Less than a year ago it was hard to picture a restaurant would be carved into the brick facade of the historic Reid Murdoch building's east side at the foot of the Clark Street Bridge in River North. Now, that restaurant, the Chicago expansion of the Colorado-based philanthropic "community through food" project The Kitchen has appeared on the north bank of the Chicago River.
When you go, you'll step into a long, casually elegant 187-seat space that weaves swanky repurposed design touches with much of the original brick and stone in the building. A large wraparound square bar in front serves as both a beverage bar and a raw bar with oysters, lobsters and other mollusks on a bed of ice. Behind, chef Johnny Anderes (Telegraph) runs a long open kitchen opposite a row of windows overlooking the river, with table seating, banquettes, an antique communal table and a corner booth in between. A 40-seat private dining room is in the rear while patio seating on the riverwalk will open in the spring.
The Kitchen opens to the public on October 20.