11-01-2008, 12:24 PM
I'm looking forward to this. If the steak and service is good we will be regulars -have dining dollars to spend and hate going to Gurnee.
'Destination dining'
Steakhouse to open in downtown Waukegan
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Comments
November 1, 2008
By Long Hwa-shu special to the news-sun
WAUKEGAN -- A steakhouse, the first of its kind in downtown Waukegan, is set to open in mid-December across from the Genesee Theatre.
The 250-seat Jack's on the Park will anchor the $6-million, two-story 42,000-square-foot Academy Square which is already a head-turner for downtown visitors.
"We want to make Waukegan a destination dining experience," assured John Grbac as he led visitors on a tour of the interior of the restaurant Thursday.
"This will be the bar designed to serve a large crowd that comes all at once from the theater," he said of the 27-foot service area to be staffed by seven bartenders.
Grbac noted that the restaurant's success will, in a large measure, depend on the bookings of the theater.
"When there's a date, we're going to fill," he said, adding: "We need your support, everyone of you."
Grbac of Chicago and Ray Vanagas of Naperville are partners in the restaurant venture. Between them, they have more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant business, according to Vanagas, formerly of Lake Forest. Grbac owned and operated Cairo Blonde and several restaurants in Chicago. Vanagas managed Leona's restaurants in Chicago and also Café Alexander in Naperville and Aurora.
The two partners have already opened Bistro Amalfi, formerly Bistro 17, and will open Foam, a coffee house, next to the steakhouse in two weeks. Amalfi which specializes the Amalfi coastal region food grand-opened Thursday.
"Waukegan with the revived downtown has so much to offer. There are 1,400 boat slips in the harbor," said Vanagas, an actor who is a founder of the Chicago Actors Studio and appeared the movie "Shut Eye," which was filmed in Waukegan.
"People don't seem to know enough about Waukegan. Nobody pushed the cart enough to make it take off. But we're going to make it happen," he added.
The new steakhouse will have as its executive chef George Ramirez ,who has been a chef at Lovell's in Lake Forest nine years.
"We're going to age our steaks to give them the good flavor," promised Vanagas.
The steakhouse, which will occupy 9,500 square feet, will have a piano bar, a banquet room and also a private dining room.
The two partners are leasing the space and also the building housing Bistro Amalfi from Revolution Investment Partners of Waukegan.
"We know they can make this take off," said a confident Charles Herbst, Revolution managing director.
With the new anchor tenant, Herbst is bullish that the development, which was started in 2006, will finally start to pay off.
"I'm looking for tenants for the upstairs. There are 7,600 square feet of office space here," he said as he pointed to courtyard down below featuring a sculpture carved from a hunk of Kansas limestone. It is by Fritz Olsen, an artist from Sawyer, Mich., titled "Prosperity."
"That's what we need downtown, prosperity," he said.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/business/1253885,5_1_WA01_STEAKHOUSE_S1.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... S1.article</a><!-- m -->
![[Image: WA01_STEAKHOUSE_P1_scn_feed_20081031_19_...ageContent]](http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/WA01_STEAKHOUSE_P1_scn_feed_20081031_19_12_18_56-124-165.imageContent)
A limestone sculpture titled "Prosperity" in the courtyard of Academy Square lights up at night. Developer Charles Herbst said the courtyard may include patio dining for Jack's on the Park in warmer months.
![[Image: WA01_STEAKHOUSE_P2_scn_feed_20081031_19_...ageContent]](http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/WA01_STEAKHOUSE_P2_scn_feed_20081031_19_12_19_58-124-93.imageContent)
John Grbac, co-owner of Jack's on the Park, and Bistro Amalfi give a tour to Waukegan officials and guests Thursday. Grbac shows where a huge bar will be built inside the steakhouse across from Genesee Theatre.
'Destination dining'
Steakhouse to open in downtown Waukegan
Recommend (1)
Comments
November 1, 2008
By Long Hwa-shu special to the news-sun
WAUKEGAN -- A steakhouse, the first of its kind in downtown Waukegan, is set to open in mid-December across from the Genesee Theatre.
The 250-seat Jack's on the Park will anchor the $6-million, two-story 42,000-square-foot Academy Square which is already a head-turner for downtown visitors.
"We want to make Waukegan a destination dining experience," assured John Grbac as he led visitors on a tour of the interior of the restaurant Thursday.
"This will be the bar designed to serve a large crowd that comes all at once from the theater," he said of the 27-foot service area to be staffed by seven bartenders.
Grbac noted that the restaurant's success will, in a large measure, depend on the bookings of the theater.
"When there's a date, we're going to fill," he said, adding: "We need your support, everyone of you."
Grbac of Chicago and Ray Vanagas of Naperville are partners in the restaurant venture. Between them, they have more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant business, according to Vanagas, formerly of Lake Forest. Grbac owned and operated Cairo Blonde and several restaurants in Chicago. Vanagas managed Leona's restaurants in Chicago and also Café Alexander in Naperville and Aurora.
The two partners have already opened Bistro Amalfi, formerly Bistro 17, and will open Foam, a coffee house, next to the steakhouse in two weeks. Amalfi which specializes the Amalfi coastal region food grand-opened Thursday.
"Waukegan with the revived downtown has so much to offer. There are 1,400 boat slips in the harbor," said Vanagas, an actor who is a founder of the Chicago Actors Studio and appeared the movie "Shut Eye," which was filmed in Waukegan.
"People don't seem to know enough about Waukegan. Nobody pushed the cart enough to make it take off. But we're going to make it happen," he added.
The new steakhouse will have as its executive chef George Ramirez ,who has been a chef at Lovell's in Lake Forest nine years.
"We're going to age our steaks to give them the good flavor," promised Vanagas.
The steakhouse, which will occupy 9,500 square feet, will have a piano bar, a banquet room and also a private dining room.
The two partners are leasing the space and also the building housing Bistro Amalfi from Revolution Investment Partners of Waukegan.
"We know they can make this take off," said a confident Charles Herbst, Revolution managing director.
With the new anchor tenant, Herbst is bullish that the development, which was started in 2006, will finally start to pay off.
"I'm looking for tenants for the upstairs. There are 7,600 square feet of office space here," he said as he pointed to courtyard down below featuring a sculpture carved from a hunk of Kansas limestone. It is by Fritz Olsen, an artist from Sawyer, Mich., titled "Prosperity."
"That's what we need downtown, prosperity," he said.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/business/1253885,5_1_WA01_STEAKHOUSE_S1.article">http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... S1.article</a><!-- m -->
A limestone sculpture titled "Prosperity" in the courtyard of Academy Square lights up at night. Developer Charles Herbst said the courtyard may include patio dining for Jack's on the Park in warmer months.
John Grbac, co-owner of Jack's on the Park, and Bistro Amalfi give a tour to Waukegan officials and guests Thursday. Grbac shows where a huge bar will be built inside the steakhouse across from Genesee Theatre.