According to an article on Skokie.org, Ascione Skokie and Ascione Cafe are under construction and are expected to both open in the fall of 2023 at the Highpoint. Ascione Skokie is slated to reside on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street, while the café will be on the Westside of the Highpoint Motor Court.
Skokie.org reported that The Village Board approved funds for the project July 17th.
Owner of the Italian-focused, finer dining restaurant Ascione Bistro, Alex Argirov, declined comment on the new restaurant’s and cafe’s opening when contacted by What Now Chicago on Friday via phone call. Argirov shared, “It’s too early in the process to say much, in a few weeks I will have a lot more information to share.”
The restaurant and the café are going to be the second and third locations for the Ascione brand. Argirov’s brick-and-mortar, Ascione Bistro, is located in Hyde Park at 1500 East 55th Street.
As reported by Skokie.org, the café is positioned to be the sister concept to the Bistro and Ascione Skokie. Ascione Cafe will offer a fast-casual, grab-and-go environment. It will offer coffee, baked goods, salads, sorbets, and sandwiches.
The sit-down restaurant will serve higher-end menu items. Ascione’s website voices that it serves, “hand-made pasta, hand-cut fries, rustically honest entrees and freshly prepared per order sauces and marinades.”
Any follow up to this story? The owner originally announced that Ascione Bistro would open in Skokie in the fall of 2023 at a Village Board meeting where he was awarded a $150,000 grant. It is now December 2024, and the restaurant has not opened yet. Skokie residents would love to welcome a new restaurant to our neighborhood, but are mystified by this long silence.
Shocking that the Village gave $150,000 to a restaurant with no Village oversight. Almost a year and a half of construction with seemingly no stated opening date beyond soon.
Hope the taxpayers elect Ann Tennes as Mayor. She will definitely get this matter moving.