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Timo (Chicago) done

david coonce

By david coonce
in The Heartland: Dining

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david coonce

david coonce

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Posted

Timo (formerly Thyme) In Chicago will close after a final seating on New Year's Eve. Great restaurant - I staged there several years ago. Any thoughts? It seemed like the kind of slow-food-driven place that would survive a long time.

"A culture's appetite always springs from its poor" - John Thorne

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Alex

Alex

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That's sad. I liked Timo a lot. Being a visitor as opposed to a resident, of course I didn't get to eat there (or any Chicago restaurant, actually) as much as it deserved. The food was excellent and fairly priced. I'll remember the smaller touches the most, like the minced grilled mushrooms in the salad dressing.

I wonder if it was a location issue. Even though they're just north of Greektown and right by a Blue Line stop, it appears to be a more industrial-type area without much foot traffic or other restaurants or attractions.

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nsxtasy

nsxtasy

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Posted (edited)
I wonder if it was a location issue. Even though they're just north of Greektown and right by a Blue Line stop, it appears to be a more industrial-type area without much foot traffic or other restaurants or attractions.

I doubt it. Lots of restaurants have been flourishing in and around that area. Just a few blocks to the south are long-time stalwarts Blackbird and Avec, relative newcomers Moto and Otom, KDK places Red Light and Marche, and many others (as you can see, often appearing in pairs - which is a reflection of good business, since they only open a second restaurant if the first one is doing well). It may appear to be an industrial area, but it is a short cab ride (or a somewhat long walk) for office workers in the Mart and the Loop as well as tourists staying in River North and Michigan Avenue.

Also, Timo survived (including under its previous name, Thyme) for ten years, which is a really good run for a restaurant (not just my words, but also those of John Bubala, the owner, as reported in Chicago Magazine's Dish column). If it were a location issue, they would have closed a long time ago.

Edited by nsxtasy (log)
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