04/23/08
His Ship Has Landed Trattoria Valle d'Itria (581 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park; 847-266-0600), a casual retreat that opened in the former Tapis Rouge space April 18th, utilizes the talents of three cousins. Chef Giovanni Chirulli is a Kendall College graduate who worked for the Pacific Princess cruise line—yes, The Love Boat—and studied in restaurants throughout Europe. MaryAnn Carioscia brings catering experience to the table. Maria Giallanza has a business management degree. Their menu covers familiar territory: veal marsala,...
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04/16/08
We’re Not Gonna Bake It Our favorite new bakery these days is Twisted Sister Bakery (1543 N. Wells St.; 312-932-1128), which opened three weeks ago in Old Town. “I’ve collected and tweaked hundreds of recipes over the past 30 years,” says Lisa Alexander, a partner. “They are all the things that I love.” She loved them so much that when her husband persuaded her to quit her job as a nurse manager at Illinois Masonic and open a bakery, she did just that, teaming up with her best friend, Doug Lee (who didn’t quit his day job as a gastroenterologist). We loved the chocolate...
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04/09/08
Re-Engaged Dirk Flanigan and Billy Lawless, the men behind The Gage (24 S. Michigan Ave.; 312-372-4243), have secured the 2,000-square-foot space next door, and are moving forward with a new concept. “We are still working on what we want to do,” Flanigan says, “but I can tell you that it’s going to be one of the coolest spots in Chicago—if not the coolest spot on Michigan Avenue. It’s going to be really, really cool...
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04/02/08
Ryan’s Hope Chef Ryan Poli, who had a huge following at Butter, has returned to Chicago to become the chef de cuisine at Perennial (1800 N. Clark St.), the upcoming spot from Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm (Boka, Landmark). “Things just sometimes don’t work out the way you want them to,” Poli says of his recent jaunt to Phoenix, Arizona. “So I decided to come back to Chicago. It’s where my passion is.” Poli also spent about a year interning in various standouts in Spain, including...
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03/26/08
What, Nothing from Bangladesh? Miss Asia (434 W Diversey Pkwy.; 773-248-3999), a 70-seat BYO in the remodeled Thai Me Up space, has opened, and it may cover more square miles than any Asian restaurant in Chicago. “The main thing is the Thai cuisine,” says Charoen Amornpheerakul, the co-owner. “But we have Cambodian dishes. Indian dishes, Chinese. Mongolian, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Nepalese. Also Singapore.” Most of Amornpheerakul’s kitchen staff are Thai, but he brought in chefs that specialized in many of the above countries’ foods to train his...
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03/19/08
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things As if the name weren’t a giveaway, Chocolate Grape (chocolate-grape.com) (2113 W. Division St.; 773-772-3990), slotted to open in early April, specializes in pairing wines and chocolates together. “The concept came from my family,” says Rehanna Grady, a partner in the 65-seat café. “My brother, in earning his master’s from DePaul, had to create a business plan and a pro forma to show that the business would be profitable.” The plan was for a wine and chocolate café, and the family thought it was such a...
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03/12/08
Next Gig Giuseppe Scurato (formerly of Boka and MK), who recently parted ways with Fox & Obel, has joined forces with Branco Palikuca (owner of Amber Cafe, 13 N. Cass Ave., Westmont; 630-515-8080) to open Topaz (780 Village Center Driveway, Burr Ridge; 630-654-1616), a 150-seat contemporary American place in a new shopping center. “It should be ready to open by the beginning of April,” says Scurato, whose plans to open his own place are still on hold. “Most of our ingredients will be organic. We’re not going to ...
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03/05/08
6 Questions for chef Tony Priolo, 37 Priolo, 37, is leaving Coco Pazzo on March 29th to open Piccolo Sogno (“little dream”), a casual, 80-seat Italian restaurant in the former Thyme/Timo space (464 N. Halsted St.) D: You’ve been at Coco Pazzo a long time. Why the change?
TP: It’s been 11 years. I love this place but it’s time for me to give it a try on my own. I owe it to them to make sure this place is still going to be the same, so I’m training Chris [Macchia] from [Coco Pazzo] Café. He’s one of my best friends.
D: Where are you from originally?
TP: Grew up on Northwest Side by Harlem Avenue. Went to CHIC...
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02/27/08
Coming Soon Briejo (211 Harrison St., Oak Park), a promising spot in Oak Park's arts district, is slotted to open in early May, with a helping hand from Jody André (Speakeasy) and Nicole Parthemore (She She). André and Parthemore are developing the menu for Brigette Lytle's "American eclectic" restaurant. "It'll be fine dining but a lot of comfort food," says Lytle. "Like a center cut pork chop seared in a butter brandy. A truffled risotto. Also very thin-crust pizzas as well. Maybe five a night." Quotable "Any time a person goes into a delicatessen and orders a pastrami on white bread...
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02/20/08
Bubbly Cuisine When Alinea alums enter kitchens elsewhere, it’s always interesting. Andrew Brochu, 26, a veteran of Grant Achatz’s kitchen, has been named the exec chef at jazz lounge Pops For Champagne (601 N. State St.; 312-266-7677)—a seemingly unlikely place for an Alinea disciple. “I am working with the wine director to make sure that everything is Champagne-friendly,” says Brochu. “A lot of seafood, a lot of light flavors, nothing too sharp that will overwhelm the Champagnes.” For example, Brochu developed intriguing small plates such as Bollinger-poached lobster with smoked paprika risotto, pickled fennel, and lobster broth; and desserts such as chocolate cake with raspberries, milk pudding, violet gel, and...
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