Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings - April - June 2013

Please post all related news on this thread.

For last quarter's Openings and Closings, please this thread:

Openings, Closings, Comings & Goings - Jan thru March 2013

Please, remember, that per our Posting Guidelines, posts pertaining to health code-related issues are not permitted here unless they include a link to a credible, third-party source.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

Important Reminder:

LTH,

Please, do not post about a closing without making absolutely certain that your information is correct and accurate in every way.

Please, do not post rumors of closings without linking to a credible, 3rd-party source that substantiates your report. (i.e. "Eater.com reports . . ." is ok)

It's far more important to be accurate than early with your information. The best course of action may be to make a phone call to the establishment before posting anything. But whatever you do, make sure you are 100% correct before posting about a closing on this thread or any other in these forums.

Thanks again,

=R=
for the moderators

Iron Horse ale house is coming to 6158 W. Northwest Highway. It's becoming quite the foodie corridor these days. Their FB page makes it look nifty:
https://www.facebook.com/IroneHorseAleHouse

drove by some papered over windows out in Marseilles the other day. Looks like new Subway is coming to town, opening the beginning of April.


Subway
237 Commercial Street
Marseilles, IL.

http://www.subway.com

Austin BBQ closed.

http://wheaton.patch.com/articles/austi ... wn-wheaton

Westbrook Market is closing their Downers Grove store.
2065 63rd St
Downers Grove
(630) 241-4503
http://www.westbrookmarket.net/do/viewAd

Central St. Cafe located in Evanston has closed.

evanston.patch.com wrote:Rife said the restaurant’s owner, Mitchell Dulin, is closing the business to focus on another venture in Wilmette, called The Avenue.

Benjamin in Highland Park has closed per an email I received about a benefit night that was to be held there next week.

Family favorite, mom and pop run Mike and Miguel's in Geneva closed at the end of the year as someone bought out the building and business. Drove by today for the first time and the whole building has been revamped with a pretty large Karate-Yoga studio, several things under construction. A new restaurant is opening in what was M&M's dining room. Signage just states "infusion" and has kind of a lizard logo. The very front corner is empty. It had been a hang out for the near by Geneva High School and sold everything from burgers& fries, Italian beef to tacos and tamales.

Former Mike and Miguel's
308 South Anderson Blvd.
Geneva

A Snuggery (oh well) will open in the shuttered Embers/Charlies space on York Road in Elmhurst and a Chick-Fil-A is planned for the mall outlot at St. Charles and Route 83

Tribune story here

It predates April, but Mio Bento at 2245 W Irving Park Rd closed, and Lazzat Euro-Asian Cuisine has opened in that location. Picked up a to-go menu when I walked past today: Most entrees range from $8-10, includes kebabs, Uzbek pilaf, mantu, Uygur Style Lagman, and Besh-Barmoq. They also have some interesting looking soups--Lamb, Uygur Style Pelmeni, and Kazakh Meat Soup among them. Menu notes it is Halal and open 9 am -Midnight. Not much online yet, but there is a good glimpse of their food in the Yelp pictures: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lazzat-euro-asian-cuisine-chicago?select=yfO6qQ_CN3qbobcuvK_uLA I hope to try it soon. A unique, and hopefully lasting, addition to the neighborhood.

Lazzat Restaurant
2245 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 654-3797

Here are a couple iPhone shots I snapped at Lazzat.

Lagman:



Kabob:

The owner of the Yolk restaurants downtown leased 4,100 square feet of space in the Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison St.

http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20130408/CRED03/130409824/yolk-leases-in-citigroup-center

Ferris & Jack will be replacing C-house in the Mile North. The name is inspired by two beloved Chicago firsts – the Ferris Wheel and Cracker Jack. The amount of effort to come up with that name may portend the effort that goes into their menu. Too bad, I liked C-house. Wheel see, however.

milz50 wrote:Wheel see, however.

I C what you did there.

milz50 wrote:Ferris & Jack will be replacing C-house in the Mile North. The name is inspired by two beloved Chicago firsts – the Ferris Wheel and Cracker Jack. The amount of effort to come up with that name may portend the effort that goes into their menu. Too bad, I liked C-house. Wheel see, however.

More news on this opening:

Ferris & Jack will also be the first restaurant in the world to feature a working Ferris Wheel within the restaurant, with the wheel hubs containing dining tables to seat 2-4 persons, and accommodating nearly 100 diners total. The owners claim the motion will be minimal, although diners will have to wait until the wheel reaches the dining room level for all food and drink service.

Okay, I'll admit to making up the quote . . . would have been more fun on April Fool's Day, right?

BR wrote:

milz50 wrote:Ferris & Jack will be replacing C-house in the Mile North. The name is inspired by two beloved Chicago firsts – the Ferris Wheel and Cracker Jack. The amount of effort to come up with that name may portend the effort that goes into their menu. Too bad, I liked C-house. Wheel see, however.

More news on this opening:

Ferris & Jack will also be the first restaurant in the world to feature a working Ferris Wheel within the restaurant, with the wheel hubs containing dining tables to seat 2-4 persons, and accommodating nearly 100 diners total. The owners claim the motion will be minimal, although diners will have to wait until the wheel reaches the dining room level for all food and drink service.

Okay, I'll admit to making up the quote . . . would have been more fun on April Fool's Day, right?

I'd totally take my kids there.

Shit, I'd eat there.

Cafe Hanah is coming to roughly 4911 Oakton in Skokie. They will offer sushi, frozen yogurt, coffee and tea.

