Asian Outpost's Evolved Menu Has Us Happy

For what it's worth, we don't get out as much as we use to.  As a result, we've been all over the carry-out and delivery scene in the Sloop.

With that in mind, we've been very impressed with Asian Outpost's progress.  As a reminder, this restaurant opened in 2014 at 1315 S. Wabash.  We liked it back then, but it appears that they have evolved their menu.

What you'll find now is a wide variety of asian dishes.  The one thing that we've really enjoyed are the Hawaiian inspired Poke bowls (specifically the Tuna Poke and Spicy Salmon Mango Poke).  They're not cheap at $13.95, but they offer a ton of different ingredients and are pretty delicious.

There are other new and exciting dishes as well...we just haven't had the chance to try those yet.

The other thing we've enjoyed is walking into this place - as captured in the pic above.  Not exactly sure what it is about it, but it just feels fresh when you're greeted by all this vegetation upon entry.  We assume some of the spices under the grow lamps are being used in the dishes?

Anyway, if you haven't been to Asian Outpost in awhile we would suggest you giving it another try.  We've been pleasantly surprised.

1411 S. Michigan Project Gets Loan; Slated for Completion in Spring 2018

Looks like the developer of a new project at 1411 S. Michigan is moving forward (via Chicagobusiness.com):

The developer of a 15-story South Loop apartment building scored a nearly $53 million construction loan to finance the project, jumping into a crowded rental market that's showing signs of softness. 

A joint venture led by Chicago-based Russland Capital Group is building the 199-unit tower at 1411 S. Michigan Ave., a few blocks west of Soldier Field. The venture borrowed $52.7 million from Square Mile Capital Management, a New York investment firm, to finance the development, according to Colliers International, the brokerage that arranged the financing.

The strange thing about this article was this piece:

Russland Principal Jacob Bletnitsky is confident his project will succeed even though it will face competition from other new buildings. Amid strong job growth in the city, more people are moving downtown, and they’re more interested in renting than buying, he said.  

“I don’t think we’re going to have a problem filling the units,” he said. “I think the rental market is going to stay hot for at least five years. But who knows? Nobody expected what happened eight or nine years ago,” when the downtown condominium market crashed.

Now we're not major real estate developers, but a market staying hot for five years doesn't seem like a very long time for an rental building - especially since this project isn't slated to be done until spring 2018.

That being said, the fact that they have a deal in place with Rush hospital seems pretty stable.

Does that statement seem strange to anyone else?

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Cold Rose

(Hat tip:  ES!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving yall!

Thanks from Sloopin & The Holiday CTA Schedule

Before we check-out for the Thanksgiving holiday - we wanted to take a moment to say thanks to all of you for helping us maintain Sloopin.  It ain't easy, but have so many people read and contribute makes it all worthwhile.

With that said, we also wanted to share the holiday CTA train schedules in case you're looking for some cheer (via NBC Chicago):

The CTA's most festive train comes back into service this Saturday for its 25th year and it's bringing with it a new partner -- the "Elves' Workshop Train."

A six-car train outfitted with Christmas lights and covered in snowflake and Santa Claus paintings will run on all eight rail lines beginning this weekend. Joining the holiday train on tracks throughout the city will be the new Elves' Workshop Train, which will also be covered in colorful lights, garland, bows and festive winter scenes.

Holiday Train (*Elves' Workshop Train following) 

• Sat., November 19 – Red Line 

• Fri., November 25 – Green Line 

• Sat., November 26 – Green Line* 

• Tue., November 29 – Green and Orange Lines 

• Wed., November 30 – Brown and Orange Lines 

• Thu., December 1 – Brown and Orange Lines 

• Fri., December 2 – Brown and Orange Lines 

• Sat., December 3 – Brown and Orange Lines* 

• Tue., December 13 – Red Line 

• Thu., December 15 – Red Line 

• Sat., December 17 – Red and Purple Lines* 

Holiday Bus 

• Fri., December 2 -- No. 22 Clark 

• Sat., December 3 -- No. 22 Clark/ No. 97 Skokie 

• Thu., December 8 -- No. 12 Roosevelt 

• Fri., December 9 -- No. 12 Roosevelt 

• Fri., December 16 -- No. 62 Archer 

• Sat., December 17 -- No. 62 Archer 

• Thu., December 22 -- No. 3 King Drive 

• Fri., December 23 -- No. 3 King Drive 

"Mayor of Chinatown" - Tony Hu Gets One Year in Prison

One of our favorite Chefs in Chinatown gets one year in prison (via Curbed):

