Wicker Park Ann Sather Opens Friday As Bucktown Gets New Pizza And Sushi Spots, Vajra Reopens For Dine-In

WICKER PARK — A new Ann Sather location on the Wicker Park-West Town border is holding a soft opening Friday, two months after owner Tom Tunney said he was moving the flagship location of his well-known breakfast restaurant to the neighborhood from Lakeview.

Ann Sather has taken over the former home of a Yolk restaurant at 1819 W. Division St., which closed last year.

Tunney on Thursday confirmed the location will open 7 a.m. Friday, with much of the decor and murals of the original restaurant on Belmont Avenue recreated in the space. The location also has a to-go bakery section for its famous cinnamon rolls and other pastries, and will soon add outdoor dining on Division Street, Tunney said.

Tunney — who represented the Lakeview area in the City Council for 20 years until 2023 — announced earlier this year that Ann Sather’s longtime location on 909 W. Belmont Ave. would close this summer as a developer prepares to build an apartment building on the site. 

A demolition permit for the Lakeview property was issued earlier this month.

Ann Sather also has restaurants at 3415 N. Broadway and 1147 W. Granville Ave. Tunney has operated several other locations since he took over the business in the early ’80s, including an Ann Sather on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park in the early and mid-2000s.

The Wicker Park Ann Sather will serve breakfast and lunch with the restaurant’s standard menu, Tunney previously said.

“Our goal is to emulate what we did here on Belmont,” Tunney told Block Club earlier this year. “We’ve been pretty successful at it.”

Below, read about other restaurant news in the larger Wicker Park and Bucktown area.

Bucktown Pizza

A pizza joint on the Bucktown-Logan Square border serving up thin-crust slices and pies has taken over the former home of Oromo Cafe, right under the Western Blue Line CTA station.

Owner Joe Smith opened Bucktown Pizza, 1912 N. Western Ave., earlier this month.

Bucktown Pizza is Smith’s first restaurant in the city proper, although he’s previously worked and run pizzerias in the Chicago suburbs and up and down the East Coast.

That includes in the Newark, New Jersey area, where Smith is from.

Smith and his family a few years ago moved to the Chicago area, where his wife grew up.

Bucktown Pizza is a casual, counter-service spot, but will focus on authentic pies with quality ingredients, Smith said. He’s selling a limited menu right now with cheese, Margherita, pepperoni, sausage and garlic white pizzas, but plans to add more options down the line.

Smith said he’s also working to land a liquor license to serve booze.

“Everything we do by hand, hand-roll the dough, hand-stretch the dough, homemade sauces, personalized service,” Smith said. “You’re going to see the product made in front of you.”

Bucktown Pizza will be open noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

Vajra Reopens For Weekend Dine-In Service

A Nepalese-Indian restaurant in Wicker Park that’s alternated from take-out only to dine-in service several times since the pandemic is once again open for lunch and dinner on the weekends.

Vajra, 2039 W. North Ave., is welcoming customers back to its dining room after closing for dine-in service last year.

The restaurant — known for Indian classics such as tikka masala and biryanis and Nepalese momo dumplings — will be open 5-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday for dinner and noon-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for lunch, which includes a $20 buffet option.

Vajra general manager Dipesh Kakshapaty said the restaurant has struggled to figure out the right format to make ends meet in recent years, but that the weekend dine-in service will be here to stay.

“There have been some ups and downs, a not-so-clear format of things happening, but from now on, we have eliminated all the pain points. Whatever we have started is going to stay on track from here on,” Kakshapaty said.

Besides its a la carte menu and weekend buffet, Vajra is also serving classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and Negronis, Kakshapaty said, plus a few customer favorites such as a clarified mango lassi and mojitos.

Vajra has long been a favorite for neighbors in the larger Wicker Park and West Town area, where it previously operated on Chicago Avenue. The restaurant was named to Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list in 2021 and 2022, which praised chef Min Thapa’s cooking as “replete with wonderfully rich flavors and unique methods.”

Management last year also said they were hoping to open a cafe inside the North Avenue restaurant. That plan is still in the works, and a limited version with drip and pour over coffee will hopefully open in a few weeks, Kakshapaty said.

Jomon Sushi And Izakaya

Less than a block south from Bucktown Pizza is Jomon Sushi and Izakaya, which opened last week at 1858 N. Western Ave.

The restaurant has taken over the former home of Wave Sushi and Sake, which closed last year.

Jomon features an extensive sushi menu plus a range of izakaya staples. Some examples include ribeye and pork belly skewers and hot dishes like gyoza and tempura.

Sushi rolls include the Haru Rainbow roll with yellow tail, salmon, tuna and crab stick, as well as the Bushido Salmon with salmon, shrimp tempura and spicy mayo.

Several rice and noodle dishes, plus beer, sake and wine are also available.