City Tavern to open in Grace O’Malley space this May

 Grace O’Malley's was located at 1416 S. Michigan Ave.

According to Chicago magazine’s online Dish column, Kendal Duque and the folks that own Chicago Firehouse and WabashTap, will open City Tavern a “18th-century tavernesque” at 1416 S. Michigan Ave. The menu is being created by Kendal Duque, the chef at Chicago Firehouse, according to Dish editors Penny Pollack and Graham Meyer.

According to Dish, the bar and dining areas have been “united.” Kind of a fancy way of saying they knocked down a wall! The atmosphere is supposed to evoke Revolutionary-era inns of New England.

Dish says the menu will be small, but focused on “ingredients,” according to  Duque. The ingredients will be “simple” and “elegant.”

Grace O’Malley’s closed in February 2011.

When we learn more details, including the exact opening date, we’ll post here.

Baltzley Out, Letrero In at Tribute

Set to open in June at 800 S. Michigan Ave.

 
According to a Twitter post by Chicago Magazine's dining editor, Penny Pollack, chef Brandon Baltzley is out at chef of Tribute set to open June 21, 2011. Replacing Baltzley is Lawrence Letrero who was chef at Karyn's on Green on Green.

A check of today's Tribute's Twitter page reveals the change (see below).

Gioco: It's Open!

Penny Pollack from Chicago Magazine called it on April 20, 2011, and she was right. If you walked by Gioco this evening, you would have seen that the South Loop landmark is open for business.

As promised, Gioco was open for business tonight.

Now that Gioco is open again, will you be dining there any time soon?

Gioco Set to Reopen April 27

According to Chicago Magazine dining editor, Penny Pollack, Gioco is set to reopen on April 27.  Pollack tweeted the news today at 5:29 p.m. According to Pollack's tweet, the renovated space will include "new seasonal dishes + antipasto table w/cured meats, veggies, & cheeses."

A inside view of the popular Italian restaurant and South Loop landmark

It will be nice to see Gioco reopen. That area of Wabash was getting a little gloomy. Are you looking forward to Gioco reopening? Will you be dining there?