QXY, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants for Chinese dumplings, is opening a location inside Time Out Market. It is one of three additions to the Fulton Market food hall. 2d Restaurant, known for its mochi doughnuts and comic book-style interior design in Lakeview, will soon arrive. So will Libanais, a Lebanese restaurant in suburban Lincolnwood.
The dumplings will arrive first, according to a news release. QXY, which stands for Qing Xiang Yuan, will open on Wednesday, July 17. It replaces Avli, the Greek restaurant that plans to open a standalone location in the area. The menu at QXY includes steamed or fried dumplings stuffed with a choice of kurobuta pork and cabbage; shrimp, kurobuta, and pork leek; wagyu beef and black truffle; or chicken and mushroom. Soup dumplings will also be available, as will sides and salads.
Libanais will follow at the end of the month. Beef and lamb or chicken shawarma with fries; rotisserie beef and lamb with sumac onion wrapped in pita are some of the menu options. It replaces Evette’s.
2d, which also has a location at the vegan XMarket food hall — off DuSable Lake Shore Drive’s Montrose exit in Uptown‚ will bring its doughnuts, Vietnamese coffee, ube milk, and more to Fulton Market. It replaces Firecakes.
Food halls have been volatile in recent years since the pandemic. Revival Food Hall recently announced a “closure” — 16” on Center, the company that opened and operated the space, will soon be replaced by an Atlanta company, STHRN Hospitality. The new operators will seemingly retain most of the current vendors and rename the food hall. Urbanspace, near Daley Plaza, has been renamed Washington Hall as the New York company that founded that venue has left the business.
Time Out Market, which falls under the same umbrella as the publication that covers restaurants in Chicago, opened in 2019. They run food halls all over the world, including in Lisbon, Cape Town, and Montreal. The U.S. cities consist of Boston, New York, and Chicago.
When Aaron Steingold opened his modern Jewish deli Steingold’s of Chicago in 2017, he already had baseball on the brain. A lifelong fan and self-described baseball historian who attended games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx as a child, he harbored a dream of opening a location near Wrigley Field, the famed home of the Chicago Cubs.
Seven years later, Steingold is swinging for the fences with Steingold’s Bagels & Nosh, a new location across the Friendly Confines inside the Hotel Zachary. Steingold’s features classic deli hits and playful new additions and officially opened its doors Thursday, July 11 in the 1,200-square-foot former home of West Town Bakery at 3630 N. Clark Street.
“It’s always been a part of my long-term goals to open something closer to the ballpark,” says Steingold, nodding toward the longstanding romance between American Jews and the iconic game. “Nostalgia is a big part of our cuisine… and baseball is as Americana as it gets, so it’s a match made in heaven for us.”
All but five of the deli’s 28 seats have a view of Wrigley Field.
Steingold’s Bagels & Nosh aims to pull off a tricky balancing act of maintaining tradition — the subject of animated discussion among Jews for millennia — while surviving and thriving in the modern era. That means fans can count on staples like hot pastrami on rye, classic bagel and lox sandwiches (the deli’s number-one seller, says Steingold), latkes, and bagels in bulk. The dynamics of ballpark crowds and hotel guests have also prompted some fresh additions like the Traditional, a build-your-own sandwich with numerous meat, cheeses, and condiments to choose from, and customizable breakfast sandwiches with new vegetarian ingredients like culinary director Cara Peterson’s (whose experience includes working at New Orleans’ award-winning Shaya) red lentil patties. Steingold has offered Vienna Beef bagel dogs on and off for a few years, but at Bagels & Nosh, they’re a permanent menu item with brown mustard for dipping.
In a sign of the times, Steingold has for the first time added gluten-free bagels to the lineup, sourced from California-based brand Original Sunshine, as well as a few additional vegetarian open-faced bagel sandwiches. “We’re hoping to not just be [associated] with the high-calorie, heavy-duty sandwiches that people probably know us for,” he says.
Design elements like subway tile lend the feel of a classic Ashkenazi-style deli.
The Steingold’s team designed the tiny space for maximum speed and efficiency.
That isn’t to say that Bagels & Nosh is a health food spot — Steingold tapped operations director Sean Courtney to design a drink menu, which includes a dozen mostly local draft beers, “easy-drinking” wines, and rotating boozy slushies like a frozen watermelon limonada that riffs on Middle Eastern mint lemonade. The team has plans for “deli-inspired” concoctions like a twist on a classic egg cream for the winter. In the coming weeks, the deli will kick off knock-and-drop service for hotel guests, delivering smoked fish platters and more to their doors.
Explore Steingold’s Bagels & Nosh in the photographs below.
Steingold’s Bagels & Nosh, 3630 N. Clark Street, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Longtime collaborator Heart & Bone Signs applied all the gold leaf lettering.
After seven years in Pilsen, S.K.Y. will close and move to the North Side. Stephen Gillanders announced via Instagram on Wednesday afternoon, reiterating what he earlier told food writer Ari Bendersky: the chef is bringing his first restaurant to the former Intro Chicago space, the restaurant he worked at when he first moved to Chicago nearly a decade ago.
Intro, owned by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, was a restaurant that cycled through chefs and menus, giving the inexperienced a foundation so they could open their own restaurants. Gillanders joined the operation in 2015 and LEYE co-founder Rich Melman eventually elevated him to the restaurant’s first executive chef where Gillanders oversaw operations. Gillanders left in 2017 after deciding that Chicago, not LA, would be the home of his first restaurant. S.K.Y. (named after his wife). He would open in Pilsen later that year. Lettuce would later close Intro in July 2017.
There’s no public date of when S.K.Y. will close in Pilsen and open in Lincoln Park. In an interview with Bendersky, Gillanders was complimentary of Pilsen, a neighborhood that didn’t welcome the restaurant with open arms back in 2017. The chef says about 70 percent of S.K.Y.’s customers live near the restaurant’s new home at 2300 N. Lincoln Park West inside the Belden-Stratford. S.K.Y. was also impacted in 2022 after the Jean Banchet Awards pulled a nomination for the restaurant’s sommelier, Jelena Prodan, following a controversial incident at the Pilsen restaurant. That move, quickly pushed by the awards’ former beneficiary (the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation), led the Banchet team — which annually honors Chicago restaurants — to part ways with the foundation and team with a new charity.
S.K.Y. is hoping to leave that history behind. But still, popular dishes, like the lobster dumplings, should make the move north. The new version of S.K.Y. will have a private dining room dedicated to a tasting menu. Tasting menus are something Gillanders has been fond of, as Valhalla, his newly relocated Wicker Park restaurant, is built around the concept. Lettuce housed several restaurants inside the cavernous space, and Gillanders is planning to renovate the former Naoki Sushi space into a speakeasy-style bar. There are also plans for a 20-seat patio overlooking Lincoln Park Zoo.
Beyond S.K.Y. and Valhalla, Gillanders has a South Loop restaurant, Apolonia, and he worked on the menu at Signature a sports bar owned by former Chicago Bear Israel Idonije. Gillanders, along with star pastry chef Tatum Sinclair, are also opening Haven, a cafe with a pastry gallery during the day and an “intimate chefs counter dessert tasting menu” at night in West Town.
S.K.Y. 2.0, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, opening date TBD.
