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Between construction hiccups, staying on budget, and navigating the quagmire of permits needed, opening a restaurant has never been easy, even in the best of times. The pandemic adds another layer of uncertainties to the mix, not to mention new line items to the budget. Previously unforeseen costs could now include installing a high-tech air filtration system, expanding the patio to allow for more outdoor seating, or adding a takeout window.

After several months of frustrating delays and unexpected prep time, several owners are moving forward with cautious optimism in hopes of finally seeing their long-planned restaurants come to fruition this fall. The following list of 10 anticipated openings will infuse the Atlanta dining scene with everything from seafood boils and platters, Sicilian-style pizza, and juicy cheeseburgers, to a celebrity chef-back food hall, a new neighborhood brewpub, and vegan barbecue.

Location: Reynoldstown, 905 Memorial DriveWho: Chef Richard TangProjected opening: October

After the pandemic delayed the spring opening of Char Korean Bar & Grill, owner chef Richard Tang and his newly appointed chef, Karl Gorline (Watershed), finally debut Girl Diver in October at Madison Yards. In addition to its platters and boils featuring Alaskan king crab, jumbo tiger shrimp, and piles of crawfish, expect a menu filled with Chinese-Vietnamese dishes and comfort foods, like poached shrimp spring rolls, Vietnamese hot and sour seafood soup, a pesce baked egg made with sardines, green curry mussels, and lobster mac and cheese. Tangs next restaurant, a game bar called Press Start, opens next year in Summerhill. Take a look at the menu for Girl Diver below.

Location: Grant Park, 1039 Grant Street SEWho: Sam and Sara KazmerProjected opening: October

Elsewhere Brewing opens in October at the Beacon in Grant Park. Owners Sam and Sara Kazmer want to create a drinking hall and beer garden with a cafe vibe around the brewery. Elsewhere Brewing plans to open with 11 different beers on the menu, ranging from European classics, like a pilsner, Bavarian hefeweizen, and dark Czech lager, to West Coast ales, IPAs, and special release beers. Executive chef Thomas Stewart created a menu centered around street foods and family-style dishes, including a variety of empanadas and a 24-hour-brined chicken quarter, steak, and guava BBQ shrimp platter. Much like a CSA (community supported agriculture) helps support local farms, Elsewhere Brewing operates partially as a community supported brewery with CSB memberships. Read more about the brewery here.

Location: Midtown, Colony Square Who: Donna LeeProjected opening: Late October

Chicago restaurateur Donna Lee opens an Atlanta location of her popular Brown Bag Seafood Company restaurant at Colony Square in Midtown. The counter-serve spot, located next to sushi restaurant Sukoshi at the complex, offers sustainable seafood on its menu at a relatively affordable price point served as salads, tacos, sandwiches, and grain bowls. Customers fill out orders on reusable menus at the counter using dry erase markers by checking off a fish or protein of choice, how its served (bowl, taco, sandwich,) and a side to accompany the meal. Colony Square will also feature a new food hall called Politan Row. Read more about the food hall here.

Location: Virginia-Highland, 1023 Virginia Avenue NEWho: Anthony SpinaProjected opening: October/November

After finding success with his two pizzerias O4W Pizza and Nina & Rafi Anthony Spina opens Pizza by the Slice in part of the former Goin Coastal space in Virginia-Highland. Spinas latest pizzeria focuses on Sicilian-style pizza served by the slice or whole pie. The pizza typically features a thick, focaccia-like crust topped with oregano and tomatoes. In addition to pizza, the restaurant will also serve Jersey-style sub sandwiches. The pizzeria, located next door to Paolos Gelato, may finally fill the void left behind by the beloved Everybodys Pizza, which closed in the neighborhood after 41 years in 2013.

