Restaurant Vets Planning The Haywood Tavern Amidst Changing Humboldt Park

One of the prongs in the expanding Humboldt Park dining and drinking scene is starting to come into focus. An upcoming restaurant and bar from the people behind High Dive and The Rocking Horse now has a name, a chef/partner, and more details solidified, with construction expected to begin in September.

On the southeast corner of Augusta and California near two Brendan Sodikoff projects, The Haywood Tavern will be an "approachable, modern take on a tavern" with restaurant vet Rodney Staton (Longman & Eagle, Spiaggia, Bite Cafe) running the kitchen. Staton, an eight-year neighborhood resident, is putting together a tight rotating menu that draws on culinary influences from Italy, France and Spain. Look for simple entrees that let ingredients shine, such as a half chicken, a whole fish and a burger, in addition to snacks and smaller plates.

The beverage program will steer away from extravagant cocktails in favor of beer and spirits, Staton says. Expect "old and new world" beers, and cheap drinking options.

The space features two rooms (a front bar and a rear seating area), totaling 50-55 seats inside, with an open kitchen in rear. They're also hoping to add a 20-seat enclosed back patio. The target opening date is January 1.

The Haywood Tavern will be across the street from a new project from Brendan Sodikoff in a former auto body shop and slightly southwest from the California Clipper, now also run by Sodikoff, in a Humboldt Park intersection that's undergoing a major revamp under landlord Gino Battaglia.
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