It's always interesting to see how things turn out when chefs play musical chairs. Tony Priollo, who was at Coco Pazzo for quite a few years, has opened his own restaurant (Piccolo Sogno, reviewed here on Aug. 29). Chris Macchia, the chef at Coco Pazzo Cafe, replaced Priollo. And at Coco Pazzo Cafe, Jim Kilberg, who was at Gioco, took over as executive chef.

There are five India House restaurants in the greater Chicago area. I opted to visit the Buffalo Grove location. I have eaten in three out of the five locations in the Chicago area, and I am not one to quickly say about these restaurants that "you've been to one, you've been to them all."

Recently reviewed restaurants by dining critic Pat Bruno. (Star ratings: Extraordinary; Excellent; Very Good; Good; Zero stars: Poor)

Follia, 953 W. Fulton; (312) 243-2888. Follia is all about cibo e moda -- food and fashion. Owners Bruno and Melissa Abate encourage young designers (their work is shown on mannequins in the front windows) to be a part of the "fashion" part of the restaurant. If you want to impress someone, this is the place, with its modern atmosphere, stylish clientele and great pizza. Try the pizza Margherita, pizza prosciutto e funghi, pappardelle all zucca, Milanese con arugola and torta di mandorle. (Reviewed Sept. 26)

Did you know that the original P.J. Clarke's in New York City dates to 1884? And that this saloon was owned by a man named Patrick J. Clarke, an Irish immigrant? Singer Nat "King" Cole, way back in the late 1950s, proclaimed that the bacon cheeseburger at P.J. Clarke's was the "Cadillac of burgers." Frank Sinatra was considered the "owner" of table 20. Johnny Mercer penned the lyrics to "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" on a napkin while sitting at the bar. There's a rich history connected with this fabled saloon.

Pssst! I have a place where you can go to have a really great pizza. The atmosphere is modern Milanese, the clientele is a la moda Chicago, and some of the servers don't speak English all that well. But is not a pizzeria. This is Follia. And Follia is sort of in a world of its own.

Now that Phil Schmidt's has closed, a lot of restaurants are leaping at the chance to serve frogs legs. Room 21 (2110 S. Wabash, 312-328-1198) now is serving frog legs and lake perch a la Phil Schmidt's. (What, no gooseberry pie?) The spicy frog legs are pan-roasted and served with blue cheese grits and lemon as an appetizer for $9, while the lake perch (from Lake Erie) is lightly dusted in seasoned flour, sauteed and served over a salad of wild arugula, fresh herbs and tossed in a lemon olive oil vinaigrette for $21. Sounds good to me.

Urban Belly, 3053 N. California; (773) 583-0500. Fashioned by top chef Bill Kim (Le Lan), this is food to live and love by. It's all very low-key at this pan-Asian, dumpling, rice and noodle cafe. Order at the counter, pay, take a seat at one of the large communal tables, and when your food is ready, it comes to you. And then the fun begins. Try the duck and pho spices dumplings, pork and cilantro dumplings, pork belly and pineapple rice and ramen with pork belly. (Reviewed Sept. 19)

Cafe Havana, a modest newcomer whose specialty is "the flavor of Cuba," set up shop earlier this year in west suburban Itasca with little fanfare.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

What can we expect in the autumn months from the world of food? New restaurants galore? Check. Menus that drop some of those summer dishes and replace them with a few that reflect a flair for fall? Check. An emerging trend here and there? Definitely.

Chef Bill Kim must have a wicked sense of humor. How else can you explain the name of his latest dip into the culinary pool (he has a hand in Le Lan in Chicago and Soul in Clarendon Hills), a pan-Asian noodle, nosh, and dumpling spot on North California called Urban Belly?

Recently reviewed restaurants by dining critic Pat Bruno. (Star ratings: Extraordinary; Excellent; Very Good; Good; Zero stars: Poor)