Location: Kirkwood, Pratt Pullman District, 225 Rogers Street NE, Building 11Who: Mike HornProjected opening: October/November

Gastropub the Abby Singer opens on Rogers Street at the forthcoming Pratt Pullman District in Kirkwood later this fall. The name refers to the second-to-last shot of the day during on-location filming, and is a nod to the late film production manager Abby Singer. Owner Mike Horn worked in film and television prior to his career in restaurants. The former Minneapolis residents new Kirkwood pub features a take on the Minnesota citys famed Juicy Lucy cheeseburger on the menu two burger patties filled with hot melted cheese.

Location: Underwood Hills, 1235 Chattahoochee Avenue NWWho: Andrew Zimmern and Robert MontwaidProjected opening: Rolling food stall openings throughout the fall

The first restaurant stalls inside forthcoming northwest Atlanta food hall Chattahoochee Food Works begin opening later this fall. So far, nine of the 31 stalls planned for the food hall are preparing to open over the coming months. The 22,000-square-foot market and test kitchen is a collaborative effort between James Beard Award-winning chef and Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern and Robert Montwaid, the creator of luxe food hall Gansevoort Market in New York City. Expect food stalls serving ice cream, Thai food, pasta and pizza, South African fare, breakfast dishes, Lebanese barbecue, along with a bakery, bubble tea bar, and a taqueria. Read more about the food hall and its stalls here.

Location: Midtown, 1010 West Peachtree Street NWWho: Takashi OtsukaProjected opening: November

Takashi Otsuka, the owner of the popular Wagaya ramen restaurants, Japanese market Wagaya Grocery, and robatayaki and sake restaurant Chirori, plans to open a fourth restaurant called Nagomiya in Midtown. Nagomiya, located at the Hanover West Peacthree apartment complex, will serve ramen, rice bowls, and sushi rolls on its menu. Otsuka just opened Wagaya Grocery underneath Wagaya on 14th Street in Midtown over the summer. The market features mostly Japanese food products, candies, sake and beer, and ingredients, but does offer a wide selection of Chinese and Korean items. Wagaya Grocery also includes prepared foods, like a katsu or tamago sandwich and individually wrapped onigiri, too.

Location: Castleberry Hill, 333 Peters StreetWho: Daniel BrownProjected opening: November/December

A second location of Stone Mountain-based Gilly Brew Bar, part of Gilly Brewing Co., opens inside Castleberry Hill gallery and event space Peters Street Station later this fall. Owned by Daniel Brown, Gilly Brew Bar is known for its innovative cocktail-like coffee and tea drinks, referred to as elixirs, including a fat-washed cold brew with bitters, balsamic, and lemon-fig marmalade or hibiscus tea comprising lemon and honey, egg white, bitters, and an aromatic mist. The shop will feature a few tables and seating for up to 16 people at the bar. Brown also plans to expand his Stone Mountain Village coffee shop to include a bar and kitchen next summer. The kitchen will also serve as an incubator with a rotating lineup of Atlanta-area private chefs.

Location: Stone Mountain, 5385 Five Forks Trickum RoadWho: Terry SargentProjected opening: Late November

After opening at We Suki Sukis Global Grub Collective food market last November, then moving to Orpheus Brewing in Midtown earlier this year, vegan barbecue pop-up Grass VBQ Joint opens a permanent location Thanksgiving week near Stone Mountain. Located on Five Forks Trickum Road, Grass VBQ serves smoked jerk wingz, veef brisket, sandwiches like smoked pulled jackfruit, a reuben with corned veef, and an oyster mushroom poboy, alongside desserts such as mini sweet potato pies and vegan cupcakes. Check out the menu here.

Location: East Atlanta, 714 Moreland Avenue SEWho: Corban IrbyProjected opening: December/early January

Okonomiyaki popup OK Yaki becomes a permanent restaurant when it opens in the newly renovated Seville complex on Moreland Avenue. Owned by Corban Irby, expect a menu offering Osaka-style street foods like yakisoba noodles, gyoza dumplings, and okonomiyaki a savory, onion and cabbage-filled griddled pancake topped with meats and okonomi sauce. Irby plans to expand the menu further to include other dishes such as karaage Japanese fried chicken and Japanese curry. At full capacity, OK Yaki will seat 45 people between a 15-seat bar, four booths, and six bar stools along the wet bar in back. OK Yaki should be open five nights a week, from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., serving food and sake, shochu, whiskey highballs, and Japanese-style draft beers in frozen mugs.

