Graham Meyer

Dish tipsters noted that Grocery Bistro (804 W. Washington St.) is papered over, usually the sign of doom. Not this time... Read more

Coming soon in the food-truck caravan is Gaztro-Wagon, which will sell “naanwiches” when it first launches. Gaztro’s maestro is Matt Maroni, who also runs chicagofoodtrucks.com... Read more

Two Sides of the Same Franc
Here’s the news on Rendezvous Bistro (2656 W. Lawrence Ave.; 773-561-4400), a new traditional French spot in Ravenswood, followed by Pollack’s first impressions from her visit:
News: Rendezvous’ owner, Simon Yacobi, worked at Kiki’s Bistro for 24 years, first as a waiter to earn pocket money while at the University of Illinois–Chicago, and eventually as a manager. Read more

Already the site of the recent openings of Aldino’s and Davanti Enoteca, Little Italy will soon get a new paired restaurant and bar. The restaurant, One.Six One (1251 W. Taylor St.; 312-226-1611), is named for the golden ratio (a.k.a. phi or 1.618 and so forth)... Read more

Monday is the inaugural trip for Flirty Cupcakes, the mobile cupcake seller that managed to find a way to comply with Chicago’s strict food-truck laws. Here’s where the Flirty van plans to stop... Read more

Burgers in Bloom
Three weeks ago, we reported on a new, more upmarket second location of Poag Mahone’s planned for 195 North Dearborn Street. Dan Rosenthal, Poag’s owner, tells us a more downmarket Poag is in the works as well... Read more

When you buy a wagyu burger, you enter in a cycle of pampering. The cows legendarily get their massages and beer, and then you indulge yourself by spending a mint to buy the burger. A new menu item at The Bad Apple (4300 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-360-8406) puts that cycle in a whole new gear... Read more

When Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, business partners at Alinea (1723 N. Halsted St.; 312-867-0110), drop even a few crumbs of information about their future projects, people become like teenage girls around rock idols. (Case in point: Normally intelligent journalists thought Achatz and Kokonas were opening a bar called Boom.) Well, get ready for unbridled screaming. Achatz and Kokonas plan to open Next, a restaurant with a concept unlike any we’ve heard of before... Read more