Mmm, Midweek Links

By Andrew Huff

• The contestants for Top Chef: Chicago have been announced. Two (Stephanie Izard, former chef/owner of Scylla, and Valerie Bolon) work here in Chicago, and a third (Dale Talde) is from here; the new season debuts March 12.

• Time Out's Heather Shouse got an exclusive interview with Schwa's Michael Carlson. He talks about the events leading up to the restaurant's closing, and a little about the changes that have helped bring it back to life.

• Graham Elliot Bowles is leaving Avenues to open his own "bistronomic" place in River North. Curtis Duffy, formerly of Alinea, will take over at Avenues.

• Fan Si Pan, the Vietnamese spring roll place on Chicago, has closed for reconcepting and a move, 312 Dining Diva reports.

• Speaking of closings, the Painted Lady Organic Eatery has closed. The owners, who also run Bleeding Heart Bakery, found themselves stretched too thin.

• Dish points us to HotChefs.TV, a video site with a bunch of chef interviews, and notes that Harry Caray's Tavern will replace the former Hi Tops at Addison and Sheffield (didn't even know it had closed.)

• FoodBlog notes a gallery of Groceries That People Won't Buy Even at 40% Off" on LTHForum. It's a good companion piece to our own feature on the closing of Hyde Park Co-Op over in Detour.

• Hungry Mag gets the first bite of Crisp, a new Korean place in Lakeview.

• The Chicago MenuPages Blog digs up some serious ethnic smack talk in its reader reviews of post-Yugoslavian Boem.

• Chicago Foodies love Le Lan.

• Misty Tosh loves Tank Noodle enough to go there for breakfast.

• Chicago Gluttons love the ever-lovin' shit out of The Bluebird.

• And Chicago Bites thoroughly enjoyed the Chicago Diner.

• The blogger-brewers at Flossmoor Station are shocked to discover that they kick ass.