Bad luck, no puck: The opening of the United Center inspired a number of new restaurants to open on the near-West Side, in anticipation of thousands of fans streaming to Bulls and Blackhawks games. Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon added a Lombard location to the Downers Grove store it opened previously, and Colorado Steakhouse moved in to Orland Park and Merrillville, Ind. Outback Steakhouse opened its first Illinois outpost in Calumet City in July, then followed up with stores in Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Wheaton and Naperville Buffalo Ranch opened its first local store in Naperville in April, then added a Skokie location in November. A low-impact plains war is being fought in the suburbs by several moderately priced, casual steakhouse chains. Prairie, assuming that visitors to the Midwest would be more interested in local cuisine, introduced a new Midwestern-cuisine menu during the World Cup. City Tavern created a "World Cup grazing menu" of Spanish, Greek, Mexican, Italian and Moroccan dishes. I Tre Merli put up a big-screen TV to show most of the important games of the World Cup. Ed Debevic's, The Original Gino's East and Edwardo's printed their menus in German and Spanish. Una haburguesa de Ruta 66, por favor: The World Cup games played in Chicago last summer inspired some multicultural efforts. Pierre Pollin of Le Titi de Paris snagged a 1994 Ivy Award, and Jean Joho of Everest was named Chicago Culinary Master of the Year by the Fine Beverage and Food Association. Erwin was chosen one of the best new restaurants in the country by Bon Appetit magazine. Sometime later, Stegner's hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, was named best hotel in the country in a Conde Nast Traveler poll. Accolades: Sarah Stegner of The Dining Room was named the nation's Rising Star New Chef 1994 by the James Beard Society-which also selected Paul Bartolotta of Spiaggia as Midwest chef of the year. Fifteen Italian restaurants of note opened in the Chicago area this year, and that's not even counting the multiple Italian influences elsewhere I figure the ocean will run out of calamari any day now, and rumor has it that the city of Chicago may print a tiramisu recipe on the back of its restaurant licenses. Italian concepts continued to dominate the new restaurants.
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