Pompei reopens as Davino’s, no wait now it's Ralph's

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Pompei Little Italy was scheduled to reopen Thursday at the Riviera Country Club at 8801 W. 143^rd St. in Orland Park as Davino’s, with a slightly tweaked menu and new hours.

But that was scrubbed at the last minute and the new name is now Ralph's Italian Eatery and Bar, in honor of its owner Ralph Davino.

The restaurant was closed for about a week to erect new signage and do some minor remodeling inside the restaurant.

“Pompei is going in a little different direction here in Orland Park,” said supervisor Kelly Voris. “(Ralph's) will be open from 4-10 p.m. and be closed Monday and Tuesday.

“We are expanding the menu a little from the Pompei menu,” she said. 

Voris said the Pompei on Taylor Street in Chicago is not undergoing any change and a new Pompei Little Italy will be opening soon in Westmont.

“We still have the same owners as before,” she said. 

Naf Naf Grill opens in Orland Park

Middle Eastern food is becoming more common in the Orland Park area and Naf Naf Grill is continuing that tradition.

The restaurant, which opened last week at 15110 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, features shawarma (marinated chicken or beef slow roasted on a rotating spit), falafel (deep fried mix of chick peas, herbs and spices), hummus, baba ghanoush (similar to hummus but made with eggplant instead of chickpeas), chip-like french fries, pitas, salads, rice and fried chicken schnitzel, a German classic also common in Israel. 

Naf Naf gave away free food as part of a soft opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, said Chris Williams, general manager of the Orland Park location. The restaurant opened with a full menu and full hours on Tuesday.

“It’s always great to see the look on a customer’s face when they try to pay and we tell them the food is free,” he said, adding customer traffic on Monday was “awesome.”

Naf Naf Grill was first opened in Naperville by Sahar Sander and Elan Burger in 2009. David Sloan and Justin Halpenny soon partnered up and they began to open up more locations in the western suburbs. 

The Orland Park location is the seventh Naf Naf Grill, with a couple of more in the planning stages.

The hours starting Tuesday will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For information, call the restaurant at 708-226-0101 or visit their website at http://www.nafnafgrill.com.

 Bonefish Grill to open Monday

Florida-based seafood restaurant Bonefish Grill, 15537 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park, opens to the public on Monday.

The eatery had a benefit party Saturday with Together We Cope to benefit the organization that assists south suburban families in crisis.

“Being active participants in the Orland Park community is very important to us,” Nick Kapellas, managing partner of the new Bonefish Grill location, said in a release. “Our partnership with Together We Cope is a first step toward building a foundation of goodwill and fostering local relationships, which we hope to continue long after we open our doors.” 

Bonefish Grill specialties include Ahi Tuna Sashimi, PEI Mussels Josephine and “American Style” Kobe Beef Burgers, and the house specialty Bang Bang Shrimp. 

“We are thrilled that Bonefish Grill chose to partner with our organization,” Kathryn Staniero, Executive Director of Together We Cope, said in the release. 

The Orland Park restaurant features a spacious dining room with a bar area, community tables and music. The interior’s sleek design has golden hardwood and hand-blown glass amber lamps throughout the restaurant.  Throughout the interior there is an attractive array of three-dimensional art, ranging from large-scale metal sculptures of mangroves and fishing scenes to a large mystical fish rubbing.

Hours are 4-10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 3-11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.  There also is a brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday featuring favorite breakfast dishes like omelets, French toast served with freshly whipped cream, and chocolate croissants. 

For information, call 708-873-5170 or visit www.bonefishgrill.com.

If you see a new business in town or wonder what happened to an old favorite, drop me a line at bobbong@hotmail.com.

Bethania Cemetery guest stars in new TV series on Investigation Discovery

Kurtis Productions film a segment for a new Investigation Discovery series at Bethania Cemetery in Justice.

By Bob Bong
Desplaines Valley News

Bethania Cemetery, which was founded in 1894 at 7701 S. Archer Ave. in Justice, will make its television debut next week on Investigation Discovery, a Discovery channel spinoff known as ID that features documentary-style programming mostly dealing with true crime subjects.

The cemetery was standing in for a Florida graveyard in a segment produced by longtime Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis, who has made a second career out of true crime re-enactments for such shows as "Investigative Reports," "American Justice" and "Cold Case Files."

The cemetery is the setting for an episode of a new ID series that debuted Sept. 5 called "Double Crossed."

The segment filmed by Kurtis Productions stems from a Florida case in which police trick a woman into confessing that she murdered her first husband by hiding microphones in flowers that surrounded his grave, said cemetery Supt. Randy Leise.

"They had microphones hidden in the flowers and they got her confessing to the murder when she visited the grave," said Leise. "She something like you got what you deserved and they were able to convict her of the murder."

"(Kurtis) does a lot of filming in the Chicago area and liked the look of Bethania," said Leise. "They had 1980s cars in the scenes and clothes."

He said Kurtis also filmed part of the segment in the interrogation room at the  nearby Summit police station.

A spokeswoman for Kurtis Productions said the cemetery was selected because the company was doing a lot of filming in the area for the segment.

The episode of "Double Crossed" is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. Sept. 19 on Investigation Discovery, which is channel 260 on U-Verse, channel 271 on Comcast, channel 285 on DirecTV and 192 on Dish.

Pioneer past comes alive at I&M Canal fur trade era re-enactment

Andy "Story Teller" Talley entertains the crowd with a tall tale.

By Bob Bong
Desplaines Valley News

A River Thru History, which took place in Willow Springs last weekend, recreated the history of the Des Plaines Valley during the fur trade era before Chicago became a city.

"This is one of the best annual events along the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor, as it captures that magical combination of history and entertainment so well," said Bob Navarro, President/CEO of the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"The past comes alive around you in a combination of history, storytelling, music, food and festivities," he said.

Visitors to Columbia Woods in Willow Springs were able to meet fur traders, craftsman, pioneer musicians and entertainers as they gathered along the banks of the Des Plaines River. There were craft demonstrations, a children’s trading post, live animals, storytelling, Native American games, music by Blue Celtic Grass and a skillet toss.

Food vendors served a variety of food similar to what was eaten during the fur trade era including kettle corn, wild rice stew and root beer.

Photos for Desplaines Valley News by Steve Neuhaus

A re-enactor shows some young guests how pottery was made in pioneer days.

Colonial soldiers march through Columbia Park in Willow Springs.