Who is Beatrix? Potter? The recently-abdicated Queen of the Netherlands? Kiddo? We don’t know; all we know is, Lettuce Entertain You has announced that they will be opening a place called Restaurant Beatrix at 519 N. Clark in “early summer.” Clues are extremely sparse at the moment, but the best ones are perhaps at its Facebook page, where it’s described as a cafe and the logo would be consistent with a moderate-priced continental restaurant. Will this be where you go when you have sticker shock at Brindille a couple of blocks away? Maybe; in any case after going the glitz route for its last few openings, we’d be excited to see Lettuce do something low-key, high quality in its classic fashion, a Brasserie Jo for a new age.
• What’s that Big Star tap next to the others at Big Star? It’s a new thing this summer… margaritas on tap. Apparently the food and summertime ambience at the crazy busy and soon to be expanding taco spot has been calling for so many margaritas that they decided to automate the process to ensure the perfect Big Star signature margarita every time. Margaritas-on-demand will make their debut at the bar Monday, May 20.
• Everybody’s drinking Fernet Branca these days, but John Manion wants you to know that he and the spirit go way back, to his days hanging out in Argentina. Which are, not coincidentally, a big part of where the theme of La Sirena Clandestina comes from. So he’s got a four-course Fernet Branca dinner coming up this Sunday (hey, Restaurant Show goers looking for a last minute reservation for Sunday night, trust us, you probably haven’t heard of La Sirena but you’ll be glad to drop its name when you get back home). It’s $75; the menu is below, and call 312-226-5300 to reserve a table.