A trio of childhood friends with deep roots in Chicago hospitality have turned their teenage dreams of co-owning a restaurant into reality with Mensch’s Deli, their new Ashkenazi-style Jewish diner and delicatessen in suburban Evanston.
Look for Eastern European Jewish staples including house-made pastrami, corned beef, smoked fish, and blintzes, Mensch’s opened Wednesday, July 3 at 1608 Chicago Avenue in the former home of diner stalwart Golden Olympic, which closed in 2021 after more than half a century in business.
Founders Jack DeMar, Eric Kogan, and Kiki Eliopoulos, who grew up together in suburban Wilmette, launched Mensch’s last year as a pop-up out of Picnic, DeMar’s carryout and delivery-only salad spot near Northwestern University. They were pleased to discover that locals were positively ravenous for Mensch’s, buying as many as 300 bagels in a single day.
Mensch’s design emphasizes a diner feel.Mensch’s Deli
“Excitement and demand were so great that we realized there’s a hole in the market,” says DeMar, also behind fast-casual suburban spot Pono Ono Poke. The trio began to shift their vision toward a permanent location, one that’s “not just a Jewish deli in terms of matzo ball soup or smoked fish by the pound — [it’s] more about the diner side of it. There’s no place like that in Evanston anymore.”
While Jewish delis that serve items like that are scarce in Evanston, nearby Skokie is a quick drive away with contenders like Kaufman’s and New York Bagel and Bialy. Still, Mensch’s also celebrates diners with eggy breakfast dishes like corned beef scrambles and fried matzo (or matzo brei, for those in the know), as well as delicate blintzes stuffed with farmers cheese and berry jam. Open-faced bagel sandwich options include the Boychick (lox cream cheese, seasoned tomato, caraway, chives) and the Purist (nova lox from New York’s Acme Smoked Fish, onions, scallion cream cheese). On the sweet side, Eliopoulos, a pastry chef, spent a year honing baked treats like rugelach, black and white cookies, and babka. “She comes from a Greek background but that hasn’t stopped her from making Jewish cookies,” jokes DeMar, who’s also engaged to Eliopoulos.
The team is especially proud of its smoked meats and fish, the vast majority of which are brined, braised, and smoked on-site aside from salami brought in from local favorite Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. and nova lox from New York’s Acme Smoked Fish. A smoker was the founders’ biggest investment by far, says DeMar, but ultimately the proof was in the pastrami. “It tasted so different and much better than anything we’d tried — we hugged when we got it.”
Blintzes. Mensch’s Deli
The overlapping phenomena of American diners and Jewish delis have a rich history, one that is embedded in DeMar’s lineage. His great-grandfather, also named Jack DeMar, fled what is now Ukraine in the 1930s and would go on to establish a chain of DeMar’s Restaurants, which he called “chili parlors.” His strategy was to open new restaurants alongside the expanding El tracks and partner with other Jewish immigrants to grow the business and spread economic benefits.
DeMar, who estimates more than a dozen locations at its peak, likens the restaurants to Edward Hopper’s famed paintingNighthawks — an open kitchen and long counter with sandwiches, soups, and coffee. Mensch’s unites these components with three sections: a deli case, a small quick-serve dining area, and a full dining room, that seats 75 at booths and tables. It’s decorated with old family photos that Eliopoulos “meticulously” printed and framed for display on the walls, and classic deli elements like tile and vintage light fixtures.
Between the legacy of DeMar’s Restaurants and the ineffable romance of diner culture, the founders set out imbue Mench’s with more than a menu of lox and bagels (sourced from New York Bagel & Bialy). They wanted to channel menschlikhkeit, a Yiddish word with no English equivalent that describes traits associated with being a mensch, or person of fundamental honor and decency.
Mench’s founder Jack DaMar comes from a line of Chicago restaurant owners.Mench’s Deli
To capture this intangible atmosphere, Kogan, Eliopoulos, and DeMar visited New York and hit 14 Jewish delis and restaurants in just two and a half days. The fast-paced yet comforting energy of institutions Barney Greengrass, 2nd Avenue Deli, and Katz’s Delicatessen furnished ample inspiration, says Kogan, and the founders are training their staff to emulate that homey bustle.
In the weeks ahead of the deli’s debut, Evanston residents made it clear that the team needn’t worry about a lack of local interest. “People have been stopping me on the street,” says DeMar. “They’re angry we haven’t been open!”
Playful skewers make eating even more fun. | Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago
From souvlaki to kebabs, kushiyaki, and sach koh ang
Chicagoans are specifically attuned to appreciate the quick and unfussy appeal of street food, and much to the delight of hungry locals, the city is filled with excellent renditions of one the world’s most popular street food sub-genres: the skewer. Whether it’s tare-brushed kushiyaki, robust kebabs, peanut sauce-smothered satay, or juicy charred souvlaki, the central conceit of grilled skewers is consistently delightful. Make a selection or start a skewer crawl with these spots in Chicago and slightly beyond.
As business names go, it doesn’t get more on the nose than Puffy Cakes. Recently opened in West Town, the bakery and coffee shop specializes in Japanese cheesecake, which features a fluffy texture that’s a cross between a souffle and brioche French toast.
When Julian Coltea and his Puffy Cakes partners began delving into a dessert-focused business, they knew they had to do something different.
“There are so many places in Chicago that make great cookies, pies, and classic American desserts,” says Coltea. “We wanted to go beyond that and expand to something else.”
Hokkaido cheese tartsFluffy Cakes
A matcha drip.Fluffy Cakes
That something else turned out to be Japanese cheesecake, which is lighter and less sweet than its American counterpart. “We really wanted to make it our primary focus and bring the dessert, which I think is delicious, to the masses,” he adds.
Prior to opening in June, the Puffy Cakes baking team went through rounds of experiments to perfect the recipe and achieve the desired jiggly texture. (Turns out, folding in the egg white meringue by hand is crucial, says Coltea.) The airy cream cheese batter is placed in ramekins that are then baked low and slow in a water bath.
Available in three flavors — traditional, matcha, and ube — the 4-inch cheesecakes are designed for one to two people. Additionally, 6- and 8-inch versions are available via advance ordering. Housemade sauces are available for those who want to add a touch more sweetness. Signature sauces include caramel drizzle, dark chocolate, matcha, Nutella, and strawberry with additional flavors in the works. Look for candy toppings to be offered soon.
Japanese-style cheesecakeFluffy Cakes
Cakes in different flavors.Fluffy Cakes
Beyond the Japanese cheesecakes, which are baked fresh daily, Puffy Cakes also features a handful of other desserts. Petite Japanese cheese tarts include a mixture of three cheeses (cream cheese, mascarpone, and Parmesan), housemade seasonal fruit jams, and fresh fruit toppings. The menu also features traditional baked tarts, including a recent lemon blackberry meringue tart with a bruléed Italian meringue dome. A curated list of macarons will soon be joined by a selection of Asian-inspired cookies.
To ensure none of its leftover cheesecakes goes to waste, Puffy Cakes crafted a bread pudding. Cut-up pieces of a mix of their cakes are baked like a traditional bread pudding before being topped with different garnishes that might include pecans, white chocolate, and walnuts.
A partnership with La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Puffy Cakes offers specialty coffee drinks, including cold brew on tap.
