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  • South Side Icon Rainbow Cone Opening Next Week in Wicker Park

    South Side Icon Rainbow Cone Opening Next Week in Wicker Park

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    A South Side icon is taking up residence a few doors west from a shuttered Foxtrot in Wicker Park. The Original Rainbow Cone, the parlor known for sliced — not scooped — ice cream is opening a North Side location.

    The opening date is Tuesday, May 21 at 1750 W. Division Street. Rainbow Cone displaced Wicker Park’s coffee shop Caffe Streets, which had been in operation for 13 years. The interiors have been painted over pink and the sidewalk patio has been revamped. With Kurimu and VinnyD’s (the latter could reopen in June), there are plenty of options for frosty treats in the area.

    The South Side’s iconic Rainbow Cone is opening in Wicker Park.
    Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago

    The thought of the South Side staple, one that’s been around for 98 years, opening on the North Side was unthinkable until 2019 when Rainbow Cone partnered with Buona, the famous Chicago street food chain that specializes in Italian beef. The goal was to expand throughout Chicago and the country. The company opened a few locations in the suburbs after teasing customers by having an ice cream truck parked and ready to serve outside selected Buona locations. Long lines formed and ownership saw there was a demand.

    A second location opened in 2016 at Navy Pier. In March, the partnership announced plans to open 10 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. There are also plans for Michigan, Florida, and California.

    The Rainbow is not only extending throughout the country, but it’s adding new flavors. For the first time in the parlor’s nearly 100 years, ownership is added to the menu. Look for four new options, according to a news release: Chocolate Obsession, Cosmic Birthday, Minty City, and Orange Dream. These flavors join the core orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House, strawberry, and chocolate. Together, like the glow from the Care Bear Stare or the rings from Captain Planet’s Planeteers, these five flavors form a rainbow.

    The Original Rainbow Cone Wicker Park, opening Tuesday, May 21, 1750 W. Division Street

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Castaways Hasn’t Been Forgotten as the North Avenue Beach’s Icon Preps to Reopen

    Castaways Hasn’t Been Forgotten as the North Avenue Beach’s Icon Preps to Reopen

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    Chicago’s famed boat-shaped restaurant and bar on North Avenue Beach will reopen on Memorial Day Weekend for the first time since 2022. Castaways Beach Club, an unmistakable symbol of summer along Lake Michigan, is returning after a $3 million renovation and new menu items.

    After spending last summer in stasis, the beachside staple (formerly called Castaways Bar & Grill) is poised to unveil its freshly revamped two-floor, 22,000-square-foot space with dining decks, bar sections, patio areas, and cabanas with bottle service available for rental and private events, according to a rep.

    The renovation increased Castaways’ footprint to 22,000 square feet.
    Castaways Beach Club

    Castaways 2.0 will aim for a more polished approach than its previous sandy sports bar vibe. Workers have replaced its distressed paint with a more contemporary ocean blue and cream color scheme to evoke the breezy style of beach clubs in Miami or the Mediterranean, Stefani Restaurant Group managing partner Anthony Stefani tells the Sun-Times.

    Castaways has added a tented structure on the north end of the venue that on weekends will become a 21-and-older section aptly dubbed the North End Club that will also host live music and DJ sets. To capitalize on the location’s sweeping views of the Chicago skyline, the team has installed a new bar section for happy hours and corporate events on the south end of the second floor.

    The family-friendly upstairs restaurant also saw upgrades like new tile, paint, and furniture, and will reopen with a new, as-yet-unreleased food menu of “global beach fare” and cocktails for lunch and dinner, per a rep. Downstairs, two walk-up concession windows will channel sticky summer nostalgia. One will sling street food favorites like burgers, tacos, and wraps; the other, run by local mini-chain JoJo’s Shake Bar, will sell ice cream, according to Crain’s.

    Castaways hasn’t missed many summers in its more than two-decade-long tenure under Stefani Restaurant Group, which contracts the space from the Chicago Park District. The group, founded by prolific Chicago restaurateur (and Anthony Stefani’s father) Phil Stefani, operates 10 Chicago area restaurants including Bar Cargo pizzeria in River North, Tuscany Taylor in Little Italy, and Stefani Prime steakhouse in Lincolnwood. Phil Stefani is due for a busy season, as he’s also on the cusp of relaunching downtown stalwart Tavern on Rush around the corner from its original home in Gold Coast.

    Castaways Beach Club, 1603 Lake Shore Drive, Scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend (Friday, May 24 through Monday, May 27).

    1600 N Lake Shore Dr, , IL 60614

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    Naomi Waxman

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