After a year-and-a-half absence from the local scene, restaurateur Scott Zimmer is back in business. The Chew Chew, the new incarnation of one of Riverside’s favorite eateries, opened its doors to the public last week at 33 E. Burlington.
“The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” said dining room manager Angela Longhi on Feb. 4, which was opening day. “We already have 35 reservations booked for Valentine’s Day.”
The two-story restaurant features a much larger bar area than the previous Chew Chew, which called the Arcade Building home for over a decade before it closed in July 2007. In all, there are 29 tables for diners.
For about a week, it was evident the restaurant was about to open. A sign on the door on Feb. 1 simply stated “Training. We’ll be open next week.” The new restaurant had been under construction since early 2008; the space, which used to house a bakery and a travel agency, has been completely renovated.
On Feb. 3, the restaurant held what amounted to live-fire training – an invite-only lunch and dinner service of Chew Chew loyalists and some new faces. A Web site for the restaurant is in the works and “will be up as soon as we can get it going,” Longhi said.
Another thing that has changed since the old days is the restaurant’s phone number; it is 447-8781. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week – Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner.