Tag: Avondale

Inside Avondale’s Nostalgic Pierogi Palace

One bite of Max Glassman’s pierogies is all it takes to taste the difference. In his alter-ego, Pierogi Papi, Glassman saves the city from mundane and limp Polish dumplings. He’ll stuff his with traditional fixings like cheese and potato but also deviate with braised beef or caramelized onion.

He’s popped up across the city, including Moonwalker Cafe in Avondale. The Chicago Reader’s Monday Night Foodball hosted him at an event last year. But after years of wandering, it appears Glassman has found a semi-permanent base of operations in Logan Square at one of the city’s most unique bars, Consignment Lounge.

Mark Pallman and Katie Piepel opened the bar in September 2022 in Avondale at 3520 W. Diversey Avenue and have stuffed the bar with a mishmash of trinkets liberated from estate sales, auctions, and antique malls. Pallman explains everything in the bar is for sale, including vintage sports memorabilia — he recalls a poster featuring members of the 1986 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears was a hot item. The poster captured players in the locker room wearing towels. There are also paintings, hats, old glassware, comics, and books: “It’s a smattering of things I like,” Pallman says.

Just like bucia used to make.

At $12 to $14, the cocktails are affordable.

Everything is for sale.

Piepl and Pallman were introduced to Glassman as a patron. The bar had a revolving slate of food vendors and Pierogi Papi blew them away. And so, for the last few weeks, Glassman has been a fixture on Thursdays and Fridays. Milo’s Market is another Consignment Lounge regular, popping up when the schedule permits. Their specialty is “beeria” grilled cheese.

Pallman has a background in advertising and Piepl in real estate. The purchase of Consignment Lounge’s building was. at first, investment property for the couple, who have been married for four years: “I’ve always loved taverns and dive bar cocktails,” he says. They have a small staff of bar veterans. Jana Heili (Machine, The Walk-In) and Mark Bailie (SmallBar, Punch House) developed the drink recipes. KB Woodson (Stop Along, Harding Tap) handles staff relations.

Consignment Lounge’s drinks aren’t as fancy — or expensive — as some cocktail lounges, but they’re well thought out and more than hold their own. Pallman says it’s the customer service that makes the bar special.

These bartenders have experience at some of Chicago’s most popular spots.

Luxury, redefined.

The space also has its share of CRT TVs, which they can hook up to a streaming device to watch movies or even live sports. Some customers are tricked into thinking there’s some sort of nostalgic video filter being applied. No, that’s just an old-school 4:3 aspect ratio.

Hopefully, by spring, Consignment Lounge will unveil an enclosed patio that could hold 30 to 40 people. The bar should grow, Pallman says. After all, the original concept is the evolution of a basement.

Walk through the space below.

Consignment Lounge, 3520 W. Diversey Avenue, open 4 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday; noon to 2 a.m. on Saturday; noon to midnight on Sunday. Pierogi Papi onsite at 6 p.m. until sold out on Thursday and Friday nights — check social media to confirm.

Yes, that’s a St. Louis football Cardinals penant.

Color TVs are huge.

Get snacks and a show.

Ashok Selvam

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October 31, 2024
Parachute Attempts to Pump Up the Volume in Avondale

Welcome to the Scene Report, a new column in which Eater Chicago captures the vibe of a notable Chicago restaurant at a specific moment in time.

Parachute HiFi opened without fanfare, and that’s not what folks would expect from James Beard Award-winning chefs Johnny Clark and Beverly Kim. Parachute was a tour de force, a stunning restaurant that showed both Korean flavors in a different light to Chicago and the rest of the country.

But a decade after opening along Elston, and igniting Avondale as one of the hottest dining neighborhoods in America, Kim and Clark have shifted gears. Parachute HiFi marks their latest attempt at reinventing themselves. While they hope to eventually bring back Parachute in all its fine dining glory to a Downtown Chicago space, their focus right now is to bring back some fun to Elston. Parachute HiFi opened in early September at the former Parachute space, 3500 N. Elston Avenue.

The Wait: Parachute was a fine dining restaurant and thanks to its Michelin-star status and notoriety in the Korean community, finding a table without a reservation was nearly impossible during its peak. HiFi moves away from that with more of a local community feel — they don’t take reservations. Don’t have plans? Find a barstool with your name on it. Need a quick weeknight dinner? Just walk in and grab a table.

The Vibe: In some way, Clark and Kim’s restaurant down the street, Anelya, provided a blueprint for the next iteration of Parachute. Anelya serves Ukrainian comfort food and the Ukrainian music is essential in creating an environment that elevates a country’s culture that hasn’t been showcased too much in Chicago’s restaurant scene.

