Could Delish Diner Be Opening Soon?

A new sign has gone up above Delish Diner, the new project from the owners behind Picante. Word on the street is that it's slated to be a retro-style atomic diner with checkered floors, neon, etc. Unlike Picante, it'll be a sit-down spot.

The black wooden barricades announcing its presence have been up since late last year, but most of the construction work has gone on behind the scenes and out of view from the street. This new retro-style illuminated sign mentions nothing other than burgers and chili, not even the diner's name. And call us crazy, but the sign's arrows are remind us of its neighbor across the street, Innjoy.

(Image via Planet 99)

Okay, maybe not. Either way, we're beyond pumped for this addition to Division Street and can't wait until more details are released. There's been very little ink spilled about this project thus far, so it should be a nice surprise.

Could the sign mean they're getting closer to opening or is it just another tease? Intel is always welcome.

Welcome, Prasino! New restaurant (and sidewalk cafe) planned for 1846 W. Division St. in July

If you're anything like us, yesterday's 80+ degree weather makes you hungry (and thirsty) for some summertime sidewalking on Division Street. Last week, Chicago Magazine broke the story that a seasonal, contemporary American spot, Prasino (pronounced PRAH-suh-no), is coming to 1846 W. Division St. The good news? It opens in late July. The best news? It's bringing with it an 100-seat sidewalk patio.

 What the building looks like now

 A digital rendering of the completed building (via ChicagoNow)

We spoke to Ephi Maglaris, part of the team of family members involved in the restaurant, to get the low-down the new location:

• The eco-chic spot has a solid contemporary American menu that highlights local, sustainable and seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expect a full-on breakfast, with pancakes, eggs, crepes, etc, with lighter, upscale options for dinner -- salmon, braised short-ribs, wraps and entree-sized salads. (And all menus have plenty of healthy, vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free options.) 
• The menu will be more or less the same as the one that's posted here, and a smoothie and juice bar cafe will be offered at this location. The spot has been racking up accolade after accolade since it opened in 2009. Click here for the full run-down, but it includes Rising Pastry Chef and Best New Chicago Restaurant.
• The focus on sustainability goes beyond food, with energy-efficient appliances, faucets, and building materials. In fact, many of the raw materials for the Wicker Park location were once destined for a landfill and will now be reclaimed.
• The family-owned restaurant, with locations in St. Charles and LaGrange, is going for both an urban feel and familial vibe. "Being on Michigan avenue wouldn’t fit our style," said Maglaris. One of the family's cousins (and co-owners) had lived in the neighborhood and recommended the area for its vibrant street scene.
• The restaurant will house 200 seats inside, with seating for 100 on the sidewalk patio. There are plans to add lounge seating, with banquettes and sectionals, for those who want to grab a drink and watch the clouds (and crowds) roll by. To our knowledge, this would be the first lounge-style seating on the street.
• The end of July is the target for opening in the modern, glass-front condo building that has four floors and a completely open ground level. It's across the street (Marion Ct.) from Moonshine and next door to Ora Dental Studio.

For a neighborhood that has everything, there seems to be a lack of contemporary American fare on the block. Will Prasino fill that niche? Ephi and the team mentioned wanting feedback from the neighbors, so let's hear it. What will it take to make the spot successful?

Do Division Streetfest Adds to Musical Line-Up

In case you missed it, yesterday Do Division announced part of the line-up for the 2011 festival, which takes place June 4-5. More announcements are forthcoming, but for now the Damen stage will include:

• Bonobo (A British DJ with a sample-heavy, down-tempo electronica style. Check out a YouTube clip here)

• Big Freedia (A transgendered ass-shaking rapper taking riffs from New Orleans' "Sissy bounce" musical tradition. YouTube clip here)

• Omar Souleyma: A high-octane Dabke (Syrian dance music) performer who's heavy on the synth-keyboard (YouTube clip here)

The Leavitt stage will include:

• Led Zeppelin 2 (Chicago-based cover band eerily similar to the original. YouTube clip here)

• This Must Be the Band (Playing music exclusively from the Talking Heads catalog, this group is fairly popular in the festival circuit - YouTube clip here)

What do you think of the line-up so far? Does the music make or break the Do Division experience for you or is it just background noise? Is there anyone else you'd like to see performing that weekend?

Teardown Begins at 2037 W. Division; Future Plans to Rebuild

Yesterday, scaffolding went up in front of 2037 W. Division St., just east of the Betancourt Realty building and west of Kiz Chicago. Workers said the building is in the beginning stages of being completely torn down, and that the lot will potentially be completely vacant in as early as three weeks, pending good weather.

A city permit made reference to an "emergency wreck," so we spoke to one of the demolition workers who told us that the building's structural issues made it highly dangerous, especially a broken beam that had caused the building's south wall to lean into the back alley. "We're going to take it down before it falls down," said one worker.

A local architect, Nick Hadley of arch-H LLC architecture, had outdated plans for the building's gut rehab on his website, so we called to see if he had any other news about the demolition or future plans for the lot. He said that there will be a commercial-use building on the site in the future, but that the details have not been finalized and that a timeline for construction has yet to be determined.

According to Hadley, the current owner, who purchased the building in 2007, has had issue after issue -- water coming in from the roof, rotted beams, a cracking facade, etc -- thus requiring a complete tear-down and rebuild. He would not confirm the details of what will eventually go in the new building, although he did mention that their original, pre-demolition plans (which you can see on his website) were for a restaurant so he "wouldn't be surprised if they were going to do something similar." His firm will be working on the new project and he said the building could potentially be three stories high instead of two.

This building has gotten a lot of negative attention in the neighborhood and has become a definite eyesore on an otherwise nice stretch of Division Street. Although it will be a bit odd to have a temporary gaping hole in the street's landscape, it'll most certainly be better than a blighted building.

What do you hope goes in the lot?

Real Naked Food Opens at 1909 W. Division St.

A new, full-service organic grocery store, Real Naked Food, has quietly opened at 1909 W. Division St. next to the Greenheart shop. Though their official grand opening isn't until April 22, they did have quite a bit of inventory displayed thus far despite the few unfinished, empty sections. One of our contributors stopped in to check it out.

The twist is that it's "BYOC," meaning you can bring your own containers to eliminate packaging waste and save a few pennies. (25 cents, to be exact.) The wall display has dispensers full of beans, oats and other dry goods, making it easy to fill up your reusable containers. (There are mason jars for sale and paper bags free of charge if you forget.)

The fruits and vegetables -- all of which are organic -- are displayed up front in bins and baskets, and more temperature-sensitive items like kale, broccoli and fresh herbs are in back with other refrigerated goods like eggs, dairy, waffles, berries and frozen lunch entrees. There's also canned and boxed items on the back shelves, along with baby food, dog food, cleaning supplies and a handful of other items.

We're particularly excited about what's near the middle of the store -- a counter with self-serve coffee and fresh-made wheatgrass juices, along with fresh-sliced deli meats and cheeses. This portion of the store is currently closed, but is expected to become operational within the next few days.

Real Naked Food's website talks about serving the country's "food deserts"(any industrialized area where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain) and improving accessibility to fresh, organic produce. While we'd hardly consider our stretch of Division Street a food desert, this is a competitively priced alternative to Whole Foods if you're buying organic goods anyway. For mid-week grocery runs when you need just a thing or two or full-blown shopping trips, this is a convenient, health-focused spot for Division Street neighbors.

We also hear there's an organic garden in the back coming this summer. Have you stopped by Real Naked Foods yet? What is your first impression?