Restaurant News: Bayless Coming To Wicker Park, Goose Island Clybourn Sticking Around

By Anthony Todd in Food on Sep 24, 2013 3:00PM

The Goose Island "Chicago flag" logo, painted alongside the brewhouse office walls.

- For the last couple days rumors have been swirling around the foodie Twitterverse that Rick Bayless was opening a restaurant in Wicker Park. The space is the former Salud Tequila Lounge and DNA Chicago reported yesterday afternoon that Ald. Joe Moore had confirmed the rumor. "I'm excited to confirm this rumor is true...New Rick Bayless Restaurant Coming," said Moreno. No word yet on menu or opening date.

- There's been a lot of drama surrounding the Goose Island brewpub location on Clybourn. Goose Island has been mired in a rent dispute for months with their landlord that threatened to close down the bar reportedly ended negotiations on a new lease in June. We'd almost given the place up for dead, but Chicago Real Estate Daily reports that there is hope after all. The landlord told CRED that there is a handshake deal that will be formalized soon, though owner John Hall couldn't be reached for comment.

- If you're a fan of Bombay Spice, the sit-down Indian spot next to Roka Akor in River North, you're out of luck. Eater Chicago reports that they have closed for re-concepting, which is restaurant industry code for "this just didn't work." The other location of Bombay Spice, which is fast-casual, has been much more successful, and the owners have decided that something else would fit better in the river north location. Felipe Ospina, Director of Marketing and New Concepts, told Eater that the new restaurant would be "a little more hip, a little more sexy, a little more River North." In other words, expect televisions, chrome, fancy nachos, overpriced fusion cuisine and velvet ropes - or at least, that's what "a little more River North" says to us. They'll be back with the new concept in two to three months.