Here's a look at six buzzed-about venues set to to open this spring.
1. From the owners of Landmark, Perennial, and Boka, Girl and the Goat is scheduled to open in the West Loop in mid-May. 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.
2. Hotel Palomar Chicago will open in River North on March 24. The boutique hotel will house 261 rooms, each equipped with free high-speed Internet access. Some 5,800 square feet of event space will include a 2,555-square-foot ballroom. The hotel will also offer an enclosed rooftop pool.
3. In late May, 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. The 299-seat theater will host live performances and has projection screens. 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. Adjacent to Hotel Palomar, Sable Kitchen and Bar will open on March 24. Executive chef Heather Terhune's New American menu will include corned beef Reuben strudel, bison short rib sliders, and a savory creamed-corn crème brûlée. The owners say that the venue will house the city's largest collection of brown liquors, and mixologist Jacques Bezuindenhout will prepare handcrafted cocktails. Starting this summer, he will lead private groups in whiskey tastings and cocktail-making classes. 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.
5. Beauty Bar, a cocktail lounge with a 1960s-beauty-parlor look, will open its first Chicago location later this month. Offering manicures and specialty martinis, the venue will use Logan Square's Longman & Eagle as its preferred caterer. The West Town nightspot, which already has locations in 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. The Bortz Entertainment Group, which backs venues such as Republic, aims to open Dos Diablos in River North by the end of this month. 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.