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The 10 Most Anticipated Atlanta Restaurant Openings of Fall 2020 - Eater Atlanta

More than 75 Spring Grove residents and LifeSpring Community Church congregants celebrated Sunday the approval of a new development set to bring a church building, retail space and a community center to Route 173 at Siedschlag Road.

The project will be completed in phases with site clearing and building pad preparation starting this fall, a 12-page narrative of the project shared by the developer said. Construction on the church building and playground is to follow in the spring.

"When I heard we were putting up a new church, I was almost in disbelief," Garett McInnis, a member of LifeSpring, said to the dozens gathered at the site Sunday for a groundbreaking ceremony. "It's really cool to see where this church is at now and seeing how much it has grown."

Church members raised millions of dollars to fund the project, which will include indoor basketball, fitness, dance and gymnastics facilities in the 23,450-square-foot community center, said Tom Hinks, whose employer, TCH Development Group, is leading the work, and according to the documents Hinks provided. The community center will be open to the public.

The plan also includes an outdoor playground, an open-air pavilion and accessible bathrooms available for park users and occasional church activity, according to the narrative provided by Hinks.

Hinks also is organizing a group of Christian investors to buy a subdivided portion from the full 21.5-acre property where the retail component of the project will be located. It could include up to 24,200 square feet of retail, according to the narrative.

While the church will retain ownership of the rest of the property, a property owners' association will be responsible for running the community center and overseeing the building uses, according to the narrative.

Certain retail uses will be prohibited, including liquor stores, strip clubs, vaping or marijuana dispensaries and video gaming, according to the narrative. Desired tenants include a breakfast or lunch restaurant, coffee shop, bookstore, ice cream parlor, bicycle shop or bakery.

Work on the retail buildings is starting in 2022 at the earliest and the community center will start construction in 2023 at the earliest.

LifeSpring was founded in 2010, and its proposal to develop a new location and community center at 1154 Route 173 has been on the table since 2018.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work and effort and blood and tears put into this project," Hinks said.

But not everyone was supportive of the project moving forward when Spring Grove's Board of Trustees approved it in a split vote earlier this month. Trustees Bob McMahon and Lloyd Simonson voted against both motions to approve the plans. Each motion passed, 4-2, according to board meeting minutes.

The property originally had been zoned for commercial use, and a handful of residents, including several from the Breezy Lawns neighborhood, voiced opposition just before the board votes.

Some of their concerns was that nearby property owners would see all of the potentially negative impacts like increased traffic and noise, but the church wouldn't be contributing to the property tax base because it could be eligible for a property tax exemption, board meeting minutes indicate. The business entity will be responsible for paying the taxes on the land it owns, Hinks said.

Other detractors saw an issue with the number of variances to the Spring Grove zoning code the project requires, according to board meeting minutes, as well as worries about noise and light pollution. In total, there were 14 requests for variances to or departures from the zoning code, according to the narrative.

Church leaders said they think they have taken steps to clarify how the property will be used that abated the concerns, including by promising outdoor events will take place only during the daytime and the property managers will work to limit emitted light from the property while still keeping the area safe.

"We worked together to find a solution," Trustee Pat Mazzanti said in an interview. "The neighbors that objected to this don't want anything built here. We worked to reduce the commercial space while still maintaining some tax revenue."

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Construction set to begin on new Spring Grove church, community center - Northwest Herald

An old structure on Binghamton's South Side has been torn down as a redevelopment project involving a historic firehouse moves forward.

The $5 million project is anchored by the building on South Washington Street that was home to Number 5 restaurant for 42 years.

Developer Brett Pritchard said he's lining up retail and office tenants for the former fire station and for another building just south of it.

