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Will These Lincoln Square Restaurants Finally Open In 2017?

By Patty Wetli | January 5, 2017 8:06am

LINCOLN SQUARE — After a flurry of year-end restaurant openings that included Jolibee and the Davis Theater's Carbon Arc, we put together a list of 2017's anticipated restaurant openings in and around Lincoln Square.

If some of these sound awfully familiar, that's because a number of them are holdovers from 2016 that didn't manage to open as expected.

Here are some of the sure things, some of the highly-likelys and some of the questions marks diners can look forward to in the next 12 months.

1. Kitsune, 4229 N. Lincoln Ave.

The Japanese-inspired Kitsune is aiming for an opening "near, on, or shortly after" Jan. 20, according to a recent email newsletter from chef Iliana Regan.

The restaurant will initially serve dinner only, with lunch and brunch to follow "as early as mid-February or as late as April," Regan said.

Elizabeth, Regan's Michelin-starred restaurant in Lincoln Square, will be closed through Feb. 7 for minor renovations, as well as to allow the chef and her team to focus on Kitsune's opening.

 

Hiring!

A photo posted by Iliana Regan (@elizabethrestaurant_and_co) on

2. Chubby Wieners, 4662 N. Western Ave.

After months of speculation from fans that the Lincoln Square hot dog stand was closing, owners finally revealed the opposite was in the works — a grand reopening is set for Jan. 31. The first 200 customers will be treated to a free Chicago-style wiener. 

4. Eris Brewery and Cider House, 4240 W. Irving Park Road

Business partners Michelle Foik and Katy Pizza announced their plan to convert a former Masonic Temple into a cider house/brew pub/restaurant back in December 2014.

At the time, the pair estimated a fall 2016 opening, pending major alterations to the 4½-story building, which required significant work just to meet current codes, much less to function as a brewery.

Foik and Pizza have provided progress updates on social media: Recent milestones included the arrival of cider tanks, a boiler and windows.

"We are looking forward to next year," they said as 2016 came to a close.

5. Spiteful Brewery and Taproom, 2024 W. Balmoral Ave.

Announced in January 2016, Spiteful's expansion to a larger production facility and taproom in Bowmanville has been a long time coming. Permits were filed in December 2016 for extensive alterations to an existing one-story manufacturing building.

Fun fact: Spiteful shares an architect, Cheryl Noel of Wrap Architecture, with Eris.

6. Miko's Italian Ice, 4125 N. Kimball Ave.

Further proof that 2016 was a crap year: Fans waited in vain all summer for the grand opening of the Irving Park outpost of Miko's.

"Looks like April" — of 2017 — owners shared on Facebook.

7. Sweet Virginia's Kitchen, 5131 N. Damen Ave.
Owners have kept up a steady stream of updates on Facebook, including teasing future patrons with news that the restaurant will serve Bobtail Ice Cream and Metropolis coffee when it opens — sometime in early 2017.

8. Pork & Mindy's, 4359 W. Irving Park Road

When the first Pork & Mindy's opened in Wicker Park, the second location, announced for Old Irving Park, appeared poised to follow soon. A year later, Pork & Mindy's inked a deal to serve "creative BBQ" at Wrigley Field ... and still no Old Irving.

Pork & Mindy's response, on Dec. 22, to a Facebook query regarding the status of the Old Irving location: "Nothing to share at the moment. We appreciate your patience. Lots of plates spinning."

9. Costello's, 4647 N. Lincoln Ave.; Mash, 4535 N. Lincoln Ave.; Finch Kitchen, 2925 W. Montrose Ave.

Whatever takes the place of the restaurants formerly known as Costello's, Mash and Finch Kitchen, our vote is that the owners name at least one of these joints Brown Butcher Paper.

10. Nick's Pizza & Pub, 2434 W. Montrose Ave.

News that Nick's would occupy the former Grand Tour space (which closed after less than a year), was slightly premature. Owner Nick Sarillo said he still has "high hopes" for the site, but the details of a lease have yet to be finalized.

11. The Budlong Hot Chicken, 4619 N. Western Ave.

First quarter, 2017, according to owners. We know, you've heard it all before but check this out ....

12. Aldi, 2431 W. Montrose Ave.

For folks who prefer to dine in, inexpensively, the wait for Aldi to wrap up remodeling at its Montrose store has been excruciating.

The store closed in March 2016 and is set to reopen "this winter," according to a spokeswoman for the company.

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