I was looking at building permits today and yesterday a permit was issued for 808 N State St (just north of Chicago Ave) for "Friends Sushi On State." Not sure if this has any relation to Friends Sushi on Rush St right nearby.

This is the old El Souk site and they as well as Qiang Noodle next door, which is part of the same building. I have a feeling these two spaces will be combined into one as El Souk was pretty small - though I guess they could do a more Manhattan style small store if they wanted in there.

Clodagh and Amy Lawless, sisters of Billy Lawless Jr. of the Loop restaurants Gage and Acanto, are set to open the Dearborn, "an urban American tavern," in an 8,000-square-foot space on the first floor of Block 37, at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph streets.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... o-block-37

Noticed that what was Jaffa Bakery has been dark lately and noticed the sign has been removed.

Yelp indicates it is closed
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jaffa-bakery-li ... =date_desc

After 4 short years Jaffa Bakery at the corner of Devon and McCormick in Lincolnwood is finally showing signs of opening. The interior seems to be close to complete from what I saw peering into the two windows that had the paper removed and they hung the signage this week. The first mention of Jaffa was back in 2010: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29902&start=90&sp=349539

Jaffa Bakery
3300 W. Devon
Lincolnwood, IL 60712

WestRidgeFoodie wrote:Noticed that what was Jaffa Bakery has been dark lately and noticed the sign has been removed.

Yelp indicates it is closed
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jaffa-bakery-li ... =date_desc

After 4 short years Jaffa Bakery at the corner of Devon and McCormick in Lincolnwood is finally showing signs of opening. The interior seems to be close to complete from what I saw peering into the two windows that had the paper removed and they hung the signage this week. The first mention of Jaffa was back in 2010: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29902&start=90&sp=349539

Jaffa Bakery
3300 W. Devon
Lincolnwood, IL 60712

Bummer. They were in my regular rotation for their stellar real roast turkey sandwiches (dark meat request handled with a smile). I'll miss them, but now that I think about it, the place was never very busy.

stevez wrote:Bummer. They were in my regular rotation for their stellar real roast turkey sandwiches (dark meat request handled with a smile). I'll miss them, but now that I think about it, the place was never very busy.

Jaffa Bakery is closed, I attempted to go today on Steve's recommendation for roast turkey.

stevez wrote:

WestRidgeFoodie wrote:Noticed that what was Jaffa Bakery has been dark lately and noticed the sign has been removed.

Yelp indicates it is closed
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jaffa-bakery-li ... =date_desc

After 4 short years Jaffa Bakery at the corner of Devon and McCormick in Lincolnwood is finally showing signs of opening. The interior seems to be close to complete from what I saw peering into the two windows that had the paper removed and they hung the signage this week. The first mention of Jaffa was back in 2010: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=29902&start=90&sp=349539

Jaffa Bakery
3300 W. Devon
Lincolnwood, IL 60712

Bummer. They were in my regular rotation for their stellar real roast turkey sandwiches (dark meat request handled with a smile). I'll miss them, but now that I think about it, the place was never very busy.

Yeah, their roast turkey sandwich was something special.

Dave148 wrote:

Farm Bar, the truncated version of Farmhouse, will open at 5 p.m. today in Lakeview, bringing a taste of Farmhouse's spots in River North and Evanston.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/11/16/974 ... -menu-open

We ate there last night. Wow, really good food. An index of the quality was the chicken noodle soup. It tasted like roast chicken, not pre-made stock. The burgers were excellent, and the bread pudding... Well. Yeah.

Max & Leo's Artisan Pizza has opened in the New City development at 1500 N. Clybourn, inside the Kings bowling alley.

http://kingsbowlamerica.com/lincoln-park/max-and-leos

Uptown Diner, the diner influenced but not affiliated with Sarkis in Highland Park, has closed.

AlexG wrote:Uptown Diner, the diner influenced but not affiliated with Sarkis in Highland Park, has closed.

Not surprising, but a bit sad. Was always empty but food was solid.

Not necessarily an opening but still good - Pizano's on State (near Chestnut) expanded to the space to the north of it and finally opened it up. More seating, more bar, etc.

marothisu wrote:I was looking at building permits today and yesterday a permit was issued for 808 N State St (just north of Chicago Ave) for "Friends Sushi On State." Not sure if this has any relation to Friends Sushi on Rush St right nearby.

This is the old El Souk site and they as well as Qiang Noodle next door, which is part of the same building. I have a feeling these two spaces will be combined into one as El Souk was pretty small - though I guess they could do a more Manhattan style small store if they wanted in there.

Alright - they have "coming soon" signs up. Same logo as the Friends Sushi over around 750 N Rush so it looks like they're moving. However, they have a sign for "Friends Ramen" as well - their current menu only has one type of ramen so it looks like they're expanding in the wake of the whole ramen thing Chicago is experiencing.

Other moving news - Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling, which is currently in the Richland Center basement food court and has the best dumplings in the city of Chicago IMO is moving to a regular ground floor space in the same building on December 9th. It'll be suite 102, which is next to Sala Bula. Really glad for them - their dumplings are really good and authentic. Great people running the business.

. . .Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling, which is currently in the Richland Center basement food court and has the best dumplings in the city of Chicago IMO is moving to a regular ground floor space in the same building. . .