Speaking on WNBF Radio'sBinghamton Nowprogram Monday, Pritchard said current and former residents of the neighborhood were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. He said it represented"kind of the end of one era and the start of another era."

A 7,000-square-foot building is to be constructed on the east side of the project site. It will have a Mirabito convenience store, a Peoples Security Bank and Trust branch office and a small restaurant or coffee shop.

Pritchard said a local retailer plans to set up shop on the first floor of the old fire station. The second floor will be used for office space.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph:bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow@BinghamtonNowon Twitter.

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Construction Starts on "Number 5 Commons" Project in Binghamton - wnbf.com

SILVERDALE A road project in Old Town Silverdale has begun and will continue for the next two years.

To minimize disruption to businesses, the project will be done in chunks, just a block or so at a time.

Kitsap County Public Works is making infrastructure improvements along Bay Shore Drive NW and Washington Avenue NW in Old Town Silverdale. The two-year project will upgrade the sanitary sewer and stormwater infrastructure and unclude road resurfacing and sidewalk construction on Bayshore Drive, Washington Avenue and Byron Street.(Photo: Contributed / Kitsap County)

The project is along Bay Shore Drive NW and Washington Avenue NW and is being done to replace 3,900 feet of sewer main. With thatcomes other things that need to be done, said Tina Nelson, senior program manager for Kitsap CountyPublic Works.

A new stormwater system will be installed to filter oil and sediments from water, and areas with drainage problems will be fixed. Sidewalks near the water on Bay Shore Drive are being widened from 5 feet to 8 feet, and streetlights will be installed. There will also be improvements at intersections and improved ADA ramps. About 3,300 feet of water main will be replaced and 700 feet of recycled water will be used for irrigation.

There is a bit of activity at the site currently groundwater monitoring wells are being installed and markings are being drawn on the road, Nelson said.Later this month the work by the contractor, Ceccanti, will begin.

The project will likely wrap up in late summer or early fall of 2022, Nelson said.

Nelson acknowledges there will be an impact on businesses in the area. Construction noise will be one, shesaid, andclosures along Washington Avenue and Bay Shore Drive will affect business access and parking. The closures will take place block-by-block so a business access wont be impeded for long. Nelson said the county public works department doesn'tyet know when exactly the closures will be, but the county will communicate with property owners and businesses when the time approaches.

She said there wont ever be a long complete closure.

Some of the properties don't have any other access than off of the main road, so we can't close the road for a long time, Nelson said.

Monica Downen, owner of Monicas Waterfront Bakery and Cafe in Old Town, said the closure will be difficult for businesses in the area, especially on top of dealing with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Downen said businesses have proved they'readaptable during the pandemic. At her restaurant, staff hasmade to-go menu items and made curbside pick up much more accessible. The cafe hasturned the back alley into a make-shift drive-through. Theres no table service currently, as the cafe is small.

Businesses suffered during the widening of Silverdale Way in 2017, Downen said. But she doesn't expect as much of a downturn as a result of this project.

One thing shes worried about is parking.

Parking is already pretty minimal, she said. "All of the businesses rely on on-street parking massively. Im looking forward to it when its done, but its a two-year thing.

The project will close an entrance to the Port of Silverdale offices, and construction trailers may park in the ports lot, said Ed Scholfield, port commissioner.

"They're just now starting to assemble things," he said. "It's thesame group that worked on Silverdale Way and we've got a real good working relationship with them,and the countyhas been really good with us. We don't see any problems, if there are, you know, they're resolved fairly quickly with thatgroup."

The projects total cost is about $26 million. A total of $7.2 million will come from the county road fund, $12.6 million will come from the sewer utility fund, $5 million will come from the stormwater fund, and $1.2 million will come from the Silverdale Water District. Comcast will also contribute $40,000 to relocate someof itsfacilities in the area.

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Infrastructure project brings two years of construction to Old Town Silverdale - Kitsap Sun

The prefabricated home industry is a well-known entity. South Minneapolis now is getting its first modular apartment buildings, with the pieces placed together like a jigsaw puzzle with cranes last week.

