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After two years in one of Chicago’s smallest fine dining rooms, Atelier is entering a new era just a few blocks from its original Lincoln Square home. The Michelin-starred restaurant reopens Friday, October 10, at 4544 N. Western Avenue, doubling its footprint while keeping its neighborhood feel intact.
Owner Tim Lacey says the move was long overdue. “The old space was tiny … We had eight tables at the old place; here, we’ve got 16. We actually have a bar and more breathing room.”
The new 1,800-square-foot restaurant seats up to 36 guests across the dining room, bar, and a small lounge area. Atelier wrapped up service at its old location in July, and since then, the team has been busy getting the new space ready. Lacey says the remodel has been modest but time-consuming, slowed by equipment backorders and city inspections.
In the kitchen, executive chef Bradyn Kawcak is eager to make use of the expanded setup. Seasonal tasting menus with global influences are still the heart of the experience, but the biggest addition is a new bar menu, which will feature small plates alongside cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages. Kawcak envisions it as a spot for guests to drop in for drinks and bites without committing to a full meal. There will be playful and comforting offerings like boiled peanuts and a patty melt, as well as caviar and truffle supplements for those looking to gussy up their snacks.
“We’ll keep a consistent high-brow, low-brow thing like that on the menu,” Kawcak says.
Some of Atelier’s greatest hits are returning, including Buttermilk and Brassica, a roasted broccoli and buttermilk salad with Concord grape jelly, and bacon-blue cheese canelés, a former holiday favorite.
Beverage director Ali Martin’s wine list highlights women winemakers, while the cocktail menu incorporates leftover ingredients from the kitchen (Think: syrups made from macerated summer fruit or the liquid from preserved lemons). Both standard and reserve wine pairings, and spirit-free options, will complement the tasting menu.
The new Atelier embraces its name — French for “workshop” — with a warm interior showcasing artwork by staff and friends on the walls. The open kitchen, a hallmark of the old space, remains, now framed by windows that allow guests to peek into the action while fostering a sense of community. That connection was important for Lacey, who has lived in Lincoln Square for more than 20 years and says he never considered moving Atelier out of the neighborhood.
When the restaurant launched a fundraising campaign to help finance the move, the community rallied in support. The campaign finished at nearly 97 percent of its $500,000 goal after a late surge of donations, something Lacey says “really just kind of blew us all away.”
Atelier debuted in 2023 as the successor to Elizabeth, the acclaimed restaurant founded by chef Lane Regan. Lacey assumed ownership of Elizabeth during the pandemic and after a period of transition, closed the restaurant at the end of 2022. A few months later, the space reopened as Atelier. Under chef Christian Hunter, the restaurant earned a Michelin star in its first year, cementing its place in Chicago’s fine dining scene. In 2024, Kawcak took over from Hunter — who is set to open Hooligan at Time Out Market Chicago this fall — and has helped Atelier retain its starred status.
The next chapter in Atelier’s story begins with a soft opening this weekend. The restaurant will offer the la carte bar menu, with BYOB encouraged, while it awaits its liquor license. The full tasting menu will launch once that arrives, and Kawcak can’t wait for guests to see what he’s been working on.
“If people got excited about what we could do in that tiny old space, hopefully we can blow their socks off now,” he says.
Atelier, 4544 N. Western Avenue. Soft opens Friday, October 10. Open 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday until grand opening.
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Jeffy Mai
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