Steppenwolf Theatre Company plans to open a restaurant and bar this spring with a menu developed by Chris Pandel, the Boka Restaurant Group chef of neighboring restaurant Balena and West Loop steakhouse Swift & Sons.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... fe-and-bar

Loba Pastry is now open in the old Bad Wolf Coffee space next to the Paulina Brown Line stop. Same hours as before (7-3 Wed-Mon). Had a pastry and coffee this morning and it was great stuff. Val is doing some more savory stuff and they also have a great tea selection and chairs(!).

Roger Ramjet wrote:The Brigadoon-like Cedar Hotel, at State & Rush & Cedar, won't reappear any more.


(Based on walking by there earlier today and noticing the building has been demolished.)

Followup, because I was mildly curious : Turns out, it will reappear - as the facade of an 18-story "boutique hotel" coming soon to the nabe. I guess they numbered the bricks or whatever for reassembly purposes. Brigadoon ...

Absolutely right. It will be a LA-based Viceroy Hotel, which is a small chain of boutique hotels in LA, Miami, NYC, San Francisco, and Aspen. As far as the hospitality stuff goes, we'll probably see in the same vein as what we saw when the Thompson Hotel nearby got remodeled from the Sutton Place. New, nice restaurant with a lounge. If I had my guess, we will see AT LEAST one new restaurant and one new lounge here and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a rooftop lounge at this hotel. Should be good for the neighborhood, hopefully.

AlexG wrote:According to Eater, Reza's has closed it's massive Ontario Street location. .

Whaaaat?

Noooooo!

Why?

It's probably no secret to most by now yet there's no mention of it in this thread, but Moto will be closing in February and has been sold to the Alinea group.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

Drover wrote:It's probably no secret to most by now yet there's no mention of it in this thread, but Moto will be closing in February and has been sold to the Alinea group.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

It's not in this thread but there are several posts about the closing in the Moto thread.

boudreaulicious wrote:

Drover wrote:It's probably no secret to most by now yet there's no mention of it in this thread, but Moto will be closing in February and has been sold to the Alinea group.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

It's not in this thread but there are several posts about the closing in the Moto thread.

Applicable posts begin here.

=R=

Per Crain's, Arun's is finally throwing in the towel, though it will remain open until it's sold.

Roma's on Milwaukee is papered over.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-roma-chicago

I can't say Dharma Thai (3109 W. Irving Park) is closed, but the phone number is disconnected and when you click on Menu & Order on their website, you get a link to a place on Halsted.

A new food store and bar that includes a mini version of hamburger hotspot Au Cheval will open next month in River North. 3 Greens Market, led by restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff, will open in February at 354 W. Hubbard St.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016012 ... th-grocery

Pie Lady wrote:According to a sign on the door and their FB page, Mirabell is closed for renovations. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
https://www.facebook.com/MirabellRestaurant/?fref=ts

Mirabell to Reopen as M Pub: Beer Steins, Other Mementos for Sale

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016012 ... s-for-sale

D'oh! Beat me to it. I hope they don't make it "hip."

Whiskey River BBQ has closed, sign out front says New Concept Coming.

It wasn't destination barbecue, but it was non-chain, decent food and close enough to walk to. That stretch of River Road between Central and Milwaukee has seen a lot of restaurants fail since I moved in here 23 years ago: At least three in that location, four in the one just south of there, my long-lost favorite taco al pastor at Taqueria Morelos near Camp MacDonald, Joe & Guiseppe, which moved to Arlington Heights (Arthur Ave near Central, but I haven't been there since). and another taco joint on Euclid near River that was gone shortly after I moved in (they were inferior to several others in the local area).

BTW, not sure of when they'll open, but Pork & Mindy's has signage up at the former Get A Grip Cycles space near Irving & Kostner.

stevez wrote:Jeff Mauro, our own chefjeff, is opening the first branch of Pork & Mindy's on Friday. Pork & Mindy's is a fast casual restaurant serving up some "Sandwich King" inspired original sandwiches, salads and sides right in the heart of Hipsterville. I had a chance to go for a friends and family preview dinner the other night and I came away pretty impressed.

