Vinnie Baggs owners hope to open within a month

With a little bit of luck, Tim Vakakes said he hopes to open his Chicago-style neighborhood grill, called Vinnie Baggs, in the next 20 days.

"I'm praying," he said.

Vinnie Baggs is replacing La Bamba Grill, which closed in May, at 1006 Oxmoor Road. Aside from the installation of a bar and some photos of 1930s-era Homewood and Chicago on the walls, Vakakes said most of the restaurant will look fairly similar to its predecessor.

"I'm going to adapt to what I've got here," Vakakes said.

Vakakes said he leased the space sight-unseen, knowing only that its ceiling and exposed brick walls matched the feeling he wanted to create of the small restaurants he loves in Chicago neighborhoods. What Homewood needs, in Vakakes' opinion, is a restaurant that's comfortable to hang out in.

The lunch and dinner menu includes items like an Italian meatball sandwich, Greek souvlaki sandwich, beef brisket with potato latkes, lamb, grilled fish, burgers, pasta and “meatier” salads. Vakakes said the meals will be in the $8-10 range and he is also bringing in fresh bread from Chicago. There will be a small bar, and the restaurant will be able to seat about 42 people in total.

“It’s like going to my house. You’re going to eat. You’re going to put on some pounds,” Vakakes said.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., perhaps later on the weekends, and will open early to serve breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings. Vakakes said lunch will be served more quickly to accommodate a work crowd, while dinner will be slower. Though there is a bar, Vakakes said there will be a kids’ menu and family friendly atmosphere.

Vakakes and his brother Pete started the original PT’s on Hollywood Boulevard in 1982, which was there for 20 years. He also helped start the PT’s location in Soho, though he is no longer involved with the restaurant. While he has wanted to own an Italian restaurant for a long time, Vakakes said it took the right place and the right people coming together to make him want to start a new dining concept.

For diners who remember the original PT’s, Vinnie Baggs is carrying over a little bit of history. The name, in part, comes from Vakakes’ cousin Vinnie Scalici, who worked at PT’s and will be part of the new restaurant’s staff.

Vakakes is interviewing servers and other restaurant staff now.

If Vinnie Baggs is a hit, Vakakes said he hopes to eventually have more than one restaurant carrying the name.

"We're going to have fun with it," he said.