Just passed a former hot dog joint that is now Taqueria 5 de Mayo. A handwritten sign stated "Sister restaurant of Asadero"

Taqueria de Asadero
2213 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 583-5563

Taqueria 5 de Mayo - just West of Western on Montrose.

I don't quite understand opening a "sister" restaurant just a couple of blocks away. With that said, glad to have them!!

rmtraut wrote:Just passed a former hot dog joint that is now Taqueria 5 de Mayo. A handwritten sign stated "Sister restaurant of Asadero"

Taqueria de Asadero
2213 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 583-5563

Taqueria 5 de Mayo - just West of Western on Montrose.

I don't quite understand opening a "sister" restaurant just a couple of blocks away. With that said, glad to have them!!

Maybe they're trying to emulate the La Pasadita business model of a cluster of nearly identical restaurants. Seemed to work for them.


Old photo from La Pasadita, 1132 N Ashland

Rene G wrote:

rmtraut wrote:Just passed a former hot dog joint that is now Taqueria 5 de Mayo. A handwritten sign stated "Sister restaurant of Asadero"

Taqueria de Asadero
2213 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 583-5563

Taqueria 5 de Mayo - just West of Western on Montrose.

I don't quite understand opening a "sister" restaurant just a couple of blocks away. With that said, glad to have them!!

Maybe they're trying to emulate the La Pasadita business model of a cluster of nearly identical restaurants. Seemed to work for them.


Old photo from La Pasadita, 1132 N Ashland

So funny, I thought the same thing.

Slated to open today is the new River West home of King Crab Tavern, a Lincoln Park fixture for 33 years. Renamed Cy's King Crab Oyster Bar & Grill, and now in the old Red Canary space, it features the same menu as the original—crab legs, oysters, BBQ ribs—and a seaside theme including the signature lobster tank.

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2014/ ... monday.php

Well, what do you know -- I usually never know what's opening and closing, coming and going, and now I've got my second scoop in a year.

After what seemed like an awfully long, slow construction phase, a new Maggiano's Little Italy is open at the the (Westfield) Hawthorn Mall on Route 60 (Townline Road) in Vernon Hills. It opened on July 21st.

What's going on at the Hawthorn Mall is an example of how malls are trying to stay alive by shifting from shopping to entertainment: a new Dave & Buster's opened in March, and a movie theater is under construction (won't be open til sometime next year, though).

I think this new Maggiano's in VH is probably the northernmost LEYE outpost in the Chicago area. The nearest others that come to mind are Di Pescara at Northbrook Court, L. Woods in Lincolnwood, and the handful of ones at Woodfield in Schaumburg. Oh, and of course, the Maggiano's at Old Orchard in Skokie.

I think this new Maggiano's in VH is probably the northernmost LEYE outpost in the Chicago area.

Per LEYE.com:

Maggiano's Little Italy is owned and operated by Brinker Int.

sundevilpeg wrote:

I think this new Maggiano's in VH is probably the northernmost LEYE outpost in the Chicago area.

Per LEYE.com:

Maggiano's Little Italy is owned and operated by Brinker Int.

Sorry, but I don't get the point. Are you saying it's not really a part of the LEYE group? It's listed as such on leye.com. I see there that one can click through to the Brinker website. Does that mean you can't get LEYE points at Maggiano's? Geez, I hope that's not true; that's more then 50 percent of why I was looking forward to the new one opening.

Katie wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:

I think this new Maggiano's in VH is probably the northernmost LEYE outpost in the Chicago area.

Per LEYE.com:

Maggiano's Little Italy is owned and operated by Brinker Int.

Sorry, but I don't get the point. Are you saying it's not really a part of the LEYE group? It's listed as such on leye.com. I see there that one can click through to the Brinker website. Does that mean you can't get LEYE points at Maggiano's? Geez, I hope that's not true; that's more then 50 percent of why I was looking forward to the new one opening.

You get LEYE points at Maggiano's.