Opening in the spot formerly known as Pat's Place:

Alexander's Breakfast & Lunch
5025 Oakton St.
Skokie, IL 60077

This place is opening so soon they are now hiring. They kept the vibrant yellow walls but updated the furniture and got rid of that hideous mirror.

There's nothing but neat eateries (neateries) on this block. We should do a taste of Skokie just on this stretch.

Brothers Anthony and Nick Gambino, who own Oak Park's Cucina Paradiso, are building a second Burger Boss at 3208 N. Southport Ave. in Lakeview.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130409/BLOGS09/130409823/burger-boss-opening-in-lakeview

Is anyone else thinking, enough with the burger joints already?

Lunch yesterday at Panchito's Grill on Clark in Rogers Park - located across the street from Romanian Kosher at Touhy and Clark. Full disclosure: the owners are relatives of friends.

This is an interesting combination of Jewish Deli and Mexican standards, weighted somewhat to to deli side, if the menu is representative. (I saw no bowls of pickles, however.) The owner worked as a cook at Max and Benny's in Northbrook for many years. I can't speak to the deli fare (such as Hot Corned Beef), because I had Steak Fajitas yesterday, which were quite good. The tender steak was not overly seasoned; there were fresh peppers and a truly flawless avocado slice on top. Average, but freshly made beans and rice. No handmade tortillas here, but they did post a weekend special of caldo de camaron. Panchito's is a work-in-progress as far as identity, I think.


Steak Fajitas @ Panchito's Grill by Josephine2004, on Flickr

I'm not sure what their niche is going to be - perhaps a "something for everyone" brunch place. Considering the crowds at the Evanston weekend brunch places, it will be nice to have another Northside option that is kid-friendly with parking. ("Parking on Clark?", you say.) I would happily order the Grilled Steak and Eggs or the Huevos con Chorizo if I did not succumb to the Housemade Corned Beef Hash fried crisp upon request - sans green pepper, por favor. According to the owner, their morning business had really taken off- they are doing a lot of breakfast/brunch delivery business in East Rogers Park through GrubHub, something he did not expect, but is happy to do.

The lunch menu has lots of healthier options such as egg-white-only egg salad, turkey pastrami, green salads, veggie hash and whole grain pancakes. I'm eager to try each of their 4 kinds of tuna salad - including 3 with Mexican flavors: Acapulco, Cancun, and Chipotle. With that, I might have a bowl of chicken matzoh ball soup.

These are very nice people and I wish them well in their new venture.

Panchito's Grill
7138 N Clark
(between Touhy Ave & Estes Ave)
Chicago
(773) 274-1591

Hours: 7 AM - 10 PM, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays

Josephine wrote:Lunch yesterday at Panchito's Grill on Clark in Rogers Park - located across the street from Romanian Kosher at Touhy and Clark.

Is that where that short-lived BBQ place was? They installed a brand new glass-house (aquarium) smoker, then went out of business a few weeks later. Last time I looked in the place, the smoker was still in there. Is it still there and functional, or did somebody get a really good bargain on a gently used smoker?

The newest New Rebozo is open now at 46 E. Superior.

d4v3 wrote:

Josephine wrote:Lunch yesterday at Panchito's Grill on Clark in Rogers Park - located across the street from Romanian Kosher at Touhy and Clark.

Is that where that short-lived BBQ place was? They installed a brand new glass-house (aquarium) smoker, then went out of business a few weeks later. Last time I looked in the place, the smoker was still in there. Is it still there and functional, or did somebody get a really good bargain on a gently used smoker?

I am not sure about that, d4v3. I did not see a smoker in any prominent spot. Since there is no BBQ on the menu, I am thinking someone got a bargain. Maybe it is still in the basement- any interest?

I hope that people who visit will take the time to engage the owner, who would, I'm guessing, be very happy to make up custom breakfasts and sandwiches. The menu is a bit of a laundry list, and therefore open to tinkering, with the chef's approval, of course. A Reuben omelet - or Reuben CB hash- are things I'd like to try. Also- on that Acapulco tuna sub, some of those flawless avocado slices, lettuce and tomato might be nice. You get the drift. Why not a Mexican take on a burger or wings? I hope Panchito's goes for it. Like I said, these are really nice people. And the seating in booths is quite comfortable for a leisurely lunch, something I am beginning to appreciate more and more.

Sticky Rice will open a second location at 1746 N. Western:
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130412 ... on-western

Cabana Charley's in Woodridge is vacant, I didn't get out of the car to read the fine print on the stickers on the door.

http://woodridge.patch.com/articles/local-favorite-woodridge-cabana-charley-s-closes

Chris Curren -- former executive chef/owner of Blue 13 -- has been hired as an executive chef within The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group. Curren will helm the kitchens at both Homestead (slated to re-open in late May) and The Berkshire Room (slated to open mid-June). You can read more about the hire in the Professional Forum right here

* (I am a publicist, and these are some of my clients).

Homestead
1924 W Chicago Ave -- Second Floor (enter thru Roots Handmade Pizza)
Chicago, IL 60622
http://www.homesteadontheroof.com

The Berkshire Room
15 East Ohio St -- Located inside the lobby of the ACME Hotel Company
Chicago, IL 60611
http://www.theberkshireroom.com

Ohio House Coffee Shop closing after 53 years

tem wrote:Ohio House Coffee Shop closing after 53 years

"The last day for the shop is April 28"

Ohio House Coffee Shop
600 N LaSalle Blvd
(312) 751-2038