Chicken Wild Opens in Tinley Park

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

John Mihalos is back in the restaurant business after taking a decade off and his latest entry is a rotisserie-style restaurant called Chicken Wild at 15940 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

The eatery opened this week in the former Starbucks coffee shop.

Mihalos, who grew up in Oak Lawn, came up with the idea of a rotisserie-style restaurant after doing a little research and discovered rotisserie cooking is healthier and results in a different kind of taste from grilled and fried foods.

“There’s no reason fast food can’t be healthy and taste great,” he said.

Mihalos said guests can taste what he’s talking about during visits. “Ask for a sample and see for yourself,” he said.

Chicken Wild offers rotisserie chicken, pork and beef brisket with a variety of sides including rotisserie pineapple, fresh vegetables of the day, real mashed potatoes with garlic and olive oil, rice pilaf, and even steamed sweet corn (in season).

“But our specialty is the chicken breast,” Mihalos said.

Mihalos has big plans for the Chicken Wild concept and envisions many more locations once the Tinley location takes off.

“We think Chicken Wild will be a winner because of the taste,” he said.

The restaurant will emphasize catering and delivery, he said.

For information, call 708-444-2770 or visit their Facebook page. You can check out their menu at http://www.chickenwild.com/.

Rehab Suites Open in Evergreen Park

Evergreen HealthCare Center has opened new suites for patients rehabbing from surgery or other services at 10124 S. Kedzie Ave. in Evergreen Park. The suites are part of Transitional Care Management’s renovation of the center. For information, call 847-720-8700 or visit their website at http://www.tc-mgmt.com/.

Children’s Place Open Again at Chicago Ridge Mall

The newly remodeled Children’s Place reopened recently at Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge.

Egg Cetera Fish Fry Starts Today

EggCetera Café at 10120 W. 191st St. in Mokena will be open from 4-8 p.m. on Friday nights starting today for its new all-you-can-eat Friday Night Fish Fry. For information, call 708-478-0070.

Valentine’s Day Deals

Free Roses: Although a little pricey, Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall’s heart is in the right price with a new Valentine’s day promotion that runs through Valentine’s Day next week.

If you go to the Westfield Mall Office or Concierge with $200 or more in same-day mall store receipts, they will give you a coupon good for a bouquet of a dozen roses from Aldi. Limit one per person.

Fancy Dining: Chick-fil-A in Orland Park is hosting a Family Valentine’s Day from 6-8 p.m. Monday night with reserved seating, table service and activities. Call Cassie at 708-460-4663 or email community@cfaorland.com for reservations.

Heart-Shaped Pizzas: Ed and Joe’s in Tinley Park is serving up 10-inch, 12-inch and 14-inch heart-shaped pizzas between now and Valentine’s Day.

Ameera’s Pizzeria in Tinley Park also is serving up heart-shaped pies this weekend.

Dinner and a Tango: Couples can spend Valentine’s Day learning a tango routine from Al Pacino’s “A Scent of a Woman” at Heart & Sole Dance Studio and then dining on heart-shaped pizza at Vito & Nick’s II. The dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $35 per couple. Participants will receive a copy of the song they dance to and a chocolate rose as a gift. For information or to make reservations, call Heart & Sole at 708-532-6237 or visit http://www.heartsoledance.com/.

Whole Foods Market Plans Orland Store

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Orland area food shoppers will have a new alternative when Whole Foods Market opens later this year inside the former Borders book store at 15260 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park.

The Texas-based chain plans to open a natural and organic foods store sometime this fall. The Orland store is one of eight stores Whole Foods plans to add later this year, the company said Wednesday in its first quarter earnings report.

The Orland store at 27,000 square feet is on the small size, especially when compared to a Meijer or Jewel, but Whole Foods prides itself on featuring natural and organic foods that are free of artificial ingredients and hydrogenated fats.

The Orland store will be the chain’s first location in the Southland. Whole Foods has 17 other stores in the North and West Suburbs and 317 worldwide. Whole Foods said the store would bring 150-160 jobs.

The company started in 1980 in Austin and had sales of $10 billion in fiscal 2011.

White Fence Farm Now Open

White Fence Farm, which claims to have the World’s Greatest Chicken, has reopened its Romeoville, Joliet, Downers Grove and Plainfield Crossing locations for the season. The newly remodeled Riverside store won’t open until March. For information, visit them online at http://www.whitefencefarm.com/.

Puppy Store Closes in Mokena

The Puppy Love Boutique closed recently at 19155 S. LaGrange Road in Mokena. The store opened in November 2009.

CarHop Opens in Chicago Heights

CarHop, a car dealer that focuses on helping car buyers with poor or no credit get auto financing, opened its fifth Chicago-area location at 207 Halsted Street in Chicago Heights last month.

“People in the Chicago Heights area who have credit issues will now have an opportunity to get driving again,” District Manager Peter Desouza said in a news release. “And we will do everything we can to get them approved, provide customers with a chance to improve their credit and change their lives for the better.”

CarHop includes an 18-month, 18,000 mile limited warranty on all of its vehicles.

“The Chicago Heights store will help serve our customers’ needs by being in a more convenient location for people who live in that area of Chicago, and people who live near the border of Indiana and Illinois,” store manager Jim Arvia said in the release.

For information, visit http://www.carhop.com/.

Tropical Smoothie Coming to New Lenox

A Tropical Smoothie Cafe is coming to New Lenox.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

A Florida-based smoothie restaurant has put up signs that it will be moving this spring into the former Quiznos at 1872 W. Lincoln Highway in New Lenox across the street from Lincoln-Way Central High School.

The Tropical Smoothie Café franchise in Lombard will be relocating to New Lenox soon, according to its Facebook page. The Lombard location’s phone number has already been disconnected, and calls to the Florida corporate offices were not returned.

The restaurant features smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads, salads and breakfast, according to its website menu. It also has a kids menu and limited-time specials.

Interestingly, it will around be literally around the corner from a Paradise Smoothie shop.

Pepe’s Closes in Hickory Hills

The Pepe’s Mexican restaurant closed recently at 8128 W. 95th St. in Hickory Hills.

Smokey Barque Open in Frankfort

Smokey Barque, a barbecue smokehouse, opened recently at 20 W. Kansas St. in the former Jenny’s (which moved to 191 South in Mokena) in downtown Frankfort. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.

The restaurant will be holding grand opening events on Feb. 24-25. For information, call 815-277-2502 or visit http://www.smokeybarque.com/.

Vitamin Shoppe Opens in Matteson

A Vitamin Shoppe opened last month at 4803 W. Lincoln Highway in Matteson. Store hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call the store at 708-283-7059 or visit its website at http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/.

Pet Hospital Opens in Mokena Petsmart

Banfield Pet Hospital opened recently inside the Petsmart at 21430 Wolf Road in Mokena.

The hospital is hosting a grand opening free Preventive Care Seminar at 6 p.m. on Friday.

For information, call 815-464-3589 or visit http://www.banfield.com/.

Discover Tinley Registration Open

The Tinley Park Community Resources Commission will host the annual Discover Tinley community awareness expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 14 at the Convention Center. Businesses and organizations that want to participate can get more info at http://www.tinleypark.org/.