Restaurant owner launches new concept
Tony Vassil, who has owned fast food-style restaurants for more than 25 years, stepped it up a notch.
Vassil recently opened Vangelo's Town Center Grille at 1021 Fountain View Drive in Carol Stream.
"Opening this is like living the dream," said Vassil, who also owns Tony Steamers in Winfield. He's the previous owner of Steamers in Carol Stream.
"I wanted to try something a little more upscale," said Vassil, who describes his new place as a step down from your typical steakhouse.
He serves breakfast lunch and dinner at the establishment that also has a lounge that accommodates nearly 100 people.
Popular breakfast selections include omelets and Belgian waffles topped with strawberries that sell for $6. The top seller at lunch is the Reuben sandwich that's $7.95. The soups are made fresh daily. Top picks for dinner include pastas, steaks, seafood and ribs. A full slab of ribs goes for $20.
Some customers may think the new eatery is Italian when they see the name. That's not the case. The name of the business was taken from switching around letters from Vassil's last name and his late father's name, Vengel and nickname, Anthony. His father, who was born in Albania, was also in the restaurant industry owning several businesses.
One of Vassil's early memories growing up in the industry is "serving customers and seeing them happy."
"My dad did this all his life. When it gets in your blood, it's there," Vassil said.
His new business seats 135 in the main dining room. There is a private dining room that seats close to 100 people.
Vassil's wife, Joyce, assists in the business when she's not working as a legal secretary at a Wheaton law firm. The couple, residing in Glen Ellyn, has four children, ranging in age from 19 to 23.
Vangelo's is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, check out vangelosgrill.com.
Not too soon: If you noticed Christmas decorations going up at Westfield Hawthorn in Vernon Hills, it's not what you think. The folks at the mall aren't decking the mall with red and green upon fall's arrival because they're trying to get shoppers in the holiday mode.
Limited holiday decor went up because a commercial for Qwest Telecommunications was being filmed at the Lake County mall, said Tim Geiges, general manager for Westfield Hawthorn.
The decorations will be taken down this week and then put back up again after Halloween.
So don't worry, the mall's still boasting candy corn and not candy canes.