EaterWire: Le Lan's new chef, Five Guys Burgers, New City Awards, Zanzibar open

RIVER NORTH—Now that Bill Kim has up and left to open Urban Belly, Le Lan was left without an exec chef. But those days are over. The restaurant just announced they're promoting chef de cuisine Chad Starling to the top spot. Starling, who helmed the kitchen at Saltaus before it shuttered, also worked briefly at Blackbird and Tru. He'll continue the tradition of serving innovative French Vietnamese-influenced dishes started by Kim. [EaterWire]

LINCOLN PARK/OAK PARK—Move over Fatburger, an even newer burger joint is coming to town. Virginia-based Five Guys Burgers will open two locations in the city this year; the first should launch in early November in Oak Park, the other in Lincoln Park by December. The chain, described as a notch below California's In-N-Out Burger, is known for its plump juicy burgers and hand-cut fries that are served with either salt or Cajun seasoning. [Stew]

EDGEWATER—As we reported earlier, the latest spot to open up on Bryn Mawr, helping to restore the street to its former glory when the Edgewater Beach Hotel sat on the actual beach (before LSD and landfill moved the water's edge far away), is Zanzibar, a cozy bakery and cafe. Some residents are excited about it, but others fear its prices and negative imagery brought up by the Zanzibar name (think: slave trade) won't make it a good spot. Truth be told, anything that helps clean up the neighborhood is better than watching cops swoop in on gangbangers. [EaterWire]

CHICAGO—Want to make your voice heard? There's more than just the big election going on Nov. 4 -- New City is currently taking nominations for its Best Of Chicago 2008 Audience Poll. You can weigh in on a number of topics, but when it comes to food, start thinking about the best new restaurant, best pork belly, best foie gras, best bubble tea and more. [New City]