Clark admits he’s a bit of an audiophile, having collected vintage speakers and visitors will see some of those pieces on display, and he’s ventured as far as exotic locales like Peoria to source. There’s a DJ booth at the front of the bar. Kim and Clark have no prior experience spinning records, but they planning on hosting themed music nights. But the couple isn’t handling all the music. In recent nights, DJs have played soul, funk, Japanese pop, French yeyé, and more.

There’s a tradition of Korean pubs with tall beers, small plates, and karaoke. That’s something the Chicago area has been recently introduced to, with places like Miki’s Park in River North, and New Village Gastropub in suburban Northbrook. Parachute HiFi captures the casual nature of these pubs and it may remind customers of another Avondale institution across the street. Irish pub Chief O’Neil’s has been around since 1999 and possesses a come-as-you-are atmosphere. The original Parachute was family-friendly, an oddity for Chicago’s fine dining restaurants. HiFi, somehow even as a bar without a children’s menu, is even more so. It’s a throwback, like those Chicago pubs of yore, when children were taught that local bars were safe spaces, places they could find shelter if they were in danger and needed support. It’s Chicago tavern culture, don’t argue with it.

What to Eat: They’re not pigeonholing themselves at Parachute HiFI. The menu features a mash-up of Korean, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and more. The chefs have avoided talking about the food too much because they want to pique people’s interest without spoiling any surprises or having cynical folks making knee-jerk conclusions. While different from Parachute’s original menus, Korean food can often be misunderstood, and Kim remains sensitive to those conclusions, whether it’s complaints about prices or Koreans complaining that the food tastes different from what they grew up eating.

Salmon nigiri and seasonal veggies with walnut ssamjang dip.

Riff on pad Thai with Korean rice cakes.

HiFi’s menu is tidy. The must-try starter is the salmon nigiri. It’s nice, light, and taste. A great snack. There’s a burger on the menu. It’s a double-griddled patty made with beef from Slagel Family Farm, well seasoned and ground with short rib. It comes sliced with bacon in a shallow pool of comte fondue. These types of fondue burgers seem to be enjoying a popularity surge, and thanks to the pickles, this one is a winner.

Since our visit fell on a Wednesday, the bing bread — one of Parachute’s most beloved items, and a menu item of great consternation for the owners when it comes to labor and expenses — is back. The fabled items were removed from Parachute’s menu in 2022, but it’s back once a week at HiFi on Wednesday. It’s as good as fans will remember. Rice cakes get the deluxe treatment with a Thai tweak. The tteokbokki pad Thai — get it with shrimp — was stellar. The french fries, which come with banana ketchup, are also some of the better crispy spuds in town.

What to Drink: There’s not a huge N/A menu, but plenty of wine — Kim and Clark made an investment in good wine at Wherewithall, and it’s apparent that commitment has spilled over to their other projects. There is also a nice selection of sool and sake. House cocktails include the Whisky Apple made with Granny Smith apples, and the Blueberry Pancakes made with brown butter mezcal, blueberry maple, and egg.

Mind you, Kim says the menu has gone through some tweaks, so don’t be surprised to find a few changes.

The Verdict: Kim and Clark badly want to give Avondale something locals will appreciate. The execution of their food is high level — here’s another reminder that Parachute was a Michelin-star winner. It was early in the night, so I can’t be certain, but it feels like HiFi needs to let its hair down a little bit and embrace the bar side. Confidence comes with experience. For example, a recent visit to New Village Gastropub showed a much more energetic vibe inside a much larger suburban space. Parachute HiFi packs a lot inside a tiny footprint, and the restaurant was open only for a few weeks when I went. Once the crew stops playing it safe and leans into its weird side, HiFi could be a home run. For now, it’s an intriguing experiment in rebooting a dining destination into a casual haunt.

Ashok Selvam

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October 7, 2024
Chicago Restaurant Week: 12 Best Deals for Restaurant Week 2024

Few events on the Chicago calendar have the impact of Chicago Restaurant Week. This 17-day celebration of the best this city’s iconic culinary scene has to offer enters its 17th year in 2024 and 400 restaurants across the city are participating. With options for brunch, lunch, and/or dinner, diners can explore new restaurants with a prix-fixe menu for a set price at participating restaurants from January 19th through February 4th.

Now, 400 restaurants can feel overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you eat? Do you double down on some of your familiar favorites or use this as a chance to explore a restaurant or neighborhood you have on your list? That’s where we come in. We’ve narrowed down the list to 10 of our favorites.

