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Grieving fans of the late Lo-Cal Locale might be excited to know that a new restaurant is moving in to punch their yogurt cards. Charlie Trotter today announced plans for his first new restaurant in Chicago since he opened his namesake spot in 1987 and fundamentally changed the restaurant scene in this town. He did open the takeout Trotter’s To Go on Fullerton in 2000, but this time the idea is much grander: Trotter will be responsible for all food and beverage operations at the Elysian Hotel, the planned luxury hotel and residence set to open in 2008 at 11 E. Walton.
The food will supposedly be much the same as found on Armitage, at least in the one Elysian restaurant that will be open for dinner only; there’ll also be a more traditional hotel dining room open all day. But the across-the-board plan is not for “a stamped-out, high-end experience,” says Charlie, “but something that is really personal and has a genuineness about it.”
