New Restaurants
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| 545 North |
545 N. Milwaukee Ave. |
Libertyville |
847-247-8700 |
| BB's |
22 E. Hubbard St. |
Chicago |
312-755-0007 |
| Brockway Chophouse |
110 N. Brockway St. |
Palatine |
847-963-0600 |
| DeLaCosta |
465 E. Illinois St. |
Chicago |
312-464-1700 |
| Marigold |
4832 N. Broadway |
Chicago |
773-293-4653 |
| Niche |
14 S. Third St. |
Geneva |
630-262-1000 |
New Nightspots
| Name |
Address |
City |
Phone |
| Agave Bar & Grill |
3115 N. Lincoln Ave. |
Chicago |
773-404-1800 |
| Bluelight |
3251 N. Western Ave. |
Chicago |
773-755-5875 |
| Jun Bar |
2050 W. Division St. |
Chicago |
773-486-6700 |
| Weegee's Lounge |
3659 W. Armitage Ave. |
Chicago |
773-384-0707 |
Coming Soon
Cru Café & Wine Bar
Debbie Sharpe's Gold Coast wine bar (888 N. Wabash Ave.) reopens in October – expanded, refurbished and accompanied by an outpost of her Goddess and the Grocer gourmet market.
Fiddlehead Cafe
Taking over the remodeled Square Kitchen space in Lincoln Square (4600 N. Lincoln Ave.) sometime in October, this New American will showcase seasonal eats from chef Robert Levitt (del Toro, 312 Chicago); Square Kitchen will remain open until the transition is complete.
Good Deals and Other News
Throughout football season, Bears fans can dine at Gioco's à la carte brunch (9 AM–2 PM), then hoof it to nearby Soldier Field, leaving their car with the valet ($10).
The 1890s-era McCormick Mansion is a perfect setting for murder. Select Mondays through November 20th, Lawry's hosts "Murder at the McCormick Mansion," with role-playing and clue-gathering during a "Dinner to Die For." A cash bar accompanies the "reading of the will" to kick things off. Dinner follows, during which guests sleuth and interview one another to solve the crime (6:30 PM cocktails; 8 PM three-course dinner; $93.50 per person; reservations required; 773-267-6400).
On the heels of the recent gastronomic glut in Naperville comes another Western 'burbs restaurant boom. Lombard's Yorktown Center is mushrooming with no less than 16 new restaurants, from recently opened outposts of Capital Grille (87 Yorktown Ctr.; 630-627-9800) and Rock Bottom Brewery (94 Yorktown Ctr.; 630-424-1550) to a proposed Miller's Ale House with 50 beers on tap to a McCormick & Schmick's opening in January 2007 across the street from the center on Butterfield Road (technically in Oakbrook). Meanwhile, the old Montgomery Ward space will house multiple eateries scheduled to debut in June 2007, among them Brio Tuscan Grill (an upscale Italian), and branches of RA Sushi, Flat Top Grill and Adobo Grill.
Every Tuesday starting October 3rd, NoMI's wine team hosts "Cellar Notes," a guided blind tasting of up to 10 wines and spirits of a particular varietal or region (5:30–7:30 PM; $20–$40 per person based on the selections of the week; 312-239-4030).
Pre-prepared "Take it and Make it" meals are now available with 24-hours notice. The menu changes monthly and includes a few simple cooking and plating instructions (a three-course dinner is $35 per person; 847-205-4433).
From October 16th–21st, this Indian-Latin River Norther celebrates Diwali with special menu items such as minted malai kebabs (slow-roasted lamb marinated in cream and yogurt and laced with mint); nawabi biryani (rice and vegetables with marinated goat meat, served with spicy chutney and a fruit-nut yogurt sauce); and saffron phirnee (rice-flour pudding flavored with saffron). There will also be decorations – hand-painted clay votives, the fragrance of tropical roses and jasmine, traditional colorful rangoli patterns – and sparkling cocktails meant to invoke celebratory fireworks. The week culminates with a lounge party on the 21st featuring a guest DJ spinning the sounds of Bollywood, bhangra and Indian fusion beats (10 PM; free admission; 312-527-4060).
- Max & Benny's (Streeterville branch only)
- Thyme Café