Pastoral Expanding with Bar Pastoral Next Door

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine owners Greg O'Neill and Ken Miller, who already own three thriving shops in the city (Lakeview, Loop and the Chicago French Market), are taking their love of cheese and wine to the next level with the opening of Bar Pastoral.

The approximately 40-seat wine bar, being designed by Matt Nardella of Moss (2 Sparrows, Flirty Cupcake Dessert Garage) and set to open this fall, will be located adjacent to the original shop on Broadway in East Lakeview in the former Spare Parts retail space at 2947 N. Broadway. And yes, the two storefronts will be connected internally.

Bar Pastoral will be a casual place where you can pop in for some wine or a bite where "grazing as dinner," as O'Neill calls it, will be the main idea. Guests can look forward to great products from around the globe, like fine cheese or small-production, earth-friendly wines and craft beers, as well as a number of hot and cold small plates featuring food made in house. As for specifics, O'Neill said the menu is still in development while they look for a chef to bring on board.

O'Neill said the intimate Bar Pastoral will have a similar design aesthetic that exists across their other stores and that there will be both a sit-down wine bar and cheese and charcuterie bar. He added from time to time they'll also pepper in some cocktails, with the help of Mark Hayes (C-House), who heads up their beverage program at Pastoral.

"It's an extension of what we do." O'Neill said. "Traditionally our area of expertise has been cheese, but wine and craft beer has very much been up there. It's a logical extension of what we've always wanted to do and what our customers have asked for."