Chicago's Best Dining, Drinking, Cuisine & Cocktails | 312 Dining ...

Hey, this isn't really goodbye.
It's more like farewell from blogspot. It had gotten to a point where I found this space a bit constraining for what I really wanted to do, plus I couldn't connect directly with you.
Also: I've been incredibly busy with many other projects, including for Chicago Travel for about.com, Priceless Chicago for MasterCard and The Pursuit of Good Food for Lexus/WXRT-FM....

Photos courtesy of Hogsalt Hospitality
"It's feeling really good!" exclaims Brendan Sodikoff about his latest project, an Italian-focused eatery named Cocello, which 312DD exclusively told you about in March.
What's different is that the concept is no longer an "Italian steak bar." "We ran out of room on the menu and dropped the steak focus," explains Sodikoff. "I fell in love with the lighter feel and emphasis on classic regional Italian food, Negronis,...

Nouveau Tavern's intimate interior (Photo: Nouveau Tavern)
The New Orleans-inspired Nouveau Tavern opened in River North only six months ago, yet it was abruptly shuttered last Friday by the Chicago Police Department, according to Eater Chicago:
"Sources say that current Nouveau ownership is ineligible for a liquor license because of a felony conviction and the establishment was operating under previous ownership's expired licensing. Police responded to a complaint last week which lead to an...

Jon Taffer (left) and Paul McGee
I get frequent pitches from the publicists behind Jon Taffer—the acerbic host of Spike TV's "Bar Rescue"—who push him as "an internationally recognized, award-winning hospitality expert, highly respected management guru, author of the ultimate...