Excited for Summer and Fall Openings Logan Square

radler
1. The Radler is going to be a Bavarian beer hall and restaurant that uses locally sourced meat and produce. They plan to bring the cooking traditions of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic to the 21st century. They will serve fresh locally-made Bavarian styles of craft beer, as well as aged beer.

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2. The Harding Tavern is a new restaurant/bar slated to open this summer. The owner is Esam Hani, who also runs the Latin American restaurant Cafe Con Leche in Logan Square. Photo courtesy of Ed.

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3. I’ve seen this guy a few days in a row painting over the Theissen Printing sign on the building. This is where Chicago Distilling Company is opening up. Spirits like vodka, whiskey and amaro will be produced on site and tours will be given on the distillation process. There will also be a bar and a retail area to sell their different products.

In addition to these three, there are many other confirmed and rumored places coming to Logan Square, within walking distance of my condo, in the next several months:

4. The guys from Scofflaw are opening something in the old Bonny’s space.

5 & 6. Russ Grant from Boiler Room is opening two new places! A burger spot called Parts and Labor will open on Milwaukee just north of the square. He’s also opening a speakeasy-style bar called Prindiville in the building of the old mental health clinic that was shut down on Milwaukee Avenue.

7. Daddy Cool’s was open for about 3 seconds before it closed. In its space, the guys from Innjoy will be opening Madison Public House. They say this place will be pretty similar to Innjoy, which has been a popular Wicker Park bar for .. ? .. ever?

8. Las Islas Marinas closed recently and they say that the guys at Violet Hour will be opening something here. Ohh, Whistler, you better watch out!

9. Ronny’s has been shut down for quite some time and finally someone is opening something in the space. Land and Sea Dept. (who do Longman & Eagle, Empty Bottle and Parson’s Chicken and Fish) are said to be opening California Point, which will have a Bavarian theme and will serve sausages and soft pretzels. Can Logan Square handle TWO new Bavarian restaurants?

10. I only visited Rewster’s Cafe on Kedzie/Diversey once, but I really liked it and was a little bummed when it shut down. The Logan Square tapas restauarant Azucar is rumored to be working on a new spot to take the place of Rewster’s.

11. Reportedly, the owners of El Souk, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in the Gold Coast, are opening a Middle Eastern restaurant in Logan Square. It will be on the first floor, below Suite 25 and next to Rocking Horse on Milwaukee Avenue. I thought it might be open by now, but I can’t even figure out the name of it.

In addition to these 11 (!!!!), there were a few places that opened this spring that we’re already frequenting! As well, there is at least one storefront getting worked on that I can’t figure out anything about. Anyone know anything about the spot next to Chicago Diner?

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12. Parson’s Chicken and Fish is just around the corner and we’ve been there THREE weekends in a row already to hang out on the patio and sip cool drinks while indulging in the fried fish and grilled chicken, which we prefer over the fried chicken. Parson’s came to us from the Land and Sea Dept., mentioned above (#9). Since it’s opening in mid-May, Parson’s has become a real hot spot, even though it’s kind of out of the way on Armitage/Humboldt.

13. Intelligentsia opened just north of the square at the end of April. I visited with Jess once, and don’t get me wrong, I love Intelligentsia, but I don’t think I’ll go that often.. just because I pretty much have to walk past 5 other coffee shops to get there. I think I will still walk out of the way sometimes, though! I think it’s funny that the Intelligentsia says the reason they wanted to open in Logan Square is because it’s where their employees live and where they like to hang out.

14. Polanco, a Latino steakhouse opened in the old Real Tenochtitlan spot. The Reader says there are some hits and misses, but I feel like we need to check it out for ourselves one day!

Loving living in Logan Square!! Anything that I’m missing in this list?

