Openings
Open now: The health-friendy burger joint Rev Burger (22 W. Ohio St., River North, 312-846-1094), has started char-broiling its hormone-free burgers and baking their fries in a new second location (the first is in Carol Stream).
Open now: Osmium Coffee Bar (1117 W. Belmont Ave., Lake View), Dark Matter Coffee’s brand new espresso-focused sibling to Star Lounge in Ukrainian Village, will have Do-Rite doughnuts and pastries from West Town Diner in addition to a line-up of shots and lattes.
Open now: Tony Mantuano’s newbie River Roast (315 N. LaSalle St., River North, 312-882-0100), which opened today, has a very self-explanatory name: It’s right on the river in the former home of Fulton’s, and it’s all about roasted meat and fish.
Thursday, July 24: Longtime Stephanie Izard cohort Jennifer Eisen (who also co-owns Roots Catering and EL Mexican Restaurant in Glenview with her boyfriend/chef Eloin Amador) is striking out on her own with House 406 (1143 1/2 Church St., Northbrook, 847-714-0200), a farm-to-table-focused, rustic spot in her hometown with Amador heading up the kitchen.
Thursday, July 24: Future chain alert: the first location of Bee & Tea (1843 W. North Ave., Wicker Park, 312-878-7597) soft-opens this week. The bubble tea and bao place from the founder of Forever Yogurt has plans for an aggressive expansion across the area in the next several months.
Morsels
As of now, the hungry (or lazy, or both hungry and lazy) masses in the greater Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village/West Town area can get delivery from Leghorn Chicken (959 N. Western Ave., Ukrainian Village, 773-394-4444) starting at 11 a.m. daily. The minimum order is $15 plus a $4 delivery fee—see if your address falls in their drop-off range here.
Need lunch plans for tomorrow? Get in line starting at 11 a.m. at the pop-up food hub known as the Garage (116 N. Aberdeen St., West Loop) for a one-day-only lobster roll special from Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish & Oyster. For $14, you get the sandwich itself and a pile of onion rings—and they’ll be serving until the sandwiches sell out.
It’s a little past peak fish fry season. But Mercadito Fish (10 E. Delaware St., Gold Coast, 312-640-8141) just opened, so consider giving them a pass for their new Friday Fish Fry special, where you can get unlimited fish and chips for $23 a person every Friday.
In over-the-top brunching news, Max’s Wine Dive is setting up a Saturday cartoon-themed brunch, with the s’more-inspired Scooby stack pancakes, six-person ice cream sundae, and DIY candy mimosa bar. The special menu will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. for the rest of the summer.