Do-Over Diner In Ukrainian Village Closing 2 Months After Replacing Jeff & Judes Deli
https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/16/do-over-diner-in-ukrainian-village-closing-2-months-after-replacing-jeff-judes-deli/

Per Facebook, Berwyn GNR Big Guys is closing restaurant operations but continuing catering. Not unexpected after some setbacks and fundraising to offset but a loss to be sure.

cleanplateclub wrote:Curious about Lizzy J Cafe at 2205 W. Montrose. They seem to be closed during their usual hours every time I drive by and some on-line reports are saying “temporarily closed.” They were always packed and were a great option for the area - hoping it is just temporary.

To quote myself, looks like Lizzy J’s is closed. Windows are papered over and there’s been no social media since June. Also seems the phone is disconnected. Sad about this one.

A $5.3 Million Restaurant Hub Will Open In Englewood Next Year: ‘We Want To Do Something Different’
The food hub will house Pass the Peas, a soul food restaurant, and Ellie's Urban Grill, a sports and entertainment eatery. Pop-up restaurants will serve a range of cuisines

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/19 ... different/

Boutique grocery store Wild Fork plans to open store in Orland Park

Wild Fork, a boutique grocery store specializing in higher end frozen meat, poultry and seafood, plans a store in Orland Park.

At a meeting Tuesday, the village’s Plan Commission endorsed the project, which would be built at the northwest corner of La Grange Road and 149th Street. A vacant International House of Pancakes restaurant would be demolished to make way for the 5,000-square-foot store.
The Florida-based chain has a handful of locations in the Chicago area, including three stores in Chicago and others in Evanston and Skokie. The Orland Park location would be its first in the Southland.

Artie wrote:Boutique grocery store Wild Fork plans to open store in Orland Park

Wild Fork, a boutique grocery store specializing in higher end frozen meat, poultry and seafood, plans a store in Orland Park.

At a meeting Tuesday, the village’s Plan Commission endorsed the project, which would be built at the northwest corner of La Grange Road and 149th Street. A vacant International House of Pancakes restaurant would be demolished to make way for the 5,000-square-foot store.
The Florida-based chain has a handful of locations in the Chicago area, including three stores in Chicago and others in Evanston and Skokie. The Orland Park location would be its first in the Southland.

Also opening in Glenview at the southeast corner of Lake and Waukegan.

Wild Fork is also opening a store in Oak Park, on the southeast corner of Lake & Harlem (in the former Gap space) per a poster in the window. I wonder whether they signed that lease before the announcement that Dom's will be opening directly across the street, in the former Marshall Field's building.

Epic Kitchens, a ghost kitchen housing multiple restaurant kitchens under one roof, has closed its Lakeview location less than a year after opening.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/22 ... er-notice/

Dave148 wrote:

Epic Kitchens, a ghost kitchen housing multiple restaurant kitchens under one roof, has closed its Lakeview location less than a year after opening.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/22 ... er-notice/

Epic fail.

=R=

Two quick updates. A couple of openings around Madison and Franklin.

Fare opened a few weeks ago in the old ROM space in the Hyatt building. Ummm ... jury's still out. It's pricey (for what it is: a bowl with added protein can go over $15). Healthy/wholesome bowls mostly. It does convey a made-from-scratch vibe and the food is good - not great (case in point, a beautiful-looking avocado toast with what they call a soft-boiled egg -- it's a cold, not-quite-hard-boiled egg for an extra $2). Not a particularly good execution and the egg adds nothing. A poached egg option would have improved the dish somewhat):

https://www.foodbyfare.com/

Kinsley opened this week in the UBS building. Beautiful expensive-looking space with sit-down dining and a bar. Outdoor seating as well. Menu is eclectic but speaks my language with all-day breakfast options. Pricey as well but portions are generous. Reserving my food impressions because I've only eaten one item so far. Have a full set of taps for draft lattes/kombucha/cold brew. Nice assortment of desserts.

https://kinsleychicago.com/

On the way to work this morning the Bacci Pizza location at the southwest corner of Ridge Ave. and Touhy was there, on the way home it was gone. All signage removed and the location does not show up on the corporate website.

Later on in the journey I noticed new signage in the windows at 301 W. North Ave. saying "Coming Soon: Gallucci Italian Imports". Appaers to be connected to Gallucci Pizzeria Napoletana around the corner on Wells.

Dave148 wrote:

Epic Kitchens, a ghost kitchen housing multiple restaurant kitchens under one roof, has closed its Lakeview location less than a year after opening.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/09/22 ... er-notice/

It looks like the South Loop one is closed too. 1250 S. Michigan, Formerly Pita Heaven, which I think was absorbed in some way into this concept.

pudgym29 wrote: [edit]
This venue has looked closed and desolate for a while, but I did not have my camera to take a photograph until Sunday. Considering I took out from here a few times during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was O.K. But if you venture out here to 5752 W. Belmont Ave. and it really, really is closed; there are a bunch of other nearby restaurants from where you can take out.

I enjoy answering myself.
Saturday, I was again on a westbound route #77 Belmont bus heading to Oaktoberfest in downtown Oak Park. I had my camera, but I was not expecting this.
Somebody has reopened Best Sub #3. There are a pair of new neon signs in the front window.
Again, there are a lot of other choices on this stretch of W. Belmont. Maybe you will give this new ownership a shot. I likely shall at some point.

Meatheads at 6734 N. Lincoln in Lincolnwood has closed. Reported as closed on Google and Yelp, removed from company website.