The interior design of Puffy Cakes includes a few couches, round tables, and a banquette on one side of the cozy 950-square-foot space, accented with hues of red, yellow, and black. Lantern-like light fixtures hang overhead. A fireplace will keep things toasty when winter arrives.
“We’re a dessert shop first,” says Coltea, “but from the beginning, we knew we wanted to serve high-quality coffee and make this a really warm, inviting place for people to come and hang out or work.”
Puffy Cakes, 1651 W Chicago Avenue, open 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and closed Mondays.
For the past seven years, Filipina baker Jenni Vee has proven that she understands celebrations need a cake, it’s the centerpiece for parties, birthdays, weddings, and everyday revelries. So when Vee decided to celebrate trans communities, she thought deeply about representing herself and fellow trans women with an immaculate confection swirling with the pink, white, and blue colors of the trans pride flag.
Vee has a lot to celebrate with the debut of her second location, Jennivee’s Bakery & Cafe, which opened Friday, June 28 at 2925 N. Halsted Street. Peachy, peppy, and polished, the roomy space reflects the effervescent style and energy of its owner, also clad in a pink ensemble, with nods to classic Parisian charm with a black-and-white checkerboard floor and crystal chandeliers also seen at the original bakery.
“Trans Girl Magic cake is near and dear to my heart,” Vee says of the buttercream-frosted lemon poundcake with strawberry filling. “It’s bright, it’s fruity, it’s vibrant — kind of like how I would describe the trans community as a whole!”
When all the tables arrive (supply chain delays continue to plague the hospitality industry), it will seat up to 50 alongside long, glowing pastry cases packed with signature hits like ube-chiffon purple velvet cake and bright green buko pandan cupcakes. There’s a selection of gelatos and an espresso bar, where the team serves Sparrow coffee and caffeinated interpretations of Vee’s creations — think banana Biscoff lattes and tiramisu affogato.
Peachy pink tones lend a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Luca Del Sol affogato (pistachio gelato, lemon cake, espresso).
Once staff have settled in and operations are running smoothly, Vee says she’d like to add sweet and savory Filipino breakfast and brunch staples. It was an option she hadn’t considered in 2017 when she opened her original bakery in a tiny space at Sheffield and Aldine in Lakeview. At the time, Vee and her mother were the only employees and she “didn’t know the first thing about running a business,” she says. “All I knew is I wanted to create cakes that people would love and a safe space that’s very inclusive and welcoming to everyone.”
That was five years before fine dining juggernaut Kasama became the world’s first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, sparking a “boom” of interest in upscale Pinoy cuisine, Vee says. She is eager to leverage the opportunity to extend that excitement to pastry and baked goods by highlighting the country’s significant pantheon of sweet and savory delights.
“We have a rich culture and history of pastry [influenced by] 400 years of Spanish colonization,” she says. “The beauty of Filipino cusine is that it’s so diverse and regional. I’m from an island called Cebu where we have our own traditional pastries and breakfast items that I want to showcase. And now we have the space to do it!”
Venture inside Jennivee’s Bakery & Cafe and peek at its menu items in the photographs below.
Tourists rarely make it out of Downtown Chicago to explore what the city’s neighborhoods have to offer, and locals looking to play tourist can gain a new perspective by spending the weekend there. For all the big chains and kitschy tours, there are world-class attractions, bars, and restaurants you can enjoy by just hopping on the El. For some inspiration, check out Eater Chicago’s ideal itinerary for a staycation weekend in Downtown Chicago.
Where to Stay
There is no shortage of great hotels downtown, which means you have plenty of options based on your budget and priorities. If you want to break up the day with a bit of lounging, the Viceroy Chicago on the Gold Coast features a rooftop pool with a view of a sliver of Lake Michigan through the skyscrapers. The InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile puts you in the heart of the action, while Virgin Hotels Chicago has quirky charms and a free happy hour if you sign up for their loyalty program. If you’re looking to splurge, the St. Regis Chicago Hotel has amazing waterfront views, two excellent restaurants, nightly champagne sabering, and the city’s only Forbes 5-star spa.
Other reservations
Many restaurants on this list can book up well in advance for peak weekend times, so be sure to plan ahead to avoid having to wait for a walk-in spot. Some museums and other experiences can also sell out, so keep that in mind if there’s anything you definitely don’t want to miss.
Friday Evening
Happy Hour and Dinner
Bar Tre Dita inside the St. Regis Chicago.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Check into your hotel and start relaxing with a drink and a snack without walking back out the door. That can mean rooftop drinks at Cerise or Pandan, ceviches and sake cocktails at Richard Sandoval’s new Nikkei spot Casa Chi, or a negroni and some fluffy focaccia brushed with rosemary and sea salt at Bar Tre Dita. After that, venture out for some dinner at one of celebrity chef Carlos Gaytán’s two downtown restaurants. Tzuco on the Gold Coast features a gorgeous covered patio and an open kitchen cooking up Mexican fare with French techniques, including whole red snapper and cochinita pibil. Ummo in River North offers fluffy housemade ricotta tortellini in lamb ragu, perfectly cooked New York strip, and creative desserts. Both serve excellent cocktails with or without spirits, so you can decide to keep the buzz going or slow down to make it easier to wake up early the next morning. Another option is Kyuramen, a Japanese chain that specializes in ramen and omurice — fluffy omelets beneath a bed for fried rice.
Saturday
Coffee and Pastries
Start the day with a snack and a bit of caffeine to get you going. If you’re at the Viceroy, head downstairs to Somerset for La Colombe nitro coffee and fresh-baked kouign-amann or a croissant filled with gooey, warm chocolate and do some people-watching from the sidewalk. Otherwise head to one of several downtown locations of Paris Baguette, which offers traditional French pastries as well as Asian-inspired snacks like choux cream bread and mochi doughnuts. A new contender is Tary Bakery a coffee shop serving Kazakh cuisine and pastries.
A Stroll Through the Park
Once you’ve gotten a bit of energy, it’s time to visit Chicago’s backyard: Millennium Park. Go early to avoid the rush to take a picture of your many reflections in Cloud Gate aka The Bean and stop to smell the flowers in Lurie Garden. The park hosts free workout classes on the Great Lawn most Saturdays during the summer, so bring a mat and workout clothes for Pilates, yoga, or cardio kickboxing. You’ll be rewarded with loose muscles and a coupon for a free mimosa with an entree if you stop for brunch at Double Clutch Brewery. If you’re not up for that, take the extra time to stroll around Maggie Daley Park and then head to The Berghoff. A true Chicago institution, the Loop restaurant has been serving bratwurst, schnitzel, and Bavarian pretzels for more than 125 years, though they recently added a craft brewery where you can try beers inspired by the Art Institute of Chicago to prepare you for your next stop.
Museum Visit
Located right next to Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago offers free guided tours of the galleries (with your discounted Chicago resident admission ticket) or you can wander on your own browsing masterpieces from Vincent van Gogh, Diego Rivera, Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keeffe and sculptures from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. If art’s not your favorite subject, walk down to the Museum Campus to visit the Field Museum. It’s home to a massive collection of fossils, including the largest dinosaur ever discovered, plus regularly changing scientific exhibits. Both museums can take you all day to explore, so if you’re looking for a shorter outing, swing by the Shedd Aquarium to see sea life from the Great Lakes and around the world including sharks, sea horses, and otters.
