News flash

After months of speculation from just about everyone who’s even remotely interested in Chicago’s dining scene, it’s official: Paul Kahan has a gastropub in the works. The name has yet to be determined, but here’s what we do know: For this venture, the four owners of Blackbird and Avec (Kahan, Donnie Madia, Eduard Seitan and Rick Diarmit) are partnering with Terry Alexander, the brains behind Del Toro, Sonotheque, Danny’s Tavern and the Francesca’s empire. But that doesn’t mean you should expect small plates and DJ-driven beats; Kahan has a Belgian-style pub in mind (think Hopleaf) with a beer roster reaching beyond Belgian’s big boys to include U.K. and American craft brews. He’s named Blackbird’s sous chef, Dylan Fultineer, the chef de cuisine of the soon-to-be-hot spot, and the team has chosen the building at Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues for the space (formerly Abril). But you can hold off on the window gawking for now—it’s not slated to open until spring 2007. We’ll keep you posted…—Heather Shouse