THE GREEN’S GONNA FLOW

It may have an odd location in a hospital building (but at least the view doesn’t include the hospital that way). In any case, Michael Nagrant predicts success for GreenRiver, the new bar and restaurant from Danny Meyer and folks behind New York’s Dead Rabbit bar: “The list of 32 cocktails and an additional 10 highball selections is the best in-depth cocktail menu launched in Chicago since Sable Kitchen & Bar opened.” He praises the food too, calling it “most certainly one of the best restaurant launches in Chicago this year.” (Redeye) Meanwhile, at Chicagoist, Anthony Todd has praise too: “I’m not kidding when I say that you could read this amazing cocktail menu like a book… you’re not paying for the view, but for genuinely interesting drinks.”

JOHNNY’S GRILL, GREAT OR GRR?

Amy Cavanagh in Time Out likes some of the Irish food at the revamped Johnny’s Grill but is surprised, given the presence of pastry chef Sarah Jordan, that “Desserts are oddly a letdown—the ice cream is icy instead of creamy, the doughnut is dry and the chocolate pie is overwhelmed with chocolate ice cream instead of the promised vanilla.” Mike Sula in the Reader is more forgiving of idiosyncrasies like “Fish-and-chips for brekkie? Why not? When I ordered it, the catch of the day was sole, and the delicate, flaky fillets held together well under a firm but not overwhelming batter.”

MATTER VS. ANTI-MATTER

Food writer John Mariani snarked on Grant Achatz! Alinea owner Nick Kokonas went defcon 4 on Facebook! It’s like 2006 all over again in this Clash of the Titans. Now here’s a true fact: while in town Mariani also visited Honey Butter Fried Chicken. And apparently he liked it. So watch for that soon… if you’re not Nick Kokonas.

CULVER’S V. CHICAGO

A Culver’s franchisee alleges that the hamburger chain wouldn’t let him open on the South Side—and is suing over racial discrimination. Could be, but it’s also true that a lot of chains just don’t like to mess with the city at all: the total number of Culver’s in white parts of Chicago remains steady at zero, too, even as more than twenty have opened in the burbs.

ED DEPARTED’S

So long, Ed Debevic’s. It was fun for the first ten years of the 31 you lasted. (Eater)

MILLIONSTELLIGENTSIA

Would you pay $10 million for an Intelligentsia shop? $100 million for the whole company? That’s the price that they’re talking about the company, which has ten stores, reaching from investors. (Dow Jones)

TASTE OF THE CHICAGO WAY

Good news, the Taste of Chicago made $300,000 this year, almost none of it in unmarked envelopes! (Tribune)

GOOGLE FEED… ME

How are they going to feed all those Googlers moving into former food buildings on Fulton Market? New City takes a look at who’s trying to answer that need.