Take a Break Before Dinner
Kindling recently added a patio.Chris Peters/Eater Chicago
Give your feet a rest by heading back to your hotel for a nap or a soak – the St. Regis and InterContinental both have indoor pools. If the weather’s nice and you want to stay out, head to The Northman Beer & Cider Garden on the Chicago Riverwalk and order something refreshing to sip while watching the boats pass by and maybe petting some of the pups that frequent the spot.
Do an early dinner to make time for some entertainment. Avec, which had a cameo in The Bear, serves Mediterranean-inspired small plates like chorizo-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates and hummus with a hearth-baked pita. Kindling within the Willis Tower offers live-fire dishes from James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer — you can come early for happy hour at the bar to snack on oysters and Nashville hot chicken tenders.
See a Show or Make Your Own
Browse Broadway in Chicago to see what’s playing in the Chicago Theatre District and catch a musical like Six or The Book of Mormon. The Goodman Theatre hosts a mix of big productions and more eclectic entertainment including long-form improv, spoken word, and magic shows. You can also watch movies from around the world at the Gene Siskel Film Center. If you’re looking for something more active (or to keep the fun going after the show) head to Brando’s Speakeasy for some raucous karaoke.
Grab a Nightcap
Have a drink back at your hotel or one of downtown’s many excellent cocktail bars. The Berkshire Room has an extensive menu organized by flavor, spirit, and glassware and you can just give your preference for all three to the bartender and have them whip up something special. Escape to the tropics at Three Dots and a Dash, a speakeasy hidden in an alley serving strong sippers in funky glassware. Arbella boasts Saturday DJ sets, an extensive old fashioned selection, and a drink menu packed with unusual ingredients including peanut butter and jalapeno-poblano pesto.
Sunday
Boozy or booze-free brunch
Alpana is a sanctuary for Gold Coast hustle and bustle.Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
Check out and stow your bags to spend the day doing some more eating and exploring. Start with a leisurely meal at Planta Queen, which offers bottomless brunch cocktails plus Asian-inspired vegan fare like scallion pancakes, bang bang broccoli, and sesame peanut noodles. Opt for a Vietnamese iced coffee or oat milk matcha if you had enough to drink the night before. Those who want to start the day with some real meat and eggs can head to Alpana for bottomless mimosas, crab cake benedict, and steak & eggs.
Hit the water
A Chicago River cruise is one of the city’s top tourist attractions for a reason — it’s a laidback way to enjoy the views and learn a little about Chicago and its dramatic skyline. The Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 90-minute cruise is packed with information, though the 45-minute cruise from Wendella is far from remedial. No matter how long you’ve lived here, chances are you’ll pick up something new. If you’ve already taken the tour with visiting friends and family, opt for a more active outing with Urban Kayaks. Depending on your skill level and how long you want to paddle you can take an intro lesson along the Chicago Riverwalk, get a two-hour history tour, or spend up to four hours exploring.
Play with Your Food
Chicago has plenty of interactive museums and exhibits, but the best of these is the Museum of Ice Cream because it offers as many frozen treats as you want. Board the bright pink version of the El, play mini golf, and try an ice cream version of a Chicago hot dog that’s not as gross as it sounds. You can also just head for the equally Instagram-famous BomboBar for gelato and Italian doughnuts.
One Last Big Dinner
Venture to West Loop for sushi at Tamu.Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago
The West Loop is jam-packed with top-tier restaurants for you to finish out your weekend even if you didn’t plan ahead far enough to book one of its acclaimed tasting menus. Chef Paul Virant’s Gaijin specializes in okonomiyaki, savory Japanese pancakes served sizzling on tabletop griddles, as well as kakigori cocktails. Tamu, the new spot from chef BK Park (Mako), offers reasonably priced omakase and walk-in seating for hand rolls and kaisendon. Stephanie Izard’s Girl & The Goat helped establish the neighborhood’s Restaurant Row, while Proxi offers a la carte dishes or a four-course menu spotlighting global street food from tamales to kabobs to Thai curry. Toast to a great trip with a drink at CH Distillery (makers of Jeppson’s Malört) and then head back to your hotel to pick up your bags and go home. You can always come back downtown for more.
While it’s not as rare for a Chicago hotel to provide a memorable dining experience anymore, there’s still a status quo. But as hotels and real estate change hands, new owners are more apt to take risks, departing from the tired troupe of a serviceable restaurant that may offer a menu that caters to a wide variety of tastes without serving up anything exceptional.
An opportunity popped up in 2022 when Seoul-based Lotte Group purchased the 13-story former Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago. They needed restaurant operators and picked Andrew Lim and Thomas Oh of Perilla Korean American Fare, one of the city’s best Korean spots, a restaurant known for Korean barbecue and its contemporary vision. In turn, the new Perilla Korean American Steakhouse hopes to upset that status quo, leading with items like wagyu bavette — perhaps chef Andrew Lim’s answer to LA kalbi; Chicago is known for butcher’s cuts.
Though every table at the 111-seat restaurant inside the newly opened L7 Chicago hotel — near the corner of Wacker Drive and Wabash — is outfitted with a grill top, this new endeavor is different from the Korean barbecues that Chicagoans would expect in Koreatown in Albany Park. Partner Thomas Oh admits there is some overlapping between his River West restaurant — they’re “honoring and showcasing” a few traditional items. Oh and Lim see this as a Korean-infused spin on Gold Coast steakhouses like Morton’s or Gibsons.
Oh senses America has an appetite “for something new and exciting.” Places like Cote in New York have proven that, and Bonyeon in West Loop — while not 100 percent Korean — showcases plenty of aspects of a Korean steakhouse. Oh is eager to see folks walk away blown away after their first bite of marinated meat or exploring the various permutations that can enjoy their meal using different sauces and ssam. A prix-fixe menu is on its way, too.
Still, steaks can be finished with au poivre, bone marrow butter, or bordelaise sauces. Grilled mushrooms and broccolini would fit in at those iconic steakhouses. But there’s also a tteokbokki (Korean rice cake) cooked in the style of cacio e pepe. Kimchi fried rice is made with guanciale. Look for a mac and cheese with a little bit of heat and smoked cheddar. Lim calls those items “playful and exciting.” And they complement a la carte chops, including a 60-day dry-aged ribeye or a 30-ounce A5 Miyazaki New York strip. Of course, diners could pick a steakhouse set that includes a variety of meats served with banchan. They’re also swapping out traditional blinis with Korean crepes to be served with caviar.
The noodles will be made in the kitchen, which is a rarity at Korean restaurants in Chicago. While Parachute, the lauded Michelin-starred Korean restaurant, searches for a new home, fans who miss the restaurant’s monkey bread may find solace in Perilla’s version.
“We are very much Korean as much as we are American,” Lim says. “I think you know, our upbringing, we were exposed to, ironically, a lot of Italian dishes growing up — just because my dad really loved pasta. I’ve always grown up eating noodles, spaghetti, and things like that at home, and it’s just something I’ve always loved.”
The restaurant will also be open in the morning and afternoon, serving hotel guests, tourists, and office workers: “I live down here. I live downtown, and finding breakfast and lunch in some of these areas can be quite a challenge,” Oh says.
There are both traditional American options, like pancakes, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches. A Korean option includes rice, soup, white kimchi, and omelet and a choice of skirt steak, chicken thigh, grilled mackerel, or roasted veggies.