The $4 million project, dubbed Mod42, at the corner of 32nd Avenue South and East 42nd Street in the Standish-Ericsson neighborhood, was largely built on an assembly line in Owatonna and then trucked to Minneapolis.

Last week, workers stacked each boxy unit like a Lego toy. The giant boxes each 16-by-72 feet were then bolted together to form a 30-unit, three story apartment complex.

Its the first of its kind in the Twin Cities and the first of many to come for commercial buildings, said Rise Modular CEO and Founder Christian Lawrence.

While prefabricated homes are common, prefabricated and multistory commercial structures like apartments and hotels are not in Minnesota. Theyve largely been constructed on the East and West Coasts, and even became a go-to solution for much-needed worker housing during North Dakotas fracking boom about eight years ago.

But the dearth of modular construction options in Minnesota has created a good opportunity here, said Lawrence, who plans to build more apartments and other structures.

Wed like to do 1,000 units per year and roughly 1 million square feet a year, Lawrence said.

Using a factory assembly line means construction can be 10% cheaper and almost 50% faster than a traditional build. So that allows the developer to start collecting rent sooner. And there is less disruption to the neighborhood.

On Thursday and Friday, a towering crane hauled each modular unit through the air as workers below guided them, landing them snugly next to or atop another mod.

The process attracted a crowd. Neighbors snapped photos while children watched in wonder as workers stripped the padding off each mod to reveal already finished windows and one long hallway that, when done, will connect the pods on each floor.

Inside you can see the kitchen flooring is in, the walls are painted. The light fixtures are in and the full kitchen and bath are installed. We have done as much as we can in the factory already, Lawrence said just as a semi-truck bed rolled up the street carrying the next mod pod to be hoisted into place.

The commercial modular project is the first of two announced this month by the two-year old and Minneapolis-based Rise Modular. In two weeks, the company launches its second project, a seven-story $40 million modular apartment building in St. Paul that is being built in partnership with The Ackerberg Group, Northland Real Estate and Opus.

As for the Minneapolis project, it took Rise Modular three months to fabricate the 30 Mod42 residential units inside the climate-controlled factory an hour south in the town of Owatonna.

With process kinks worked out, future builds should go much faster, said Dave Walock, vice president of construction and one of 60 Rise Modular employees. This is a holistic approach to building. Something like this has been a long time in coming.

The project is being developed by Rise Development Services and built by Rise Construction Services with DJR Architect as the architect.

Drew Johnson, senior vice president of development at Excelsior-based Oppidan Investment, said commercial modular buildings were previously embraced by McDonalds and Wendys in the Midwest as a way to get a fast-food restaurant open quickly.

The shortened building time helps with the payments on your construction loans, so you are not paying 16 months of interest on the overall loans, Johnson said.

As long as a modular project is well built with an attractive exterior, the idea could grow in Minnesota, said Johnson, who years ago watched some modular apartments rise quickly near North Dakotas oil fields.

One thing, though, that wasnt an issue in North Dakota but would be in the Twin Cities: those units were not pretty, he said.

Patrick McGlynn, founder of the Minneapolis development firm McGlynn Partners, expects to try building a modular apartment in the Twin Cities in three to five years.

McGlynn was set to have his three-story project at Franklin and Park avenues in Minneapolis become the first modular apartments in the Twin Cities two years ago. But the contractor, Thor Construction, suffered financial woes, shoving the project back two years.

At the time, a single-family homebuilder named Dynamic Homes was supposed to build McGlynns apartment mods in Detroit Lakes and truck them three hours to the build site in Minneapolis. The long transportation journey, however, inflated costs, causing McGlynn to abandon modular for traditional construction.

With a factory option now closer to the Twin Cities, McGlynn said hed consider modular construction again.

Its just a matter of time, he said. I think it needs to catch on. In the next [few] years we will see a lot more of it because of the ease of construction. You dont need as much space on site.

