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07/02/08

04:43 PM

Tree Huggers

Chop Down the Tree, Plant a New One
Oak Tree Restaurant (900 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-751-1988), a Chicago institution that has held court in the Bloomingdale’s building for 18 years, has closed for three months so the space can be gutted and reintroduced on October 1st as Oak Tree Restaurant & Bakery. “It’s a little tired, design-wise,” says Hale DeMar, the owner. “It’s a very, very sophisticated neighborhood, and we are going to provide a new environment: stylish, urban, cosmopolitan...

06/25/08

06:49 PM

Power Play

Jerry Rigged

Now that he’s got Park 52 (5201 S. Harper Ave.; 773-241-5200) and Room 21 (2110 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-328-1198) under his belt, Jerry Kleiner is looking for the next big score. Or, rather, scores. In October, Kleiner plans to open a 120-seat “nice little Italian eclectic” spot at 8 First Avenue in downtown Hinsdale. After that, he’s got his eye on Old Town, specifically an old warehouse garage in the 1400 North block of Wells Street. “I had to dig out a basement, so I’m getting to the...

06/18/08

05:38 PM

Wine, cheese, and seat belts

Mass Marketing

“About a year ago I made the decision that we had outgrown what we were doing,” says Eric Larson, the owner of Marion Street Cheese Market (100 S. Marion St., Oak Park; 708-848-2088). So Larson moved the market across the street into a 4,200-square-foot space, which houses a retail gourmet shop, a “cheese-centric” 60-seat Euro-style deli and...

	Southern: Big Jones Gumbo ya-ya and mud pie add a modern touch to Big Jones' menu Jeff Ruby
	Stress Test One writer goes behind the scenes with Paul Kahan, Donald Madia, and the rest of the control-freak brain trust at a highly stylized 4,200-square-foot beer hall on West Fulton Market—Chicago’s... Cassie Walker
	Dining Tidbits For June 2008: Perennial, Simplegourmet, L.20, Topaz
	Big Opening: His Way On Graham Elliot Bowles' new River North space Jeff Ruby
	Rant: Overly Precious Menus Too-cute menus annoy us Jeff Ruby

Tree Huggers

Power Play

Wine, cheese, and seat belts

Southern: Big Jones

Stress Test

Dining Tidbits

Big Opening: His Way

Rant: Overly Precious Menus

Front Burner: Graham Elliot Bowles

Recipe File