Tuesday, May 14, 2013
First it was Moderno. Then it was Royce. Now, it's gone. The John des Rosiers' restaurant in Renaissance Place has closed.
Only a few months after opening, Royce Restaurant in Highland Park has closed, according to an email from chef John des Rosiers sent on Monday. Rosiers helmed the restaurant, which began as a chef-driven Italian restaurant called Moderno last year. The space closed at the end of 2012 and reopened in January of this year as a classic American restaurant that focused on locally grown organic and sustainable ingredients . "We built a really good restaurant with Moderno, and we were really proud of it," des Rosiers said, "but it wasn't the right thing for Highland Park." It seems like Royce wasn't right, either. The restaurant got solid praise during it's short run, however. It was lauded by publications like Time Out Chicago during, which…
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
John Des Rosiers' Royce isn't just a new menu, it's a new vibe. Read Ed Brill's review of the clubby, more 1930s restaurant that replaced the Italian restaurant Moderno.
There are a lot of good burgers on the North Shore. The Claim Company reclaimed my tastebuds when they reopened in Northbrook Court two years ago. Five Guys has crept closer and closer, with outposts in Wilmette, Glenview, and Vernon Hills. And the granddaddy of them all, Charlie Beinlich's, continues to grind them out every day, as they have for fifty years. Into this crowded meat patty market steps Royce, now in the former Rosebud and Moderno space in Highland Park's Renaissance Place. While I was a Moderno fan, they weren't doing enough business to pay the rent. Chef and Proprietor John Des Rosiers knew it was time to reboot, and out the other end -- after a quick three-week renovation -- has come his new concept. Royce isn't just a new…
Friday, January 4, 2013
John des Rosiers took a break from overseeing the transformation of Highland Park's Moderno into the American-styled Royce to explain what he envisions for the restaurant.
Over the sounds of drilling, moving wood and shuffling feet, John des Rosiers is explaining what's next for his Highland Park restaurant. The owner of Inovasi in Lake Bluff and Moderno in Renaissance Place in downtown Highland Park decided recently to close Moderno, an upscale Italian restaurant, and reopen it as a more approachable, family-friendly spot serving American cuisine. "We built a really good restaurant with Moderno, and we were really proud of it," Rosiers said, "but it wasn't the right thing for Highland Park." Moderno, the modern Italian restaurant that opened in Renaissance Place in April, closed on Dec. 22. It will reopen Jan. 10 as Royce, a chef-driven casual restaurant, with a reasonably priced menu that will include …
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Here's the inside scoop on Highland Park's newest Italian restaurant. Our advice: Go there with an open mind.
Four months ago, I wondered aloud whether Highland Park was ready for Moderno. Today, we begin to find out, as Chef John des Rosiers and his crew officially open their doors at 1850 Second St. Des Rosiers boasts that Moderno is part of a "revolution" in North Shore restaurants, one he is personally leading. The word "revolution" even appears in neon, backwards, on the south wall of the new restaurant as well as the staff uniforms. His goal is to raise expectations among area diners, where -- if they leave themselves in the hands of the chefs -- our expectations of a nice meal out will be transformed and elevated to expect fresh, flavorful and creative meals. He believes that too many of the restaurants in the area try too hard to cater …
Friday, January 13, 2012
Lake Bluff-Inovasi owner talks about his new Italian restaurant, opening in May in Highland Park.
- OPINION
- Ed Brill
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Friday, January 13, 2012
John des Rosiers is a man with a mission. The chef and proprietor of Lake Bluff's Inovasi has announced plans to open Moderno, a "modern Italian" restaurant, in the former Rosebud space in downtown Highland Park. His goal? "We are going to change restaurants in the suburbs forever, even if I have to build every single place myself." I recently sat down with Chef des Rosiers exclusively to talk about the plan for Moderno. As a regular diner and fan of his work at Inovasi, I wanted to know more about his plan for Highland Park, and what exactly he means by "modern Italian." I was not surprised that des Rosiers has a grand vision for Moderno, though it (thankfully) doesn't include Caesar salad. Des Rosiers grew up in Waukegan, and has …
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Moderno will bring authentic Italian food to old Rosebud location.
It's a busy time for foodies in Highland Park, and it's about to get even busier. After 2011 saw new restaurants like M, Benjamin and 2nd Street Bistro open their doors, as well as new gelato and cupcake places, the city is about to get another new restaurant in a familiar spot (and from a familiar face). Chicago Eater reports that John des Rosiers, the owner of Lake Bluff's Inovasi restaurant, will open a modern Italian restaurant at the old Rosebud in Renaissance Place in May. "We are going to change restaurants in the suburbs forever," des Rosiers said about his new restaurant, "Even if I have to build every single place myself." Highland and Ravines columnist Ed Brill will bring Patch readers an inside look at what des Rosiers has …
Friday, November 25, 2011
Village Board approves modification to zoning regulation that prohibits lighted signage downtown.
Lake Bluff’s Inovasi restaurant is lighting up the downtown area this holiday season, but on a much smaller scale. The restaurant recently gained a green light to install a permanent digital, changeable menu message box outside the restaurant upon approval of the text amendments made to the village zoning regulations, which prohibits signs of this type. The village administrator’s office allowed a temporary version of the digital menu box to be displayed in early June so that members of the Architectural Review Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board would get a realistic grasp of the sign’s presence. During the time the restaurant was given the temporary accommodation, which can be determined a “probationary period,” it has been …
Monday, October 3, 2011
Add fresh vegetables to pizza from school garden.
Read the story on the Pizza Garden Project.
Vicky Kujawa
8:13 pm on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
With the way that things are headed shuttering businesses will be commonplace; no surprises here. Watch for the market to take a major dump soon too. more ›