New Local Restaurant Touts TV Dinners, Movie Nostalgia (PHOTOS)

A new restaurant will put a spin on the old-fashioned TV dinner, creating a meal owners say residents will be happy to leave their couch for.

It’s called Tommy Knuckles and it's filling a space formerly occupied by Forno Diablo at 433 W. Diversey Parkway on the Lincoln Park-Lake View border. Scheduled to open in early May, employees were starting to put the finishing touches on the space Monday afternoon.

But it's the food that has co-owner Carlos Guerra excited. He says their television-inspired atmosphere influenced a few menu items that will hopefully hit home with diners.

“It’s more of an upscale bar food with Southern flair,” Guerra said. “We’re incorporating TV dinners in the menu. It’s actually a specialty dish, and it’ll have things like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a dessert all on a tray. We’re bringing it back old school, but of course, it’ll be higher quality than a TV dinner.”

Guerra says Tommy Knuckles is based off characters people grew up watching on TV since the 1960s. Framed black-and-white shots of famous actors will adorn the walls. It’s that atmosphere which stirred up menu items reminiscent of good childhood eats.

“The characters we’re choosing to feature all had some significance to the cinema,” he said. “Whatever the character had been, they always stood for something. We tied that into our food, making it classic comfort food we would eat in front of the TV.”

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In addition to the TV theme, the 3,000-square-foot lounge will cater to the more mature sports-loving crowd by featuring eight flat screens. Tommy Knuckles will also have a full bar with more than 30 craft beers, 10 draft beers, a specialty cocktail menu and a small selection of wines.

Guerra says the menu was created by former Clark Street Zapatista chef Ricky Amaya. It's affordable, with nothing priced at more than $15. As temperatures warm, Guerra and his co-owners Terrell Tomlin and Marty Fernandez hope residents turn to their new space.

Of the 100 seats at the restaurant, roughly 45 are on Tommy Knuckles’ front patio facing Diversey Parkway.

“The patio seats 45 people, and that being said, we’re one of the only ones with a patio on this block,” Guerra said. “We hope that we’ll be able to cater to all the people in this neighborhood.”

Tommy Knuckles will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday, and open until 3 a.m. on Saturdays.