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A 230-seat all-night diner downtown: Really? “Yes,” says Peter Sakoufakis, the owner of Eggsperience (35 W. Ontario St.; 312-870-6773). “We opened Monday morning [February 8th] at 6 a.m., and we’re never closing after that. We’re throwing away the key.” The last two inhabitants of the bright River North corner space—Masck and Graze—were…
Given the exuberant décor—salvaged pinball machines, high-school chem-lab equipment, and automotive scraps (the booths made from seat belts are surprisingly comfortable)—you might expect the food to be more playful than satisfying. But there’s more to this lively corner bar than meets the eye, starting with four kinds of empanadas (a steal at six for $7.50) … Read more
Karyn Calabrese serves raw vegan food in Lincoln Park, cooked vegan food in River North, and now at her latest spot—just a block off the meat-and-fish-heavy Greektown—some of both. This entails dishes meant to approximate crab cakes, scallops, short ribs, and fried chicken, as well as her usual uncooked creations, such as a hummus plate … Read more
Joe Bova and Jeff Steinberg, formerly in the entertainment industry and most recently the men behind the chocolate chip cookies at DMK, are expanding the biz. In late January, they plan to open Cookie Bar, a bakery in Lincoln Park that specializes in . . . well, cookies. Think potato-chip chocolate chip and at least … Read more
Pascal Berthoumieux was born and raised in Bordeaux, where he attended culinary school and dreamed of owning a bistro somewhere in France. But Berthoumieux met his American wife on the Champs-Élysées, and Bistro Bordeaux ended up in Evanston instead of Paris. His menu is loaded with all the classics, of course—soupe à la oignon, escargots, … Read more
In case you’re the lone Chicagoan who hasn’t heard the news: Revolution Brewing, the much anticipated Logan Square brewpub from Handlebar’s Josh Deth, opened last Wednesday to great fanfare and epic waits. Our photographer stopped by Saturday evening and snapped a packed house of early adopters sipping from the inaugural lineup of four house-brewed beers…
We organized the vendors we liked by type: breakfast, lunch, grocery shopping, and gift sellers.
Did I ever tell you Thursday is my favorite night out? There’s always something to do, but without the fun! fun! fun! pressure of a Friday or Saturday. And yet, all that delicious weekend anticipation remains intact. If you happen to celebrate a tad too late, it’s a good excuse to take a personal day and enjoy a spontaneously expanded weekend…
Tomorrow, the World!
Maher Chebaro and Nemer Ziyad, the co-owners of dress-your-own-pita spot Falafill (3202 N. Broadway; 773-525-0052), are planning an empire—a chain of Falafills bringing fried chickpeas to the masses. “We are trying to do maybe five this year,” says Chebaro, who is also the…
Those Small Bar guys have been busy: Even as Phil McFarland and Ty Fujimura’s third SB location hovers on the cusp of launching in Lincoln Park (word on the street is next week) and Fujimura readies his forthcoming Japanese restaurant, Arami, in West Town, the duo found a few spare moments to freshen up yet another property in their portfolio. Opening Tuesday in the address last home to the Wicker Park DJ den Lava is The Exchange…