A new middle Eastern fast casual restaurant by the name of Ya Hala Restaurant opened on the competitive Dempster street in Morton Grove.

Ya Hala Restaurant
6023 Dempster St
Morton Grove, IL 60053
https://www.yelp.com/biz/ya-hala-middle ... rton-grove

Some shake-ups at Lake and Milwaukee in Glenview;

Long-time hot dog joint Moondoggies is now The Kangnam Korean Pub
1702 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL 60025
No phone or website, Google says it's open. Moondoggies had been on hard times for a while, they'd downsized their storefront a couple years ago, it wasn't enough.

Buncha Hanoi is now Long-An Pho and Bubble Tea. Still serving Vietnamese, it's possible it's the same management.
1705 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL 60025
https://www.skiplinow.com/shop/904352l
(847) 813-9150

JoelF wrote:Long-time hot dog joint Moondoggies is now The Kangnam Korean Pub

Kangnam Style!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGc_NfiTxng

JoelF wrote:Some shake-ups at Lake and Milwaukee in Glenview;

Long-time hot dog joint Moondoggies is now The Kangnam Korean Pub
1702 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL 60025
No phone or website, Google says it's open. Moondoggies had been on hard times for a while, they'd downsized they're storefront a couple years ago, it wasn't enough.

Buncha Hanoi is now Long-An Pho and Bubble Tea. Still serving Vietnamese, it's possible it's the same management.
1705 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview, IL 60025
https://www.skiplinow.com/shop/904352l
(847) 813-9150

Moondoggies was my family's go to casual spot in the 90's and aughts, well above average fast casual. Korean pub sounds like it might be cool, lots of exciting asian options in that area.

The Evanston location of Clarke’s is being renovated into Mas Salud Kitchen and Bar.

Dave148 wrote:The Evanston location of Clarke’s is being renovated into Mas Salud Kitchen and Bar.

I wonder whether this place is related to Salud Kitchen on West Montrose near the Edens Junction (especially based on the "Mas" - Más? - in the name).

polster wrote:Bonchon is opening a NEW location in Skokie on Touhy ave on a preliminary opening date next month on Sep 15th.

https://bonchon.com/location-details/skokie-w-touhy-ave
5237 West Touhy Avenue, Unit 7
Skokie, IL 60077

Open

Dave148 wrote:The Evanston location of Clarke’s is being renovated into Mas Salud Kitchen and Bar.

Just to be clear, this is regarding the former location of Clarke's on Clark St between Orrington and Sherman, not the Clarke's space on Davis. It is connected to a Chicago restaurant according to an employee.
https://evanstonnow.com/restaurant-renovation-might-resume-this-week/

Trying to get a read on this but Xi'an Dynasty in Lincoln Park may have closed abruptly. If so then kind of sad. Google has it closed. We walked by today and everything is still in there but there was one of those locks with a code entry on it (like one of those realtor ones almost). Not sure if it's some landlord thing but I hope it's actually just temporary. No sign in the window and there was a normal update from them on their Google profile from 3 days ago to order food. I almost feel like someone saw the lock assumed they are closed forever and edited their profile.

They had a few pretty legit items on their menu and definitely had better stuff than the other major Xi'an place in town IMO.

Will try and find more but...very possible. Hope not.

cleanplateclub wrote:

cleanplateclub wrote:Curious about Lizzy J Cafe at 2205 W. Montrose. They seem to be closed during their usual hours every time I drive by and some on-line reports are saying “temporarily closed.” They were always packed and were a great option for the area - hoping it is just temporary.

To quote myself, looks like Lizzy J’s is closed. Windows are papered over and there’s been no social media since June. Also seems the phone is disconnected. Sad about this one.

It’s true: Lizzy J Cafe is closed permantly in North Center. The breakfast restaurant, known for its spicy French toast syrup and other morning specialites, closed around Easter at 2205 W. Montrose Avenue.

https://chicago.eater.com/2022/8/8/2329 ... -fall-2022

Ganache Bakery is taking over the location formerly known as Maier’s Bakery in Morton Grove.

9328 Waukegan Rd.
Morton Grove, IL 60053

Dave148 wrote:Ganache Bakery is taking over the location formerly known as Maier’s Bakery in Morton Grove.

I hope this is no relation to the bakery of the same name that was in Evanston in the 1980s. Their cakes were very good, but the owner's attitude towards customers was just plain nasty.

Baghdad restaurant on Oakton just west of the Yellow line has closed and their windows are papered over. They held off on indoor dining till about June or July of this year and it cost them. Also Annie's a block west is not reopening. There is a sign in the window announcing an online auction for their kitchen equipment on October 20th; preview the day before.

Pauly wrote:Also Annie's a block west is not reopening. There is a sign in the window announcing an online auction for their kitchen equipment on October 20th; preview the day before.

FYI = Annie’s is supposed to be the in-house restaurant for the new hotel being built just west of the current location.

The site that was originally Edwardo's and most recently Palamuru Grill in Wheeling on Dundee just east of Milwaukee is now Social Bar and Grill. Looks to be Southern, with a small emphasis on burgers.

Social Bar and Grill
401 E Dundee Rd #401-411, Wheeling, IL 60090
https://socialbarandgrill-il.com/
Open 7 days noon to 1am, 2am fri-mon

Pauly wrote:Also Annie's a block west is not reopening. There is a sign in the window announcing an online auction for their kitchen equipment on October 20th; preview the day before.

Woah!!