Still, modular will never fully replace traditionally built projects, he said.

The building industry is slow to change because of warranties and working with systems not yet proven, McGlynn said. There is a lot of liability that most builders dont want to take on.

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You've heard of modular homes; Minneapolis just got its first prefabricated apartment building - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Daily file photo by Zack Laurence

The interior of Taco Diablo, 1026 Davis St. The Blue Horse Tavern will join the restaurants at this location later this year.

After nearly 30 years in Evanston, Core & Rind Hospitality is opening a fourth restaurant, The Blue Horse Tavern, with a focus on American food.

The hospitality group hosts multiple restaurants under one roof, including LuLus, Taco Diablo, Five & Dime and soon, The Blue Horse Tavern. All of the groups restaurants are located out of 1026 Davis Street.

Owner Daniel Kelch said he has always thought about opening multiple concepts for restaurants under one roof, and eventually brought that concept to fruition with Core & Rind.

Kelch said over the years, LuLus has brought in more carryout and delivery sales than in-house dining. As a result, the team decided to convert LuLus to a virtual restaurant and build The Blue Horse Tavern in the former LuLus space. The restaurant will open once Five & Dime closes its rooftop deck for the season, he said, and it will likely operate at a reduced capacity because of COVID-19.

Kelch said he hopes the tavern will act as a casual space, and will allow more menu flexibility. Liquor sales at LuLus have been lower than the other two restaurants, he said, but the bar within the new tavern will feature bourbon and beer from local breweries.

In full-service restaurants, now its really important that you have a pretty strong percentage of sales as bar sales, Kelch said. In a full-service restaurant it has got to the point where you absolutely have to have that. You cant survive without it.

All of the groups restaurants try to serve a caliber of food thats similar to more upscale places, but at a lower price point and in a more casual environment, Kelch said.

Kelch said he, along with much of his staff, is a classically trained French chef. Much of Kelchs staff has also worked with him for decades and is able to make a wide variety of high-quality dishes.

Apple Tem, one of the front-of-house managers, makes a lot of the groups pastries and has been working with Kelch for eight years. Tem, Kelch and others in the restaurant have been talking about what the The Blue Horse Tavern menu will look like. In addition to traditional American food, they hope to vary the menu based on the season.

The desserts that we put out probably go by seasons, Tem said. Something classic all the time. Some of the chocolate menu and then for fall come, we have something apple or fall food or one of those.

Kelch said COVID-19 created an opportunity for construction on the LuLus space because the restaurant already had to close temporarily.

Kelch said the group worked with a local contractor and team to create the new layout for the tavern. Core & Rind Hospitality Manager Nathalie Barbier said the team completely re-did the interior of the LuLus space. The tavern will have wood paneling, leather booths and a new bar.

Theres a number of people who just walked into the space and theyve been like, Wow, this is great. I cant wait till this opens. This looks like it could be a great place just to have a drink, have food and relax, Barbier said. It really gives them a place just to be able to drop by, have drinks and be casual but yet comfortable.

Email: [emailprotected]Twitter: @BoasSamantha

RELATED STORIES: Taco Diablo returns to Evanston after 2013 fire Evanston restaurants to participate in North Shore Restaurant Month deals Lulus, Taco Diablo plan to open January 2016

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The Blue Horse Tavern to open as part of Core & Rind Hospitality - Daily Northwestern

Estiatorio Milos, the Greek restaurant at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas with a killer lunch deal, officially plans to depart the resort. Construction on a new location on the Venetians restaurant row already started, with the eatery taking over 13,624 square feet on the site of shuttered seafood restaurant Aquaknox. Under the code name Project Blue, Milos started construction in August, filing paperwork for a $10 million budget in estimated construction costs alone.

We can confirm the upcoming departure of Estiatorio Milos from the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, a spokesperson for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas tells Eater Vegas. The unique Greek restaurant has been a part of our world-renowned restaurant collection since the propertys opening in December 2010. We express our sincere gratitude to the Estiatorio Milos team for their hard work and commitment over the past 10 years. We look forward to announcing an exciting new venture in the near future, continuing the resorts ongoing approach of dynamic, first-to-market restaurant concepts.

