The outdoor tables at the Hi Hat Lounge (1701 N. Arlington Place) are some of the East Side’s most coveted spots for casual dining. The lounge’s neighboring facility, The Garage, has now added a weekday lunch menu that will allow more time to sit in the sun or eat indoors.

The recently opened Karma (600 E. Ogden Ave.), located in the former Vivo Urban Grill, has now had a few months to find its footing. The space offers a sports bar upstairs and a sultry lounge and second bar on the lower level.

Apparently some guys around town say the economy’s bad. I don’t believe ’em,” Dave Sobelman says with a sly grin. It’s Monday and he and his wife, Melanie, have just survived another of those crazy-busy weekends so typical of their restaurant,...