South Loop Loses Another Restaurant

Goodbye, Opera
Ole' Hardwood went up in smoke yesterday after being in business for barely three months. Now, according to Metromix, Opera at 1301 S. Wabash Ave. will be closing after tonight's (New Year's Eve) dinner service. The plan is for the restaurant to be closed for three to four months, reopening as a "gastropubby sports bar," according to partner Jerry Kleiner.

Interior of Opera

Opera was one of the first "trendy" restaurants to open in the area helping to transform the South Loop into the established neighborhood it is today.