When Milos closes at the Cosmopolitan and opens at the Venetian remain the questions without answers. The current version at the Cosmopolitan features globally sourced seafood with a main dining space, private wine and luxury rooms, plus the bonus of a 75-seat Garden Terrace overlooking the Strip.

Restaurateur Costas Spiliadis originally opened Milos in 1997 and now operates in Montreal, Athens, Miami, London, and, most recently, debuted a polarizing expansion to New Yorks Hudson Yards back in March 2019.

Greek Restaurant Estiatorio Milos to Make a Huge Move to the Venetian [ELV]

All Coverage of Estiatorio Milos [ELV]

Seafood Restaurant Closes at the Venetian [ELV]

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Estiatorio Milos will close at the Cosmopolitan, still plans to move to the Venetian - Eater Vegas

Despite the seemingly non-stop closings, a number of restaurant owners have signed leases and are opening soon (or at some point in the future).

Heres some early (but limited) info we have about UWS restaurants on the horizon:

A new restaurant called Chick Chick is opening at 618 Amsterdam Avenue, at the corner of 90th Street. This was formerly home to Coffee Berry, which closed in late 2018. The owners of the upcoming eatery are Jun Ha Park and Bomee Chu, who are also the owners of Chelseas Jun-Men Ramen Bar. Weve connected with them, and while they were able to confirm all of the above, theyve held off on providing further info about Chick Chick for now. Theyll provide us with more info soon. Thanks to Upper West Sider for the tip.

We were able to connect with the owner who tells us they will be offering take-out and delivery beginning next weekend. We asked about whether or not a physical location for onsite dining was in the works, and the owner told us it would be nice to have in the nearby future but that there are no immediate plans to offer this. View their IG page here.

Tipster Upper West Sider also informed us that a new restaurant has signed a lease at 225 Columbus Avenue, between 70th and 71st Streets. This was the former home of Bistro Cassis, which closed earlier this year. Construction work for the new restaurant has begun. We reached out to the broker who rented the space, Rafe Evans of Walker Malloy, who believes this will be some type of reincarnation of Bistro Cassis, with some of the same players involved. The listing brochure indicated that the asking rent was $19,250 per month.

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New Restaurant Teasers - I Love the Upper West Side

At times throughout the past year, we've taken the opportunity to take a look at the construction currently taking place in EPCOT. Even in this first phase of reopening for the Walt Disney World parks, construction projects are moving and grooving, so let's hit the pause button for a few minutes and take a look around.

Thanks to Twitter user bioreconstruct, we have some new aerial images of EPCOT. The first picture to take a peek at today has us peering down at the new fountain being constructed in front of the park's icon, Spaceship Earth. As you can see, the fountain's construction seems to be close to completion, with the rebar grid already installed for the concrete slab at the base of the water feature.

For those who haven't been able to return to EPCOT just yet, the aerial picture above gives a great overview look at the new entrance area without the presence of the Leave a Legacy monoliths. As you can imagine, guest flow has been greatly increased due to the removal of the monoliths.

A closer image shows us a clearer picture of the overall aesthetic of the fountain, which harkens back to the fountain that was housed in the same space during the park's early years. As we've seen from the ground, the lucite pylons for the new fountain will stand tall in the middle of the water feature.

I snapped the above picture of the new lucite fountain pylons during a recent walk through the park. They really are stunning.

Our virtual tour now takes us behind Spaceship Earth to look at the progression of the work in what will become Dreamer's Point. As we've covered in a previous construction update, the south side of Innoventions West has been completely removed.

We can see in the picture above that the canopy that used to provide shade for guests outside Future World's Electric Umbrella has now been removed. You can also get a feel for the extent of the work currently taking place in the original home of Mouse Gear.

