—In memoriam: Bita Buenrostro—a senior executive with a local restaurant corporation that managed three local restaurants, including the Gold Coast spot Dublin’s Bar & Grill, and a woman who twice ran to be a Chicago alderperson—passed away on May 21.
I had the pleasure of knowing Buenrostro and interviewed her for Windy City Times in 2015 during her political campaign. She was straightforward, determined—and exceedingly kind. Something I hadn’t known about her was that she arrived in Chicago at age 19 with $30 in her pocket and a full scholarship to North Park University. Buenrostro—who spoke five languages—graduated with a degree in political science.
A visitation and funeral Mass were held May 30 at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in Buenrostro’s memory to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
—In a pickle: Marisa Paolillo—the founding chef of the currently shuttered Mango Pickle—will join Rijst Packet’s Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy for a night of Feesa, Reesa Too! Pie and Fried Chicken on Friday, June 28, at 5842 N. Broadway (where Mango Pickle operated). Seating will start at 6 p.m., with 7 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. options
Paolillo’s cooking comes from her Italian-American heritage and early career in India; Dawoodbhoy’s cooking comes from her Sri Lankan-Bohra heritage and yearning for home in the Midwest. The menu will include beet galette; pea and asparagus; fried chicken (with yogurt khaki, red chili and fenugreek); leaf greens malling; shot glass pie (with kaffir lime, custard and shortbread); and halwa pie (with pineapple, cardamom and saffron whip). The price for a four-course meal is $50/person; RSVP at this link.
—A dreamy opening: Chef B.K. Park has opened Tamu (meaning “multiple dreams”) for lunch and dinner at 804 W. Washington Blvd., in Chicago’s West Loop.
More casual than Park’s other spots—Mako and Juno—Tamu focuses on temaki (hand rolls), kaisendon (rice bowls) and a smaller format nigiri-only omakase. Also, Tamu’s entire menu is gluten-free.
Dinner omakase is not yet available. Once it is available, it will be served Thursday through Monday. Closed for dinner Tuesday and Wednesday, omakase lunch service will still be available.
—Coming attraction: Celeste Group has announced that the Mexico City-inspired restaurant Vela, 352 W. Hubbard St., will open this summer.
Chef Jorge Angulo will showcase his heritage at the restaurant, whose name means “candle.” Chef Jorge Angulo’s heritage will be represented through a menu offering a blend of familiar and innovative dishes. Starting with the in-house nixtamalization of imported Mexican corn for tortillas and other masa-based dishes, Vela also has its own mole madre, a similar concept to a sourdough mother in which the base of the sauce is used to continuously shape a flavor that evolves and becomes more complex. At Vela, the mole is paired with a pork belly that features a layer of crispy skin. Other menu highlights include langostinos a la plancha, combining Mexican and French techniques; pibil, featuring Iberico pork collar cooked low and slow in a marinade; and traditional dishes like tlacoyo, stuffed with a variety of mushrooms and umami-rich salsas. The beverage program will include global wines as well as Mexican whiskeys and agave-based spirits.
—Returning: Like many TV shows, Foxtrot is being rebooted.
The Chicago-based store chain announced plans to reopen some locations following recent abrupt closures, CBS Chicago noted. A Foxtrot spokesperson confirmed the Gold Coast and Old Town locations will reopen.
—Troop—there it is!: Troop Dawson—the annual summertime series at River West restaurant The Dawson, 730 W. Grand Ave.—is drawing inspiration from the cult classic movie Troop Beverly Hills for its pop-up that runs through Aug. 31.
Guests are invited to gather on The Dawson’s expansive patio for fireside fare and camp cocktails. On rainy or cool days, “campers” can grab a table inside the restaurant’s temperature controlled and covered outdoor enclosure. Among the planned activities are Friday Night Patio DJs; monthly beverage classes (booked through OpenTable); and Bottomless Burlesque Brunch on select Sundays (June 30, July 14 and July 28, also booked through OpenTable).
And the menu is pretty cool. Some of the items include fried lobster po’boy, birria grilled cheese, the chilled seafood starter called You Call This Roughing It?, tabletop S’mores, the Camp Cooler, and cocktails such as Glampers Delight (Botanist gin with strawberry, basil, lemon and egg white) and the Thin Mint Espresso Martini.