Federales Logan Square and Eight Upcoming Bars and Restaurants

Wondering what’s in the works in the Chicago area for restaurants, bars, and cafes? Look no further than Eater Chicago’s guide to fall 2022’s coming attractions for dining. Did we miss something? Send Eater Chicago a tip at chicago@eater.com.

December 5

Avondale: The Chicago tavern group behind unfussy watering holes like the Owl and Estelle’s is seeking a late-light liquor license for a forthcoming new bar at 3810 W. Belmont Avenue, according to Block Club Chicago. Four Entertainment Group (4EG) purchased the building, previously an auto mechanic shop, in 2019. To secure the license, the group must collect signatures from more than half of the registered voters who live within 500 feet of the establishment.

Bridgeport: Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, has obtained a permit to build a new outdoor bar with a premium seating skybox but will have to make numerous structural alterations to move forward, according to Chicago Cityscape. These include demolishing eight rows of seats, rearranging entry and exit stairs, and additional modifications to electrical and plumbing systems. A Sox spokesperson confirms that construction has started and will have more details in 2023.

Gold Coast/South Loop/Chinatown: South Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette has several new locations in the works. The chain is set to open outposts inside the Whitehall Hotel at 105 E. Delaware Place and the Best Western Grant Park at 1100 S. Michigan Avenue, according to its website. Additionally, well-known Chicago restaurateur Tony Hu will open a third Paris Baguette in the former home of Won Kow, the 90-year-old Chinatown restaurant icon that closed in 2018 after 90 years. The openings will mark a significant expansion for the brand (which many liken to competitor Tous les Jours), which currently operates a sole Chicago outpost inside Korean grocery chain and food court H Mart in the West Loop.

Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago

Hyde Park: Dawn, a new brunch spot from the owner of Caribbean bar and restaurant 14 Parish, is aiming for a June 2023 opening at 1642 E. 56th Street, the former home of adored neighborhood Italian mainstay Piccolo Mondo, which closed at the end of November after nearly four decades. Restaurateur Racquel Fields tells the Hyde Park Herald that she plans to offer a combination of new American fare and Southern favorites like fried green tomatoes.

Logan Square: Notoriously bro-y bar chain Federales has successfully obtained a permit to build a new restaurant at 2471 N. Milwaukee Avenue, according to Chicago Cityscape. The site formerly housed Marcello’s Father and Son Restaurant, which closed in 2019 after more than 70 years. A section of the pizzeria’s empty building was demolished in late November. The location will put Federales in head-on competition with nearby Estereo, the popular cocktail bar amid an expansion into Fulton Market.

Update, Federales’ owners have confirmed the project with this statement from Four Corners’ managing director Matt Doherty:

Since opening in Chicago’s West Loop in 2016, Federales has continued to be a fan-favorite tequila and taco spot beloved in the City and beyond as we also expanded the concept to locations in Dallas earlier this year and Denver in Summer 2021. We wanted to bring another taste of our popular concept to Chicago expanding with a second Federales location in Logan Square, and we’re excited to offer the same great authentic drinks, creative tacos and industrial vibe to continue building memorable experiences for our guests in 2023.

Batavia: A franchise location of Chicken Salad Chick, advertised as the only U.S. fast-casual chain designed around chicken salad, is approaching completion and will open on Tuesday, December 13 at 220 N. Randall Road in suburban Batavia, according to the Daily Herald. The restaurant will offer more than a dozen different varieties of chicken salad as well as soups, sandwiches, and more. The Atlanta-based chain currently operates more than 220 locations in 17 states.

Homewood: Carmela Wallace, mother of late rapper Jarad Higgins, known to the public as Juice Wrld, on Friday broke ground on a new brewpub at 18225 Dixie Highway in near suburban Homewood, according to the Tribune. Wallace tells reporters that Homewood Brewing Co. will be a tribute to her son, who died shortly after his 21st birthday in December 2019. She’s aiming to open the 18,000-square-foot space in late 2024 in the former home of Bogart’s Charhouse. A native of the area who attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Higgins rose to local and then national fame and became a household name with hit track hit “Lucid Dreams,” which in 2018 peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

October 25

Armour Square: Japanese-style grill Koto Hibachi has announced plans to open this fall at 258 W. 31st Street, ownership writes on its website. While an opening date isn’t yet public, its menu is live online and includes a range of familiar vegetable and protein options such as lobster, salmon, and New York strips. The location previously housed Joy Cafe, a coffee shop that opened in 2017.

Lakeview: The first city location from Richmond, Illinois-based bar Olive Black Martini and Wine Lounge — Olive Black Chicago — is set to take over the former home of neighborhood watering hole Land of Lincoln at 3032 N. Lincoln Avenue, according to What Now Chicago. Owner Wendy Prinn tells reporters that she had initially hoped to open the new outpost at the end of October, but she’s now facing delays as she waits for city officials to approve the business's liquor license.

West Loop: New York City-based taco chain Tacombi has announced plans to expand into the Midwestern market and launch its first Chicago restaurant in summer 2023 in the West Loop, according to What Now Chicago. The chain aims to grow from 13 to 75 outposts over the next five years in cities including Washington D.C. and Miami. That growth is due in part to a $27.5 million investment from famed restaurateur and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer through his investment arm, Enlightened Hospitality Investments.

