'Japonais is not going anywhere!'

. . . exclaims Joe King, one of the operating partners behind Le Colonial, the sister restaurant to Japonais—in response to a flurry of rumors circulating for a few weeks about the supposed closing of the trendy River North restaurant.

He adds that the Asian-themed eatery is one of the "top grossing restaurants in the city," so they're in no danger of closing any time soon.

So now you know!

A First Bite at Theory

(Photo: Theory)


The Stew's Monica Eng has mixed feelings on the theme at new sports lounge, Theory, but she likes the food:

"Our super friendly and efficient waitress recommended the burger and especially the barbecue, noting they smoke everything in house. So we started with three pieces of Brian's Bespoke Babybacks ($7), which were impressively, sweet, sticky, smoky and tender specimens arranged in an artful pyramid and served with a vinegary Carolina-style sauce and a tangy house sauce.

"Our $3 cup of chili (which like most dishes sports a 'clever' name: A Chili Notion) features seasonal hot peppers, sweet onions, andouille sausage, sweet potatoes and cold-smoked cheddar, among other things. Interesting blend of ingredients but it left us wishing for less sweetness and a little more kick."