The space was designed in conjunction with AvroKo, and Oh says observant customers will spot plenty of nods to traditional Korean architecture. Oh and Lim are again partnering with Alvin Kang, their collaborator at their River West restaurant. The biggest party involved is Lotte and the company is a household name in the Korean community.
“It was an immense amount of pressure, not just for how our excitement at being able to expand this brand and what we’re doing here in Chicago, but the fact that it was for a company of this magnitude,” Oh says, adding how excited they are to bridge South Korea with Chicago: “This is something that we’re incredibly passionate about.”
Tipped hospitality workers across Chicago are getting a raise on Monday, July 1 as a hotly debated city ordinance goes into effect, increasing the tipped minimum wage from $9.48 per hour to $11.02.
The result of a historic vote by Chicago’s City Council in October 2023, the ordinance will phase out the city’s tipped minimum wage — essentially, a subminimum wage augmented by tips — growing it by eight percent annually over five years. This will continue until it matches the standard wage, which is also increasing as of Monday from $15.80 per hour to $16.20 for businesses with four or more employees.
In addition, changes in paid time off have also gone into effect. Employees who work at least 80 hours through a 120-day duration are entitled to five days of paid leave and five days of paid sick leave. The 10 combined days were a compromise from the 15 that was proposed last year.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has called the efforts his team’s way of “making Chicago the most pro-worker city in the country.” They’re the culmination of work by activists like the progressive group One Fair Wage and officials including Johnson (who made it part of his platform), the wage increases were the subject of much divisive debate last year. In the early years of the pandemic, local hospitality workers began speaking out more loudly than ever about the challenges of relying on tips to get by. Opponents, however, including some members of the Illinois Restaurant Association, countered with fears that the increase in costs for operators would force them to raise prices and thus alienate customers, harming restaurant businesses in the long term.
Johnson’s 2023 mayoral victory was key, says national labor activist Saru Jayaraman, founder of One Fair Wage. By August, Jayaraman declared that the city’s ordinance was all but passed. But in September, opponents threw a Hail Mary by proposing a new association-backed ordinance that would increase Chicago’s tipped minimum wage to $20.54 per hour — the highest in the nation — in any restaurant that uses the tip credit.
Within days, however, the sides reached a compromise and the restaurant association dropped its opposition to a revised ordinance that established a $500,000 pool from private funds to help smaller restaurants transition and address the need for unionized restaurants to pay lower wages per worker contracts. This move cleared the way for activists and supporters to declare victory ahead of the city council vote.
Many across the U.S. are keeping a close eye on Chicago, waiting to see how the ordinance will impact the city’s hospitality industry. Seven states — Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and Washington — had long dispensed with a tip credit, and in May 2023, Washington D.C. voted to increase its tipped minimum wage from $5.35 per hour to $10. This year, legislators have proposed raises to the tipped minimum wage in 17 states including Illinois, but no bills have yet passed, according to theSun-Times.
Popular ramen destination Strings usually errs on the hot and spicy side of soup noodles, but in the summertime, diners can stop in for seasonal hiyashichuka, a traditional warm-weather dish in Japan featuring cold noodles with ham, woodear mushrooms, cucumber, tomato, egg ribbons, and washi mustard. Vegans and vegetarians can substitute carrots for pork. It’s also available at locations in Chinatown, Hyde Park, and suburban Aurora.
Actor Craig Robinson is known for playing Darryl Philbin on America’s version of The Office. He’s also appeared as a spokesperson for Pizza Hut, starring in commercials and telling everyone “no one out-pizzas the Hut.”
Robinson is from Chicago, a city steeped in pizza culture. From deep dish to thin-crust (popularly marketed as tavern-style), there are plenty of pizza options besides chains. It’s unclear if Robinson is playing a version of himself in the commercials, a version who should know better. Whenever I see Robinson’s friendly mug on screen, I search for signs asking for help. Regardless of the paycheck, surely someone is forcing him to say these words. I can’t accept that Robinson, in the words of former Bulls star, Joakim Noah, has become “Hollywood as Hell,” and that he has forgotten about his pizza heritage.
When a colleague forwarded me an early June announcement that Robinson’s former brand partner Pizza Hut was releasing a new style of pizza — the Pizza Hut Tavern, “with roots from the taverns of Chicago” — I wasn’t surprised. Pizza Hut’s Big New Yorker has been around for a minute. Civic appropriation is the Hut’s signature. And when the New York Times discovered tavern-style in 2023, I’m sure that catalyzed Yum! Brands’ pizza scientists. This was inevitable.
A Pizza Hut TV ad for tavern pizza features actors in what looks to be a green screen walking through recognizable parts of Chicago. A little kid, who’s probably from Crystal Lake or another suburb, screams, “Deep dish is for tourists!” It sets up Pizza Hut as the savior that will let Americans in on Chicago’s secret (without our consent), that tavern style is what we enjoy the most: “Sorry, Chicago, no one out-pizzas the Hut.”
I took the challenge earlier this week as I binged through all 10 episodes for The Bear ordering off DoorDash late at night without the guilt of Yum! Brands being assessed a service charge by the third-party courier. A double pepperoni, (a mix of traditional and cupped) plus mushroom. The medium costs about $26. I didn’t want to be bothered with a large for $4 more.
The pizza wasn’t the prettiest, but we ate it while watching Carmy spiral. It reminded me of grade school, and not in the way that some revere school pizza. It certainly possessed a cracker crust, one of tavern pizza’s defining traits. It took me a while, but I figured it out: The crust reminded me of the saltines served with milk and juice for snack — an unseasoned, bland cracker that stuck to the roof of my mouth. It was cut like a tavern pizza, into triangles and squares, but so are pizzas from St. Louis. It’s a good thing I didn’t order a large because we didn’t need more leftovers.
Tavern-style pizza is supposed to sport a cracker crust, and Pizza Hut picked a saltine to represent this trait.Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago
The Hut’s effort was disappointing, but not unprecedented. Circa 1997, Domino’s introduced its Crunchy Thin Pizza, which is tavern-style in disguise. As a junior college student in Upstate New York, I ordered a pizza for dinner one night, excited to sample the new style. But my standards for pizza were already established as a youngster in Chicago. It’s hard to deviate from the “pizza you grew up eating” — PIGUE, a term Chicago food personality Steve Dolinsky coined. This is the pizza you know, this is the crust that brings you comfort.
I was so disappointed that I morphed into a pizza Karen and called Domino’s, empowered by their customer guarantee: “This pizza was neither crispy nor thin,” I embarrassingly recall telling a manager over the phone.
Bless that manager. She sent another pizza over. But the taste was no different. It was the recipe, not the execution. I was dejected. But I had learned a lesson that I would never learned inside a university classroom. The Domino’s pizza wasn’t designed to compete with Vito and Nick’s, Pat’s, Italian Fiesta, and Phil’s. These are great Chicago pizzerias with few peers. Robinson isn’t featured in the tavern pizza TV spot. I’m glad he was spared. Too bad my tastebuds weren’t.
Cebu blazed a path for Filipino cuisine in Chicago when the family-owned restaurant debuted five years ago in Bucktown. Michelin had yet to recognize a Filipino restaurant with a star. Ube had yet to enter the mainstream. Now it’s impossible to avoid the purple hue while scrolling through Instagram and TikTok food pages.
