Restaurant

RPM Italian now taking reservations Though an official opening date has not been announced, we put a call in to the much-buzzed-about Italian eatery from the Rancics (yes, Giuliana and Bill) and Melmans (Lettuce Entertain You) and found that reservations are now being accepted for Feb. 26 and beyond. Publican Quality Meats starts sandwich service Paul Kahan's long-awaited butcher shop launched a menu of six sandwiches on Monday, and trust us, they're delicious . It's dine-in only until Feb. 20, when carryout service begins.

Mark your calendars for these coming-soon spots due to open in the last weeks of the year, listed in order of estimated time of arrival.   DEC. 1 Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House 58 E. Oak St. Gold Coast steakhouse in the former Esquire Theater space. DEC. 3 Suite 25 2529 N. Milwaukee Ave. Sports lounge in Logan Square from the owner of Rio's d'Sudamerica.  Park Tavern 1645 W. Jackson St. Sports bar serving craft brews near United Center.

Just as you're getting used to 2012, here's another new year to throw into the mix: The Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year started Jan. 23 and ends on Feb. 15, with most of Chicago's celebratory events - like the annual parade in Chinatown - coming up this weekend. From dim sum to barbecue to takeout staples, here are just a few of our favorite restaurants for a Chinese food fix. Share your favorite by tweeting us at @redeyechicago or e-mailing dining producer Lisa Arnett at lmarnett@tribune.com and we may add them below.

Scott Weiner and Greg Mohr, the owners of Wicker Park sports bar The Fifty/50, are opening an indoor-outdoor rooftop restaurant called Homestead in mid-July on West Chicago Avenue. Here's the lowdown on what to expect. How to find it: You'll enter through Roots at 1924 W. Chicago Ave. There are no plans for exterior signage, but if you ask for Homestead and Roots' host stand, you'll be directed up to the rooftop, which is above Bleeding Heart. It'll look like: You're eating dinner in a garden.

Mexican fare may dominate in sheer numbers when it comes to Logan Square's Latin-American restaurants, but you can also find many family-run eateries serving the native specialties of their home countries in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Bonus: Many are BYOB. ECUADORIAN Restaurant Ecuador 2923 W. Diversey Ave. 773-342-7870 This small restaurant on the border of Logan Square and Avondale specializes in the seafood-heavy cuisine of coastal Ecuador, from fish-and-plantain tamales to shrimp soup to whole fried fish.

Two local chefs this year have an alternative to the annual Chicago Restaurant Week . Phillip Foss and Shin Thompson are hosting a joint feast Feb. 21 and calling it the Anti-Restaurant Week Dinner, but they say they aren't necessarily against the annual 10-day event designed to entice new diners with discounted menus. “Restaurant Week was always a great means to build revenue during a generally slow time of the year,” said Foss, who serves elaborate multicourse meals at his restaurant El in Lawndale.

Chicago Restaurant Week has announced its 2012 participants, and the list of 200-plus Chicago-area restaurants includes quite a few new restaurants. The annual event, which this year kicks off Feb. 17 and runs through Feb. 26, encourages diners to make reservations at participanting restaurants offering special menus for $22 lunches and/or $33 dinners (some offer a $44 option instead or in addition). Here are a few highlights as far as new restaurants go: Bistro Voltaire, Bombay Spice, Cantina Laredo, Farmhouse, Filini, Grange Hall Burger Bar, GT Fish & Oyster, Michael Jordan's Steak House, Paris Club, Taverna 750, Three (III)

Dec. 7 update: Chicago Dog House owner Aaron Wolfson reports that he's secured as stash of 500 Twinkies. His deep-fried Twinkie dessert will return to the menu as soon as the shipment arrives today and will continue be sold while supplies last. -- Lisa Arnett  --- Ho-Hos and Ding-Dongs and Twinkies--before they earned their sexually charged connotations, they were staples of lunchboxes everywhere. Kids loved the chocolate goodness of Ho Hos and Ding Dongs almost as much as they loved giggling at the mention of their names, but Twinkies were the king of all preservative-laden, obesity-inducing snack foods.

Outdoor patios downtown, in the Gold Coast and in River North could continue to stay open an hour later than spots in other neighborhoods during the week under a proposal put forth by an alderman. Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) on Thursday introduced an ordinance to once again extend the outdoor patio hours for the central business district, which is roughly bounded by the lake to the east, Division Street to the north, Roosevelt Road to the south, and LaSalle and Halsted Streets to the west.