Feb 22, 2020
Eater Chicago | Naomi Waxman | February 18, 2020
A log of the city’s best bar and restaurant pop-ups
In recent years, Chicago has become ground zero for pop-ups. The concept, which started as a way for chefs to try out ideas while they gain experience and funding to open up their own restaurants, has taken a life of its own. Bars across the city see opportunities to lure customers by dressing up their taverns in themes. Some celebrate TV and film, others are centered around sports or holidays. The common denominator appears to be nostalgia, which is a powerful draw.
To ensure Chicagoans don’t experience regret by missing a pop-up, check out Eater Chicago’s listings below. The listings include pop culture and traditional pop-ups and all the pertinent info for pop-up fans.
FULTON MARKET — Milwaukee-based chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite (DanDan, EsterEv, Fauntleroy) will pop up at acclaimed downtown restaurant Blackbird with a one-day-only American-Chinese dim sum brunch, according to a rep. The pair plan to offer cumin lamb dumplings (black vinegar, chili oil, cilantro, scallion), “happy chicken” (crispy batter, Sichuan pepper, dried chilies, leeks), and more. Proceeds go to the Kennedy’s Disease Association.
February 23, Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph Street, reservations available on Tock.
LINCOLN PARK — Cocktail lounge King of Cups will “celebrate diversity, acceptance, and love” for six weeks with Wizard of Oz-themed pop-up “Emerald City,” reps announced. It kicks off on United Nations advocacy holiday Zero Discrimination Day, March 1, and will feature a “fantastical setting” with an emerald “sky.” Ownership also promises tarot readings and drag performances. More details are listed on the bar’s website.
March 1 to April 12, King of Cups, 2238 N. Lincoln Avenue, tickets available on Eventbrite.
LOGAN SQUARE — Ursula Siker, former baker at Hoosier Mama and of the upcoming Jeff & Jude’s, is throwing a “Babes’ Booze & Bake Sale” on International Women’s Day with 17 of Chicago’s women bartenders and bakers. The sale will raise funds for anti-harassment nonprofit Restaurant Culture Association at modern Indian restaurant Superkhana International. Participating chefs and bartenders include Anna Posey (Elske), Erin Koroll (Cellar Door Provisions), Emily Spurlin (Lula Cafe), and Britt Simons (Bad Hunter). A full list is available below. Tickets ($5) are available at the door — baked goods will cost one to two tickets, while cocktails will require two to three.
March 8, Superkhana International, 3059 W. Diversey Avenue.
RIVER NORTH — Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises steakhouse Nacional 27 is offering a two-day Brazilian Carnival party with $10 pear caipirinhas, samba dancers, and Latin sets from DJ-X starting Friday, according to a rep.
February 21 to 22, Nacional 27, 325 W. Huron Street, reservations available online.
ROGERS PARK — Neighborhood restaurant Onward will whisk diners to warmer climates with a “Florida Keys Culinary Takeover and Fundraiser” that kicks off Tuesday with pink flamingos, palm trees, and Jimmy Buffet tunes. Staff are offering a special seafood-heavy Key West menu that draws on regional influences, such as Bahamian conch chowder and a lobster lasagnette (Old Bay, Manila clam, Tabasco foam, tarragon, panko). Patrons will also be able to dig into a raw bar of oysters, stone crab claws, and more, as well as a desserts like a classic Key Lime pie (graham cracker crust, cream cheese, mango sorbet, fresh orange supremes, lime zest “confetti”). A “Booze Cruise” tiki cocktail menu includes “Captain Sloppy” (vodka, Génépy, lime, pineapple, raspberry) and the “Coastal Ghost” (rum, falernum, orgeat, lemon, passion fruit). A portion of proceeds will go to Florida’s Dolphin Research Center and Turtle Hospital.
February 25 to March 8, Onward, 6580 N. Sheridan Road.
WRIGLEYVILLE — Country bar Houndstooth Saloon is running Mardi Gras pop-up “French Korner” with a variety of specials and activities, according to a news release. Upcoming festivities include a spicy “VooDoo Wing Challenge,” an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil, and a Fat Tuesday celebration with live music and Louisiana-style fare. A full list of offerings is available on the bar’s website.
Now through February 25, Houndstooth Saloon, 3369 N. Clark Street, tickets for the wing challenge and crawfish boil are available online.
WRIGLEYVILLE — Hush Money, the second-floor bar above Eater Chicago 2018 bar of the year Mordecai, will become “the Apothecary” starting Thursday, aiming to “remedy the late winter blues,” according to a rep. Herbaceous and medicinal cocktail “cures” include “Never Nervous Nancy’s Nervine” and “Vip and Vigor” with burdock root. Patrons can also try Asian-influenced small plates such as shrimp toast (brioche, shrimp mousse, lemon basil sauce) and Chinese barbecue riblets (char siu glaze, scallions, daikon).
