M Restaurant Looks Closed; Chicago Olive Garden

HIGHLAND PARK— Southern-influenced M Restaurant at 675 Central in Highland Park appears to have shuttered, according to LTH Forum. Calls are not being accepted to the restaurant's phone number. [LTH Forum]

AVONDALE— According to a post to its Facebook page yesterday, the Avondale Neighborhood Association will be holding a meeting on Dec. 6 to discuss a proposed Olive Garden in the Kmart parking lot on Addison near Kimball. If you have strong feelings about never-ending pasta bowls, you may want to head to the meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Athletic Field Park at 3546 W. Addison. [Facebook]

RIVER NORTH— Ari Bendersky, former editor of Eater Chicago, joins the ranks of former guest chefs Stephanie Izard and Wylie Dufresne, as the next guest chef in Mercadito's "Tacos for Strength" campaign. His featured taco, a collaboration with Chef Patricio Sandoval, is a Thai chile-marinated shrimp taco with cucumber-mango slaw, avocado sambal puree and toasted peanuts. Proceeds from sales of the taco benefit Share Our Strength, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. Ari's taco will be available at Mercadito through December 31. [EaterWire]
— Mindy Yahr Jaffe
[Photo via Darden]