From a 1997 Trib piece in re the 1995 transaction:

As reported, the Maggiano's concept and that of Corner Bakery were sold nearly three years ago to Dallas-based Brinker International for $73 million in stock to Melman and some partners.

Melman became one of the top stockholders at Brinker, a firm primarily known for its Chili's chain.

Under a management contract, Lettuce is running the Maggiano's and Corner Bakery units around the country for Brinker.

(Corner Bakery was sold to another firm, Il Fornaio USA, which is now owned by the Roark Capital Group.)

Katie wrote:Sorry, but I don't get the point. Are you saying it's not really a part of the LEYE group? It's listed as such on leye.com. I see there that one can click through to the Brinker website. Does that mean you can't get LEYE points at Maggiano's? Geez, I hope that's not true; that's more then 50 percent of why I was looking forward to the new one opening.

As indicated above, Maggiano's is now owned by Brinker International; it was originally developed by LEYE, then spun off.

I know Maggiano's has a contractual arrangement with LEYE for LEYE gift cards. LEYE gift cards are sold at Maggiano's (including their bonus cards during the Nov.-Dec. holiday season) and are honored for purchases at Maggiano's. I don't know whether this applies to Maggiano's locations outside the Chicago area (and I suspect not, but I'm just guessing). Dave says Maggiano's give you LEYE points when dining; again, I don't know whether this applies outside the Chicago area.

(LEYE gift cards are not to be confused with Brinker gift cards; you can buy gift cards at Brinker restaurants - Maggiano's, Chili's, On the Border, Romano's Macaroni Grill - and they can be used at any of these four chains, but not at LEYE restaurants.)

I was told last week by an employee of LEYE that only the Illinois Maggiano's still honor LEYE cards/points. The out of state locations do not.

Thanks for the clarifications, guys.

ekreider wrote:The location of the former El Primo at 3500 West Montrose has a hand lettered coming soon sign: El Tacontento.

Just to clarify, the location may be "former" but El Primo is not; they relocated to Elston just south of Montrose.

Vinny wrote:Whilst on a paleta crawl with Albany Park Neighbors yesterday evening, several of us noted that Zuzu Wraps at 3200 W Lawrence has suddenly been replaced with signs proclaiming "K&L Corner" instead. The food hasn't changed that I know of, just the signs.

That location seems to get a new Middle Eastern joint about every two years...

The long-shuttered Sopranos (at Sheffield and George), which has had windows through which you could peer into the abyss, now at least has brown paper on them. Progress.

Rolland's in Rogers Park, FKA as Hop Haus, has closed, according to an email from Groupon. Calls to the phone number for verification go to a full voicemailbox.

Rolland's
7545 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 262-3783

One of my old faves, The Bungalow, is closing. (6347 N. Milwaukee). From my email exchange with the owner:

"I am sorry to report we are in the process of closing. We had a problem with our cooler and I can't replace it. I am working with my past company to start up their catering division."

I asked her to send me info when they're up and running, so hopefully I can post an opening here soon. I hope somebody takes that cute space and leaves it the way it is.

Central Kitchen and Tap, Lawrence Ave and Central Ave, home of the old Super Cup restaurant, is closed with a sign on the door saying temporarily closed for remodeling.

Shila's Restaurant (pronounced like Sheila) opened a few months ago. American diner fare. Spartan interior for right now but the food is eggcellent and the service top notch. 7am-3pm seven days a week. Manuel the owner has worked for Erie Cafe in River North for a really long time and always wanted his own place. He's here in the AM and then works at Erie in the evening. Everyone around here is loving it. I hold court there a few times a week for lunch.

Shila's Restaurant
3938 N. Cicero
in Six Corners

http://www.yelp.com/biz/shilas-chicago

Jimmy Johns has installed tables, seating, fountain and is almost open in Six Corners. Just across the street and a little South of The Portage Theater building. East side of the street, in the Klee Plaza Building, 4015 N. Milwaukee

Another newer gem opened in Six Corners a few months ago:

Josi's Frozen Yogurt Cafe
4032 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago IL 60641

http://josisfrozenyogurt.com/

kenji wrote:Central Kitchen and Tap, Lawrence Ave and Central Ave, home of the old Super Cup restaurant, is closed with a sign on the door saying temporarily closed for remodeling.

