Highly Rated Schwa Closes; Trotter’s Celebrates 20 Years

IN THE NEWS: TimeOut Chicago’s Heather Shouse and others report the Oct. 7 closing of chef-owner Michael Carlson’s highly regarded two-year-old contemporary restaurant Schwa (1466 N. Ashland Ave.; 773-252-1466). … David Tamarkin profiles Charlie Trotter on the 20th anniversary of his influential restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s. (Interestingly, some of the celebrity chefs in attendance for the [...]

‘Gourmet’ Lauds Prairie Grass Cafe, Frontera Grill

Gourmet magazine’s October 2007 issue features a guide to “America’s Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants.” gourmet.com:
RESTAURANTS WITH FARM CONNECTIONS: 2nd Street Bistro, Livingston, MT; Amherst Chinese Food, Amherst, MA; Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN; Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, NC; Eve, Alexandria, VA; La Provence, Lacombe, LA; Lantern, Chapel Hill, NC; Pacific’O and I’o, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii; Tree House [...]

Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe Closes Doors

IN THE NEWS: Chicago magazine Dish columnists Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby note the opening of Asian fusion spot Thalia (833 W. Chicago Ave., 312-226-6020) and report: Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe (1701 Maple St., Evanston) unexpectedly shuttered its doors on Sept. 16, while Delicioso y Sabroso Grill, Geno Bahena’s two-pronged Mexican restaurante just off the [...]

Revived Palmer House Readies Lockwood

IN THE NEWS: Chicago magazine’s Dish columnists Peggy Pollack and Kevin Ruby note the $150 million renovation of The Palmer House Hilton, which includes a new restaurant called Lockwood, a 125-seat contemporary spot with French and Italian touches. It launches in early November in the former Windsor’s Bar and gift shop spaces with exec [...]

Flagship Ann Sather to Close, Relocate

IN THE NEWS: Gapers Block’s Drive-Thru blog reports the flagship Ann Sather on Belmont is closing temporarily, as soon as next month. Alderman Tom Tunney has sold its building and has begun renovation on 909-913 W. Belmont, the building just east of the entrance to the Sather’s parking lot (and former home of the alderman’s [...]

Chef Eastwood’s Olo Set for Late October

IN THE NEWS: The Tribune’s Phil Vettel gives one star to Cooper’s Hawk (15690 S. Harlem Ave., Orland Park, 708-633-0200) and notes the planned late-October opening of chef Sean Eastwood’s (late of Isabella’s Estiatorio in Geneva) Olo (1152 W. Randolph St.), while Monica Eng’s Cheap Eats gives two forks to the Ethiopian eatery Blue Nile [...]

A Year Later, The Effect of Foie Gras Ban

IN THE NEWS: The Tribune’s Phil Vettel blogs about the one year anniversary (Aug. 22) of Chicago’s controversial ordinance banning the sale of foie gras taking effect. Vettel notes the only person fined in defiance of the ordinance has been Doug Sohn of Hot Doug’s (3324 N. California Ave) … Vettel also notes that Sohn [...]

‘Conde Nast Traveler’ Notes Local Eateries

IN THE NEWS: Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s August 2007 issue features Chicago and mentions the restaurants NoMi in the Park Hyatt, North Pond (2610 N. Cannon Dr.), Spring A Restaurant (2039 W. North Ave.), Atwood Cafe (Burnham Hotel), Cafe des Architectes in the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, Heaven on Seven (111 N. Wabash), and Manny’s [...]

Mag’s Best-Ofs Tap La Sardine, Toro Sushi

IN THE NEWS: Chicago magazine’s August 2007 Best of Chicago issue includes critics picks for La Sardine (111 N. Carpenter St.) as Best Affordable French, City), Toro Sushi (2546 N. Clark St.) as Best Cheap Sushi, and Pasticceria Natalina (5406 N. Clark St.) as Best New Bakery. … Critic Dennis Ray Wheaten reviews new gastropub [...]

Mag Picks Alinea As Its National Favorite

IN THE NEWS: City magazine in New York has named its 101 favorite restaurants in the country, with Alinea ( 1723 N. Halsted St., www.alinea-restaurant.com). No. 1 overall. city-magazine.com … From Chicago magazine’s Dish column: “Birthday greetings to the rib joint Twin Anchors (1655 N. Sedgwick St.), celebrating 75 years in Old Town. … [...]