"You are in our home because we live upstairs."
Nina Nugent says that to guests as they walk into Goosefoot. She means it literally. Block Club Chicago reported that she and her husband, executive chef Chris Nugent, bought a former Italian restaurant at 4520 N. Lincoln Ave. in the winter of 2024. They remodeled it, opened quietly in March 2026, and live in the apartment above the dining room.
Since the summer of 2025, Lincoln Square's best-known restaurants have stayed put when their old setups ended. Goosefoot, Barba Yianni and Atelier all hit a closure or a forced move. All three came back within walking distance of where they started, and two of them did it from buildings their owners control. That matters for your holiday season, because the Chamber's November and December calendar runs past most of those front doors.
Goosefoot moved from a destination address to a neighborhood one
Goosefoot spent 12 years at 2656 W. Lawrence Ave. before it closed in 2024. The couple has lived in Lincoln Square for 25 years. According to Block Club, they went looking for a storefront with a second-story apartment, and at times they thought about leaving the neighborhood or the state.
"We always wanted to be on Lincoln Avenue," Chris Nugent told Block Club. He found the building during a late-night scroll through commercial listings.
The bigger change is the customers. Nina Nugent told Block Club the Lawrence Avenue location was more of a destination. At the new spot, many diners live close enough to walk. The restaurant still serves contemporary French-American food, and the new space has an outdoor patio. It held its official grand opening on Oct. 10, about seven months after it began serving.
The same pattern shows up at the other restaurants that came back this year.
Barba Yianni kept its address and changed its name
Barba Yianni Grecian Taverna had been at 4761 N. Lincoln Ave. since 1989. In August 2025, people walking by found metal panels over its windows and front door. Block Club covered the closure when it happened.
Owner Anas Ihmoud started there as a server, then worked as bartender and manager. He bought the property in 2022. Block Club reported in April that by April 1, 2026, he had regained control of the business. The metal doors came off the following week. He said 100 to 150 people stopped by within days.
"I've been here my entire adult life. And I'll be in this area with my family that will be involved forever with this building," Ihmoud told Block Club. "My kids will own it one day."
A water leak from an upstairs apartment had damaged the ceiling and floors, so repairs came first. He used the downtime for upgrades he couldn't make while the restaurant was busy every day. "We've got to freshen up. And my chef needs a new broiler, OK?" he said. He also promised the traditional Greek dishes would stay, alongside newer options with "a fusion flair."
On Oct. 12, 2026, The Infatuation listed the restaurant as back at the same address under a new name, Grecian Taverna. The menu still has gyros, moussaka and the broiled half chicken with lemon, oregano and olive oil.
Atelier moved a few blocks and doubled its tables
Atelier set the pattern a year earlier. The Michelin-starred restaurant ended service at its original Lincoln Square location in July 2025. It reopened on Oct. 10, 2025, at 4544 N. Western Ave., a few blocks away. Owner Tim Lacey told Eater Chicago, "We had eight tables at the old place; here, we've got 16. We actually have a bar and more breathing room." The 1,800-square-foot space seats up to 36 guests across the dining room, bar and a small lounge.
Here are the three side by side:
| Restaurant | Where it was | Where it is now | Back in service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goosefoot | 2656 W. Lawrence Ave., 12 years | 4520 N. Lincoln Ave., owners live upstairs | March 2026, grand opening Oct. 10, 2026 |
| Barba Yianni, now Grecian Taverna | 4761 N. Lincoln Ave. since 1989 | Same address, new name | Listed as back by Oct. 12, 2026 |
| Atelier | Original Lincoln Square room, 8 tables | 4544 N. Western Ave., 16 tables | Oct. 10, 2025 |
Even a new restaurant can bring something back. Hazar House, at 5047 N. Lincoln Ave., took over the former Jibek Jolu space. The Infatuation noted in October that this means the small room is "once again serving manty and pelmeni," along with shawarma, lagman and braised lamb shank. On Western, Izakaya By Aiya at 4833 N. Western Ave. was in soft opening with a Japanese-fusion menu when The Infatuation reviewed it in August.
The Wine Stroll is the easiest way to see the new mix in one night
The Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce's Fall Wine Stroll runs Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are sold online only, with no sales on the day of the event.
- Lincoln routes: $60 plus fees for 12 businesses and 35 wines. Your route stays a mystery until check-in. As of late October, routes A and B were listed as sold out and route C was still available.
- Rockwell route: $40 plus fees for eight businesses and 22 wines, and you know the stops in advance. They are DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, The Eco Flamingo, jookie Photography Studio, Lena Rose, Piccadilly Market, Piccadilly Pub, Rockwell Bottle Shop & Coffee and Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill.
- Check-in, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Lincoln A at embellish Chicago, 4161 N. Lincoln Ave. Lincoln B at Lyons Family Eye Care, 2315 W. Lawrence Ave. Lincoln C and Rockwell at DANK Haus, fifth floor, 4740 N. Western Ave.
The Lincoln route pool is mostly shops, not restaurants. It includes Bistro Campagne, The Chopping Block, Lincoln Square Spice Co, Timeless Toys, Stanley Brown Jewelist and Lincoln Square Taproom. MOLASSES, at 4617 N. Lincoln Ave., is on the list too. The shop marked its first year on Lincoln Avenue with a birthday party on Nov. 1. It describes itself as a "slow studio" for sustainable wares and curated vintage, and it was founded online in 2020. The Chamber notes that many participating businesses run specials during the stroll.
The rest of the season, mapped to the same few blocks
The Rockwell route above passes Lena Rose Beauty at 4645 N. Rockwell St. Its Holiday Gift Shop opened Nov. 1 with Handmade House Line gifts and gift cards. The shop also hosts a free tenth-anniversary celebration on Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 12, 6 to 9 p.m. | Fall Wine Stroll | Lincoln Square and Rockwell routes |
| Nov. 14 to 15 | 22nd Lycée French Market, Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Lycée Français de Chicago, 1929 W. Wilson Ave. |
| Nov. 28, 5 p.m. pre-show, 5:30 p.m. lighting | Annual Tree Lighting | Giddings Plaza, 4731 N. Lincoln Ave. |
| Nov. 28 to 29 | Mariachi Herencia de México, "A Mariachi Christmas" | Old Town School, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. |
| Dec. 4, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Lena Rose turns ten | 4645 N. Rockwell St. |
| Dec. 5 | "Let It Snow Show!" at 10:30 a.m., "Irish Christmas in America" at 5 and 8 p.m. | Old Town School |
| Dec. 10 to 13 | "Songs of Good Cheer," 28th annual caroling party with Mary Schmich and Eric Zorn | Old Town School, Maurer Hall |
The tree lighting falls on Small Business Saturday. The Chamber pitches it as a way to wrap up a day of shopping or meet up before dinner at a nearby restaurant, with glühwein or hot cider from DANK Haus. The Old Town School concert calendar lists Mariachi Herencia de México shows at 2, 5 and 8 p.m. that same day. That makes Giddings Plaza, the Old Town School stage, Goosefoot's dining room and Grecian Taverna's broiler all part of one Lincoln Avenue walk on Nov. 28.
At Chicago Home Partner, we follow what happens on Lincoln Avenue, from storefronts that change hands to owners who buy the building and move in upstairs. If you're curious what a Lincoln Square address within walking distance of Giddings Plaza looks like right now, schedule a complimentary market consultation and we'll walk through it with you.