New Places Over the Weekend

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On Thursday, we had dinner with Adam, Christine, Todd, Kelly, Brian, Sara and Josh at City Winery. None of us had been here before (it’s been open for about 5 months) and our friends are really into wine, so they were definitely interested. City Winery has its house wine on tap and a long list. We drank the tap wine from carafes. Our friends who know said that the list was overpriced. Overall, we thought the food was good, but no one thought any of it was outstanding.

scofflaw_menu

scofflaw

Scofflaw has been open in Logan Square for about 10 months, but I just made it over for the first time on Friday. I met Paul and Kate and Alden for fancy drinks (I had hot buttered rum) and some great food. I thought it was funny that the cocktail menu had a glossary! Loved the atmosphere, and we got there earlyish so getting a great spot to sit was no problem. Can’t wait to go back.

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Frasca is not new by any means and I’ve been there many times, but not for a couple years! So, new in my mind recently. On Saturday we met friends for brunch and I ordered a cup of coffee and a small bloody mary and didn’t realize the bloody mary came with a baby beer chaser. I didn’t drink it, but the beverage lineup, along with a glass of water, made it look like I was going to be very hydrated. I also had a great omelette.

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Market is not new, but I’d never been there. We went on Thursday before and after dinner at City Winery. The guys discovered that they have ping pong tables there, so we were back after brunch on Saturday to play. On both days, I had hot toddys.

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On Saturday night I met Alden at the new Peruvian sports bar in Logan Square. It’s called Suite 25 and we were there to watch the Packer game. It’s only been open for about a month, so I was excited to check it out. We thought it was fine for the game. Plenty of TVs, one a projector. Lots of seating at the bar, a row of booths, and plenty of high tops. One sort of weird area with cheesy leather couches that look like they were purchased from one of those furniture stores on Milwaukee Ave, but whatever. Some dudes plopped down on it and seemed happy enough. I’d recommend leaving as soon as the game is over, especially if the game is ending at 10pm, because this strange DJ came on and played horrible music and people started coming in dressed like they were at a club. Even though the place was filled with sports fans and 20 TVs were playing Sports Center.

We had to get out of Suite 25, so we headed over to Boiler Room. Ok. This is definitely not new. And not new to me. But it’s where the night and the weekend ended. On Sunday, after visiting all these places all weekend, my butt barely left the couch!

What’s The Haps In Logan Square

Every time I walk around Logan Square there’s something new happening. Here are a few photos from a few recent walks. First, from the end of August:

I noticed Galerie F on Milwaukee Avenue, just south of Fullerton. According to their website they “specializes in silkscreen gig posters, art prints, and street art are open to the public six days a week, no appointment necessary.”

This was already on my radar, but I noticed a few weeks ago that Chicago Diner has papered up the windows with “Something Veggie This Way Comes” which always makes me get this Jakob Dylan song in my head. Chicago Diner is a vegan restaurant that has been in Lakeview for almost 30 years. This will be its second location and it’s in the old Logan Square Kitchen space.

From a mid-September walk:

I noticed this teal blue building renovation back in 2010 and speculated that was where Jam was going to go. Well, we know that’s not true, because Jam opened on the Boulevard. The building has been empty, as far as I can tell, for two years, but now there is a sign saying that Suite 25, an ultra sports lounge (?), is opening. Not sure what to make of this place.

Dos de Oro is going out of business. Big sales, everything must go. Maybe time for me to get a pair of kickass cowboy boots? Also? I think this place used to be called La Casa del Vaquero, and used to have some crazy stuffed buffalo, horse and ostriches in the windows a few years back. Wonder what happened.

The Loft Bar is not necessarily new. Dallas and I noticed it a few months back. I find it odd that I can barely find anything about it online. It’s pretty much in the car wash, the way that the Philly’s Best is right there too. Anyone know anything?

I keep hearing about Orchestra Hall lately. I think it just opened not too long ago. I guess it’s a recording studio + performance space + they have classes?

Late in August, I heard that the old Max Gerber showroom was being demolished. By the time I went over to take a look, it was pretty much gone.

Later on in September, all that’s left now is a green fence around an empty lot.

I contacted Alderman Joe Moreno to find out what was going on. All he would say is that “The owner has decided to take the building down for security and financial reasons… There is no immediate plan to build at the location yet.” I could give you a whole list of things I’d like to see there, but the #1 request is a supermarket!