Dish Flash—Death by Degrees
Overheated
Fahrenheit (1890 W. Main St., St. Charles), a new 130-seat stunner that was going to be a boon to the far west suburban dining scene, has closed. The restaurant, led by Spiaggia veteran Pete Balodimas, quickly earned two stars in the Tribune and in Chicago magazine. Heck, we even put it in our Best New Restaurants issue (May 2008). So why did the place pull the plug after only five months of business? “I just think we are a little ahead of our time out in the suburbs,” says Balodimas. “But it’s not the last you are going to hear of me. Trust me on that. Probably heading for the city.” PS: Pete wants to thank all of his regulars who understood what he was doing. He appreciates it. Which, as far as we can tell, means: Where the heck were the rest of you?
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Reader Comments:
thats too bad:(
this is really sad. had first made it out to try it a month ago...and had been back twice already. the food that this chef put together was amazing. it was among the freshest, purest, and best tasting ingredients i have come across. but, yeah, the suburbs of chicago have a mind set that is not compatible with cutting edge of anything....particularly with advanced culinary techniques such as molecular gastronomy :(
So sad. I'm a St Charles native and loved it. The location was absolutely horrible though. Most locals avoid that intersection like the plague becuase of the years of construction. The downtown area by the river is so pretty, why they put it in an ugly strip mall across from an old KFC is beyond me. And the line about being ahead of the curve in the burbs is bull. We supported 302 West for 15 years or so before the chef-owner suddenly died. If this restaurant had been open longer, it too would have found it's clientele. Too bad, I was so excited to have such a great restaurant so close by...
Unfortunately, i am sad to see a dining option near me close (Geneva), but with that said
- the location was ridiculous...at this price point it is not everyday dining but rather an occasion. Given that, I don't want to walk out and stare at a KFC and a taco joint. If Pete wasn't in such a rush, he could have had the 302 W. State St. space in Geneva.
- Pete, to say, "We are a little ahead of our time in the suburbs" not only slaps of arrogance, but, it also shows ignorance. You may know your way around the kitchen but you need to know your clientele too. Affluent family people around this area don't want to be served by early twenty something dingbats (Hell, these are precisely the kids we are trying to get away from by going out for a nice meal).I realize that the labor force in the suburbs is limited as far as professional wait staff goes but you have to know that too and adjust.
- five months?..it is obvious you and your parents pockets were not deep enough for this venture and that sucks for you and them. I must say, I have never seen such a public relations machine like you had. You were the hottest restaurant in every Chicago publication for the last 8 months.
Given all this I wish you best of luck in your next urban adventure....
You put Foam on every dish and you are a marvel. If I knew that as a kid making milk bubbles with a straw, maybe I could have created a resturant only to have it bomb less than 6 months later.
Pete, even the Yugo Automobile was around longer than your place. Nice work! I am sure the next people to lease the space you spent all that money on will thank you. I am sure the listing will read, Foam Resturant with very little wear closes because it was ahead of its time - AKA Ran out of money and was too big for its britches.