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No Bull: The scoop on Bull & Bear; plus, a new bar alert and celeb spotting

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Luke Stoioff—along with fellow Stone Lotus partners David Rekhson and Brandon Zisman—has been working on Bull & Bear (431 N. Wells St.), a high-end sports bar for Loopers and traders, for more that a year. Although the place isn’t slated to open until mid-October, the trio already has a slew of other projects in the pipeline, including…

When You Wish Upon A Sushi Bar

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Yeah, I Wish for 10,000 Hamachi Rolls

Andy Park was the executive chef of Blu Coral (1265 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-252-2020) when one of his longtime customers told him he was building a mall. Turns out the guy was Mike Jaffe, the developer of The Arboretum, a soon-to-open 600,000-square-foot open-air lifestyle center in South Barrington. Next thing you know…

Real Good Beer

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While Chicago confronted what sounds like a hailstorm of biblical proportions last week, Texas, where I had road tripped, was busy sandwiching the half-hearted tropical storm Edouard with raging, relentless, stick-to-the-car-seat heat. What better way to wash down rain and rampant sweat than with more moisture, in the form of cold beer? If you’re ever in the Texas Hill Country—that incongruous swath of elevation that rides the Lone Star State’s belly like a giant belt buckle—find yourself a bottle of…

Goodbye, Erba

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Bummer of the Week

Erba (4520 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-989-4200), a rustic Italian spot in Lincoln Square that made Chicago magazine’s 2007 list of best new restaurants, will close on September 13th, according to Robert Butterfield Jr., the owner. “It’s a lack of business,” said Alan Pirhofer, Erba’s chef. “People are being more cautious with their money. The neighborhood is changing.” As for Pirhofer’s future, he’s…

Celebrity-palooza, Bar News, and more

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There are after-parties, and then there are industry parties. Just about every club worth its cover was touting its own “official” Lollapalooza after-party last weekend. The Underground sent out mass emails and text messages bragging that Lindsay Lohan and waify gal pal Samantha Ronson were in the house—they were hanging out while Sammie’s Grammy Award-winning brother (and Sunday Lollapalooza act) DJ Mark Ronson spun at the club…

Dinner Rush Love Story

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No Privacy Issues Here

Here’s a new one on us: Hank Dreyer, owner of the new Wine & Vine (105 S. York Rd., Elmhurst; 630-832-9463), jumped up on the chef’s platform in the open kitchen during the height of dinner last Sunday and proposed to his partner, Beth Corcoran. “Beth, it’s true that I’m married to Wine & Vine,” he said, in full view of his staff and customers. “But I’d much rather…