On one block of Wilmette Avenue just north of Central, two new restaurants are about to launch.
That’s in addition to Big Black Dog and The Noodle Small Plates & Market, which opened at the end of 2012. It’s either the start of a dining renaissance in Wilmette, or a market that’s about to get too crowded for its own good.
Mitch Dulin, a Winnetka resident and experienced restaurant owner, is opening The Avenue in the old Illinois Bone and Joint office. We walked through the bared-to-the-studs space as he explained where the bar would go and talked up the lounge with live jazz on the weekends. “I’ve been looking at space in Wilmette since the ’80s,” he says. He was happy owning and running Central Street Grill in Evanston, but after seeing the space multiple times he says, “I took a hard look, and decided it could be really nice.”
The food, based on his early menu drafts, will be a mix of French and Italian, plus American favorites like steaks and chops. He promises a full bar with interesting wines and microbrews. He adds that his goal for the 160-seat restaurant is to be a catalyst site—a focal point that will bring diners to the village.
Just steps away is the old CJ Arthurs space, which was leased by a group of investors made up of nine Wilmette families, but heading the venture is Jen Marino and Tim Lenon, who owns Fuel. “It’s a great testament to Wilmette,” Marino says. “People came to us to invest because they’re passionate about this community.”
Nick’s will be a gastropub, “Good bar food done better,” Marino says. “We want it to be family-friendly, but also where girls can go for appetizers and drinks, and where guys can sit at the bar, have a beer and watch a game.” The name is in honor of Marino’s father-in-law, who lives in Milwaukee. “He always has a story or a joke. He’s engaging, and we want people to feel that comfort when they walk in,” she says.
Late May 2013 is the target date for both restaurants to open, but what happens to the other local dining options when new competition comes to the ‘hood? Robert Garrison who owns The Noodle, Depot Nuevo, and The Noodle Small Plates and Market, worries that the timing of the additions might lead to an oversupply. “People only have a certain number of meals they want to purchase out each week,” he says. “If you’re increasing seats by a third, demand is not going to immediately increase that much.”
Marino’s philosophy is that the restaurants that will thrive are those that serve high-quality food, have fantastic service and a great ambiance. “We know we have to nail all three,” she says.
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