Bao to the Pork


Pork & Mindy's
1623 N. Milwaukee
Chicago, IL 60647
(844) 573-6737

2 hopefully-imminent openings around the Schaumburg/Rolling Meadows area:

Harolds Chicken at 1318 N Roselle Rd, Schaumburg is now hiring: http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/fbh/5402915504.html

MingHin Cuisine at 1440 Golf Rd, Rolling Meadows is "Coming Soon": http://www.minghincuisine.com/locations

MingHin's location will put it within a half mile of Chef Ping. If that means Ping's wait-times drop to under an hour on weekends, fantastic.

Anko wrote:MingHin's location will put it within a half mile of Chef Ping. If that means Ping's wait-times drop to under an hour on weekends, fantastic.

And now sitting between those two restaurants: "Yakitori Boogytori", from the owners of Wasabi and Ramen Takeya. Official opening on Tuesday. I am ecstatic.

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/1/29/10871088/yakitori-boogytori-bobs-el-stop-donut-delight-openings

Tortorice's Pizza
2101 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, Illinois 60618
http://www.tortoricespizza.com/

Just drove past it last night. Not sure that another pizza joint/chain in the neighborhood is what's needed (Pete's, Big Bricks, Armand's, Pi-Hi, Bartoli's, Apart; plus other local chains Malnati's and Giordano's and Chicago's; plus your favorite national chains), but why not!

Web site said it's not open yet, but saw people working and walking in and out.

After five years on wheels, the owners of La Cocinita Food Truck decided to anchor their Venezuelan-inspired cuisine business in a more permanent location — Evanston.

http://dailynorthwestern.com/2016/01/31 ... -evanston/

Costello Sandwiches & Sides in Lincoln Square closed at the end of January, per DNA Info. No big loss, IMO; it used to be in my regular rotation, but the quality plummeted once the Costello siblings sold the mini-chain back in 2009. It'll be interesting to see what takes its place. Guessing not another sandwich joint, since Jerry's is opening up about a block away at the end of the month, and the Potbelly down the street does good business.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160129/lincoln-square/costellos-closing-sunday-lincoln-square-roscoe-village-still-open

LPython wrote:Costello Sandwiches & Sides in Lincoln Square closed at the end of January, per DNA Info. No big loss, IMO; it used to be in my regular rotation, but the quality plummeted once the Costello siblings sold the mini-chain back in 2009.

Agreed 100% as to the decline, though even in its best days I thought it was overrated. As for Jerry's, we'll fare no better based on what I've tasted at their other locations.

Garibay Tamales, 3859 N. Kedzie, is papered over, so no more tamales for me on laundry day.

Olga's Deli, 3209 W. Irving Park Rd, is for sale. According to Everyblock, Olga died of ovarian cancer. https://chicago.everyblock.com/talk/feb ... 06660/#end

Pie Lady wrote:Olga's Deli, 3209 W. Irving Park Rd, is for sale. According to Everyblock, Olga died of ovarian cancer. https://chicago.everyblock.com/talk/feb ... 06660/#end

i'm very sad to hear this. i loved olga's chicken schnitzel and she was an incredibly kind and generous woman... she will be missed.

Galata, a new Turkish restaurant, opened at 717 W. Maxwell Street.

Beloved Uptown Bakery Baker & Nosh will open a second location in Edgewater at 5600 N. Ridge (Ridge/Broadway/Bryn Mawr)
Amongst other great products I think they turn out the best baguette in town.

http://www.uptownupdate.com/2016/01/bak ... on-in.html

Pie Lady wrote:Garibay Tamales, 3859 N. Kedzie, is papered over, so no more tamales for me on laundry day.

They're still in business, sort of. They sell their tamales at the flea market at 4545 W. Division on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tamales Garibay
4545 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60651
(773) 512-8212

Jason Vincent is opening a new place:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

Also, Marion Street Market is reopening under new ownership:
http://patch.com/illinois/oakpark/mario ... -ownership

Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants is opening its first new restaurant in 14 years, and this time the eatery is spearheaded by Gina Stefani, daughter of company President Phil Stefani. Mad Social opens tonight in the West Loop on Madison Street, less than a mile away from the United Center.

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

The Mexican, which opened recently next door to its sibling restaurant Taco Joint on Halsted, will close on Sunday and reopen on the 22nd as a Mexican themed BBQ restaurant.

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/2/11/1096 ... -reconcept

Chicago's First Cider Pub Is Opening March 8—Without Exec Chef Cleetus Friedman

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/2/16/1102 ... an-sanders