March 30--Bill Kim's Urban Belly, the West Loop noodle and dumpling bar, has released an opening date for its in-the-works Wicker Park location: April 6.
Located in the former Penny's Noodles shop right by the Damen Blue Line stop, Urban Belly joins a powerhouse block, with Big Star, Dove's Luncheonette, The Violet Hour, La Colombe and Stan's Donuts all within a literal stone's throw. (Not to mention Furious Spoon and Taxim around the corner.)
Of course, calling Urban Belly a noodle and dumpling spot fails to do justice to a menu that somehow manages to meld the cuisines of Korea, Thailand, China, Japan and Vietnam into something completely unique. Try the unorthodox pad Thai ($13), which subs Korean rice cakes for traditional long noodles yet still works better than 99 percent of the pad Thai out there.
If you're interested in sampling the menu, the new location is hosting an open house event 5-9 p.m. April 12. An assortment of menu items will be available at discounted prices.
The original Urban Belly opened in Avondale in 2009 before moving to the West Loop in 2013.
Urbanbelly, 1542 N. Damen Ave., 773-904-8674, www.urbanbellychicago.com
nkindelsperger@tribpub.com
Twitter @nickdk
