May 12, 2018
Julia Belluz | Vox | April 25, 2018
When the Line Hotel opened in Washington, DC, last December, the cocktail bars, gourmet coffee shops, and restaurants that fill its cavernous lobby drew a lot of buzz. Housed in a century-old church, the space was also reputedly beautiful.
My first visit in February confirmed that the Line was indeed as sleek as my friends and restaurant critics had suggested. There was just one problem: I wanted to leave almost as soon as I walked in. My ears were invaded by a deafening din. I felt like a trapped mouse, tortured with loud sounds for the purposes of an experiment. The noise was so irritating, I asked my husband whether we should go before our drinks arrived.
We ended up lingering for about half an hour at the Brothers and Sisters restaurant, straining to hear each other. On the way out, I tried to mention the tough acoustics to someone at the restaurant’s front desk. I don’t think he heard me.
This experience is by no means unique; it’s become a fixture of dining out in America. “What did you say?” “Can you repeat that?” and “It’s so loud in here” are now phrases as common as “Can I take your order?”
Both Zagat and Consumer Reports surveys have found that excessive noise is the top complaint diners have, ahead of service, crowds, or even food issues. Tom Sietsema, the restaurant critic for the Washington Post, also told me noise is “by far” his chief complaint about the restaurants he reviews.
“I’ve been harping on this for a decade by now,” he said. “It’s a constant — a constant irritation.”
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May 4, 2018
Shanti Chu | LoganSquarist | April 2, 2018
While Milwaukee Avenue has pretty much become the hub for new bars and restaurants, fresh places have started to open in the western part of Logan Square this past year. To follow the pattern, X (3433 W. Fullerton Ave.), an artistic, neighborhood bar with a Caribbean-influence, is set to open this spring.
Out to Lunch Hospitality partners Chef Charles Welch, Creative Director Andrew Miller, Director of Operations Hector Gonzales and Lead Bartender Alexandra Wright (Nico Osteria, Lula Cafe, Honey’s) are opening up the bar with Caribbean-themed drinks. It will be a 1700-square foot space with an 85-person capacity with closed-loop gardening for growing drink garnishes and composting waste.
The space will have modern interior elements reminiscent of “San Juan meets the ’80s neon craze” with live music and DJs, according to their press release.
While there are a plethora of cocktails bars in Logan Square, X Bar will be different from these bars in terms of the “energy that they bring” to the neighborhood. They will be doing a tremendous amount of rotating, creative programming with dance performances, punk, poetry, spoken word, etc. Their events can’t be categorized into one genre. There will be a heavy focus on global sounds with musicians from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, in addition to local artists, Wright said.
“There’s a lot to say about a community-based ethos—there’s a lot of value in keeping it tight and organized while still being a little bit rough around the edges,” she said. “There’s a huge artist community on the west side of Chicago that will be excited about a new home base.”
Not only is X unique with their artistic engagement but they trying to be known for their efforts in sustainability. They are committed to finding multiple ways to use the same product in order to lower waste. Lula Cafe served as a major inspiration with their in-house growing of herbs (grown on the rooftop in the summer).
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Apr 28, 2018
Ashok Selvam | Eater Chicago | April 27, 2018
The promising seafood pop-up restaurant from the opening chef at the acclaimed and short lived Honey’s has found a permanent home in Logan Square. Good Fortune will move into the space vacated by The General at 2528 N. California Avenue. Executive chef Charles Welch and creative director Andrew Miller launched the pop-up in August and it lasted through October while whetting the public’s appetitive and earning critical praise.
A news release and spokesperson didn’t provide an opening date. However, diners can already book reservations via Reserve. The first-available date is July 19. Whether they’re calling that the official opening date remains to be seen.
The restaurant is a 44-seater with a nine-seat bar and a 14-seat patio. The pop-up featured a casual atmosphere mixed in with food that showcased Welch’s fine dining skills. Creative spins on scallops, which were reminiscent of taco al pastor, and a braised octopus stood out, according to critic Michael Nagrant. The permanant spot will have more Mediterranean offerings.
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Apr 20, 2018
Jonathan Maze | Restaurant Business | April 19, 2018
As the labor market continues to tighten, restaurants are encountering a new competitor for a thinning pool of employees: Uber.
The ride-hailing service and similar companies that make up the gig economy are adding a new layer to the challenges of finding good workers.
Already facing high turnover and decreasing teenage labor participation, restaurants now have to compete with the independence and flexibility that such services provide to drivers.
“Restaurants are very vulnerable to the gig economy,” Victor Fernandez, executive director of insights and knowledge for the data firm TDn2K, said during the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix this week. When analyzing people who drive for companies such as Uber and Lyft, he said, “We’re really the primary match for that employee.”
Fernandez noted that two out of three front-of-house employees are part-time, working 25 hours. And they typically make low wages.
Those workers can be tempted by the flexible hours and independence that working for one of the delivery or ride-hailing services provides.
“Someone who suddenly discovers Uber is not looking at replacing 40 hours, they’re replacing 25,” Fernandez said. “We’re not offering full-time jobs. That’s why it’s so easy from the money perspective, the money and the flexibility.”
Low unemployment and strong hiring by restaurants have created an environment in which it’s difficult to find employees. Restaurants have added 200,000 jobs over the past year, according to federal data, and have added jobs at a higher-than-average rate for years.
That has shed a light on the competition the industry is facing for a dwindling pool of available workers from a growing number of competitors. Restaurants simply aren’t used to competing with companies that can offer the flexibility that ride-hailing services and other gig employers can provide.
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Apr 14, 2018
Ashok Selvam | Eater Chicago | April 12, 2018
Roscoe Village is getting a restaurant featuring cuisine from southern France. Slated to open this summer, Le Sud is a new restaurant featuring food from chef Andy Motto, last seen in suburban Evanston at Quince, a restaurant that closed in 2015. The new spot, which has had an active social media presence via Facebook and Instagram for the last few months, will also feature rooftop dining at 2301 W. Roscoe Street.
Sandy Chen owns the restaurant, and she’s a familiar name for Chicagoans. Since 1994, she’s run Chen’s (formerly House of Dong Yuang), a Chinese restaurant in Lakeview. Chen has also run Koi Fine Asian Dining in Evanston. French food is an abrupt change for Chen, who also worked at Tang Dynasty, a long-shuttered Chinese restaurant off the Mag Mile. But she’s ready to break out and try something different.
“It’s my dream come true,” Chen said.
Chen said a visit to Nice, France inspired her and that the city reminded her of where she grew up in southern China. They’ll focus on food from Provence, a southeastern region of France near the Mediterranean Sea. The space will have room for about 120 seats inside over two floors and they’ll have bars on each level. Chen’s particularly excited about a rooftop space that has room for about 60. The restaurant was a Mexican spot, Que Rico, before Chen took over. Eventually, they’ll also have a sidewalk patio.
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