Reality setting in for East Dundee restaurant

After opening in November amid some fanfare -- a stint on a reality television, positive reviews and a lot of news coverage -- an East Dundee restaurant came to a quiet end last month.

Mason's Martini and Grille, 102 N. River St., got off to an auspicious start when it was featured on the HGTV reality show "Opening Soon."

But the restaurant stands empty now, closed for undisclosed reasons.

The HGTV show captured all the obstacles and conflicts as Mason's owners, husband and wife Chuck and Jenny Fowler, manager Gail George and chef Klaudia Crawford took the restaurant from conception to opening night.

But the cameras missed the conflict that followed, including multiple run-ins with the East Dundee liquor commission and disagreements between the owners and management.

George and Crawford declined to comment this week, and the Fowlers could not be reached for comment.