Here's a look at 10 highly anticipated venues scheduled to open in the coming months.
1. In September, Chicago's first JW Marriott will open in the Loop. The property will take over a Daniel-Burnham-designed bank building, which is currently undergoing a $396 million renovation. The venue will offer 609 guest rooms, 29 suites, a 20,000-square-foot spa, a fine-dining restaurant, and a combined bar and lounge. Some 44,000 square feet of event space will include two ballrooms and more than 30 breakout rooms; green meeting packages will be available. Last year, the Raidological Society of North America booked the hotel's first block of rooms, reserving more than 2,500 for the November 2010 conference.
2. From the owners of Landmark, Perennial, and Boka, Girl and the Goat will open in the West Loop this spring. Chef Stephanie Izard, winner of the fourth season of Top Chef, will offer a menu of Mediterranean-inspired small plates. With exposed brick walls and timber accents, the 4,400 square-foot-venue will seat 125 and host receptions for 175. An elevated semiprivate area will seat 30.
3. This spring, Mayne Stage and Act One Cafe will open in the former Morse Theater. Built in 1912, the Rogers Park venue has served as a vaudeville theater and a movie house; currently, it's in the final stages of a multimillion-dollar renovation. Denise McGowan of McGowan Durpetti and Associates will book talent for the theater, which has projection screens and 299 seats. At the in-house restaurant, executive chef Jimmy Madla will serve New American cuisine. The eatery and the theater will both host private functions.
4. A combined pub, restaurant, and inn in Logan Square, Longman and Eagle will open in stages. On January 20th, its restaurant will open; the upper-level guest rooms will debut this spring. With an open kitchen and hickory-wood accents, the 1,000-square-foot eatery will host seated dinners and cocktail receptions for 80. Executive chef Jared Wentworth's menu offers unusual bar snacks such as chickpea fries with spicy harissa ketchup and Kobe meatballs with creamy polenta and parsley pesto. Other options include a wild boar Sloppy Joe and pork-belly confit with pumpkin risotto and soy-caramel broth.
5. Beauty Bar, a cocktail lounge with a 1960s-beauty-parlor look, will open its first Chicago location in March. Offering manicures and specialty martinis, the venue will use Longman and Eagle as its preferred caterer. The West Town nightspot, which already has locations in cities such as New York and Las Vegas, will be available for full and partial buyout. Its interior will be decked with salvaged fixtures from a shuttered salon in Springfield, New Jersey.
6. In late March, Sable Kitchen and Bar will open in River North. Executive chef Heather Terhune's New American menu will include house-made sausages and flatbreads prepared in a brick pizza oven. Owners say that the venue will house the city's largest collection of brown liquors, and mixologist Jacques Bezuindenhout will prepare handcrafted cocktails. Inspired by 1940s Hollywood, the decor will include golden columns, tufted-leather chaise lounges, and a blown-glass chandelier. With a 34-seat lounge, a 48-seat main dining room, and a 24-seat secondary dining room, the venue will be available for full or partial buyout. Later this year, a patio will open and provide seating for 36.
7. The owners of Bull and Bear plan to open a beer-centric restaurant at the corner of State and Kinzie in August. At the 400-capacity spot, tables will feature the personal beer taps that Bull and Bear is known for, but owners say that the new venue's taps will have updated, "funkier" features. The main dining room will have an approximate capacity of 250, and a lower-level private dining room will hold about 150. A special feature of the room will be a row of 10 to 12 beer taps fitted into the wall, which owners refer to as the "tasting wall." The venue is as-yet unnamed, though "State Street" will likely be in its title.
8. Based in Detroit, Leo's Coney Island will open its first Chicago location in late January or early February. Set to occupy a space in Lakeview's Southport Corridor, the venue will dish out a casual menu of hot dogs, fries, burgers, and chili; Greek specialties such as gyros and spinach-cheese pie will also be available. The restaurant will seat 100 inside, and owners plan to expand with an outdoor patio this spring. Full and partial venue buyouts will be available.
9. The Bortz Entertainment Group, which backs venues such as Republic, will open Dos Diablos in River North this spring. A casual Tex-Mex restaurant, the space will be decked with tin ceilings and Mexican artifacts, and will host private and semiprivate events. With a cantina-style bar and a sidewalk cafe, the venue will serve homemade tamales, fajitas, and frozen margaritas.
10. The owners of Four Corners Tavern Group, which operates WestEnd Bar & Grille, have announced plans to open a new bar and restaurant this summer. Though details are sparse at this point, the venue will be located at 1510 North Wells St. in Old Town and will host private events.
