Chicago's 12 Most Anticipated Summer Restaurant and Bar Openings of 2015

Summer's here and with it, a whole new slew of highly-anticipated restaurants and bars are coming. Check out what you have to look forward to in the next few months with Eater Chicago's Most Anticipated Summer Opening Report. Start making plans now because they're bound to be some of the hottest tables in town when they make their debuts.

Roister

[Photo: Ashok Selvam]

Address: 951 W. Fulton Market

ETA: Late summer

Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas' next project is inching closer to completion and should be ready "probably in late summer." Details are being kept close to the vest but the restaurant, whose name means acting in a boisterous manner, is going to be "shockingly 180 degrees the opposite of Alinea and Next." Expect loud music, tight communal spaces and a "rustic and refined" a la carte menu featuring open-fire cooking.

Duck Duck Goat

Address: 857 W. Fulton Market

ETA: Summer

Stephanie Izard takes on Chinese food later this year with her latest project, Duck Duck Goat. She'll collaborate with Boka Restaurant Group again in a familiar neighborhood—Fulton Market—and dish out Asian-inspired bites. To prepare, Izard has been spending time traveling overseas and if social media is any indication, we can expect plenty of hand-pulled noodles, dumplings, and of course, duck.

Monteverde

[Photo: Loopnet]

Address: 1020 W. Madison

ETA: Late Summer

Former Spiaggia chef and Top Chef runner-up Sarah Grueneberg will open her first restaurant in the West Loop. The concept will be a familiar one for her, focusing on a "modern take on authentic Italian cuisine." The 3,800-square-foot-space is targeting a summer opening with designer Karen Herold in charge of the interior.

Nishiguchi

[Photo: Facebook]

Address: 2300 N. Lincoln Park West

ETA: Late summer

Sushi experts B.K. Park and Jason Chan are teaming up with Lettuce Entertain You for an intimate, "innovative" new spot located in the back of Intro. The 45-seat space will offer reservations through Nick Kokonas' new prepaid online system Tock, while a select number of walk-ins will also be welcome.

GreenRiver

[Photo: Andrew Kist / Hanna Lee Communications]

ETA: Summer

Danny Meyer's Union Square Events continues its Chicago expansion by working with the folks behind NYC's acclaimed cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit. They'll bring GreenRiver, an Irish-themed bar and restaurant, to an undisclosed location sometime in the summer. Chicago Mag reports that the décor "slants modern, with old-school touches," and the specialty will be whiskey, while chef Aaron Lirette (Acadia, Celeste, MK) will be in charge of the "contemporary, locally influenced food."

Bar Siena

Address: 832 W. Randolph

ETA: Early August

Siena Tavern's casual spinoff Bar Siena will land in the West Loop with chef Fabio Viviani at the helm again. The two-story, 8,000-square-foot restaurant will have a rotating menu that focuses on the street foods, pizzas and small bites of various Italian regions. It'll also house a bakery and gelateria with an outside service window on Green Street.

The Sixth

[Photo: The Chicago Real Estate Local]

Address: 2200 W. Lawrence

ETA: August

The long-awaited Lincoln Square cocktail bar from Ben Schiller is almost here. The Sixth aims to be a step up from the local dives in the area with its mid-century-inspired lighting and Dutch modern-inspired furniture design. It'll serve barrel-aged cocktails as well as a beverage called the "Silly Rabbit" that evokes memories of Trix flavors such as "orangey orange" and "lemony yellow."

Maple & Ash

[Photo: Facebook]

Address: 8 W. Maple

ETA: Late August

Chicago just can't get enough steakhouses and the large and oft-delayed Maple & Ash in the Gold Coast will get in on the action soon. The steaks will be cooked on a hearth for that open-flame taste and some of the grass-fed beef will be aged on site, while the wine list will also be a major focal point of the experience, and former Drawing Room beverage director Cristiana DeLucca will handle the drinks.

Packed

[Photo: Facebook]

Address: 1321 E. 57th St.

ETA: September

The Hyde Park boom continues as Mike Sheerin's new fast-casual dumpling spot Packed is planned to open in the former Edwardo's Natural Pizza space. Sheerin, who recently took over at Embeya, will steam up some intriguing options ranging from a French onion soup dumpling to pastrami and king crab versions. In addition, the menu will also offer bao-like sandwiches.

The Halal Guys

[Photo: Facebook]

Address: 49 W. Division

ETA: June

New York's popular street meat vendors The Halal Guys are coming to town this summer. Five Chicago locations are planned, with the first brick-and-mortar spot opening on Division Street near Viagra Triangle. Soon, you'll have your choice of beef, chicken and gyro platters or sandwiches topped with famous ‘white sauce.' It'll stay open later on weekends as well, which should be a welcome sight for bar patrons in the area.

Pastoral

[Photo: Pastoral]

Address: 5212 N. Clark

ETA: Summer

The popular wine and cheese shop will be coming to Andersonville later this summer. The new location will be its biggest yet, with 3,800 square-feet of space, and feature both a retail store and restaurant/wine bar. The European-inspired concept will be arranged into sections for a more intimate environment and offer freshly baked breads, wines, cheeses charcuterie, gourmet sandwiches and more.

Ampersand Wine Bar

[Photo: Ampersand Wine Bar]

Address: 4845 N. Damen

ETA: Late June

Ravenswood is getting a wine bar from former Charlie Trotter's pastry chef Darren McGraw. He's enlisted former iNG executive chef Tim Havidic to run the kitchen, which will feature rustic comfort foods and "damn good desserts." The space intends to accommodate up to 24 diners, with an additional 16 seats at the bar, and the drink list will offer affordable, approachable wines priced from $6 to $12 per glass.