Cabin Fever craft cocktail. (Provided by Earls.)

Earls Kitchen and Bar restaurant on the 16th Street Mall reopened last week after being closed since June for renovation, and lunch hours are bustling with power-lunchers in business suits. The new space is light and airy, with soaring ceilings, because Earls a Canadian chain with 65 locations wanted to update its image.

It was like a good ol boys club but now its just for everyone who wants a great meal, with salads and burgers, said Dana Pluss Parks, who represents the restaurant. They wanted it to be more like the Cherry Creek Grill or Hillstone, as opposed to a sports bar.

They also want it to fit the image nationally, with architecture as modern as at the new Earls that recently opened in Boston and Miami.

In Denver, the new downstairs is open, the second floor a place for private parties, and the meeting place for celebrities during the Democratic National Convention in 2008 will open on Nov. 21. Partitions have been removed to showcase the shape of the room. The glass-enclosed conservatory and back bars that blocked the natural daylight and divided up the space are gone, and windows have been exposed. The color palate replaced with lighter, more natural materials.

Architecture isnt the only aspect thats been renovated. To keep up with Denvers thriving cocktail scene, Earls brought in its top mixologist from Vancouver who focused on craft cocktails. The Cabin Fever with Crown Royal whiskey, port, ginger, fresh lemon and spiced bitters looks like its straight from the mountain of Colorado, served in a blue-tin camping mug with a pine cone on top.

Another craft cocktail, the Bees Knees, is served in a glass jar shaped like a honey bear along with a honey stick.

Art also plays a role, with pieces by local Colorado artists Robin Ault, Ian McLaughlin and Jon Rietfors featured, as well as a copper, brass and steel installation called Layers by Vancouver, B.C.-based artist Ricky Alverez.

Metro Denver had three Earls restaurants on the 16th Street Mall, in the Park Meadows shopping mall, and in Cherry Creek but the company closed the Cherry Creek location to fully focus on updating the 16th Street Mall location.

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Earls restaurant on 16th Street Mall gets sleek new renovation

Published: Friday, 10/31/2014 - Updated: 2 minutes ago

BY JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

Two Toledo-area shopping centers that are expanding have announced new tenants.

The new Shoppes at Westgate Village said a fast-casual restaurant, Macs n Melts, is leasing 1,400 square feet in a retail strip under construction on the north side of Central Avenue west of Secor Road.

Westgate Village said in July that Piada Italian Street Food and Wingstop will occupy 2,400 and 1,500 square feet, respectively, in the 8,000-square foot retail strip.

Meanwhile, at the Shops at Franklin Place on Monroe Street in Sylvania Township, fast-casual restaurant Tropical Smoothie Cafe expects to open next week. The Shops at Franklin Place last week saw the opening of two retailers, HomeGoods and Marshalls.

The new restaurant will be on the opposite side of the center from HomeGoods and Marshalls.

Tom Walsh, director of leasing for Abbell Associates in Chicago, which owns Westgate, said Macs n Melts will specialize in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni.

Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches are a hot concept in the restaurant business with restaurants adding them to their menus and at least six grilled cheese restaurant chains expanding across the country. Earlier this year a grilled cheese and tomato soup chain, Tom and Chee, opened in Maumee. Paddy Jacks, which has locations in Sylvania Township and Toledo, is also known for its grilled cheese sandwiches.

Mr. Walsh said Macs n Melts will use artisan breads and specialty cheeses for its menu items. Its adult fare as well as kids fare. Its a nice contemporary design and it should do well, he said.

Originally posted here:
West Toledo getting new restaurants

10 Things to Know for Today 10 Things to Know for Today By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:More >> By The Associated Press Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:More >> Crash at Wichita airport kills 4 people, including pilot Crash at Wichita airport kills 4 people, including pilot

Updated: Friday, October 31 2014 6:02 AM EDT2014-10-31 10:02:45 GMT

For the first time, we are hearing from the new owner of a southwest Birmingham restaurant where a shooting took place earlier this year.

Members of the Nation of Islam and the Civil Rights Activist Committee held a protest outside the Good Friends Restaurant.

Different community groups have been protesting since February.

That's when the owner at the time, Chun Hin Ching, fired a gun at a customer after she complained of finding a roach in her food.

Shortly after, Ching was prosecuted and the restaurant shut down.

But now, Ching's daughter, Amy, wants to reopen the business and says she's had several community members who've applied to work there.

But the groups protesting today say they don't want the business to reopen.

We asked Ching how she responds to that sentiment.

Link:
New owner of controversial Birmingham restaurant speaks out

Del Frisco's new restaurant will overlook the new park on Olive Street in Uptown. (Crescent)

A new Uptown office and retail project has landed a high-profile local restaurant thats moving from the suburbs.

Crescent Real Estate Holdings said Thursday that Del Friscos Double Eagle Steak House will be the flagship restaurant in its McKinney & Olive project which is under construction just north of downtown Dallas.

