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Ground Keeper

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River North Ranch

Republic Pan-Asian Restaurant & Lounge, which closed on September 20th, will reopen under the same ownership on October 1st as Farmerie 58 (58 E. Ontario St.; 312-440-1818), a 150-seat “farm-centric” contemporary American restaurant. “It wasn’t doing poorly,” says Brian Newman, the general manager. “We just felt there were better concepts to really utilize this space.” Such as one that employs a former farmer who is dedicated to sustainable, organic products, and dishes such as…

Sugar Power

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Truth Be Toad

Pollack ate her first sugar toad. That’s the amuse Jimmy Sneed sends out to every diner at his just-opened SugarToad (2139 CityGate Ln., Naperville; 630-778-8623). She also tried the sweetbread with a poached egg on arugula (hearty and enjoyable) and turnip soup with smoked bacon (more, please). So what’s up with sugar toads? They’re a nice gesture but…

Go West

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There’s late to the party, and then there’s so late to the ball that Cinderella has already turned back into a scullery wench. Case in point: West Lakeview Liquors, ranked the nation’s ninth-best beer store by ratebeer.com and the only Chicago retailer to crack the top 20, celebrated its 20th anniversary this year on the corner of Addison and Leavitt Streets—but I only found it last week. Fortunately, some wrongs can be righted. Get this Cinderella a beer…

Mantuano’s Renaissance

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Rebuilding Shikago

Chef Kevin Shikami has not only left Shikago (190 S. La Salle St.; 312-781-7300), the Loop spot he owned with his brother, Alan—he has retired from the restaurant business altogether. Shikami (Kevin, Yoshi’s, Jimmy’s Place) recently married and plans to travel with his wife to Southeast Asia, then relocate to Hawaii. Stepping into his shoes is…

Presto Merlo

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High on Merlo

In late September, Giampaolo Sassi and Luisa Silvia Marani, who own Merlo Ristorante and Merlo on Maple, plan to unveil La Trattoria del Merlo, a simple 99-seat Bolognese restaurant, at 1967 North Halsted Street. “The concept in general is ‘like it is in Italy,’” says Marani, also the chef. “That means I prepare things with…

A New Urban Legend

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Rubbing the Belly

The most beloved new restaurant in Chicago right now? Urbanbelly (3053 N. California Ave.; 773-583-0500), Bill Kim’s noodle-and-dumpling BYO in Avondale. On The Huffington Post, Steve Dolinsky called it “the best first-day opening of any restaurant in Chicago,” and approximately a zillion Yelpers, LTHers, and other species of foodies have already weighed in with praise. A pair of trusted FODs who live in the neighborhood went nuts for the…