Dining Tidbits

For March 2008: New, Budget Beat, Sleeper, Discovery

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NEW
Jackson Park Bar and Grill
The promises that Jason Paskewitz has been dangling for more than a year at his River North masterwork include prime aged beef; a prix fixe vegetarian menu; an 80-seat piano lounge; and an enclosed glass wine cellar big enough for 5,000 bottles. "I'm not messing around," says Paskewitz (J.P. Chicago, Wave). "No teeny portions, no small plates, none of that." Manhattan's Gotham Bar and Grill was the blueprint for the restaurant, whose name and décor—timber ceilings, padded walls—were inspired by the 1893 world's fair. "It looks like we pulled it right out of the Columbian Exposition," he boasts. Knowing Paskewitz, we half expect to see a descendant of Little Egypt dancing the hootchy-kootchy in the private winetasting room. 444 N. Wabash Ave.; 312-644-7200. –Jeff Ruby

Photography: Tyllie Barbosa; Food Styling: Christina Zerkis