The Tans closed their Bucktown restaurant in December and a suburban bakery. But they’re back with a new restaurant in Lakeview, a consolidation of their previous operations. The new Cebu opened on Thursday, June 27 at 3120 N. Lincoln Avenue with a display case full of cookies, pan de sal stuffed with corned beef, or ube and cheesecake. Ownership wants to give customers plenty of to-go options — a breakfast burrito with tocino and garlic rice is a compact example.
Marlon Tan (red shirt) and brother, chef Martin Tan (arms folded), lead the Cebu team.
They’re open for breakfast and lunch to start and see themselves as a great place for folks who want brunch on weekdays and don’t want to wait for Saturday and Sunday. Silog, pandan pancakes, ube waffles with friend chicken, and a tres leches French toast stand out. An Iberico pork steak with a tocino marinade might make the brunch menu.
Marlon Tan describes the menu as modern Filipino, which allows for various influences including Mexican. Adobo chicken chiliquiles are a highlight. Brother Malvin Tan is in charge of the dinner menu, and he and another sibling — Martin — are in charge of the pastry.
The Tans have experience in fine dining, but the future of the restaurant will depend on the neighborhood and demand. Dinner service should start in about a month. The Tans won’t rule out putting out Filipino spaghetti in the future.
There are various morning options that can be taken to-go.
The Tans would also like to expand cocktail service. They’re not permitted to set up a traditional bar with stools due to neighborhood zoning restrictions. The new Cebu is brighter, there’s a full espresso bar. Tan says he hopes to collaborate with Mano Modern Cafe, a Flipino restaurant in West Town, on coffee.
There are more Filipino restaurants in Chicago than ever before, but it’s important to understand that people and food existed before any alleged boom. Having more peers is nice, but beyond customers knowing of the cuisine beyond lumpia, not much has changed.
“We’ve always been like looking at other restaurants and seeing what they’re doing and seeing — ‘oh, maybe we could try that,” Malvin Tan explains.
Cebu will be open all seven days next week over the Independence Day holiday before regular business hours will start.
Cebu, 3120 N. Lincoln Avenue, open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Starting Sunday, July 6, Cebu will be open five days a week and closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The space light and breezy.
This French toast features marshmallows and corn flakes.
The pastry counter is filed with cookies and pan de sal.
With a dock conveniently located behind the building, Lawrence’s is an ideal pit stop when boating or kayaking down the river. The 24-hour fried seafood specialist has been in operation since 1971, selling an array of crispy shrimp, fish, frog legs, oysters, chicken, and more. The signature crustaceans are sourced from the Gulf and boast a thick breading, though diners can opt for lighter batter. Either way, make sure to give it a dunk in the hot sauce.
Tequila is the top-selling liquor at Virtue, the Hyde Park restaurant from award winners Erick Williams and Damarr Brown, says General Manager Jesus Garcia. The fact that the agave-based spirit beat out rum and bourbon surprised the team, as Virtue celebrates Black American culture.
The data reiterated the thirst for cocktails in Hyde Park, and Garcia says staff regularly turns away customers who just want to come in and have a drink. Virtue is food-focused, showcasing a gamut of southern culinary traditions. But the demand for tequila reveals an opportunity that Williams and Garcia hope to capitalize on when they open their new bar this fall, just around the corner from Virtue.
The newly named Cantina Rosa will focus on the beverage side, taking Virtue’s approach to Black culture, “leading with kindness and hospitality” and applying that to Mexican culture. Garcia grew up in Rogers Park but was born in Mexico. He arrived in America when he was 3, his family is from Puebla, Mexico. They returned to Mexico after about a decade before once more settling in Chicago. While Garcia lacks memories of Mexico as a young child, he vividly remembers his second stint in Mexico as a teen. The bar won’t focus on a particular region or spirit. Garcia is happy to show that Mexico is about more than agave and he wants to showcase bourbon and Charanda — a rum from Michoacan, Mexico.
Garcia sees a chance to fill a niche in Hyde Park, and while he doesn’t mind expanding customers’ tastes, introducing them to Mexican flavors they haven’t experienced, he doesn’t want to be heavy-handed.
“We are mindful that before it’s a Mexican bar, it’s going to a bar,” Garcia says. “If somebody comes in and orders an Old Fashioned, we’re going to be able to make that.”
This philosophy also tracks with the bar’s name. Williams and Garcia wanted to pick something English speakers could gravitate toward, something personal, yet easy to pronounce. It’s not exactly the “Martha” moment from Batman v Superman, but Garcia’s mother is named Rosa, and Williams’s grandmother is Rose.
They’re still orchestrating the bar bites menu, offering tacos and more. The drink menu is already finalized. They worked with celebrated barman Paul McGee on the beverage list and the bar’s layout. While Williams and Garcia are confident in operating a restaurant — they met while working at Mk The Restaurant — they brought in McGee, seeing how he helped make Lost Lake in Logan Square a successful tropical drink destination.
Garcia began his restaurant career at 15 as a busser at Chef’s Station, a since-shuttered restaurant in Evanston. He held several positions at Mk before delving into wine and serving as the restaurant’s general manager. He remembers meeting Williams and noting that he “came across as very genuine and intense.” The two bonded over strong work ethics and Williams credits Garcia’s leadership at Virtue in making the restaurant successful.
The space, a former laundromat, will be redecorated with local art, pottery, and seating options for big and small groups. Stay tuned for more information about Cantina Rosa as fall approaches.
Cantina Rosa, 5230 S. Harper Avenue, planned for a fall opening.
Levitt, who had a bit onscreen role in Season 2, says show reps asked him how to properly cook lobster. He ended up blanching them without knowing what they would be used for until he watched the award-winning episode.
“And then I see Jamie Lee Curtis ‘cooking’ the lobsters that I cooked,” Levitt says. Curtis would win an Emmy for her role.
As Season 3 goes live for streaming at 8 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday, June 26 on Hulu, a contingent of Chicago’s restaurant community in town for Hollywood’s official premiere party for The Bear at the El Capitan Theatre. Both Publican Quality Meats’ Levitt and One Off Hospitality Group’s Donnie Madia and Loaf Lounge’s Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader, Ben Lustbader, and Cristina Gandarilla. Madia appeared on Season 2 in a scene filmed at Avec in West Loop, while Mispagel-Lustbader worked on Season 1 and famously created a chocolate cake for the show, inspired by Portillo’s. They were the only two Chicago businesses represented in the lineup. Others included Pizzeria Bianco, Chris Bianco’s famous pizzeria with locations in Arizona and LA; Night + Market, LA’s famous Thai street food specialist; and Dave Beran from Pasjoli, a French restaurant in LA. Beran started his career in Chicago, working at Mk the Restaurant, Tru, and Alinea.
Photo by Emma McIntyre/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic
Tyler, the Creator enjoyed the cookies from Loaf Lounge.
Loaf Lounge is celebrating the Season 3 premiere with free slices of cake at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 27. Mispagel-Lustbader says she’s kept in touch with actor Lionel Boyce, who plays the show’s pastry chef, Marcus Brooks. The two worked closely in Season 1 as Mispagel-Lustbader shared dessert prowess: “Lionel came and said ‘hi’ to us right away, and was very kind as always!” Mispagel-Lustbader texts. “He’s been into Loaf Lounge and has been really great every time we’ve chatted and worked together.”