February 20 to late spring (every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), Hush Money (inside Hotel Zachary), 3632 N. Clark Street.
BERWYN — Essential suburban bistro Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will become a gourmet sandwich shop for one day with the help of Northwest Side sandwich spot Hermosa, reps wrote in a Facebook event post. Menu options should include a Cambodian fried chicken sandwich, a black truffle grilled cheese, and a “funky” Italian bahn mi, as well as boozy Jarritos floats, Amaro phosphates, and Asian craft beers.
March 1, Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits, 6727 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, Reservations are available online.
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Feb 15, 2020
Eater Chicago | Ashok Selvam | February 12, 2020
The Lincoln Park restaurant from Quiote’s ex-chef has an opening date
Mundano — the much-anticipated Latin American-influenced restaurant that’s generating buzz for both its creative dishes and the innovative approach management is taking toward workplace ethics — has an opening date. The restaurant, headed by former Quiote chef Ross Henke, should open on February 24 in Lincoln Park.
Henke has brought over a few of his former colleagues from Quiote, an acclaimed modern Mexican restaurant that closed last year in Logan Square. Trista Baker is Mundano’s front-of-house manager. She’s also the founder of the Restaurant Culture Association, an organization that holds events to encourage inclusivity, transparency, and ethics within restaurants. Their latest event covered allyship, which is how people of privilege can support marginalized communities — say, men who see women colleagues suffer workplace harassment. Both Henke and Baker worked at Quiote, and Henke wanted Baker’s prowess at Mundano to establish workplace policies that they hope will become shining examples for other restaurants.
Mundano’s menu (see below) touches on several cultures. There’s savory churros with manchego, and tortellini with hominy soubise, French onion broth, and chives. The menu also has a bit of Chinese influence with dan dan noodles featuring lamb chorizo, chile morita, garlic, and a condiment Henke calls “Mexiracha.”
The restaurant’s owners, Baligh and Moe Abu-Taleb, also run Mesa Urbana in suburban Glenview. Read the menu below as Mundano, one of the city’s most anticipated restaurant openings of the year, prepares to debut.
Mundano, 1935 N. Lincoln Park West, scheduled to open February 24.
SVN | Chicago Commercial’s Scott Reinish participated in the transaction for this restaurant space.
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Feb 8, 2020
Chicago Sun-Times | Manny Ramos | February 7, 2020
Jacqulyn Hill, owner of Whipped Inc., sees Chicago Black Restaurant Week as a way to expand her business.
A weeklong event celebrating black-owned restaurants in the Chicago area kicks off Sunday with 36 businesses participating.
The fifth annual Chicago Black Restaurant Week is expected to see an uptick in patrons as more eateries will be near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus and it features its first vegan restaurant.
Restaurant week will run through Feb. 16.
“I think this is a great opportunity for black-owned businesses that don’t get a chance to shine during the regular restaurant week,” said Jacqulyn Hill, owner of Whipped Inc. “This is specialized for us, and it gives people an opportunity to taste food from places you didn’t know existed.”
For the second year Hill’s boutique catering company — launched with help from her friend Exie Clark Jr. — will sell gourmet desserts and appetizers. Her catering company is known for stuffed mushrooms and rose water-infused cupcakes.
Her promotional menu this year offers seafood primavera, a jerk chicken salad and dessert jars. Each item costs $10.20, with the 20 cents a nod to 2020’s Chicago Black Restaurant Week.
Hill said all her orders should be done online and will be ready for pickup within 24 hours at 15525 South Park Ave. in South Holland.
Other restaurants include Windy City Ribs & Whiskey, 67 E. Cermak Road; Soul Shack, 1368 E. 53rd St.; and Irie Jerk Bar & Grill, 3404 N. Clark St. A full list of participants can be found on Chicago Black Restaurant Week’s website.
Lauran Smith, founder of Chicago Black Restaurant Week, said last year’s event brought in more than $24,000.
“This event is helping the community support black-owned restaurants and help funnel money into a business that is often extremely difficult to maintain,” Smith said. “Not many businesses last long in the food industry.”
Chicago Black Restaurant Week’s Facebook page will showcase the promotional deals each business is offering.
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.
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Feb 1, 2020
Eater Chicago | Ashok Selvam | January 28, 2020
Eight U.S. cities could get hotels with arcade bars and restaurants
Chicago is one of eight U.S. cities that will get a hotel branded by Atari, the beloved American-born video game maker, a news release announces. Details are scarce, but construction should begin this year on the first location in Phoenix, Arizona. The hotels will include fine dining restaurants and arcade bars, according to Fortune.
