Bad News For Lady Gregory . . .

Kyle McHugh of Lady Gregory (Photo: Kyle McHugh)

Just as excitement hit for the upcoming Lady Gregory project set to open in Andersonville in April, it was hit with some very bad luck Thursday.

According to an Ultimate Insider, a fire raced through the venue destroying the entire bar and dining room.

"It won't open for a few months now," he said.

Lady G.'s beverage director Kyle McHugh checked out the scene Friday morning and had this to say: "Just visited the fire scene. It's bad. Brand new hand-made bar, new coolers, taps - gone. Thankful kitchen and all in basement ok."

We'll keep you posted on its progress . . .

Free Burgers at M Burger!

M Burger's signature double-stack burger. (Photo: M Burger)

This is the kind of news we LOVE.

To celebrates its first birthday, the original M Burger in Streeterville will generously give you a gift.

Freebies . . . on Friday . . .

It's "Oyster Fest" at Tavern on Rush through March 13.

Low on cash, but got an appetite for the good life?! Every Friday, 312DD features the best bargain bets around town:

Don't you always feel less guilty about pigging out after a great workout?! Burn some calories first at the brand-new 6pm Friday spin class at Go Cycle, then chill out with a great deal at next-door neighbor Old Town Social. Pick up a certificate at the studio for a comp glass of Prosecco or pint of Three Floyds Pride beer as well as a half-price appetizer. Fridays only; first-time Go Cycle students get first class free.

Bistronomic Is #Winning!

Photos of Chef Martial Noguier and Bistronomic interior via galdonesphotography.com.

A funny thing happened Wednesday during my first visit to Bistronomic, the new casually cool French eatery owned by chef Martial Nogiuer.

The place was bustling, diners appeared to be animated and elated with their entree selections, and the bar area was scattered with sophisticated European types dining on smaller plates of sardines and pate.

But there was one customer who was not happy—or impressed—with any of this and it was pretty funny to watch it all go down from my perch at the bar.

'Spectacle' Includes Elusive Schwa Chef

Chef Michael Carlson of Schwa. (Photo via The Stew)

"I literally had to camp out and go in there at times when I knew he'd be there," Redmoon Theater's Sean Kaplan confessed to Eater on how he snagged Schwa's elusive chef/owner Michael Carlson for his annual event.

"When I met him he was one of the most friendly, genuine guys I had (ever) met. I told him what the mission was and he said he doesn't do benefits, but he liked what I proposed and said he was a fan of Redmoon."

That's freaking HUGE that they got Carlson to serve food at Spectacle Lunatique (6:30pm March 12) for the VIP portion of the event. It'll also include top chefs Paul Kahan (Blackbird), Giuseppe Tentori (Boka), Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia), Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Jimmy Bannos, Jr. (The Purple Pig), Bill Kim (Belly Shack/Urban Belly), Randy Zweiban (Province), Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate) and Jessie Oloroso (Black Dog Gelato) as well as mixologist Charles Joly (The Drawing Room).

Last Hurrah For Art Smith's 'World Festival'

It had a good run, but now it's time for a change.

Common Threads' World Festival—the gourmet grubout staffed by some of the most recognized names in the culinary world—will be no longer following its final event on March 7 at Soldier Field.

And to no one's surprise, this final blowout will go out with a significant bang, as founder Art Smith of Table Fifty-Two has gathered the likes of Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Michelle Bernstein (Michy's), Anita Lo (Annisa), Bill Kim (Urban Belly/Belly Shack) and Chris Pandel (The Bristol) to serve as his celebrity chef hosts.

Lushing Out with LUPEC

Sonja Kassebaum of North Shore Distilleries (Photo: Sonja Kassebaum)

To kick off Women's History Month, 312DD kicked it Monday with the Chicago chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails—better known as LUPEC—at Bar DeVille.

This sounds so prim and proper, doesn't it?!

I was so effing prepared to munch on miniature cucumber sandwiches and sip Champagne-gin cocktails as we politely discussed current events and the state of cocktails. But I was briskly told that this was not that kind of party.

I was first introduced to the members, some of whom I knew and some of whom I had heard about but had never met. Most were bar-industry vets with long resumes, such as Lynn House, who works at Blackbird and is also the chapter's president; Debbi Peek (The Bristol); Logan Lavachek (Double A, Sepia); Leanne Strickler (Nana); and Sonja Kassebaum (North Shore Distilleries). (Missing in action was Bridget Albert of Southern Wine & Spirits.)

The Bedford's Location Revealed

(Photo: Mark Steuer)

Sooooo, information is slowly leaking out about Mark Steuer's new Wicker Park project, The Bedford, which we were the first to tell you about in January.

The location is at 1612 W. Division St., in an old bank building, and it's set to open in mid-April. From what we understand, it's well on its way to being finished and if all goes well with the city, they should be opening on time.