The show’s producers, including Park Ridge native Courtney Storer, a food consultant on the series, and her brother — creator Christopher Storer — have leaned on Chicago’s restaurants to ensure the show’s authenticity. They returned the favor at the premiere and created an amusement park-like atmosphere with stalls built to look like Publican Quality Meats and other restaurants. Levitt was blown away that crews had somehow built a butcher shop just based on emails and photos: “It was beautiful,” he says.
Levitt and Publican Quality Meats sous chef Kyle Huff served Italian sausage with marinated peppers — they shipped the meat to LA early because they wanted to make the sausages. They also made a crostini with PQM mortadella. Levitt says Matty Matheson, who plays Neil Fak on the show, complimented him on the latter.
(From left to right) Donnie Madia, Heidi Hageman, Rob Levitt, and Klyle Huff poses at a stall made to look like their Chicago restaurant.One Off Hospitality Group
One Off Hospitality Group’s Donnie Madia (right) poses with The Bear culinary producer Courtney Storer.One Off Hospitality Group
Loaf Lounge partnered with local bakers at the Hollywood premiere.Courtesy of Loaf Lounge
Loaf Lounge teamed with a baker local to LA, Nicole Bakes Cakes, who created the signature chocolate cake for the party. Loaf Lounge also served ruby sprinkle cookies. Rapper Tyler, the Creator was a fan: “I think he had about six and was very expressive about enjoying them!” Mispagel-Lustbader texts.
Another highlight came from actress Gillian Jacobs, who plays Tiffany Jerimovich, ex-wife of Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie Jerimovich. The former Community star proved curious about the operation and asked Levitt questions about PQM’s methods, showing genuine enthusiasm.
Loaf Lounge’s Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader (left) reconnects with Lionel Boyce, a star of “The Bear.”Courtesy of Loaf Lounge
Beyond the seafood from “Fishes,” Levitt also cut most of the steaks used in Season 2. The TV crew had specific requests, including dry-aged beef. Apparently, the show purchased a ton of product from Publican, including guanciale. Levitt’s favorite request was where to source duck prosciutto. He decided to make it himself. Those details make a difference: “It wasn’t just a prop or afterthought,” Levitt says. “The meat is treated more like a character.”
When Levitt arrives home, Publican Quality Meats celebrate the premiere with an Italian beef special running from Thursday, June 27, through Saturday, June 29. The beef is made with top round and uses a French loaf baked by Greg Wade, the James Beard-award-winning baker at Publican Quality Bread. Caruso Provisions provide the giardiniera.
Mispagel-Lustbader texts about a “refreshed excitement for the cake” back home and says she was proud of repping Chicago on the West Coast: “I think a lot of our regulars are feeling a sense of pride that their neighborhood spot got to shine in LA for a night,” she text. “I think we made some new West Coast friends, too.”
Improve your vibe in River North with cold-pressed juices such as Adrenal Dream (orange, coconut water, magnesium, pink salt) and Kill Shot (camu camu, oil of oregano, echinacea, turmeric, ginger, green apple, lemon, honey). Beyond offering a variety of “cleanses,” superfood smoothies, and acai bowls, HI-VIBE also serves matcha lattes, bone broth, and granola bars made with brazil nuts, hemp, and pumpkin seeds. Place a pickup or delivery order online here or visit the second location in Lakeview.
SmallBar, a cherished neighborhood watering hole inside a 118-year-old tavern space in Logan Square, is back in business after a brief hiatus after new owners took over in February. After four months of interior upgrades, the team welcomed back the bar’s many thirsty adherents in late May.
A new Hamm’s sign is among several minor upgrades.
Fans of the cozy (read: 500 square feet) drinking spot buzzed with concern over potential changes in January when restaurateur Ty Fujimura (Arami), his brother Troy, and co-owner Jesse Roberts agreed to sell the business to Footman Hospitality, owners of Quality Time, Sparrow, and Bangers & Lace. Footman co-founder Jason Freiman, a longtime regular at SmallBar, sought to put concerned adherents at ease at the time with a pledge to keep “the soul of SmallBar intact and reestablish it for its next decade and beyond.”
As Freiman promised, the alterations at SmallBar are relatively minimal. A new Hamm’s sign hangs outside and workers fixed up the patio just in time for porch-pounder season in Chicago. Siren Betty selected new light fixtures and integrated vintage aesthetic touches into the decor. Beverage staples remain, like draft signature beers and ciders, joined by an expanded cocktail lineup and a broader selection of spirits. There’s a limited food menu of smash burgers, grilled cheese, fries, and cheese curds from the specialists at Patty Please, who plan to expand their offerings over the coming months.
The Chicago bar group behind Quality Time and Bangers & Lace bought SmallBar in February.
New cocktail options include blueberry lemonade (vodka, Manzanilla sherry, Sicilian lemonade).
Whether or not longtime regulars find the same unpretentious charm that made SmallBar a hit for 22 years in Logan Square remains to be seen. Take a look around the space in the photographs below.
But the massive renovations (they might as well have burned sage, ridding any sign of LaSalle Power Co.’s existence inside the 16,500-square-foot space) betray any humility. Huw Gott and Will Beckett carry confidence that Chicago, home of steakhouses such as Gibsons and Maple & Ash, will leave their palace of beef enamored; Beckett says Hawksmoor is the steakhouse of choice for fans of Michelin-starred and Beard-winning restaurants, and that matters in Chicago, the home of The Bear and the Beards. Hawksmoor encountered a similar environment when they debuted in New York in 2021. In a piece in February, Eater NY’s Robert Siestema called Hawksmoor “the anti-Peter Luger,” citing the menu’s variety, writing that diners could easily assemble a quality meal by using only starters and sides. Gott expounds on the menu’s variety. They have a vegetarian version of beef Wellington, made with cheese, plus oyster and shitake mushroom duxelles: “We want everyone who comes to be able to eat really well,” Gott says.
Hawksmoor
Hawksmoor
Hawksmoor
The charcoal comes from West Virginia.
Hawksmoor isn’t advertising where their beef is sourced, but it’s dry-aged Gott and Beckett ensure they’re doing the needed work to build relationships with local purveyors; the aforementioned veggie Wellington uses cheese from a Wisconsin dairy farm, for example. The steaks, including a 44-ounce Chateaubriand, are cooked over charcoal. The fries are cooked in tallow. Brunch and lunch service are on their way. Gott even teases that Chicago could experience the English tradition of a Sunday roast eventually.
Downtown restaurant owners are excited about Hawkmoor’s arrival — they’ve pegged Thursday, June 27 as the opening day. Restaurateur Sam Sanchez, known for John Barleycorn and Point & Feather, says it’s time to bring some electricity back downtown, something the pandemic sapped from River North and the Loop. Beckett has been commuting back and forth from England, overseeing the project, and has brought over key personnel from New York and other locations.
Gott and Becket have carved out a niche in the U.K., with some restaurant owners there asking for advice when it comes to international expansion. The friends have known each other since they were six years old and there’s a playful needling between them, reminiscent of a friendlier Statler and Waldorf. It’s apparent when Gott delves into the history of the space as the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse. He lights up, much to the chagrin of Beckett who bides his time before labeling him as a nerd: “I’ve got transit geek sides of my personality… my dad’s a train man,” Gott admits.
