Zapatista in Northbrook has closed. Not surprising, as it is hard to imagine a restaurant remaining in business long without any repeat customers, and equally hard to imagine anyone eating at Zapatista twice. Here's hoping that something decent, like a Hooter's or a Ponderosa, takes its place.
--Rich

LPython wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

BR wrote:Sushi Tokoro looks about ready to open in Lincoln Square on the west side of Western, just south of Lawrence. It looks upscale, but I know very little about it. Unfortunately, I found the online menu and it looks like some of the same old crap I don't think Chicago needs any more of:

http://sushitokorochicago.com/menu.html


In any event, I guess we'll find out more soon.

Sushi Tokoro
4750 N. Western Ave.
773.654.3858

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday & Saturday 11am-10:30pm
Sunday 11:30am-9:30pm

Not looking too "upscale" with an all-you-can-eat option.

Agreed that upscale looks like a stretch. However, they do have a hibachi option, which is hard to find in the city limits. I'll definitely give it a try just because of that.

I was referring to the exterior appearance of the restaurant only...it doesn't take a genius to realize the menu is not upscale.

RAB wrote:Zapatista in Northbrook has closed. Not surprising, as it is hard to imagine a restaurant remaining in business long without any repeat customers, and equally hard to imagine anyone eating at Zapatista twice. Here's hoping that something decent, like a Hooter's or a Ponderosa, takes its place.
--Rich

Sarcasm is fun.

BR wrote:Sushi Tokoro looks about ready to open in Lincoln Square on the west side of Western, just south of Lawrence. It looks upscale, but I know very little about it. Unfortunately, I found the online menu and it looks like some of the same old crap I don't think Chicago needs any more of:

http://sushitokorochicago.com/menu.html


In any event, I guess we'll find out more soon.

Sushi Tokoro
4750 N. Western Ave.
773.654.3858

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday & Saturday 11am-10:30pm
Sunday 11:30am-9:30pm

Those are great prices for "yuppie Chicago." - $2 a piece for salmon nigiri? Yes please...hope it's at least decent quality.

Those are great prices for "yuppie Chicago." - $2 a piece for salmon nigiri? Yes please...hope it's at least decent quality.

You get what you pay for. Just sayin'.

Asian Express is a new restaurant at 1009 Davis in Evanston. I walked past there tonight, and they have a steam table and you help yourself, and then you pay. They charge $4.59 a pound for the food. I did not go inside, but it does not look really promising. When I looked at Yelp there were five reviews for it with an average rating of 4 1/2 stars. Several of the reviews compared it to Panda Express, but said it was cheaper. This place does not look really promising to me.

LPython wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

BR wrote:Sushi Tokoro looks about ready to open in Lincoln Square on the west side of Western, just south of Lawrence. It looks upscale, but I know very little about it. Unfortunately, I found the online menu and it looks like some of the same old crap I don't think Chicago needs any more of:

http://sushitokorochicago.com/menu.html


In any event, I guess we'll find out more soon.

Sushi Tokoro
4750 N. Western Ave.
773.654.3858

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday & Saturday 11am-10:30pm
Sunday 11:30am-9:30pm

Not looking too "upscale" with an all-you-can-eat option.

Agreed that upscale looks like a stretch. However, they do have a hibachi option, which is hard to find in the city limits. I'll definitely give it a try just because of that.

I'm just relieved there isn't a Thai section of the menu.

sundevilpeg wrote:

Those are great prices for "yuppie Chicago." - $2 a piece for salmon nigiri? Yes please...hope it's at least decent quality.

You get what you pay for. Just sayin'.

Exactly!

The second location of Bangers and Lace, in downtown Evanston on Grove where the Keg used to operate (and get cited ), is not yet open. But the menus and draft list are already available on their website at bangersandlacebar.com

Via Evanston mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, Noyes Street Cafe in Evanston abruptly closed after Sunday service. Not a word on its site. Weird.

Houston based franchise to open Montgomery, IL location.

http://www.9ersgrill.com/

http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=12396

Golden Chef in Wheeling under new ownership? Anyone know about this, I read it somewhere and while it hasn't been great for awhile, it certainly has the nostalgia factor.

sujormik wrote:Golden Chef in Wheeling under new ownership? Anyone know about this, I read it somewhere and while it hasn't been great for awhile, it certainly has the nostalgia factor.

There's a Yelp post from about a week ago indicating new ownership and a reference to the Village Of Wheeling minutes confirming new ownership and liquor license. The restaurant website is down.

Flaming Grill and Buffet in Niles has closed, which was a surprise to the village, according to the Mount Prospect Journal.

A new Mongolian Hot-Pot Restaurant has opened in the old Penang place at the corner of Wentworth and Cermak.