The company has yet to release the addresses of any of the hotel sites and an Atari spokesperson didn’t return a message for comment. So it’s not a guarantee the Chicago location will be within the city’s borders. Maybe there’s a proper parcel in suburban Rosemont.
There aren’t any details about the food either. That leaves one to assume all the food will be in pellet form, like Pac-Man. Besides Chicago and Phoenix, the news release mentioned Austin, Texas; Denver; Las Vegas; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Seattle as other cities where Atari plans to build hotels. The idea is reminiscent of Disney World’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida. The hotel was once home to the world’s largest arcade.
Atari is currently a subsidiary of a French company. But in the ‘80s, the video game company reigned supreme with home consoles like the Atari 2600. The company was later usurped by others including Nintendo and Sega which occupied the gaming landscape where Sony and Microsoft currently roam. Atari’s game roster includes Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Pong, and RollerCoaster Tycoon.
The company’s partnering with GSD Group and True North Studio on the hotels, and showed off renderings with the company’s iconic logo. They look very boutique-like; perhaps they will rebrand an existing property. The hotels represent another avenue the company is taking to stay relevant. They are to be aimed at video game players: select hotels will host eSports tournaments, as well as businesspeople. Atari also promises “fully immersive” experiences at the hotels with VR and the latest tech.
Chicago has a history with video games. NetherRealm Studios (formerly Midway Games), the studio behind Mortal Kombat, is headquartered in Avondale — near the restaurant space that formerly housed Hot Doug’s and is currently Cafe Tola. Namco, the company that created Pac-Man, also has an arcade bar/restaurant — formerly called Level 257 — in suburban Schaumburg.
As Robert De Niro’s Nobu Chicago has shown, hotels take time. Nobu — the swanky celebrity hangout brand that features sushi restaurants — first announced in 2014 its plans for Fulton Market and it still hasn’t opened. Video game companies are also used to hold-ups. Polygon pointed out that Atari has seen delays on its new next-generation console. It shouldn’t be a surprise if it’s a while before Atari plugs into Chicago or other cities. Stay tuned for updates.
Atari Hotel, address and opening date unknown.
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Jan 25, 2020
Eater Chicago | Naomi Waxman | January 21, 2020
Local favorites racked up even more accolades
Industry darlings and local heavyweights took the day at the 2020 Jean Banchet Awards, Chicago’s top non-media awards for local chefs, restaurants, and bars, held on Sunday in the South Loop. Top accolades went to established hard-hitters Anna and David Posey of one-Michelin-starred Nordic-style restaurant Elske who were named Chefs of the Year, and two-Michelin-starred Smyth snagged Restaurant of the Year recognition. Omakase destination Kyōten won Best New Restaurant, and Jess Galli won Rising Chef of the Year for her work at acclaimed pizza and bread-focused brewpub Middle Brow Bungalow.
Immaculate Japanese-style cocktail bar Kumiko and subterranean sister restaurant Kikkō picked up two awards this year: Best Bar and the Best Chef-de-Cuisine win for Mariya Russell. Pan-Asian Pilsen restaurant S.K.Y. also earned two victories for Best Restaurant Service and Rising Pastry Chef of the Year Tatum Sinclair.
The rest of the award winners are Pastry Chef of the Year Craig Harzewski (Brindille), Andersonville’s Italian-influenced Korean spot Passerotto won Best Neighborhood Restaurant, the Best Heritage Restaurant winner is Cafe Istanbul, Publican Quality Meats won Best Counter Service, Kevin Beary (the Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash) won Best Bartender, and Aaron McManus (Oriole) was named Best Sommelier. Carlos Gaytán’s River North restaurant Tzuco received another Best Restaurant Design accolade.
Many of these winners aren’t surprising to Chicago restaurant enthusiasts. Elske, popular for sleek Danish modern styling and creative fine-dining fare, was named Eater Chicago’s Restaurant of the Year in 2017 and has held onto its Michelin star for three years running. Smyth, an indulgent fine dining hotspot, won a Banchet for 2018’s Best New Restaurant and earned two Michelin stars two years in a row. Lauded drink expert Julia Momose’s essential cocktail bar Kumiko and omakase spot Kikkō were among the four Japanese restaurants in Chicago awarded one Michelin star this year. Chef and owner Jennifer Kim of Passerotto won Eater Chicago’s 2018 award for Chef of the Year, and Tzuco was Eater Chicago’s 2019 Design of the Year winner. Kyoten, two-Michelin-starred Oriole, S.K.Y, and Smyth all appear on the Eater Chicago 38.
Fooditor first reported the 2019 award winners.
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