Dave148 wrote:The Bermuda Triangle of Skokie has seen some recent construction activity. It will indeed become a TBH.

Is that the site of the old Elliott's Pine Log? Used to love that place!

riddlemay wrote:Is that the site of the old Elliott's Pine Log? Used to love that place!

Not quite.

http://consumergrouch.com/wp-content/up ... liotts.jpg


Here's the place Elliott opened in 2001.

http://elliottsseafoodandsteak.com/

Ah.

Didn't realize the good folks of Elliott had opened a place in Edison Park. Thanks for the heads-up. Will have to get out there.

riddlemay wrote:Ah.

Didn't realize the good folks of Elliott had opened a place in Edison Park. Thanks for the heads-up. Will have to get out there.

It's actually the original Elliott's son (Elliott is their last name). They claim to serve ribs made with the original Pine Log Inn recipe. I've never tried them because I'm not a fan of the baked fall off the bone style, but I have had some good steaks and fish there through the years. My last visit wasn't as excellent as my many previous visits. It seems something has gone amiss in the kitchen and the supper club style relish tray and included salad are gone.

midas wrote:

Drover wrote:On another note, the name of the taqueria coming into the old Yo-Joe's space at Addison and Narragansett is Taco Madre.

There's a Taco Madre out here in Montgomery. Can't imagine there is any connection.

I don't think so; I saw that as well and their business logos are different.

Forest Park suburbanites will soon get a restaurant run by a veteran of some of Chicago's top restaurant groups. Sieger Bayer, who was an Eater Young Gun semifinalist in 2014, is working to open The Heritage in Forest Park. He will be the chef and a partner in the under-construction restaurant in the former House Red Vinoteca space at 7403 W. Madison Street, working with first-time restaurant owners.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/7/21/9009 ... eger-bayer

Firehouse Subs has opened at 209 W. Jackson, joining Jimmy John's, Subway, Luke's Italian Beef, Washburne Café and Avanti Caffé in a one block stretch where no one should have a sandwich emergency.

Firehouse Subs
209 W Jackson
Chicago, IL
312-662-1540
http://www.firehousesubs.com/

kenji wrote:

fropones wrote:Stopped by Olga's Deli for lunch yesterday to find that they were closed with a big green sign stating "License Suspended" on the door.

Failed inspection report

Ummm, still closed? That inspection was on January 29th, it's Feb 20th today.

Olga's passed re-inspection on 7/21/15 and is re-opening Friday 7/24/15.

All this Elliott's talk got me thinking about Myron & Phil's. Mark Freedman's Wildwood Tavern on Touhy/Caldwell has been threatening an opening since last fall. Anyone have any insight on when it will actually happen? The delay must be costing a small fortune.

spinynorman99 wrote:All this Elliott's talk got me thinking about Myron & Phil's. Mark Freedman's Wildwood Tavern on Touhy/Caldwell has been threatening an opening since last fall. Anyone have any insight on when it will actually happen? The delay must be costing a small fortune.

There was a long dormant period, but lately, there has been lots of construction activity, and I saw a truckload of furniture being delivered as I was driving by the other day. My guess (and it's purely a guess) is that at this point the opening will be sooner rather than later.

nr706 wrote:Valli Produce, at Dodge & Dempster in Evanston (taking over the previous Dominick's, plus additional space) opens Monday, 7/27. Evanston's third Whole Foods Market, also in a former Dominick's store, on Green Bay Rd., is slated to open two days later, Wednesday 7/29.

Valli Produce opened this past Wednesday, July 22.

stevez wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:All this Elliott's talk got me thinking about Myron & Phil's. Mark Freedman's Wildwood Tavern on Touhy/Caldwell has been threatening an opening since last fall. Anyone have any insight on when it will actually happen? The delay must be costing a small fortune.

There was a long dormant period, but lately, there has been lots of construction activity, and I saw a truckload of furniture being delivered as I was driving by the other day. My guess (and it's purely a guess) is that at this point the opening will be sooner rather than later.

I didn't realize that was his place...that makes me a little more hopeful about that Location of the Damned.

Two more downtown openings this week:

Costa Vida on Lake St off Wells

Be Leaf (looks like a salad emporium) on Wacker north of Madison

Saw this yesterday going up in the old Thai Oscar space. No relation the the Vietnamese dish of a similar name.

A quick google search reveals that it is nothing special. They have another location called "Pho's Hot and Spicy Thai". It looks like a typical Ameri-Thai establishment where you can opt to torture yourself up to 12x spice level. They boast the use of vegetarian oyster sauce on the front page of their website. No doubt it will not be very good, but I'll probabl give it a shot since it's just down the road from me.

laikom wrote:Saw this yesterday going up in the old Thai Oscar space. No relation the the Vietnamese dish of a similar name.

11768772_10153482662962787_1291496499_o.jpg

A quick google search reveals that it is nothing special. They have another location called "Pho's Hot and Spicy Thai". It looks like a typical Ameri-Thai establishment where you can opt to torture yourself up to 12x spice level. They boast the use of vegetarian oyster sauce on the front page of their website. No doubt it will not be very good, but I'll probabl give it a shot since it's just down the road from me.