West Town: Decorated craft beer maker Old Irving Brewing will expand into the former Finch Beer Co. space at 1800 W. Walnut Street in a move that reveals fierce competition and high financial stakes at play in the industry, according to the Tribune. The new space, which has housed four breweries over 10 years, gives Old Irving an opportunity to install a 30-barrel brewhouse and build a taproom, slated to debut in 2023, and thus insure a reliable revenue stream for the business. The brewery’s original location on Montrose Avenue will remain open.

Schaumburg: Los Angeles-based Mochinut, a cafe chain that specializes in chewy mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs on sticks, will open a suburban outpost at 191 W. Golf Road in Schaumburg, says co-owner Victor Lee. He writes that the team is currently in the early stages of building out the space and aims to open in spring 2023.

September 30

Andersonville: Tex-Mex restaurant and bar Lonesome Rose has applied for a liquor license at 5308-5310 N. Clark Street, the former home of Octavio Cantina & Kitchen and short-lived LGBTQ bar the Birdcage. The project is from Land & Sea Dept., the hospitality group behind numerous restaurants including Longman & Eagle, which opened an outpost of Parson’s Chicken & Fish last summer in Andersonville. An opening time frame is not yet established, but a rep promises plenty of indoor seating, a large bar, and a back patio.

Bronzeville: Local development and engineering firm Milhouse Development in September announced a proposal for the Grove Bronzeville, a three-story food hall and market slated for a property at 4731-59 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, according to Block Club Chicago. Milhouse leadership tells reporters that they aim to design the first floor with stalls for Black women entrepreneurs, and weave in a collaborative coding training program with House of Attention that will create a so-called “metaverse restaurant” to offer diners a virtual vacation while they dine. The group hopes to close on the property and go before Chicago’s Plan Commission by November or December.

Englewood: A collective of Chicago entrepreneurs, architects, and designers called E.G. Woode has announced plans to build a $5.3 million space with two restaurants and a test kitchen at 1022 W. 63rd Street, according to Block Club Chicago. Dubbed the E.G. Woode Food Hub, the location will house casual soul food spot Pass the Peas and Ellie’s Urban Grill, a fast-casual restaurant with wings, salmon croquettes, and more. Operators aim to launch the project in fall 2023.

Old Town: Gianni Gallucci, champion competitive pizza maker and owner of Gallucci Pizzeria Napoletana, is at work on a project called Gallucci Italian Imports at 301 W. North Avenue, according to What Now Chicago. Patrons can expect a variety of Italian meats, cheeses, and wines, as well as New York-style pizza (whole or by the slice), square-cut slices, and sandwiches on semolina bread.

Wicker Park: The Robey hotel will open Clever Coyote, a new tiki bar, in the building’s long-unused 1,579-square-foot second-floor space on Thursday, October 6 at 2018 W. North Avenue, according to the Tribune. Beverage director Michael Choi plans to offer his interpretationofon classics like the Rye Tai, which substitutes rye whiskey for traditional rum, and charcoal-infused Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden fans may appreciate that one) with mezcal, tequila, and roasted grapefruit syrup. Cafe Robey chef Michael Elliott will supplement the drinks with a menu of chicken wings and steamed bao. Tiki is a complicated subject, with some bars distancing themselves from the old concepts, which has triggered some fans who are worried about so-called cancel culture. It’s the first tiki bar to open in Chicago since Lost Lake closed in Logan Square.

Wicker Park: Pizza Metro, which has been closed for the summer isn’t permanently shuttered at 1707 W. Division Street. Many feared the worst after seeing the windows papered up. Owner Marco Schiavoni emails Eater Chicago writing that his Roman-style pizza shop, a clutch late-night eatery, will reopen in mid-October after they freshen up the space.

Wicker Park: Sushi+ Rotary Sushi Bar never got off the ground during the pandemic at 1352 N. Milwaukee Avenue. So there’s been new signage for a hot pot spot called Shabu+ Rotary Hot Pot.

Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago

West Loop: Levain Bakery, the East Coast brand with a cult following drawn by its massive, gooey cookies, will open its first Chicago location in November at 840 W. Randolph Street, the former home of adored watering hole Maude’s Liquor Bar, according to Crain’s. Chicagoans have eagerly awaited news of a launch since the project was first announced in March, marking the company’s 11th outpost since its founding in 1995. Another shop is slated to open soon in Los Angeles.

West Town: Veteran Chicago chef Dan Weiland, previously of well-known restaurants including Avec, Blackbird, and Forbidden Root, is aiming for a spring 2023 opening for his new restaurant Lili at 1934 W. Chicago Avenue, according to What Now Chicago. Would-be diners can get a sneak peek, however, at a series of pop-ups Weiland is holding through the fall. His new American menu includes options like a ratatouille and goat cheese tart, burrata with charred tomato sauce and pickled watermelon rind, and malted hanger steak.

West Town: Jake Potashnick, a chef who’s built a strong social media presence on TikTok and Instagram has plans to take over the former Tamale Guy Chicago and WHISK space at 2018 W. Chicago Avenue. The restaurant would be called Feld, and he held a pop-up in September at Nine Bar in Chinatown. Potashnick says in a TikTok post that he’s going to gut the space, which he is in the process of buying — not renting.

For a list of coming attractions from fall 2022, click here.