A New Fine-Dining Restaurant With Familiar Dishes and Faces Opens in Beacon Hill
'Walking in the doors, you always knew you'd be getting that classic French and Italian cuisine,' Simonich tells Eater. 'My leaning is to keep those techniques as our home base, but broadening the scope of where I pull influences, so we're broadening towards the Mediterranean influences and across Europe,' he says.
Simonich is returning to the location where he got his start, back in December 2019, when he interned during a very busy holiday lunch season. The Johnson & Wales graduate stayed and worked his way up, and after a stint at Menton, was running the kitchen at No. 9 Park until its closing in October of 2024. 'We were sad that the old restaurant was going away, but excited for something new to come in,' Simonich tells Eater of No. 9's last days.
Dishes at Nine. CJPR
Not surprisingly, the chef has been grappling with the weight of the expectations from guests who've been visiting the location for decades, and Simonich assures that Nine will still serve classics like steak tartare, a steak, and perfectly cooked duck. The fresh pasta program, which he says is near and dear to his heart, will remain a major part of the menu, with current dishes like uni spaghetti made with squid ink oil and a compound uni butter, and chicken tortellini with mushroom ragu. The chef added new dishes to the a la carte and bar menus — including a burger with a foie gras-infused bun – because, he explains, some people just want a quick plate of food before heading to a show. Of course, a very seasonal, ever-changing tasting menu is still available for those who want to indulge for $180.
Desserts and pastry — including a soufflé — will be created by Brandon Wells, formerly of Deuxave, Simonich tells Eater.
The bar at Nine. CJPR
Nine will have a lighter and brighter look than its predecessor, newly designed by Lorenzo Lorniali and Federica Di Biase of Adige Design. During the renovation process, the original brick arches inside the building were uncovered and exposed, now bringing in a lot more light in the back dining space.
Previously, No. 9 Park was the crown jewel of embattled chef Barbara Lynch's Boston restaurant empire. The French restaurant's impact on Boston's dining scene was massive. Opening in 1998, it received national acclaim, including a James Beard award for Outstanding Wine Program in 2012. Lynch shut down the restaurant — as well as all of her other locations — at the end of 2024 following a tumultuous leadership period that culminated in two toxic workplace investigations published in the Boston Globe and the New York Times. Lynch has denied all claims.
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New York Post
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Eater
2 hours ago
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Tour Lincoln Park's New Red-Sauce Italian Restaurant
is the Associate Editor for Eater's Midwest region, and has been covering Chicago's dining scene for over a decade. A fresh splash of red sauce has arrived in Lincoln Park with the debut of Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian. The Italian American restaurant is now open at 1112 W. Armitage Avenue, giving the neighborhood a new option for pastas, pizzas, and more. Corner Restaurant Group's latest project takes over the former space of Tarantino's, a family-run Italian spot that closed this past March after a 30-year-run. The hospitality group operates local restaurants including Urbanbelly, Chef Bill Kim's Ramen Bar inside Time Out Market Chicago, and The Table at Crate, and also oversees Michael Jordan's Steak House locations across the country. Dimmi Dimmi brings Italian dining back to the corner of Armitage and Seminary Avenues. Dimmi Dimmi executive chef Matt Eckfeld, who was previously with New York-based Major Food Group and had stints at Italian hot spots like Carbone, Contessa, and ZZ's Club, has crafted a menu that nods to classic red-sauce joints while adding modern twists. Carpaccio is presented Italian beef-style — thin slices of rare beef are layered with giardiniera, beef jus aioli, and Parmesan, and served with sesame sourdough. Hamachi crudo gets a bit of a kick through almond chili crisp. And raviolo 'saltimbocca' is stuffed with guanciale, topped with prosciutto, and finished in white wine butter sauce. The pizzas are unmistakably Chicago, served tavern-style with classics like pepperoni and sausage alongside creative combos such as vodka sauce with sweet onions or mushrooms with garlic cream. The focaccia is another highlight. Pastry chef Casey Doody serves the bubbling hot bread straight out of the oven in a cast iron skillet, accompanied by optional dips like buffalo ricotta with honey and eggplant caponata. Her Italian desserts include tiramisu and affogato, plus a rich and decadent buttermilk chocolate cake. The carpaccio is prepared in the style of Italian beef. On the beverage front, expect cocktails such as a barrel-aged negroni, hazelnut espresso martini, and selection of spritzes, as well as nonalcoholic concoctions. There are also pours of amaro and grappa for a post-meal digestif. Eckfeld and the team hope Dimmi Dimmi becomes a neighborhood staple, where guests can gather over family-style meals and great food — and that journey has just begun. Check out more photos of the food and drinks below. Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian, 1112 W. Armitage Avenue. Open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Chicken parm's on the menu. The focaccia is served piping hot. Chocolate cake provides a sweet ending. Sip on dirty and hazelnut espresso martinis and more. Eater Chicago All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
