Durbin’s closes Chicago Ridge location

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Durbin’s, which has a string of successful restaurant/bars in the Southland, took it on the chin recently when it closed its branch inside Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall. It was the chain’s first attempt to operate inside a mall. All of its other locations are in freestanding buildings, and all of them are still open. For more information, visit Durbin’s at Facebook or online at http://www.durbinspub.com/.

Mongo visits Apple ChevroletFormer Bears great Steve “Mongo” McMichael is set to appear from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Apple Chevrolet, 8585 W. 159th St. in Tinley Park, to sign autographs, footballs and other memorabilia. His visit is part of the dealer’s Tailgate Party from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Apple is serving up hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks and will be raffling off sports gifts and auto gifts.

Free tacos
Taco Fresco, 7107 W. 183rd St. in Tinley Park, is giving away Little Village tacos and chips and salsa as part of its customer appreciation day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Regular tacos will be buy one, get one free all day. There also will be raffles for gift baskets and gift bags. The Mexican eatery recently changed ownership. For more information, call 708-444-8226 or visit http://www.tacofresco.com/.

Bears deal of the weekend
Oliver’s Bar and Grill, 6150 W. 159th St. in Oak Forest, serves free appetizers during halftime of Bears games. Visit their website at http://www.oliversbargrill.com/.
 

Catering business leads to BBQ restaurant

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Kathy Connolly started in the food business as a waitress and bartender at Die Bier Stube in Frankfort.

About 11 years ago, she started doing occasional parties and weddings at the New Lenox VFW Hall.

“I’d step in if the regular caterer wasn’t available,” she says. Thus was born Connolly’s Catering, which Connolly ran from her home in Manhattan.

She rented restaurant space about 18 months ago at 280 E. Haven Ave. in New Lenox.

“People kept asking if we were open for lunch, which got me thinking,” she says.

On July 1, the Bourgeois Pig BBQ opened in the same space she uses for preparing her catering jobs.

“I figured that since we were already here, we might as well be open if someone wanted a sandwich.”

The menu is limited, but that suits Connolly just fine. “We don’t offer a lot but what we do make is great,” she says.

The secret to her popular BBQ is the sauce, she says. “We started out with a barbecue sauce from the Double D Barbecue Pit that we have perfected over the years.”

The Pig, as Connolly loving refers to the restaurant, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 815-485-1744 or 815-478-3395, or visit her at http://www.bourgeoispigbbq.com/ or http://www.connollyscatering.net/.

Weber’s Taco Stop now open
A new Mexican restaurant with the unlikely name of Weber’s Taco Stop opened last month at 1500 State St. in Lockport. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 815-524-4444 or visit them on Facebook.

Big Tuna opens second location

Big Tuna Sushi is now open in Frankfort.

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Big Tuna Sushi has opened its second restaurant at 19951 S. LaGrange Road in Frankfort. The Japanese cuisine restaurant had been operating for a couple of years at 131st Street and LaGrange in Orland Park.

Hours are Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1-9 p.m.

For more information and to check out its menu, visit http://www.bigtunasushi.com/ or call 815-469-5189.

Hawk replaces Rizza in Bridgeview
Tony Rizza Chevrolet, which had been selling cars at 8200 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview since 1982, was sold recently and in August was renamed Hawk Chevy. The dealership is now part of the group that owns Hawk Ford in Oak Lawn. For more information, visit http://www.hawkchevy.com/ or call 708-594-6400.

Jersey Mike’s coming to Tinley
A New Jersey-based submarine sandwich chain called Jersey Mike’s is planning to open soon in the former Great Wraps location at 16205 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park. The company started in 1956 in Point Pleasant, N.J., and has already opened 11 stores in Illinois. I’ll have more as it becomes available.

Long Run adds staffer
Frankfort-based Long Run Financial Ltd. has added Becky Connery to its team. Connery hails from Downers Grove, where she recently worked as a financial planner and chief compliance officer for a fee-only financial planning firm. She has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University. For more information, visit http://www.longrunfinancial.com/ or call (815) 464-9275.