Restaurant News: 9 Leona's Locations Sold, Sarah Grueneberg Out At Spiaggia
By Anthony Todd in Food on Nov 26, 2013 4:10PM
Pictured: (l-r) Sarah Grueneberg, Beverly Kim -- Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/Bravo
- DNA Chicago reports that 9 of the 11 Leona's locations have been sold. The new owner is Tania Marvakis of Evanston, who plans to keep the brand intact but give the locations a facelift and new menu. The original owner, Leon Toia, is keeping two locations, and the original (at 3215 N. Sheffield Ave) will be renamed "Lina's." No employees will be laid off as a result of the acquisition.
- Sarah Grueneberg, Top Chef almost-winner and Michelin star winning chef at Spiaggia, has announced her departure from the Italian mainstay. Eater Chicago reports that Grueneberg will departing immediately, though she will continue to consult for parent company Levy Restaurants. She hopes to open her own restaurant. Best of luck, Chef!
- In yesterdays Chicago Tribune, dining critic Phil Vettel published a retrospective on famed chef Jean Banchet. Banchet, the chef at La Francais and "Chicago's first celebrity chef" according to Vettel, died on Sunday at age 72. "In 1980, Bon Appetit magazine declared Le Francais 'America's Best Restaurant' and reservations, which were already difficult to acquire without weeks of planning, became even harder to secure. Deep-pocketed guests from other cities would land their private planes at nearby Palwaukee Airport, flying in just to experience Banchet's food." If you aren't familiar with Banchet's legacy, check out the whole article.