Dennis Stover OUT at Villains, Whisk Looks For New Location; More Intel

—Dennis Stover is out as chef at Villains Chicago, the South Loop restaurant which relaunched last year. Villains' Marco Silva said they were striving for a more "casual-accesible menu" that would better complement their beer, which led to Stover's departure. Silva and crew will announce a new chef next month. There's no word what Stover, the former chef at Hot Chocolate, plans next.

—Ownership from Whisk say for the last few months they've been looking at sites for a second restaurant. They've looked at spots in Logan Square and Wrigleyville, among others. Nothing is imminent, but look for more burgers, bacon and Ron Swanson fun, as the West Town favorite continues to draw customers for both dine-in and delivery.

—The relaunched Graham Elliot Bistro opened on Tuesday. Elliot is collaborating with DMK Restaurants who will help on the business side. The new menu features many of GEB's favorites. Elliot said he hopes he'll open more restaurants with DMK, adding they're looking at a location in Uptown. Nothing is for sure as Elliot said the chances they'll secure the spot and open is "50-50."

—Though Chicago is getting a new Korean taco spot in River North, that doesn't mean the entire city is embracing of the genre. La Tacorea Asian Mexican Grill, 847 W. Belmont Ave., is closed. Signage for a new restaurant is in the storefront.

[Photo: Eastman Egg Co.]

—The Eastman Egg Co. has scored $1.5 million in funding for expansion, according to the Tribune. They've signed a letter of intent for a new Lakeview location, and the breakfast-centered restaurant has recently added a burger to the menu to bring in more of a lunch crowd.

—For the fifth-straight year, Alinea tops Elite Traveler's list of Top 100 Restaurants in The World. The magazine gave credit to Alinea's pop-ups in Madrid and Miami while the Lincoln Park restaurant goes under renovations. Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas popped up on the list again as the magazine ranked Next at No. 38, rising nine places from last year. Grace debuted on the rankings this year, placing at No. 40, and chef Curtis Duffy was ranked No. 2 in the Best Young Chef Of The Year category.

—The Bombay Breakdown pop-up strikes again next week. The team of Yoshi Yamada and Zeeshan Shah will deliver "Indianish" food from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday at The Long Room's Sidecar. This time the duo is collaborating with Moody Tongue Brewing Co. for food/beer pairings. Try the brisket naan.

—Protein Bar's founder is starting a coffee company. It's called Limitless High Definition Coffee & Tea. They've got a space in Fulton Market and will start roasting beans in May, according to Crain's. Matt Matros wants to eventually take the brand national.