Qing Xiang Yuan Dumpling
2002 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 799-1118

Mexican Restaurant coming to former Pecking Order space. Anyone have any more intel than "Mexican Food Opening Soon"?
http://www.uptownupdate.com/2015/11/mex ... -soon.html
4416 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640

Opart Thai got their food and liquor business licenses for 1371 W Chicago yesterday. This is the former home of Bow & Stern.

Saw a coming soon sign for Shawarma Inn while driving down Damen yesterday--I think it was a former sushi place near Armitage but not 100% sure since I couldn't slow down to make more of a note of the location and I'm not seeing anything on line. Maybe someone with access to the business license postings can firm this up.

boudreaulicious wrote:Saw a coming soon sign for Shawarma Inn while driving down Damen yesterday--I think it was a former sushi place near Armitage but not 100% sure since I couldn't slow down to make more of a note of the location and I'm not seeing anything on line. Maybe someone with access to the business license postings can firm this up.

There's no business license for them near that Intersection. Doesn't mean anything though - people get building permits months before the business license usually. I've actually made a map of retail/commercial buildouts going back to late March and don't see one either. Not all of them get building permits though so we'll probably have to look for the license sometime.

I know most of you will be heartbroken, but the KFC at Halsted & Diversey is closing 12/13.

Noah Sandoval's forthcoming tasting-menu-only restaurant in the West Loop has an address: 661 W. Walnut St., a tiny side street between Fulton and Lake streets just west of Desplaines Street, according to its liquor license application filed with the city.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... restaurant

marothisu wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Saw a coming soon sign for Shawarma Inn while driving down Damen yesterday--I think it was a former sushi place near Armitage but not 100% sure since I couldn't slow down to make more of a note of the location and I'm not seeing anything on line. Maybe someone with access to the business license postings can firm this up.

There's no business license for them near that Intersection. Doesn't mean anything though - people get building permits months before the business license usually. I've actually made a map of retail/commercial buildouts going back to late March and don't see one either. Not all of them get building permits though so we'll probably have to look for the license sometime.

Confirmed the address this morning--2011 N. Damen--it's in the storefront where a chicken place used to be I think--next to Sublime Sushi. Notable only because there is some love for the original Shawarma Inn location, most recently in Ronnie's Black Friday Food Crawl post today.

boudreaulicious wrote:

marothisu wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Saw a coming soon sign for Shawarma Inn while driving down Damen yesterday--I think it was a former sushi place near Armitage but not 100% sure since I couldn't slow down to make more of a note of the location and I'm not seeing anything on line. Maybe someone with access to the business license postings can firm this up.

There's no business license for them near that Intersection. Doesn't mean anything though - people get building permits months before the business license usually. I've actually made a map of retail/commercial buildouts going back to late March and don't see one either. Not all of them get building permits though so we'll probably have to look for the license sometime.

Confirmed the address this morning--2011 N. Damen--it's in the storefront where a chicken place used to be I think--next to Sublime Sushi. Notable only because there is some love for the original Shawarma Inn location, most recently in Ronnie's Black Friday Food Crawl post today.

FYI-there's a Shawarma Inn in Park Ridge too, on Devon, near Cumberland.

Pie Lady wrote:I know most of you will be heartbroken, but the KFC at Halsted & Diversey is closing 12/13.

Wow, that place has been there since the 70's, which, ironically, is probably the last time I ate at KFC.

Just noticed yesterday that the Caputo's in Arlington Heights, at the intersection of Rand, Arlington Heights, and Palatine, is empty, and the sign is gone. Didn't shop there often, but still always sorry to see a place fold. Now I'll hope for something like another H-Mart, since we've got Jewel, Harvest Fresh, and Trader Joe's all on that corner.

The Caputo's in Northbrook closed recently as well after < 2 years. It would seem they got a bit too ambitious.

midas wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I know most of you will be heartbroken, but the KFC at Halsted & Diversey is closing 12/13.

Wow, that place has been there since the 70's, which, ironically, is probably the last time I ate at KFC.

Man. The end of an era. In another lifetime, the Colonel (on the large lighted bucket that used to sit on Diversey) peered right into the main room of my apartment across the street keeping watch on us.

bobbywal wrote:

midas wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I know most of you will be heartbroken, but the KFC at Halsted & Diversey is closing 12/13.

Wow, that place has been there since the 70's, which, ironically, is probably the last time I ate at KFC.

Man. The end of an era. In another lifetime, the Colonel (on the large lighted bucket that used to sit on Diversey) peered right into the main room of my apartment across the street keeping watch on us.

A while back I lived on Elston, across from Stanley's (@ North). There was a huge programmed Coca-Cola sign (for the Expressway) that would light up our bedroom.

If anybody wants to organize it, I'll do my best to attend an lth lunch @ the Colonel's place on Halsted & Diversey.


...

Harold's Chicken is coming to Schaumburg - Saw the sign up with "COMING SOON" in the window - not sure on official opening date.
Right next to the Fedex off Roselle in the same plaza as Fox & Hound.

http://vossire.ci.schaumburg.il.us/sire ... 116251.PDF

Nuevo Leon destroyed in a fire: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151202 ... f-business

Horribly overrated IMO but a pillar of the community nonetheless.

Drover wrote:Nuevo Leon destroyed in a fire: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151202 ... f-business

Horribly overrated IMO but a pillar of the community nonetheless.

Nothing like kicking 'em when they're down.

=R=