Martha Bayne, Mike Sula and Anne Spiselman
Even without Charlie Trotter, the Elysian Hotel opens two terrific new restaurants. Plus: the return of Sepia's Kendal Duque and eight more openings
Show: Funny Ha-Ha Loves You Readings and performances by James Kennedy (The Order of Odd-Fish), comedian Cameron Esposito, Poetry magazine associate editor Fred Sasaki, and poet Robbie Q. Telfer (Spiking the Sucker Punch), along with short films by Steve Delahoyde. Claire Zulkey (An Off Year) hosts.
6:30-8pm, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave., 773-227-4433 or 866-468-3401, $5 suggested donation to benefit Neighborhood Writing Alliance.
Dinner: The Southern The former Chaise Lounge is now the Southern, a more casual bar and restaurant featuring the regional cuisine of chef Cary Taylor (Blackbird, Ambria, Avenues). One of several restaurants that are too new to review.
1840 W. North Ave., 773-342-1840
Prairie Fire, the latest restaurant from Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris of suburban Prairie Grass Cafe, opened today in the former Powerhouse space at 215 N. Clinton. The extensive, eclectic menu ranges from appetizers like warm baked feta with banana peppers, duck and chicken liver patés, Asian-style shrimp and ahi tuna, and pizzas to 20 entrees including steaks, Greek-influenced dishes, five fish preparations, and a breaded pork schnitzel.
Leo's Coney Island of Chicago, the local outlet of a Detroit mainstay for Coney dogs, breakfast, burgers, and other diner standards, opened soft in Lakeview last week; its official opening is Monday, February 15.
Chef Cary Taylor’s regional-American reworking of Chaise Lounge, the Southern, opened Friday, featuring dishes with a southern twist such as duck cassoulet with black-eyed peas. There’s also a decent selection of cocktails (including mint juleps and Planter’s Punch), bourbons, and southern beers at what’s touted as being a “kickass bar.”

Bravo to the great Calumet Fisheries, which was just given one of the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics Awards honoring "small, regional restaurants, watering holes, shacks, lunch counters, and similar down-home eateries that have carved out a special place on the American culinary landscape."
Following last year's feature on No Reservations, the humble south-side shack's profile has blown up quite a bit. But it wasn't always so.
Celtic Knot

posted by amyd
This space hasn't changed a bit since it was the Roxy, which means it's a...
North Pond

posted by mwasse
North Pond is located in one of the most beautiful sites for a restaurant in...
Cafe Sushi

posted by Alyson Naimoli
Instead of going to our favorite sushi restaurant, Kamehachi, we decided to visit Cafe Sushi,...