Six months after federal authorities charged Tony Hu with a battery of tax fraud-related crimes, the famous Chicago Chinese restaurant owner was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and fined $100,000. Judge Amy J. St. Eve delivered the sentence this afternoon inside the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago which he should start in February. 

The sentencing marks the end of an investigation that started four years ago. The public became aware of the legal problems back in October 2014 when FBI and IRS agents raided Hu’s 10 Chinatown restaurants. Agents were seen carrying out boxes from the restaurants. Presumably, the boxes contained documents and other paperwork of evidence proving Hu bilked the government of $1 million in taxes from $9.8 million in sales. Hu, 49, pleaded guilty to the charges in May. The illegal activity took place from 2010 to 2014. 

Hu served as an icon for Chicago’s Chinatown, as his community outreach and restaurants gave him the title "Mayor of Chinatown." He forged relationships with city politicians and local celebrities dined at his restaurants. His real name is Hu Xiaojun and he is a naturalized citizen.

Plan Commission Green Lights Hotel at 1101 S. Wabash and New Townhouses at Prairie/Cullerton

Last Tuesday we posted about construction beginning at 1101 S. Wabash.  It looks like they officially got the green light from the Chicago Plan Commission (via Curbed): 

While the underlying zoning for this 281-room, 306-foot South Loop hotel tower allowed it to move forward as-of-right, the site at 1101 S. Wabash fell under the private use zone of the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance and still required a nod from the Plan Commission. Developed by Hinsdale-based S.B. Yen Management Group and penned by local architect Lothan Van Hook DeStefano, the glassy blue-tinted tower appears to have already started construction earlier this week.

Also note worthy is that it looks like another batch of townhouses are coming to Prairie Avenue (via Curbed):

Similar to the Wabash hotel, this townhouse development of twelve, four-story homes required approval under the Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance despite not requiring a zoning change. Located at the northeast corner of Prairie and Cullerton, this South Loop property is currently a surface parking lot.

Sloopin Open House: Got $7.1 Million?

On Saturdays we often try to highlight unique open houses.  Today, it's not an open house, but it's a strange real estate opportunity (via Crains):

Two years after putting a block of 141 condos in a South Loop building up for sale individually, a Los Angeles-based investment group hopes to close out the inventory soon by offering the last 15 in bulk to somebody who wants to finish the job. 

"They're ready to exit and want to hand what's left to somebody else," said George Toscas, the ACO Commercial vice president who is representing 15 unsold condos at the Guild, the 14-story tower at 50 E. 16th St., for owner Oaktree Capital Management.  

The effort to sell them individually to homeowners, brokered by @properties, will continue concurrently, Toscas said. The bulk asking price is not specified but would be approximately the sum of the asking prices of the 15 units, $7.1 million, Toscas said.

Pure Barre Apparently Coming to 1336 S. Michigan

A reader writes:

I was checking out Pure Barre’s website and saw that they plan on opening a location at 1336 S. Michigan Ave, http://purebarre.com/locations/. The website does not give any information but thought it was interesting especially given the increase of gyms in the area (Orange Theory should be opening soon, title boxing in the Roosevelt collection, etc)

While we're not 100% sure, we're assuming this is the vacant retail spot that was built next to Giordano's and has remained unoccupied since.

(Hat tip:  LK!)

