The Voltaggio Brothers’ New Italian Steakhouse and More Upcoming Bars and Restaurants to Know

June 14

Edgewater: The owners of Porkchop, the barbecue mini-chain, have applied for a city liquor license for a fourth location at 6341-6343 N. Broadway, a storefront that was, for 80 years, the home of Hamilton’s, the legendary Loyola campus bar that closed in 2012. Porkchop already has locations in Albany Park, the West Loop, and Midway Airport.

Fulton Market: DineAmic Hospitality, the group behind Lyra, Bar Siena, and Prime and Provisions, among others, will open an Italian steakhouse called Fioretta in a new office tower at 320 S. Sangamon Street later this year, Crain’s reports. The kitchen will be run by brothers and former Top Chef contestants Michael and Bryan Voltaggio (Michael won, Bryan didn’t) and the dining room will be decked out 1950s style.

Goose Island: The iO Theater, the improv comedy institution at 1501 N. Kingsbury, will reopen this fall with its bar intact according to a city liquor license filing. This is important because sometimes alcohol is necessary for audiences of amateur improv performances.

Loop: A new outpost of Casa Bonita, a Mexican restaurant in suburban Libertyville, will open in Millennium Park later this month, Crain’s reports. This is part of a deal between Casa Bonita’s parent company, Vandalay Brands, and the city to oversee all concessions in the park. Other Vandalay properties with locations in the park include Napolita Pizzeria and Double Clutch Brewery.

Uptown: Marina’s Cafe, a new Puerto Rican and Latin fusion restaurant will be opening in a former video store at 4554 N. Magnolia Avenue later this summer, WhatNow Chicago reports. Owner Eric Roldan is currently operating the restaurant as a catering business using his family recipes.

West Loop: A restaurant called Sante will be opening in the new office tower at 320 S. Canal Street that’s adjacent to Union Station, according to a city liquor license application. The owners are part of DRW Holdings, an electronic trading firm in the city.

Oak Brook: The Downers Grove-based winery chain Cooper’s Hawk plans to open a Neapolitan pizza spot called Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk run by chef Luca Issa, the chef behind the original Piccolo Buco in Rome, that will cater to its wine club, Crain’s reports. It will be a sibling restaurant to Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk, the Gold Coast spot that opened this spring with the promise of a different celebrity guest chef every quarter.

For a list of coming attractions from spring 2022, click here.