New on the Scene: July

The timing of Piccolo Sogno's July debut was spot on, taking full advantage of the Italian spot's awesome patio space.

Marc Burger
Marcus Samuelsson is everywhere these days. The celeb chef opened upscale seafood spot C-House in the Affinia Chicago hotel in June, now he takes it down a notch (or several) with the debut of this quick-serve burger joint in Seven on State, the trendy food court inside Macy’s. Choose from a lineup of nine burgers, including a cumin and chive-seasoned turkey burger and the Marc Burger, a 10-ouncer topped with house-made steak sauce and a fried egg.

UFood Grill
Loop lunchers have a new spot to snag Smuuthies, Fired-up burgers, and Unfries. Say whaaat? Translation: the Smuuthie (a.k.a. smoothie) is made with fat-free yogurt and fresh whole fruit and berries; the Fired-up burgers (beef, turkey, veggie, bison) are grilled and served on a whole-wheat bun or whole-grain tortilla; and the Unfries are oven-baked—not fried. Healthful menu guidelines include no artificial flavors or colors, and hormone and antibiotic-free meats—plus all items are baked, grilled or steamed instead of fried. Find more Loop lunch spots here.

Ian's Pizza by the Slice Wrigleyville
The pizzas from this mini-chain out of Madison, Wis., feature a familiar foldable New York-style crust, but we guarantee the toppings aren’t like anything you’ve seen in these parts. Bestsellers include the Mac n’ Cheese pizza, topped with elbow macaroni and made-from-scratch cheese sauce (made using Wisconsin cheese, natch); more traditional pies, as well as a build-your-own option, also are available. Ian’s is open late most nights to satiate Wrigleyville boozehounds, and it opens early for lunch on Cubs home game days.

Blue 13
This River North spot caters to industry folks, night owls and others living a late-night rock ’n’ roll lifestyle with a kitchen that cranks out eats till about 1:30 a.m. and a Sunday brunch that runs until 7 p.m. (Brunch doesn’t even get started until noon.) Chef/co-owner Chris Curren, formerly of Zealous, is behind the menu, which features everything from lobster pizza to seared tuna and pork belly "surf and turf." Read our brunch review here.

Madame Tartine
This 1960s-inspired French bistro opened July 11 in the space most recently occupied by River North gastropub BB’s. Jack Binyon and Donnie Kruse of BB’s have teamed up with Jonathan Segal (Minnies, P.J. Clarke's) to transform the spot, bringing in Jonathan Foster (formerly of Savarin and Le Passage) as top toque. The namesake tartines (open-faced sandwiches) will appear as daily specials. The menu also includes classics such as mussels, roast chicken, steak tartare and steak frites; look for added perks such as house-baked baguettes and a cheese cart too. As for decor, expect something straight out of Paris circa 1969.

Paula & Monica's Pizzeria
This carryout and delivery-only pizzeria opened mid-July in West Town. Options include hand-stretched thin-crust and pan pizzas, plus specialty pies such as Hawaiian, Mexican and meat lovers. We’re betting the by-the-slice option will be popular with Chicago Avenue pub-crawlers—the joint’s open till 1 a.m. most nights. If your late nights already have seen one too many slices of pizza, go for an Italian sub, antipasto salad or Italian ice instead.

Piccolo Sogno
Tony Priolo, longtime executive chef at Tuscan-flaired Coco Pazzo, partnered with wine specialist Ciro Longobardo to open this Italian spot in the former Timo/Thyme address in River West on July 16. Look for traditional wood-fired pizzas, hand-made pasta (think artichoke and ricotta ravioli with fresh peas, fava beans and leeks), lasagna Bolognese and entrees such as wood-grilled whole sea bass. We’re happy to report that Timo’s awesome patio remains--with improvements, including a new entrance. Indoors, expect upgrades such as terrazzo floors, an Italian marble bar and glass chandeliers from Murano. Read our First Look here.

Dairy Queen/Orange Julius
Bucktown gets a double-dose of nostalgia with this dual-concept spot, which opened July 17 on Damen Avenue. Look for a lineup of classic DQ faves such as Blizzards and Peanut Buster Parfaits, plus those signature smoothie-like Orange Julius concoctions you might remember from your childhood.

Mana Food Bar
De Cero and Sushi Wabi partner Susan Thompson teamed up with De Cero executive chef Jill Barron to open this Wicker Park vegetarian restaurant July 21. Thompson tells us the menu features “a collage of global cuisines,” including Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern, with a focus on creative veggie preparations and limited use of meat alternatives such as seitan and tofu.

Check out the city's most recent openings here.

Got a tip on a new or soon-to-open restaurant? E-mail us: kpratt@tribune.com