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2013: The Year In Openings

Eataly
Eataly
Photo: Marc Much

As 2013 winds down we look back at the restaurants that made the most impact upon opening over the past 12 months. Certainly some of these were anticipated from the moment they were announced (Eataly), while others seemed to sneak up on everyone (Smalls).

January
Gene Kato moved from Japonais to open Sumi Robata Bar, the stunningly designed tri-level robatayaki concept in River North. Mike Sula of Chicago Reader called the space "intimate and welcoming" and despite the fact that Chicago has been "inundated with a surplus of nominal Japanese restaurants...Sumi sits at the top of that list."

February
Billy Dec took over Martini Ranch, opening ¡Ay Chiwowa! in its place. Top Chef fan favorite Fabio Viviani headlined the unsurprisingly popular Siena Tavern. And Kuma's Too raged forth at 666 W. Diversey, the most ridiculously perfect address for the heavy metal-themed burger spot.

March
David Dworshak's deft hands made Takito Kitchen stand out despite Wicker Park already having two upscale taco restaurants. Kendal Duque brought respectability to the menu at American Junkie, a sports bar/restaurant/club hybrid, which hopes to spin itself off across the country.

April
Shin Thompson's Kabocha has been more of a grower than a shower, as the restaurant recently nabbed high marks from Phil Vettel of the Chicago Tribune. Some guests have experienced sticker shock at Brindille, but reviews have been strong for Carrie Nahabedian's latest venture.

May
Jason Chan and B.K. Park's Juno has been a hit since opening, garnering a loyal fan base and critical accolades. If 2013 was the year of fried chicken, then Parson's Chicken & Fish was the first batch out of the fryer. Parson's got some temporary assistance from Mike Sheerin and Negroni slushies became the drink of the summer.

June
Fifty/50's The Berkshire Room inside the ACME Hotel was one of the standout lounges of 2013. Smalls, Smoke Shack & More opened quietly but soon had tongues, like the Reader's Sula, wagging. Beatrix has managed to surprise many critics, all the while garnering a devoted fan base. Mott Street distinguished itself from older brother Ruxbin with a shaggy charm. Endgrain became the new go-to place for doughnuts and biscuits. Oh yeah, and OON opened...but we know how that ended.

July
Tiki came back with a vengeance with Paul McGee heading up Three Dots and a Dash, a paradisaical wonderland at the bottom of Bub City. Michael Kornick and David Morton brought their brand of BBQ to Little Italy with County Barbecue.

August
Gaston Acurio stepped up to the plate and hit that sucker right out of the park when he opened Tanta, a nearly unanimous fact around town. CH Distillery brought a different level of fun to going out for drinks, offering guests the chance to view the on-premises distillery. Critics might be split on Travelle, but Tim Graham's menu is a hit with guests. Dillman's had a bit of an identity issue at first, but has found solid ground as the go-to place for workers nearby to enjoy lunch.

September
Dusek's Board and Beer as well as Punch House inside historic Thalia Hall have made quite the impact in Pilsen since opening. Meanwhile, Honey Butter Fried Chicken took their neighborhood by storm, causing fried chicken pandemonium and ridiculously long lines.

October
Losing its starting head chef a month in has done little to dampen the love for The Dawson, Billy Lawless' sprawling new West Town eatery. Chop Shop is the place to get "a piece of meat, flawlessly prepared, without resorting to bankruptcy or starvation," according to the Reader's Sula. Azzurra EnoTavola is laying the groundwork for an incredible 2014, generating positive word of mouth slowly but surely.

November
Matthias Merges has started the call for more restaurants to open in Hyde Park with A10, his Alps-inspired new restaurant. Summer House Santa Monica couldn't have opened at a better time for those seeking a little bit of California in this dreary Chicago winter. LYFE Kitchen, another bright spot, opened in River North with a health-focused menu by Art Smith. For those waiting for a table at either Little Goat diner or Au Cheval, the opening of Lone Wolf is an absolute oasis, and a pretty respectable place to grab a drink regardless.

December
Starting out with the massive food emporium of Eataly and a couple of weeks later its fine dining restaurant Baffo, Mario Batali and company dominated headlines (and will continue to into 2014, no doubt).

Two other big Italian restaurants opened up around Eataly, Nico Osteria (which RedEye's Michael Nagrant gushes over) and Cicchetti, the cool Venetian spot headed up by Mike Sheerin.

German food gets an update from Nathan Sears and Adam Hebert at The Radler. Don Sritong's Coppervine, pairing each dish with a choice of either a cocktail, beer or wine, is a stunner. Humboldt Park got an exceptionally beautiful cocktail bar in Sportsman's Club. And Logan Square's Analogue, from former Violet Hour bartenders Robby Haynes and Henry Predergast, opened with the promise "to take the pretentiousness out of the craft cocktail scene."
· All Opening Reports and Opening Alerts [~ECHI~]
· All Year in Eater 2013 Coverage [-ECHI-]

Sumi Robata Bar

702 N Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60654 (312) 988-7864 Visit Website

LYFE Kitchen, Streeterville (Ontario & Fairbanks)

259 East Erie Street, , IL 60611 (312) 933-1035 Visit Website

Travelle

330 N Wabash Ave Fl 2, Chicago, IL 60611 312-923-7705 Visit Website

Siena Tavern

51 West Kinzie Street, , IL 60654 (312) 595-1322 Visit Website

CH Distillery & Cocktail Bar

564 W. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 312 707 8780 Visit Website

Eataly Chicago

43 East Ohio Street, , IL 60611 (312) 521-8700 Visit Website

Nico Osteria

1015 North Rush Street, , IL 60611 (312) 994-7100 Visit Website

Tanta Peruvian Restaurant

118 W Grand Avenue, Chicago, Il 60654 312 375 2172

Three Dots and a Dash

435 North Clark Street, , IL 60654 (312) 610-4220 Visit Website

American Junkie

68 Pier Avenue, , CA 90254 (310) 376-4412 Visit Website

Dillman's

354 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60654 312-988-0078

Kabocha

925 W Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60607 312 666 6214

Chop Shop

1366 Memorial Drive Southeast, , GA 30317 (404) 370-1818 Visit Website

Endgrain

1851 W Addison, Chicago, IL 60613 773-687-8191

The Dawson

730 West Grand Avenue, , IL 60654 (312) 243-8955 Visit Website

Analogue

2523 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, Il 60647

Cicchetti

100 North Tryon Street, , NC 28202 (980) 299-0039 Visit Website

Baffo

44 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 312.521.8701 Visit Website

Takito Kitchen

2013 West Division Street, , IL 60622 (773) 687-9620 Visit Website

Mott St

1401 North Ashland Avenue, , IL 60622 (773) 687-9977 Visit Website

Brindille

534 North Clark Street, , IL 60654 (312) 595-1616 Visit Website

Lone Wolf

806 West Randolph Street, , IL 60607 (312) 600-9391 Visit Website

A 10

1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615 773 288 1010

Beatrix

834 West Fulton Market, , IL 60607 (312) 733-0370 Visit Website

Summer House Santa Monica

1954 North Halsted Street, , IL 60614 (773) 634-4100 Visit Website

Coppervine

1962 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 773 935 1000 Visit Website

The Radler

2375 North Milwaukee Avenue, , IL 60647 (773) 276-0270 Visit Website

¡Ay Chiwowa!

311 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654 312-643-3200 Visit Website

Honey Butter Fried Chicken

3361 North Elston Avenue, , IL 60618 (773) 478-4000 Visit Website