Restaurant News: Flourish Bakery Closes, New Chefs at Elate, Tribute

By Anthony Todd in Food on Sep 7, 2011 2:30PM

- Flourish Bakery, the independent uptown bakery that we've covered several times in the past year, is closing this Sunday, September 11. "We are so sorry we couldn't make this business thrive and we only wish the best to others that can," said owners Ed and Allison Madell. "Please, please, please support local small businesses. There are so many in our neighborhoods and they need you to survive." We'll miss Flourish (especially their idea for the family-friendly dinner club) and wish the Madells the very best.

- This month at Falafill, Giuseppe Tentori (of Boka and GT Fish & Oyster) will be presenting his own wrap. Part of their "Guest Chef's for Charity" series, Tentori's wrap includes smoked trout hummus, pickled daikon radish, fresh dill yogurt, and GT Fish & Oyster "Burn" sauce. Proceeds from the wrap will be donated to Common Threads.

- Tribute can't seem to get past its opening jitters. First it lost Brandon Baltzley to rehab. It got a decent review from Time Out Chicago (and a bad one from the Chicago Reader) and then, replacement Executive Chef Lawrence Letrero left about a month after opening. The restaurant announced late last week that Letrero would be replaced with Chef Jared Case, former executive chef of Marche and most recently a private club chef in St. Louis. He has already began re-tooling the menu, adding simple, comfort food dishes that are radically different from the original vision for the restaurant.

- In other chef-changing news, River North restaurant Elate (located in the Hotel Felix) also gets a new chef this week. Mike Noll, formerly Elate's Chef de Cuisine, released the new dinner menu a few days ago and it looks like a winner. Selections include 
short rib with carrot, turmeric, royal trumpet mushrooms and coco nibs and octopus confit with chorizo, eggplant, shiso and yuzu. Noll has previously cooked at Moto, Schwa, Butter and Jam.