Del Friscos will take about 13,000 square feet on the two lower floors of the high-rise project thats being built on McKinney Avenue.

The restaurant will overlook a 1-acre park planned along Olive Street.

The restaurant will have a two-story design with spacious patios, huge glass windows and a balcony overlooking the plaza, John Zogg, managing director for Crescent, said in a statement.

Del Friscos will close its 20-year-old location on Spring Valley Road in Far North Dallas after it opens in McKinney & Olive in 2016.

The move from North Dallas to Uptown for the Double Eagle is all about evolving the brand and showcasing more options and modern amenities while still sticking to the concepts rich heritage and tradition, said Del Friscos Restaurant Group CEO Mark S. Mednansky.

Jack Gosnell and Jack Breard of UCR Urban negotiated the lease with Kevin McIntosh of KMAC Group Inc.

Designed by award-winning Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, McKinney & Olive will have 480,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet.

Go here to read the rest:
Del Frisco's steakhouse trading its longtime Far North Dallas home for a new project in Uptown

Published: Friday, 10/31/2014

BY JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

Two Toledo-area shopping centers that are expanding have announced new tenants.

The new Shoppes at Westgate Village said a fast-casual restaurant, Macs n Melts, is leasing 1,400 square feet in a retail strip under construction on the north side of Central Avenue west of Secor Road.

Westgate Village said in July that Piada Italian Street Food and Wingstop will occupy 2,400 and 1,500 square feet, respectively, in the 8,000-square foot retail strip.

Meanwhile, at the Shops at Franklin Place on Monroe Street in Sylvania Township, fast-casual restaurant Tropical Smoothie Cafe expects to open next week. The Shops at Franklin Place last week saw the opening of two retailers, HomeGoods and Marshalls.

The new restaurant will be on the opposite side of the center from HomeGoods and Marshalls.

Tom Walsh, director of leasing for Abbell Associates in Chicago, which owns Westgate, said Macs n Melts will specialize in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni.

Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches are a hot concept in the restaurant business with restaurants adding them to their menus and at least six grilled cheese restaurant chains expanding across the country. Earlier this year a grilled cheese and tomato soup chain, Tom and Chee, opened in Maumee. Paddy Jacks, which has locations in Sylvania Township and Toledo, is also known for its grilled cheese sandwiches.

Mr. Walsh said Macs n Melts will use artisan breads and specialty cheeses for its menu items. Its adult fare as well as kids fare. Its a nice contemporary design and it should do well, he said.

Read more from the original source:
West side getting new restaurants

Some essential items were delivered to Iron Hill Brewerys newest location in Ardmore Tuesday.

Those would be the seven fermenters, eight serving tanks and brewhouse equipment that arrived on two trucks at the restaurant under construction at 60 Greenfield Ave. in the Ardmore Plaza Shopping Center.

Once those elements are installed and permitting completed, the brewing will start, in advance of an early December opening. Company President Kevin Finn, who was on site for the process, said the target date is Dec. 12.

Today were unloading the brewery, he explained Tuesday morning. Thats always an exciting day for us. It means were in the home stretch.

It is a process that, with the Ardmore store, Wilmington-based Iron Hill will have completed 11 times since 1996 at locations in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Finn explained that, as in the other locations, nearly all of the beer that will be served in Ardmore 99 percent -- will be brewed on site. In this case, that will be under the direction of Ardmore Lead Brewer Paul Rutherford. The brewers will do some trading between locations, he said. They might exchange a couple of kegs.

Brewing, which can be done in batches of about 264 gallons with the 10 hectoliter tanks that arrived this week, differs with the beers.

Ales take 10 days to three weeks, some a little longer, Finn said. Lagers take three to five weeks to ferment.

The lager yeast works at colder temperatures. Its not as active. Thats why you often see most brewpubs doing ales, but Iron Hill made a commitment to do some lagers from the beginning, he added.

The restaurants also typically offer a porter, an IPA, a Belgian witbier and a raspberry wheat beer, with seasonal and other specialties of the brewers. Continued...

More:
Brewing equipment moved in to Ardmore's new Iron Hill Brewery

by Shawn Campbell

KMOV.com

Posted on October 29, 2014 at 11:39 AM

Updated yesterday at 11:47 AM

MANCHESTER, Mo. (KMOV.com)- Plans to demolish a building built in the 1890's on Manchester Road to make way for a Culver's restaurant have been approved by the Manchester Board of Alderman.

The alderman met Oct. 20 and voted unanimously to grant a special use permit to Valerie and Daniel Siemer of VHSDPS Restaurants Inc., of Creve Couer, to construct a 3,900-square-foot Culver's restaurant and drive-through lane at 14432 and 14444 Manchester Road.

They hope to open the $3 million restaurant next summer.

In order to erect the restaurant, builders will first demolish the former Staebell's Hotel and Saloon, which is currently vacant on the site.

