Matt Fisher, the owner of eight-month-old Tallulah (4539 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-942-7585), hasn’t slept since summer. He signed a deal in late August on the old Flapjaws space (840 N. Wabash Ave.) in the Gold Coast, which he is rehabbing and renaming Eve—and he has his chef at Tallulah, Troy Graves, crafting a menu to be ready by the time...
]]>Pollack & Ruby came down with a severe case of playoff fever, but they will be back next week with a full lineup of hot news and cool scoops.
Republic Pan-Asian Restaurant & Lounge, which closed on September 20th, will reopen under the same ownership on October 1st as Farmerie 58 (58 E. Ontario St.; 312-440-1818), a 150-seat “farm-centric” contemporary American restaurant. “It wasn’t doing poorly,” says Brian Newman, the general manager. “We just felt there were better concepts to really utilize this space.” Such as one that employs a former farmer who is dedicated to sustainable, organic products, and dishes such as...
]]>Pollack ate her first sugar toad. That’s the amuse Jimmy Sneed sends out to every diner at his just-opened SugarToad (2139 CityGate Ln., Naperville; 630-778-8623). She also tried the sweetbread with a poached egg on arugula (hearty and enjoyable) and turnip soup with smoked bacon (more, please). So what’s up with sugar toads? They’re a nice gesture but...
]]>Chef Kevin Shikami has not only left Shikago (190 S. La Salle St.; 312-781-7300), the Loop spot he owned with his brother, Alan—he has retired from the restaurant business altogether. Shikami (Kevin, Yoshi’s, Jimmy’s Place) recently married and plans to travel with his wife to Southeast Asia, then relocate to Hawaii. Stepping into his shoes is...
]]>In late September, Giampaolo Sassi and Luisa Silvia Marani, who own Merlo Ristorante and Merlo on Maple, plan to unveil La Trattoria del Merlo, a simple 99-seat Bolognese restaurant, at 1967 North Halsted Street. “The concept in general is ‘like it is in Italy,’” says Marani, also the chef. “That means I prepare things with...
]]>The most beloved new restaurant in Chicago right now? Urbanbelly (3053 N. California Ave.; 773-583-0500), Bill Kim’s noodle-and-dumpling BYO in Avondale. On The Huffington Post, Steve Dolinsky called it “the best first-day opening of any restaurant in Chicago,” and approximately a zillion Yelpers, LTHers, and other species of foodies have already weighed in with praise. A pair of trusted FODs who live in the neighborhood went nuts for the...
]]>Erba (4520 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-989-4200), a rustic Italian spot in Lincoln Square that made Chicago magazine's 2007 list of best new restaurants, will close on September 13th, according to Robert Butterfield Jr., the owner. "It's a lack of business," said Alan Pirhofer, Erba's chef. "People are being more cautious with their money. The neighborhood is changing." As for Pirhofer's future, he's...
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