News for Restaurants in Chicago September 2012 Archive Search / Openings / Closings / Chef Shuffle / News Bytes / Culinary Events / Wine Dinners / Sign up for our free, monthly newsletter / News Archive Read about the openings, closings, chef shuffle, and special events in Chicago here. Gayot's Restaurant News has the information you want on the local restaurants in Chicago.   CHICAGO RESTAURANT NEWS Openings Bill Kim's BellyQ in the West Loop has opened its doors, ushering in tabletop dining with infrared grills, plus communal seating and a karaoke room. On the menu? Everything from rice puff and spinach salad to tofu hot pots; grilled, banana leaf-wrapped salmon; and a double-smoked bacon and kimchi pancake turned from a wood-burning oven, all in the space that once housed One sixtyblue. BellyQ, 1400 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607, 312-563-1010.   Rick Bayless plans to open another outpost of Frontera Fresco at Northwestern University's Norris Center. In other words, students are about to have it very, very good thanks to a menu of gussied-up tacos, salads and tortas. Look for it in late October. Frontera Fresco, Northwestern University, Norris Center, 1999 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60208, phone not available.   Jellyfish has opened its doors in the Gold Coast neighborhood, featuring a menu designed by Harold Jurado (Chizakaya, Japonais) and sushi chef Andy Galsan (SushiSamba Rio). That translates to not just nigiri and sashimi. Expect skewers, rice and noodle dishes and a whole bunch of signature rolls, too. Lunch & Dinner daily. Jellyfish, 1009 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611, 312-660-3111.   The crew behind Longman & Eagle plans to open The Promontory in the Hyde Park neighborhood early next year. Chef Jared Wentworth will man the kitchen. The Promontory, 1539 E. 53rd St., Chicago, IL 60615, phone not available.   Thai Dang's Pan-Asian Embeya has opened in the West Loop. The L20 and Ria vet teamed with Attila Gyulai (Elysian), rolling out a menu of shrimp dumpling with toasted almonds, cilantro and lettuce, and short ribs with red romaine and pickled vegetable. Dinner nightly. Embeya, 564 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661, 312-612-5640.   Iliana Regan's Elizabeth Restaurant is slated to open in the next few days, with a nine, 12- to 14-, and 25-course ($65 to $205), by-ticket approach intact. Regan's already fabled underground dining series and hand-honed pierogies have earned her a following. Elizabeth Restaurant, 4835 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60625, 773-681-0651.   News Bytes Anniversary Celebrations at Zealous Zealous is celebrating its 19th anniversary with three specials. Through September 29, chef Michael Taus is offering a five-course menu ($85, plus tax and gratuity) featuring the "best of the best" dishes from the restaurant's history. There's also a "blast from the past" selection on the menu for diners that wish to order à la carte. In addition, guests that bring a bottle of 1993 vintage wine can enjoy it without a corkage fee. Zealous, 419 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL 60610, 312-475-9112.   Chef Shuffle Jason Chan is no longer with Urban Union, which he opened with Michael Shrader a few months back. Next, he plans to do something with B.K. Park (ex-Arami). Urban Union, 1421 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607, 312-929-4302.   Michael Dean Reynolds (The Gage) is now the executive chef at Leopold, where he plans to lighten dishes and offer a monthly, four-course menu with wine pairings. That'll mean offerings like seared scallop with shrimp bisque, tomato confit and a baguette crisp, and braised goat with Corsican feta polenta, roasted grapes and pistachios. Leopold, 1450 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60642, 312-348-1028.   Dana Cree is now the pastry chef at Blackbird, where she's making bubblegum in-house. Yep, bubblegum (in flavors like wild strawberries or banana. But she's also whipping up Scandinavian-inspired finales, like buttermilk custard. Cree's experience includes posts at Poppy in Seattle, Alinea and Spago Beverly Hills. Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661, 312-715-0708.   Erling Wu-Bower (The Publican) has filled Koren Grieveson's role at avec. avec, 615 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661, 312-377-2002.   Fresh off a stint at Armani/Ristorante in New York, Andrew Deuel has been named executive chef at Tesori, the upcoming restaurant in the one-time Rhapsody space. Expect a French and Italian-inflected menu, complete with fresh, ragù-sauced pasta and pizzas. Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly. Tesori, 65 E. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60603, 312-786-9911.   Closings CLOSED FOR GOOD Take your taste buds on a walk down memory lane! Check out our exclusive closed restaurant database for Chicago to virtually visit your favorite dining spots from yesteryear. The Dining Room, R.I.P. Charlie Trotter's, the iconic, eponymous restaurant from a chef who planted Chicago on the culinary map, has closed. Charlie Trotter's, 816 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, no phone.   CULINARY EVENTS Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area. View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in Chicago

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