Still more changes are coming to the eclectic restaurant landscape in Fort Wayne.
With the demise of Sears and the closing of its longtime location at Glenbrook Square comes news that Portillo’s will be built in the parking lot adjacent to the site with the Sears store and car repair facility to be demolished.
This represents a dramatic change to the look of Glenbrook.
Sentimental attachment to Sears aside, plenty of Fort Wayne residents are already licking their chops at the notion of Chicago’s popular eatery joining PF Chang’s as high-profile additions to food options.
Still others in town are just finding out about Portillo’s and its array of Italian beef, sausages, and hot dogs.
Shigs in Pit sniff out third location
Local BBQ fans will be happy to hear that Shigs in Pit will be opening a third location on Illinois Road, giving them a pretty nice triangle of spots strategically placed in the city.
With the instant popularity of its original restaurant on Fairfield which opened in 2012, a second location opened five years later on Fort Wayne’s northeast side on Maplecrest Road. The new restaurant will share a lot with Indiana Physical Therapy, northeast of the Illinois-Scott Road intersection.
No dates have been announced for the openings of Portillo’s or the new Shigs in Pit location but stayed tuned for updates.
Chapell’s rechristened Chantili’s
In other restaurant news, Chapell’s Coral Grill at Covington Plaza is now under new ownership and is rebranding and refurbishing the building for a sleeker, more modern look and feel.
Still focusing on steaks and seafood, the newly christened Chantili’s will be ready to debut in March, with not only a new menu (described by new owner Lili Polk as “cosmopolitan”) but a large salad bar and musical entertainment.
The restaurant is still open through the transition, and live jazz is already booked to include Mark Mason, Jim Steele, Al Parr, Mark Stein, Ron Rumbaugh, and Joe Lisinicchia, providing the perfect atmosphere for a fine dining experience.
Black History Month on PFW Campus
Local universities continue to offer a wide variety of entertainment and cultural experiences for not only their students but the community at large. As part of February’s Black History Month, Purdue Fort Wayne has a variety of events scheduled.
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, Black History through the Decades will be at the Walb Union beginning at noon, a nice build-up to that evening’s Omnibus lecture with Jim Lucas presenting Reflections: The Life and Times of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Rhinehart Music Center at 7:30. Tickets are free but required. They are available at the Purdue Fort Wayne box office and website.
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the Human Library presents “Building a Positive Framework for Conversations That Can Challenge Stereotypes and Prejudices through Dialogue” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Walb Union Ballroom.
On Monday, Feb. 25, Malcolm X will be the topic of discussion at noon, also in Walb.
That evening, Walb hosts a film examining the role of African American women on the silver screen beginning at 6 p.m.
Another luncheon discussion of Black History through the Decades takes place at noon on Feb. 26.
Check back here next week for more Purdue Fort Wayne events for Black History Month.
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