Little Lamb
2201 S. Wentwoth Ave.
Hours: 11 am- 11 pm
312-225-0600
Little lamb

I was in Chinatown doing my yearly Jewish Christmas ritual when I saw this place. It looks like they have a club/music upstairs. I did not go in as I was alone and this is a hot-pot place; so it is better to visit as a group.

Also, CASH ONLY for now.



It looks more like Lao Yu Ju, with waitstaff in suits.

Indianbadger wrote:A new Mongolian Hot-Pot Restaurant has opened in the old Penang place at the corner of Wentworth and Cermak.

Little Lamb
2201 S. Wentwoth Ave.
Hours: 11 am- 11 pm
312-225-0600
Little lamb

I was in Chinatown doing my yearly Jewish Christmas ritual when I saw this place. It looks like they have a club/music upstairs. I did not go in as I was alone and this is a hot-pot place; so it is better to visit as a group.

Also, CASH ONLY for now.



It looks more like Lao Yu Ju, with waitstaff in suits.

On a similar front, espied "Top Choice BBQ" on the 2nd Floor of the Chinatown Mall yesterday, kinda kitty-korner from Cai. I walked in, and was impressed, at least as impressed as one can be from poking around. The pancakes were of an especially thick variety, that appealed. Better, I saw them bringing buckets of live charcoal to a table--as one of my dog walking friends mentioned this AM, "coals for Christmas."

We had Christmas dinner in Chinatown and walked down Wentworth for special dollar gifts.

Ten Ren Tea store is closed for good and gone.

sundevilpeg wrote:

Those are great prices for "yuppie Chicago." - $2 a piece for salmon nigiri? Yes please...hope it's at least decent quality.

You get what you pay for. Just sayin'.

Sometimes - Lawrence Fish Market is very cheap and yet the quality is not bad at all. Same can be said about some of the cheap places in the suburbs for sushi. Joong Boo's cheap sashimi platter has a few decent types of fish. So no, I don't actually buy into "cheap = bad quality" for this stuff. I have had at least decent sushi for cheap in the Chicago area.

marothisu wrote:Lawrence Fish Market is very cheap and yet the quality is not bad at all.

We ordered a huge platter for xmas eve. Very good quality and nice presentation.

Houston based franchise to open Montgomery, IL location.

It looks like this is a Denny's-type restaurant, but according to the newspaper article, they're going to have a beer and wine license. It's going into a closed Applebee's.

What happened to all the Applebee's in the far western suburbs? They suddenly closed maybe last year. Not that I miss them, but it was just so strange that they were all gone so suddenly.

tcdup wrote:What happened to all the Applebee's in the far western suburbs?

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 ... estaurants

Edwardo's pizza on Skokie Boulevard in Skokie is no more drove by earlier tonight and saw the sign was removed and pitch black within the restaurant

kenji wrote:

tcdup wrote:What happened to all the Applebee's in the far western suburbs?

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013 ... estaurants

I think the salt police came and closed them all up, including the one near us in Mundelein. It takes a special talent to make food look good but to render it virtually inedible by oversalting.

Edwardo's pizza on Skokie Boulevard in Skokie is no more drove by earlier tonight and saw the sign was removed and pitch black within the restaurant

It's been dark since late November, according to a Yelper. People don't seem too broken up about it, as the service was allegedly just awful.

Just found out that El Mexican restaurant in Glenview (Willow and Waukegan) closed down. Anyone know why? The food was outstanding.

I assume it was the crappy location and lack of seating options that drove people away?

shakes wrote:Just found out that El Mexican restaurant in Glenview (Willow and Waukegan) closed down. Anyone know why? The food was outstanding.

I assume it was the crappy location and lack of seating options that drove people away?

The never-ending construction around that intersection could not have helped their business.

Bangers & Lace, the popular Wicker Park restaurant, now has a second location in downtown Evanston. It opens at 3 p.m. on Grove Street in the former Keg of Evanston space.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... pens-today

marothisu wrote: I found the online menu and it looks like some of the same old crap I don't think Chicago needs any more of

Just took a peek at the menu you posted. "All you can eat" dine in specials, 17 bucks for lunch 22 bucks for dinner.

Cullen's on Southport will be closing in January 2015.

Good news for Cornerstone Cafe fans. The former Starbucks at the corner of Clybourn and Webster now has awnings over the white-papered windows that read "Cornerstone Cafe Lincoln Park."

The last few times we've been to Cornerstone, we've noticed that Tish and Paul have been bringing their son into the business. Maybe they've been training him to take over the new location. (Or maybe he will run the old location while they run the new one.) No inside knowledge, just putting 2 and 2 together and maybe adding up to 4.