Openings

West Town Billy Lawless Project Headed For Orange Space

Billy Lawless.
Billy Lawless.

A few weeks back we noted that Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri) was talking about a West Town project with a great patio. It was always possible that that would be in a space that wasn’t currently a restaurant, but if it was taking over a place that was still operating, it made us worried for Frontier— which has a great patio. Well, it is replacing a previous restaurant, but we were looking on the wrong street: the still-unnamed project will go where the Orange at 739 W. Grand was, according to Dish. When it opens in the spring, it will have three bars and a wood-burning grill— though not pizza, since Piccolo Sogno is right across the street and Lawless apparently thinks that’s too close to go head to head. Capacity will be about 160 to 170 seats (presumably not counting the patio.) Lawless is in partnership with Branko Palikuca, who has Topaz Cafe in Burr Ridge, and bar guy Clint Rogers and sommelier Shebnem Ince from The Gage and Henri will oversee the drinks. [Dish]

West Town Billy Lawless Project Headed For Orange Space