DePaul Arena Strikes Naming Rights Deal with Wintrust

Looks like the new DePaul arena at Cermak and Indiana has a new naming deal (via Crains):

The new home of DePaul University men's and women's basketball on the McCormick Place convention center campus has a new name. 

With roughly a year to go before the debut of the publicly owned, 10,387-seat venue on the Near South Side, the school today announced it has reached a 15-year facility naming rights agreement with Rosemont-based lender Wintrust Financial to officially name the building Wintrust Arena.

Financial terms of the sponsorship remain under wraps. But an agreement between the school and New York-based sponsorship consulting firm Legends Sales & Marketing, which led the sale, estimated that DePaul could pull in $22 million from naming rights over an undisclosed period of time.

(Hat tip:  AR!)

An Uptick in Crime in the City and the Sloop

Crime and Chicago seem to be two things that constantly get linked together in national news.  That being said, many neighborhoods (including the Sloop) have seemed to be relatively insulated from the areas that are home to some of the major violence.

While we never like to see or hear about our beloved neighborhood being used as the poster child for an article about crime in the city, it is important to realize that we have to be aware that these things happen.

The Tribune has a good and lengthy article exploring the uptick in crime and some of the various reasons and solutions being implemented to combat it:

First came the nightclub shootings, which were terrifying but could be explained away as a mix of late hours and alcohol. Then came the brazen gang shooting in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in January, which signaled something different was happening. 

But the last straw for many in the South Loop was the murder of one of their neighbors in August while he walked outside for a morning cup of coffee. That's when things boiled over and spurred residents to take action. 

As the numbers of shootings and killings skyrocket in Chicago, most of the violence has been driven by traditional gang conflicts on the South and West sides. 

But over the past two years, violence in developing and more affluent areas close to the Loop has also spiked, giving more well-heeled Chicagoans a taste of the danger and fear that people in the city's poor neighborhoods have experienced for decades. 

And it threatens to undermine the many hard-won gains in those areas that officials have pushed for in recent years. If not checked, experts warn, it can put the overall health of the city at risk. 

"If I am a public official in a great city, and dealing with issues of gentrification and issues of economic vitality, public safety is an essential background condition," said Harold Pollack, a University of Chicago professor who studies crime and its effects on society.

The sentiment definitely hits home and accurately portrays what we (and we presume many of you) feel.

Not an easy answer to some of these tough questions, but acknowledging and being aware of it is a critical first step.

(Hat tip: ND!)

Construction Begins on 298-Foot Dual Hotel Concept at 1101 S. Wabash

A reader writes:

There is construction starting on that new hotel at 1101 S Wabash.

For some background, we've had a couple posts on this project.  It first was discussed back in October of 2015 with some more updates on the demolition of the old parking lot back in February of this year.

Curbed Chicago had more detail about a dual concept:

It will be replaced by a 298-foot structure that includes a 196-room Homewood Hilton, an extended stay Wabash Suites with 85 guest rooms, and approximately 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Both hotels plan to share a new 145-car garage as well as other back-of-house amenities. Relatively unusual these days for a project of its size, the tower slated for 1101 S. Wabash is proceeding as-of-right within the existing confines of the zoning code.

Here was a rendering from that post:

Should be interesting to see this one rise.

Additionally, the dated Best Western that is next door to this site is getting a much needed face lift.

(Hat tip:  DK!)

Retail Updates at Roosevelt Collection - Title Boxing, World of Beers and Old Navy

Back in May of this year a reader wrote and said Title Boxing was coming to Roosevelt Collection.  In case you didn't believe that, new signage appears to confirm that this is the case:

This is also confirmed on their website which says that Title will be on the second floor of the west building in between Yoga Six and Massage Envy.  They've built a nice little health and fitness group on the second floor of the complex (also include Shred 451 in this).

Beyond this it appears work on Old Navy is progressing and additional signage confirming that World of Beers is coming to the complex:

As a reminder we posted about World of Beers back in August.

#ShotsAroundTheSloop: Westward

(Hat tip:  Scott Fishman!)