That's nostalgically sad to me - my uncle used to own the Super Cup.

I never realized Fritz Pastry was vegan.

Fritz Pastry to move to Lincoln Park.

It's not. About half of their product are vegan.

The text does say half-vegan. I didn't read down that far. The headline (which somewhat misleadingly calls Fritz a "Vegan Bakery") misled me.

La Cuenta wrote:Tokyo Marina in south Andersonville has a sign in its window saying they are closed after 35 years. This a month after Pie Hole just half a block south closed a few weeks ago. And the hookah shop next to Pie Hole shuttered by the City. And the Nepalese place next to the hookah shop never having opened up in the first place.

Hopefully some new places can open up in that area and stay open.

Japanese restaurant Tokyo Marina is closed after 35 years at 5058 N. Clark Street, where a new condo development is slated to break ground in November.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140812 ... dos-coming

Walked past the Margarita European Inn yesterday - all the signs for Pensiero Restaurant are down, the windows are papered over, and the website is down.

Hi- I live behind Pensiero, and I walked over the to farmer's market at the Y to get some corn, but unfortunately they were out of corn when I got there yesterday. On my way back I noticed that about the restaurant being papered over. I was going to post something about it here, but I wanted to make sure that it was indeed closed, and I did not get around to checking the website. I believe for a while they were only open three days a week. When I would go over to King Home to vote, they were always closed. At first I thought they were closed for good, and then I checked the website, and found that they were only open three days a week, and were closed on Tuesdays. While I was walking back to my condo building yesterday, I also noticed that they had taken down the sign for Pensiero parking, They only mentioned packing for the Margarita Inn. They did some renovation on the Inn maybe six months ago. It will be nice when the stained glass museum finally opens up next door.

FYI- They have changed the hours for the farmer's market. They used to be open on Wednesdays from 9:00=3:00, and now they are open from 7:00-1:00. There is only one farmer there on Wednesdays. First Orchards is there, and their prices are a little higher on Wednesdays. Most of their veggies were 50 cents a piece or 5/$1, and not 10/$1 like they are on Saturday. I don't know how they make any money when they sell the stuff for 10/$1. They finally had some peaches for sale yesterday. They only have 10% of a crop this year. They were fairly busy when I got there yesterday around 12:30. Hope this helps, Nancy

(Cosmetic, at least) signs of change at City Dough (Sheffield and Wellington). After months and months of brown-papered windows and not much discernible activity, as of today the exterior of the building has a new two-tone paint combination, and the words "City Dough" (which had remained until yesterday painted across the top) have been painted over.

Drover wrote:Recently opened in the forgotten fringes of Irving Park: Diego's Picanteria Cocina Ecuatoria. Seems they cater to a mostly Ecuadorian clientele; the menu is almost entirely in Spanish and there are no explanations for what the items are in any language. Even if you speak Spanish it may not help you much unless you're intimately familiar with Ecuadorian cuisine; an acquaintance from Guatemala indicated that even she had no idea what many of the items were.

Also recently opened a few doors down in the original Papi's Cafe space is Hannah's Sandwiches and Cafe . . .

. . . and both are now closed. The Hannah's space is papered over; the Diego's former space is now occupied by Italian Pizza House, which is receiving favorable early reviews for its old-school thin crust and solid specials.

And on that same desolate stretch of Milwaukee Avenue there looks to be a return of Barcello's Pizza & Pasta in the works. I don't know if it's a return of the "old-school" version or the bought--out-and-fancied-up, overpriced version. Or if it's neither and someone is just appropriating the name.

Italian Pizza House
3443 N. Milwaukee Ave
(773) 685-4289

Barcello's Pizza and Pasta ("Coming Soon")
3576 N. Milwaukee Ave
(773) 205-8700