BOOTED: The redevelopment plan for downtown’s Circle Centre mall might have scored its highest profile victim in Harry & Izzy’s. Huse Culinary’s St. Elmo spin-off opened at 153 S. Illinois St. in 2007, and even as the surrounding mall struggled, the restaurant’s two floors have always been packed with diners. But the plan to remake Circle Centre currently includes an 180-room upscale hotel where the restaurant now sits, which throws its future into question.
According to the IBJ, a proposed solution is a temporary move for the steakhouse to the 49 W. Maryland St. space occupied by the Sugar Factory until its eviction last year. It would operate there until construction on the hotel is completed, then return to the new lodging’s ground floor. “Timing is still fluid and negotiations are preliminary,” Huse CEO Craig Huse says, but if things come together, Harry & Izzy’s could move some time next year.
MEMORY LANE: Tasting Table published a sweetly nostalgic piece this week on Burger Chef, the Boomer-to-Gen-X beloved fast food chain that began here in 1957. It’s a fun and quick read, and made me long for the days of quick-serve spots with salad bars. The item inspired me to troll eBay for old Burger Chef goods; there’s a Burger Chef and Jeff mug going for $320 (not a typo) and another for $293. If you need to pause in your read to rifle through your parents’ cabinets in search of gold, I’ll be here when you get back.
ISO ABEL: Chicken finger focused chain Raising Cane’s continues its march toward ubiquity with another new location at 5458 E. 82nd St. to open on September 30, the company announced on Facebook. Another location, at 8379 U.S. 31 S., is expected to open in December, joining three currently open spots in Avon, Carmel, and Noblesville.
FALSE ALARM: A Fishers franchise location of chain beer company Voodoo Brewing appeared to announce its opening last week—but it’s not pouring pints quite yet. The location at 8729 Front St., which is owned by first-time restaurateur David Rivotto, published a Facebook post urging people to take a break from cooking to visit the spot that evening, but the message was “an automated notification glitch,” owners say. An opening date has yet to be announced, but they hope to open soon.
GONE TO THE DOGS: Some interesting news from our neighbor to the north, as the Chicago City Council is mulling a change to local law to allow dogs to join their guardians inside restaurants that choose to allow it. CBS reports that under the regulation change, which was proposed Thursday, diners would be allowed one dog per indoor table, pups must be vaccinated for rabies and leashed, and they “couldn’t be served food or table scraps.”
The rule change was proposed to give a boost to local businesses, some of which say they’ve lost revenue under Department of Public Health rules that keep pets outside. (Federal law means task trained service animals are allowed inside restaurants and many other pet-prohibited places, I should note.) If this law passes, expect Indy legislators to keep an eye on how things play out in the Windy City—I’ve already heard rumbling that if all goes well, we might be next.
MORE MED: Ohio-based Mediterranean chain Brassica is using some dough it got from Chipotle to move into Indy, the Columbus Business Journal reports. The decade-old company currently operates six spots across the Buckeye State, and will crack the Indy market with a Fashion Mall at Keystone stop in the coming months. The growth is fueled by an investment from Chipotle, which bought a notable stake in Brassica last year.