They've had a location on Lincoln between School and Roscoe for a while now. That location was always phenomenal, although they seemed to get new management and expand their hours about a year ago. The original owners are still around, though, and since that change I've had a more mixed experience with the food - sometimes excellent and sometimes not a good.

Thai Oscar change noted in page 17 on Tuesday: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=41583&start=480&sp=499883

That note has link to web site.

Dang. Sensational Bites is closing Aug 1. One of my favorite bakeries as they had a plethora of solid choices, and oh my those touchdown cupcakes! My kids will be very sad. We spent many happy weekend moments there.

Sensational Bites
3751 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60613

T&B Grill has opened in the former Red Bowl space on Lawrence at Lawndale. Mexican and American fusion with tacos (T) and burgers (B). Looks promising from the pictures but haven't made a visit yet. Hopefully I'll join the Albany Park supper club for a meal there next Sunday.

T&B Grill
3658 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago IL 60625
773-961-7016
https://www.facebook.com/tandbgrill3658

The Goddess and Grocer will move into a former Einstein's Bagels at 5318 N. Clark in late fall.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/7/28/9060 ... ersonville

wileenie wrote:Not sure if these have been posted before (but I searched and didn't see anything?) --
H Mart in Glenview at Sanders and Milwaukee (where Glenview Polish Deli used to be?) -- not sure if it is the same H Mart as in Niles and Naperville, though:
http://glenview.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1221&meta_id=54291
3385 Milwaukee Avenue
Glenview, Illinois

Definitely the same H-Mart -- there's a sign up "H-Mart Groceries and More" with the same logo.
It's a much, much smaller space than the Niles store. But given that it's practically around the corner from my house and a mere block from SueF's office, I'm hoping for a good source for fish and out-of-the-ordinary produce.

Whole Foods in Evanston on Green Bay Road opened this week. I have been in twice to check it out. Both days they had an amazing array of samples. Today you could have sampled what would amount to a very abundant lunch, wine included. They were even sampling out oysters with a man standing over a ice bin prying them open for you to taste. The one thing in particular I noticed that seemed new, was a fresh pasta station. Samples there too.

Great news for anyone who lives near the corner of Kimball and Elston and you're too weary to drag yourself two and a half blocks down to Elston and Addison for your mediocre burrito fix at Burrito House -- they're opening another one in the former Chang's Chinese spot at 3718 N. Elston. It'll transform the neighborhood I tell ya! Maybe they're trying to capture the after-show crowd from the Abbey or something.

cilantro wrote:Turkish Cuisine and Bakery is closed, allegedly for remodeling.

They have reopened at a new location - we were there on opening night, and food was the same as ever. http://www.turkishcuisine.net/

The new location is very different - no carpet on the floors (which I imagine is much easier to keep clean), and no disco balls on the ceiling for post-Soviet disco Saturday nights (yet, anyway). We didn't ask whether they plan to add more cozy décor like at the old location - if anyone does, please do report back.

Sandy's at 7021 W Higgins Ave. is now Congas: Fine Latin American Cuisine.

Eva Luna wrote:

cilantro wrote:Turkish Cuisine and Bakery is closed, allegedly for remodeling.

They have reopened at a new location - we were there on opening night, and food was the same as ever. http://www.turkishcuisine.net/

The new location is very different - no carpet on the floors (which I imagine is much easier to keep clean), and no disco balls on the ceiling for post-Soviet disco Saturday nights (yet, anyway). We didn't ask whether they plan to add more cozy décor like at the old location - if anyone does, please do report back.

`
That's a shame they moved - Turkish Cuisine was one of the reasons we came to Andersonville before the area got so gentrified further south. It had its own personality from the other Middle Eastern restaurants there (Reza's and Andies).
On the bright side, the move to a Peterson location is a reason to stop off at Juliana's for a Middle Eastern nightclub fix afterwards .

A group that includes Mike Simmons, the former chef at Rootstock, plans to open Calaugusta Cafe and Grocer at 1001 N. California Ave. Simmons envisions the concept as a European-style cafe with coffee, pastries and sandwiches by day and a bistro-style restaurant by night.

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150804 ... tersection

Don't know if this was posted already, and it's probably old news, but the Jaffa Bakery on Devon and McCormick is finally open. If I recall correctly, the project started right around Nixon's first term (or so it seemed).

After seeing no activity for quite a while at the former Silk Mandarin on Townline Road in Mundelein, I was pleased to drive by today and see construction activity and a sign saying "Yu's Mandarin Coming Soon!"

spinynorman99 wrote:Don't know if this was posted already, and it's probably old news, but the Jaffa Bakery on Devon and McCormick is finally open. If I recall correctly, the project started right around Nixon's first term (or so it seemed).

Vat's Cooking the non kosher restaurant used to be be in that mall. When was it built? I know it's closed now.

kenji wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:Don't know if this was posted already, and it's probably old news, but the Jaffa Bakery on Devon and McCormick is finally open. If I recall correctly, the project started right around Nixon's first term (or so it seemed).

Vat's Cooking the non kosher restaurant used to be be in that mall. When was it built? I know it's closed now.

What's Cooking was down the street at Lincoln Village. The Jaffa Bakery used to be the cigar/cigarette shop adjacent to the Gun shop and the old Milk Pail.