! Not a surprise, though. Last time we were there it was me, Mr. Pie, and the tumblin' tumbleweeds.

Looks like Labriola and Stan's Donuts in LA are going into cahoots to open up a place in Wicker Park at the old Skewerz spot near Damen-O'Hare. For those of you not familiar, Stan's Donuts has been in business for almost 50 years right outside of the UCLA campus and were once named the best donuts in the US. I know them well because Stan Berman, the owner, was the next door neighbor to my grandma's cousin. I remember getting free donuts from this guy and they're extremely good. I believe Stan's has a few more locations now in the LA area.

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/ ... r-park.php
http://www.stansdoughnuts.com/donutsmain.html

I think Stan only has the Westwood location these days, which is tiny and forced to share space with a generic rice bowl place. He told us last summer that Labriola proposed a partnership, but I didn't think anything would come of it. From what I understand, Stan's basically a consultant; Labriola's handling the actual donut-making. According to the Eater piece, it sounds like they're planning to focus on simplicity, although it would be awesome if the peanut butter and banana donut makes the menu. I'll ask Stan about it if I see him later this week.

Stan's in his 80s, by the way.

Stan's makes the best donut I have ever consumed and he is incredibly sweet. I hope they do ok across from Glazed and wedged between a Starbucks and the soon-to-open blue line station coffee by The Streets.

jlodoglvr wrote:According to Crain's, Ada's Deli in the loop is now closed.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130708/BLOGS09/130709885/adas-deli-closed

Pie Lady wrote:Noooooooooooo
That was our go-to place for late night chow in the Loop! Not a surprise, though. Last time we were there it was me, Mr. Pie, and the tumblin' tumbleweeds.

Dang! I was there with a group not long ago.

Other than Perry's (and another I saw over the weekend) is there any good deli's left in The Loop? There used to be so many.

I don't consider Manny's to be within walking distance of The Loop.

All I know of is Eleven City. I know some folks here don't like it and it is overpriced, but I dig that place.

Pie Lady wrote:All I know of is Eleven City. I know some folks here don't like it and it is overpriced, but I dig that place.

11 City is great! Slipped my mind. Almost too far though...

There used to be so many places. Two in the Mallers Building (where I worked), Bev and Bobs. Others that I did not visit back in the day.

This is not exactly in the city, but I got a notice today that Mago Grill & Cantina (Mexican local chain with locations in Arlington Heights and the Bolingbrook Promenade) now has a spot in Barrington. This is part of the text:

The Arbortum of South Barrington
is NOW OPEN!

Open Daily at 11am.
Join us for Lunch, Dinner or Cocktails.

South Barrington Mago Grill & Cantina
at The Arboretum of South Barrington
100 West Higgins Road, Suite M-05
South Barrington, IL 60010
For reservations, please call 847-844-4400
or visit us online at magogrill.com

They really have to check the spelling on their emails... As for Eleven City, it's my eight-year-old's favorite Chicago restaurant. We go every time we're downtown for the museums.

cilantro wrote:

tarte tatin wrote:The storefront at 1627 Chicago Avenue in Evanston (a couple of doors south of Found) has a sign saying "Joy Yee Szechuan Kitchen coming soon." I wasn't able to find any additional info.

So with Phoenix Inn and the upcoming Evanston branch of Lao Sze Chuan, that makes three Sichuan places in a one-block radius??? Is Sichuan the new Kyrgyz?

Perhaps this means that Joy Yee is moving around the corner from their current location on Davis Street(?)

vickyp wrote:

cilantro wrote:

tarte tatin wrote:The storefront at 1627 Chicago Avenue in Evanston (a couple of doors south of Found) has a sign saying "Joy Yee Szechuan Kitchen coming soon." I wasn't able to find any additional info.

So with Phoenix Inn and the upcoming Evanston branch of Lao Sze Chuan, that makes three Sichuan places in a one-block radius??? Is Sichuan the new Kyrgyz?

Perhaps this means that Joy Yee is moving around the corner from their current location on Davis Street(?)

Not likely. This is a tiny, tiny storefront compared with their more sprawling location on Davis. I eventually found the following listing, so it looks like they may be planning an express carry-out place like the Joy Yee on Irving Park in Chicago:

Joy Yee To Go
1627 Chicago Ave.
Evanston IL 60201
Phone: to come
Description: Coming Soon!

Two new places to report out in the Mt. Prospect Schaumburg area:

Ramen Misoya Chicago
584 Busse Rd
Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
Misoya.net

Opened on July 9th, Apparently a chain from Japan, and this is the third location in the US. The others are Ramen Misoya NYC and Ramen Misoya Silicon Valley.

Other opening

40tude Bistro & Bar
1318 Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60195
40tudebistro.com

Opened in the old Nobu storefront. Going for Asian American and sushi.
There are Japanese, Filipino, offerings on the menu.


Eta spelling corrections

Celebrity chef Rick Bayless plans to open a restaurant in the West Loop, joining a frenzy of operators hoping to set up shop in and near the fast-gentrifying neighborhood.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20130710/CRED03/130709832/rick-bayless-plans-west-loop-restaurant