Longing for some hot-off-the grill meat? Then head to Kohan Japanese Restaurant, the University Village sushi spot that features entrees grilled by chefs on a Japanese-style teppan grill (like Benihana, but the tossing and grilling is done in an exhibition kitchen, not at the table), to check out the new DIY option. Owners expanded west, adding a second dining room fitted with semi-private dining and seven tables with built-in gas grills, plus they added yakiniku, the Japanese version of Korean barbecue to the menu. We ordered the kalbi; staffers delivered a platter of bone-in and boneless raw marinated beef short ribs, plus fresh veggies and a variety of panchan, accompaniments like pickled radish and kimchi ($19.95 per person; two order minimum). Don’t worry if you’re a tabletop novice; helpful staffers got us started and offered advice on how to heat-and-eat (if you’re really skittish, the chefs will cook it in the kitchen). For now the only self-cook option is kalbi; they’re waiting for the liquor license (which should arrive around September 5) to debut the full menu of grill-able options like ribeye and filet mignon. Bonus: If you’re heading elsewhere after dinner; the tabletop grill tables are fitted with individual exhaust systems so we left smelling Downey fresh.

Yesterday, we told you Yak-Zies Bar & Grill, one of Lakeview’s venerable late night spots, called its last "last call" on Sunday, but we’ve also heard about recent under-the-radar closings for a trio of recent debuts.

Cosmospolitan, the cute little Humboldt Park pan-Mediterranean eatery, which opened earlier this summer, served its last supper over the weekend; co-owner Dimitra Bourounis, understandably, is being tight-lipped with details.

Dudley Nieto, the acclaimed chef who is almost as well known for his stove hopping as he is for his food, is pulling yet another disappearing act. Nieto, who clocked kitchen time at multiple Mexican spots (Adobo Grill, Zapatista, San Gabriel Mexican Café and more) before opening Xel-Ha in River North last winter, closed the restaurant on Monday citing lease issues. Nieto says he’s planning another restaurant in the Chicago area; check back for future updates.

Bucktown's Barcello's closed Friday, August 3. Look for another concept from chef-owner David Richards to debut mid-September in the same address. He won't give up much right now, but tells us "it won't be called Barcello's, it won't be Italian, and it won't be yellow inside." Check back for additional details.

We have to admit, we were surprised by chef Charlie Trotter’s generosity at the Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Chicago fundraiser Monday night at the River East Arts Center. After all, he was on-site to pick-up his award as Chicago’s most sustainable chef from SOS, but he threw attendees a curve ball by auctioning himself, sort of. Trotter put an eight-course sustainable ingredient-focused dinner for 10 (served at his house) on the auction block, and he sweetened the deal by adding courses prepped by Graham Elliot Bowles (Avenues) and Michael Kornick (MK), plus guests get to raid his personal wine cellar with master sommelier Serafin Alvarado, and they’ll get to meet Tallgrass Beef founder Bill Kurtis. Deep-pocketed foodies went in for the kill– the dinner netted $16,000. But we were kinda confused by the final results – sounded to us like Trotter ended up adding two more dinners for 10, but in the bidding frenzy it was hard to tell. Event manager Pam Gross settled the issue for us this afternoon; three lucky groups of 10 scored dinner at Sir Trotter’s casa, shelling out a fat grand total of $48,500, which will go towards ending childhood hunger (SOS supports local agencies like the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Vital Bridges).