Acadia Opens Tonight

Acadia, the latest upscale restaurant to open in the South Loop, makes its debut tonight. Located at 1639 S. Wabash Ave., this new venue looks stunning. If the pictures on their Website, blog and Facebook page are even close to accurate, you’re sure to be impressed if you pay them a visit. According to the restaurant’s blog, the name “Acadia” means was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern day Maine. The word Acadia comes “from the Arcadia district in Greece, which since classical antiquity had the extended meanings of ‘refuge’ or ‘idyllic place.’” Well, the space certainly look idyllic. They’re taking reservations for New Year’s. To take a peek at their menu, click here.

If you’re one of the lucky patrons this evening, or later in the week, please let us know what your experience was like.

Looking for a new place to eat? Try Chicago's O'Hare Airport

Fine Dining at O'Hare?
Today's Chicago Crain's has a story about upscale restaurants moving into O'Hare. Airports, and O'Hare is one of them, are looking for ways to increase their non-airline-related business by improving the restaurant choices at the terminals. Chicago's own celebrity-chef Rick Bayless has opened Tortas Frontera in O'Hare's terminal 1 and has plans to open another in terminal 3.

Food with a Chicago Flavor
Chicago Aviation Commissioner, Rosemarie Andolino says that the airport can increase revenues by offering better restaurant choices, many which are unique to Chicago, like Tortas Frontera. This strategy of "going upscale" with airport dining has worked in New York City, increasing their restaurant revenues by 25%. Chicago is hoping it can do the same.

What do you think? Would you spend more for a meal at the airport? Do upscale airport restaurants make sense for Chicago?