Id leave a small pocket door where you placed a red line.....between living and top part of kitchen. Youd appreciate the split ways into kitchen which is really the way to the garage apparently. The furniture can be pulled forward and create a logical foot traffic area behind chairs so people pass behind the conversation area ..thru the small opening to come and go......this takes the burden from ALL foot traffic going down the center of the kitchen workspace. I grew up with two pocket doors in/out of kitchen.....when entertaining my mom would close one or the other and it provided ultimate flexibility. We had a dining zone at the end of living room like you are thinking.....as well we had a kitchen dinette , more than a nook Id say.....keep the nook ..... along w great room ....youll be fine in my opinion.

these people opened up more of the wall ....I like your plan maybe without that kind of intervention...but you see they come into kitchen and can pass to the left to living zone....or walk straight thru....I think you want that aspect.

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Figuring out which walls are load bearing is a good place to start. It will help you figure out what changes are in your budget.

I suspect the wall between the living and dining room is load bearing and is going to be quite expensive to remove.