Visitors will see curved ceilings reminiscent of train cars, a green and white color scheme honoring old CTA branding, and light fixtures that bring back vintage times. Beckett calls his partner obsessive, taking days to research what could appear as minutiae to commoners. But those touches help elevate the dynamics of their dining rooms.
But to Hawksmoor’s credit, they backed away from building their restaurant around the history of the city’s stockyards. That’s low-hanging fruit to lean in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Hawkmoor is a fully realized concept that’s seen success in England, New York, Dublin, and Edinburgh. Gott talks about the history of Beefsteak Clubs, male-dominated groups that surfaced in the 19th century. The words “Beef and Liberty ‘’ hang above the second-floor bar, a 76-seat dining room that can also be rented out for private events — including “beefsteaks” — a reference to a kind of secret society that would gather, and — you guessed it — nosh on steak. Beef and Liberty was a slogan that dates back to the 1700s. That nod to history doesn’t mean that Hawksmoor is interested in recreating the era. Beckett proudly admits that the customers who fill their seats aren’t just white guys posting steak videos on social media. They’re embracing a come-as-you-are environment and hope the first floor attracts happy hour revelers, though Beckett concedes “happy hour” has a different meaning in England where there are better drink specials. It just means post-work drinks in America, and that’s in part to local lawmakers.
This is the second-floor dining room.Hawksmoor
Note the ceiling with curves to look like a transit car.Hawksmoor
There are other differences. The dessert menu will be called just that (it’s referred to as a pudding menu in England). Hawksmoor is proud of their cocktails and for the Chicago crowd, they’re serving up a negroni-inspired beverage made with Jeppson’s Malört.
Entering the restaurant space that once offered macaroni and cheese allegedly based on a recipe from Jordan’s wife at the time, the Gott found a way to pay homage. The third floor features two private event rooms. One of those, a 22-seat space, is called the Big Mike. Plainly, it’s a reference to a champion-winning cattle cow. But basketball superfans can embrace the name as the reason the city held annual summer parties in Grant Park in the ‘90s.
Chicago has already influenced the chain. Beckett says they’re serving an Italian beef sandwich at locations in the U.K. When asked if it would be authentic, with the proper giardiniera and sliced thin, he smiles.
“The best thing, you see, you won’t know,” Beckett says with a wink.
However, starting next week, Chicagoans won’t need to board a plane to visit Hawksmoor. Then they’ll have tangible proof of whether the British steakhouse is worthy of No. 23 or if it needs a jolt of electricity.
Hawksmoor, 500 N. LaSalle Drive, opening, Thursday, June 27, reservations via OpenTable.
After six months of anticipation, the owners of Headquarters Beercade have launched a new cocktail den around the corner from their arcade bar, just north of River North.
Chireal Jordan and Brian Galati, who also own Machine, the Instagram-friendly floral phantasmagoria in Wicker Park, have spent more than two years creating Dearly Beloved, which opened Friday, June 14 at 900 N. Franklin Street in the former home of French dining stalwart Kiki’s. The longtime friends and business partners have until now kept most details under wraps, but are unabashed about their ambitions for the new “cocktail restaurant” — their latest and most elaborate venue yet.
“We really want to rub elbows with the big dogs,” says Jordan, who notes that he and Galati spent about a year and a half on research trips around the country and the world. “We want to compete not just locally, but nationally.”
Dearly Beloved is the most ambitious venue yet from the owners of Machine and Headquarters Beercade.Marisa Klug-Morataya/Dearly Beloved
Armed with more than two decades of experience in Chicago hospitality, the partners see Dearly Beloved both as the culmination of what they’ve learned and a rare opportunity to unleash Aneka Saxon’s most outside-the-box ideas for drinks featuring lesser-known distillers and esoteric ingredients. Saxon is a Violet Hour alum and Machine’s lead bartender. Her opening offerings include the “Captured Shadow” (makrut lime-infused Kyro dark gin, agave, absinthe, coconut chai foam, citrus dust) and “Beautiful and Damned” (Ritual Sister smoked pineapple, Amara Amaro D’Arancia Rossa, Field Trip squash, dandelion honey, fenugreek).
Jordan wants patrons with open minds and the willingness to try unusual spirits and flavor combinations. Still, those seeking a more familiar tipple can order from a lineup of classic cocktails with slight twists like Pisco Sours (Logia Acholado pisco, tangerine apricot oleo saccharum, quail egg, juniper berry) and espresso martinis (Tenjaku vodka, Good Liquorworks coffee fruit vodka, Big Shoulders espresso, mascarpone, Faretti biscotti liqueur).
Hot and Cold Blood (Balvenie 14-year Caribbean scotch, passionfruit, tres leches espuma).Marisa Klug-Morataya/Dearly Beloved
Waiting for the Moon (Iichiko Saiten shochu, snap pea infused Glendalough gin, Sirene Americano Bianco, Luxardo limoncello, cheese moon).Marisa Klug-Morataya/Dearly Beloved
Dearly Beloved’s menu also attends to a growing demand for tasty, well-made nonalcoholic drinks — a phenomenon Jordan understands well, as his fiancée is expecting their second child — with booze-free concoctions like Last Straw (Seedlip spice, chicory coffee, shiso, lavender, Madagascar vanilla). “We don’t want Shirley Temples on this menu — we wanted cocktails that you can’t tell are alcohol-free,” he says.
As the partners’ coinage of “cocktail restaurant” heavily implies, drinks are the main attraction at Dearly Beloved, but Machine executive chef Kristofer Lohraff offers selections that are heavy on vegetables in fun and unexpected forms. Dishes include carrot mochi (coconut curry, sesame, ginger), cigar-shaped Potato and Caviar (potato pave, malt vinegar, burnt shallot), French onion ramen (short rib, French onion soup dashi, fontina). The latter is particularly notable as Chicago is seeing an uptick in surprising cross-cultural ramen inventions like avgolemono ramen at newish Mediterranean restaurant Tama in Bucktown.
At 6,000 square feet, Dearly Beloved is divided into various tiers and sections, seating 60 at the bar and 94 in the lounge. The aesthetic rides a narrow fence between eeriness and elegance as moody lighting filters through glass chandeliers. An elaborate Victorian metal railing flanks an elevated section and ornate, otherworldly artwork fills the walls, punctuated by a 2,500-pound sculptural centerpiece above the back bar. A visual vignette of a woman in two forms — masked and unmasked — it extends two-and-a-half feet from the wall and taps into the sexy-yet-sinister masquerade style of Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 thriller Eyes Wide Shut.
French onion ramen (short rib, French onion soup dashi, fontina).Marisa Klug-Morataya/Dearly Beloved
Marisa Klug-Morataya/Dearly Beloved
A dozen years have passed since Jordan and Galati founded ultra-casual arcade bar Headquarters Beercade in Lakeview and the partners say they’ve grown significantly as operators over the intervening years. With Juneteenth being more widely recognized, Jordan says that Chicago’s hospitality scene has also evolved, especially for Black hospitality entrepreneurship following the racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd.
“I [once] felt very painted in a corner with a handful of other [Black] operators for years,” he says. “Now I’m seeing more people of color opening on the North Side — people I don’t know are getting more opportunities to get loans and open up. It’s not like fixed everything and now it’s an even playing field… we’re probably decades away from that, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
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