The picture above is a shot that I took in July of the Mouse Gear building from the Future World East side of the building. We can see straight through the building, and you can get a grasp for the extent of the demolition.

Speaking of Future World East, our last stop for today's construction update has us taking a peek at the area. The solar panels have returned to the roof of the former Universe of Energy show building, which will partially house the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. As the Wonders of Life pavilion transforms into the new PLAY! pavilion, it's received new gold roof tiles. The green curved building of the forthcoming Space 220 restaurant can be seen next to Test Track near the bottom of the picture.

What are you most looking forward to experiencing in EPCOT once construction is complete?

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New Aerial Images Give Detailed Views of EPCOT Construction Progress - The DIS

Hello from a magically exciting day at the Magic Kingdom! The morning was bright, sunny, and perfectly beautiful, but the afternoon was quite stormy. Thankfully we got in plenty of fun before the weather turned. Lets get started!

We came into the park to Mickey & Friends greeting guests from the Train Station balcony, and Donald was ready for the spotlight! He was looking smashing in his superhero outfit.

We had a couple of construction projects to check in on today. At TRON Lightcycle Run, the canopy has been coming along nicely. Additional pieces are being assembled on the ground. We expect to see those mounted here soon.

At the Fantasyland Train Station, work vehicles were seen on the gravel path where the train tracks usually are. The tracks were removed recently as part of the refurbishment being done to the train system.

While we couldnt see what they were doing, and work was not actively being done, it was good to see that progress is being made in this area.

Guests wishing to dine at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe are in for a bit of a change: the restaurant is now using the side door as the main entrance for mobile order guests.

Westward Ho Refreshments, which recently reopened with the popular corn dog nuggets on the menu, was closed today. We suspect this location will be open on busier days, similar to some locations at EPCOT.

We found several new lines of customizable MagicBands, phone cases, and magnets available in the maDe kiosk at Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. One line was this awesome set of designs for the new Mulan film.

The brushed line artwork is really striking. Were glad there are several designs featuring this style of art.

While the kiosk has options for several sizes of iPhones and Android devices, not all designs are available for all phones. As always, availability it subject to change. Please check with a Cast Member for the current availability.

No one can resist a good movie poster! Customization adds $5 to the phone case and MagicBand pricing.

The MagicBand starts at $24.99. Specialty 3D phone cases retail for $34.99, with standard phone cases priced at $29.99. Magnets are $14.99.

We also found a whole set of items for Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. You can view the whole collection here.

While in Tomorrowland we also found new customizable shirts in the maDe kiosk, including designs for Princess and the Frog, Haunted Mansion, Mulan, and some Halloween 2020 designs. Shirts start at $29.99.

We had quite the surprise today when we walked into Sir Mickeys and found almost the entire Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Collection sitting on a shelf. With no announcement or warning of any kind, guests and Cast Members alike were surprised to see this popular merchandise appear in the store. For more pictures and a full video walkthrough of the collection, see our article here.

Halloween officially arrived in the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, but it finally seeped all the way into the Confectionery today. Halloween cupcakes have arrived, and yes theres a pumpkin spice flavor!

We indulged in a treat of our own today in celebration of Gastons Tavern reopening recently. Nothing beats a LeFous Brew on a hot day!

We found Gaston leading the Villains Halloween Cavalcade today from atop his trusty steed, rather than from the ground. We especially like the new studded breast collar Gastons horse was wearing, perfect for a Villains horse.

Also new to the Villains Cavalcade today was the Big Bad Wolf, who was walking along in front of the float.

We love seeing the Villains having a moment to shine!

It isnt all Halloween Cavalcades all day though. Some of the Character Cavalcades weve come to know and love are still running along with the Halloween Cavalcades. We got to see the Royal Princess Promenade today, which was lovely to see while looking down Main Street, U.S.A.

We had a wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom, and we hope you enjoyed coming along with us. Have a magical day!

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PHOTO REPORT: Magic Kingdom 9/17/20 (Construction Updates, New maDe Items, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Collection,...