Evgenia owners Chris Deligiannis and Gina Suhomske inside their new restaurant at 41 S. Seminary St. in downtown Galesburg Monday, March 2, 2026. (JAY REDFERN/WGIL)
The building at 41 S. Seminary St. has been a lot of things over the years — Lullaby Dads, the Jumping Bean, Risco’s, Chez Willy’s, Craft. Each time, people found their way back to it. Chris Deligiannis thinks he knows why.
“There’s something about it that draws people,” he said. “This is a space that people want to be in. They want to share drinks, they want to share food, conversation, get to know each other.”
Deligiannis and his partner Gina Suhomske are betting on that energy one more time. In early April, they plan to open Evgenia — pronounced Ev-ye-NEE-ah — a Mediterranean steakhouse at the same address that most recently housed Craft on Seminary Street, which closed in December 2025.
A name with meaning
The name comes from Deligiannis’s family. Evgenia is the Greek word for Gina, and it was the name of his grandmother on his father’s side.
“My grandparents — my papou and yiayia — were Chris and Gina,” he said. “A little homage to that. But it reflects the cuisine that will be served here.”
That cuisine is what Deligiannis calls a Mediterranean steakhouse — classic American steakhouse fare meeting the flavors of the Mediterranean. Suhomske, who is the chef, brings an Italian background to the kitchen. Deligiannis’s father is Greek, his mother Mexican. Together, they describe the menu as food they grew up on, love to cook, and love to share.
“Lots of olive oil, lots of fresh herbs,” Deligiannis said. “Classic American steakhouse fare meets the sun-drenched taste of the Mediterranean.”
The menu
The menu — still being refined — will include small plates, fresh pastas, steaks, seafood, and a cheeseburger and fries. Deligiannis said the calamari, a staple through every iteration of the building’s restaurant history, will be back. Suhomske also plans to work closely with local farmers, keeping the menu small and rotating it seasonally.
The menu reflects both sides of the concept. Small plates include saganaki, souvlaki, and baked clams alongside more familiar options. Pasta dishes include a Pastichio — a Greek-style baked pasta — and the Tagliattelle Gina, named for Suhomske herself. For proteins, expect Steak Frites, Trout Almondine, and a Cheeseburger and Frites.
“I want people to not realize they’re eating something healthy,” she said. “We want to make everything so fresh and so good that you’re going to walk out of here feeling good.”
Prices, they say, will be intentionally approachable. They want the restaurant to feel accessible — whether someone is coming in for a burger and a beer or a special occasion dinner.
“We don’t want people to feel this isn’t a place for them,” he said.
The owners
Both owners have deep roots in the Galesburg restaurant community. Suhomske trained at the Culinary Institute of Chicago and worked for Lettuce Entertain You before returning to Galesburg after the birth of her first daughter. She has worked in the building before, including in the kitchen during the Chez Willy’s era.
Deligiannis grew up between Galesburg and the Chicago suburbs, went to college intending to go into renewable energy, found his way back to restaurants, and spent the past decade building expertise in cocktails and wine — including time working with bar programs in Europe.
The space
The building has five distinct spaces — a cocktail lounge with a fireplace and piano, a formal dining room, a private room they’re calling the study or den, a gallery space where they plan to rotate artwork from local artists and collections from Knox College and the Galesburg Community Arts Center, and an outdoor patio they plan to expand for summer.
Each room, they say, will have its own vibe — from formal white-linen dining to a more casual, come-as-you-are atmosphere.
“If you’re feeling your anniversary and you want to get all dolled up — great,” Suhomske said. “Or if you just want to bring the kids out for family dinner and you don’t want to change out of your sweatpants, come on in.”
Hours and opening
Planned hours are Monday through Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., with the kitchen staying open later on weekends. They also plan late-night menu pop-ups tied to community events — Knox College graduation, Taste of Galesburg, and others.
Staffing, they say, has not been a problem. They sent out one group message to former colleagues and were fully staffed. Many of those team members have been at the building helping clean and prep since the keys changed hands.
Deligiannis summed up their philosophy simply: “Whether you leave through the front door as a guest or the back door as a team member, you should be in a better place because you were here.”
Evgenia is targeting a soft opening the first week of April, with a full opening by May. The restaurant is located at 41 S. Seminary St. in downtown Galesburg.
Dining and Cooking