Openings

Iliana Regan’s Elizabeth Has a Home; Achatz Recipe Mystery Solved

Iliana Regan, of upcoming Elizabeth.
Iliana Regan, of upcoming Elizabeth. Photo: Sky Full of Bacon

Updates on a couple of recent stories that came in over the weekend. First up, underground chef Iliana Regan (One Sister) has closed on the space for her first restaurant, Elizabeth, at 4835 N. Western Ave. The small retail storefront was most recently a little-heralded neighborhood farm to table restaurant called Prix Fixe, but has been many other things including a Serbian restaurant called Klopa Grill. While the location may not initially conjure up Regan’s notion of “a dreamy cabin,” the advantage of being able to launch in an existing location now, instead of spending months building out a space, is obvious. And Regan, who’s been putting on dinners in her apartment, points out another reason why she wants to get her restaurant open soon: “My downstairs neighbors just had a baby, and people are really good about being quiet going in and out, but still, I want to give them a break.” Read our interview with her here; she hopes to open in July or August.

According to the Tribune, the great Grant “Actatz” mystery has been solved. The not-obviously-Achatzian recipes that appeared on a site for Keebler Town House crackers were, in fact, by Grant Achatz; apparently he developed a couple of simple recipes for them in the mid-2000s, possibly as part of a brief consulting gig (chefs often get invited to come talk for a day to some food conglomerate, in return for a handsome fee and, no doubt, the inherent interest of getting a peek inside the machinery). However it appears that Kellogg’s license for the recipes was time-limited and they should not have run Achatz’s name in big letters on their site, many years later. Or misspelled it. But hey, it’s far from the worst thing that happened to Achatz or his partner Nick Kokonas this weekend. [Tribune]

Iliana Regan’s Elizabeth Has a Home; Achatz Recipe Mystery Solved