The planned demolition drew no opposition during the alderman's Oct. 20 meeting.

Read more:
Culver's construction to demolish 1890's building

Pyongyang, October 29 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, together with Ri Sol Ju gave field guidance to the newly built restaurant for service personnel.

Watching the restaurant, Kim Jong Un recollected with deep emotion the immortal exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.

He recalled that the restaurant for service personnel which opened in February 1948 on the personal initiative of the President gave service without interruption not only in the period of building a new country but also during the Fatherland Liberation War and it successfully ensured a banquet celebrating the war victory day which was honored with the presence of the President.

Thanks to Kim Jong Il who personally took a measure for providing foodstuff to the restaurant even in the period of the Arduous March when the country was undergoing great difficulties, the restaurant has always been opened, he said, adding that the service personnel of the KPA will always remember the warm loving care shown by Kim Jong Il.

Noting that the restaurant has satisfactorily played its mission and duty as a catering center for service personnel for the past several decades, he instructed the officials and employees of the restaurant to serve them well so as to convey the profound loving care of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to posterity.

He went round different places of the restaurant including dining rooms and kitchen to learn in detail about its construction and service plan.

He said all dining rooms look spacious and nice to be fit for catering facilities, interior decoration is peculiar and the color of finishing building materials look attractive, adding that they are so impeccable that they can be used as a state banquet hall.

He was pleased that the restaurant has quality tables, chairs and other furniture, the kitchen was arranged well to be fit for its capacity and it has sufficient utensils including noodle-trays in place. He was satisfied with its modern sterilizing and washing equipment to fully ensure hygienic safety, in particular.

He set forth the tasks to be fulfilled by the restaurant for managing and operating it and improving its service.

Underlining the need for the restaurant to develop itself into the one frequented by service personnel, he stressed that to this end it is most important for its officials and employees to provide kind service and display cultural traits and, at the same time, strive hard to improve the quality of noodle in the spirit of devoted service to service personnel.

Read the rest here:
Kim Jong Un Gives Field Guidance to Newly Built Restaurant for Service Personnel

By KEVIN PARKS Tuesday October 28, 2014 11:51 AM

Voters in Clintonville's Ward 21-F will decide on two liquor options Tuesday, Nov. 4, that would allow for alcohol sales at the proposed Rusty Bucket restaurant at 4109 N. High St.

But before the residents of that subsection of the neighborhood go to the polls, the president of the company wants them to know the permits will not be used to the full extent allowed by what will appear on the ballot.

Further, Gary Callicoat said he wants to clear up what a representative of the Rusty Bucket's public-relations firm termed "some of the misinformation circulating in the community about the restaurant and talk about how their vision for the restaurant will successfully engage with the local community."

"We're not a bar," Callicoat said last week in a telephone interview from Nashville, Tenn. "We are a restaurant. We are a very community-driven restaurant, very family-friendly.

"We give back to the community," he added. "It's very important to us that we're entrenched there. I think it's being represented that we're a bar in some of the meetings going on there."

With a Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing on two variances requested to pave the way for the newest restaurant in the Columbus-based chain scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 28, the fate of the establishment was still up in the air as of ThisWeek Booster's press time. The outcome of that meeting will be reported online and in next week's print edition.

Opposition to the Rusty Bucket has arisen in the form of a Facebook campaign and fliers suggesting "4 easy things you can do to stop this development."

These steps include voting against the local liquor options -- Issues 9A and 9B -- in Ward 21-F, which is bounded on the east by North High Street, the west by the Olentangy River, the south by Hollenback Road and on the north primarily by West Schreyer Place, save for a small portion that runs south along Olentangy Boulevard and then west along Henderson Road to the river.

The fliers also suggested emailing the Board of Zoning Adjustment and Columbus City Council members.

Read the original post:
Rusty Bucket responds to local backlash

Gibsons is going to Disney World. Sort of.

Gibsons Restaurant Group (Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House, Luxbar, Quartino) will partner with Schussler Creative to open The Boathouse, an expansive waterfront restaurant opening in Disney Springs, an under-construction expansion of Downtown Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

"We were very fortunate to find a terrific partner," says Bob Kanzler, a managing partner with GRG. "We couldn't be more excited."

The creative aspect of The Boathouse, which will feature three bars (one built over water), live entertainment and watercraft rides, will be handled by Schussler, creators of such concepts as Rain Forest Cafe, T-Rex Cafe, Jukebox Saturday Night and more. Gibsons group will manage the restaurant and its steaks, seafood and raw bar menu.

"We're still in the process of recipe creation and menu design," Kanzler says. "But we've obviously been successful in Chicago with steaks and fresh seafood, and I'm sure some of that will carry over."

The Boathouse is aiming for a spring 2015 opening.

pvettel@tribune.com

Twitter @philvettel

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Gibsons Group to open restaurant in Disney World