Take a gander and reserve your time now at one of UrbanMatter’s choices for the 10 best deals for Chicago Restaurant Week 2024.

West Town | 1072 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60642

Chef Brian Jupiter’s West Town concept, Frontier, is bringing their game-meat forward smoke & fire concept to CRW with a three-course menu for $59/pp that features smoked wagyu ribs, lamb empanadas, and a delicious peach pie jar with a spiced oat crumble. If you’ve ever experienced a Chef Jup special then you know your taste buds are in for a flavor-packed meaty treat.

Roscoe Village | 2301 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618

Le Sud is the hidden gem of Roscoe Village and this year they’re presenting a three-course mediterranean dinner for $42/pp. Diners can choose one small plate, one large plate, and a dessert for their Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 experience; and our suggestion is to make sure you get yourself the moroccan lamb meatballs and thank us later.

Lakeview | 964 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Lost Reef is a dominant cocktail bar with some pretty damn good food. Now, normally that wouldn’t make for a must-try for Chicago Restaurant Week, but hear me out — their $25/pp brunch option is offering a Mezcal-cured Lox & Bagel and that has me immensely interested. Not to mention, their lobster roll is delightful and is offered on both the brunch and dinner menus.

Humboldt Park | 1001 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Segnatore offers a four-course prix-fixe menu for $59/pp that includes their unique spin on arancini with the cacio e pepe arancini loaded with delicious pecorino. This Humboldt Park eatery is cozy and delicious and offers a wonderful menu of wines to pair with your restaurant week experience.

Lincoln Park | 655 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Situated right across the street from Lakeview High School and Oz Park, Cedar Palace is a cozy, yet incredibly authentic Mediterranean restaurant serving up home cooked family recipes. This is a restaurant we recommend for both restaurant week and, well, just about every week.

South Loop | 638 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

Mercat a la Planxa is offering a $25/pp brunch option or a $59/pp dinner option featuring their Catalan-inspired tapas with a view that overlooks Grant Park. Looking for a restaurant week option with a few friends coming in town that are looking for a full Chicago-type experience? This one is for you.

Lakeview | 2901 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

West Town | 1814 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Barcocina’s locations are offering the same $42/pp deal for CRW this year and there’s one reason (well, many but one that I want to highlight) for its inclusion in this list — their Bang Bang Shrimp Taco is available for Restaurant Week. It’s the freakin’ good and I’ll bang bang (full pun intended) the drum for it whenever I have that chance.

West Loop | 932 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607

Rose Mary exploded onto the scene a few years ago and has never looked back. It’s a love story told by former Top Chef-winner Chef Joe Flamm and is an ode to his Italian roots. The stracciatella alone is worth coming for. There isn’t much to be said about Rose Mary that hasn’t already been said, but it’s forever a recommendation for those who haven’t had the chance to try it yet.

Avondale | 3500 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Parachute’s offerings for Chicago Restaurant Week 2024 are a bit different than what you might be familiar with. It is still $59/pp for dinner, but dishes are shared family style. Normally, that might throw people off given the price point but Parachute is the preeminent restaurant in the city when it comes to Korean-American cuisine and when you take a look at the CRW menu, you’ll understand quite quickly that you’ll get more than your money’s worth in food.

Uptown | 4801 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640

Ethiopian food. Let me say that louder for the people in the back — ETHIOPIAN FOOD. You don’t see much Ethiopian cuisine and for that I say, “FOR SHAME!” Demera in Uptown is hands down one of the best restaurants in the city and with $25, $42, and $59/pp options; they are giving you a full canvas of opportunities to try something new. I suggest you take them up on that or forever regret not taking the little Uber to Uptown.

Hyde Park | 1462 E 53rd St, Chicago, IL 60615

Virtue is a giant. From Chef Erick Williams, this Hyde Park restaurant has been serving up critically acclaimed Southern-American cuisine with a smile and it should be at the top of any self-respecting Chicagoans “must eats” list. At $59/pp, Virtue is the perfect restaurant week addition because each bite of food is packed with flavor and the environment is welcome and warm.

River North | 214 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654

Asador Bastian isn’t your everyday chop house. This “speakeasy” type dining experience sits in an old renovated townhouse on Erie St. and is completely unassuming from the street. Inside, you’ll be treated to delicious bites and tasty libations with Basque influences. And given the relative newness of the establishment, this restaurant week option is the perfect way to try a restaurant that everyone seems to be talking about.

Featured Image via Choose Chicago – Chicago Restaurant Week

Brian Lendino

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January 16, 2024