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Three Meaty Restaurants Prep for Openings in Wicker Park, Noble Square

By Alisa Hauser | September 19, 2013 11:20am
 Chop Shop, a butcher and restaurant, is preparing to open soon at 2033 W. North Ave. in Wicker Park. 
 Unite Urban Grill, a new bar and grill, is replacing Leopold at 1450 W. Chicago Ave. in West Town's Noble Square neighborhood. 
 Links Taproom, a new bar and restaurant, is replacing Bin Wine Cafe at 1559 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park.
Opening Soon: Chop Shop, Links Taproom, Unite Urban Grill
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WICKER PARK — Steak, anyone? Cask beer and sausages? Grilled meats from a former Pump Room chef?

Food lovers can find all of the above and more inside three new restaurants and bars planning to open soon in the Wicker Park and Noble Square neighborhoods.

Chop Shop at 2033 W. North Ave. plans to open Sept. 29, Eater.com reports.

Located inside a former auto body garage just west of the Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues intersection, Chop Shop's 9,300-square-foot complex offers a butcher and deli, a restaurant, and a music and event venue called the 1st Ward, paying homage to the ward the business resides in.

Chop Shop will open in phases, owner Nick Moretti said.

First to open will be Chop Shop's butcher shop and deli, which will coincide with the Sunday Dose Market held in the event space.  Later, the complex will open its restaurant and bar.

Initially called Chicago Chop Shop, a legal snare with a steakhouse of the same name caused Moretti to drop Chicago from the name, according to Crain's.

Elsewhere in Wicker Park, Links Taproom is replacing Bin Wine Cafe at 1559 N. Milwaukee Ave.

On Wednesday, a sign went up at the bar, just south of the Milwaukee, Damen and North intersection and between a Jimmy John's and Steve Madden shoe store.

The sign coincided with a greeting on the Links Taproom Facebook page: "Well hello there Wicker Park! We are getting closer to the finish line and anxious to share our dream with all of you!"

Links Taproom will serve house-made sausages and hand-cut french fries along with 32 handles of American craft beer, four casks and four wines on tap, owner Mike Quinlan said in May.

Links Taproom hopes to open in late October, according to its Facebook page.

Lastly, in up-and-coming Noble Square — a West Town enclave just south of Wicker Park —  Unite Urban Grill has replaced the shuttered Leopold bar at 1450 W. Chicago Ave.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Joe and Megan Krouse, the grill is just east of Ashland Avenue and a few doors east of the newly opened Ugly Mug Cafe.

Krouse said Wednesday that Unite's opening is scheduled for early November, but cautioned it depends on "how quickly the city acts on inspection requests."

Serving up veggies for the health-conscious as well as meat, which represents a fusion or "uniting" of the husband and wife's preferred foods, the kitchen will be led by chef Bradford Phillips, formerly of the Pump Room.

Chop Shop and 1st Ward venue, 2033 W. North Ave. Ph: 312-342-1909.

Link's Taproom, 1559 N. Milwaukee Ave. Ph: 773-991-4306.

Unite Urban Grill, 1450 W. Chicago Ave. Ph: 312-455-8900.