No Embargo Here: Phil Stefani & Adolfo Garcia Partner on Cuban Restaurant

The first rule about Rum Club, well, it's to talk about Rum Club, especially because there's no longer a Cuban embargo. Long-time Chicago restaurateur Phil Stefani is partnering with Adolfo Garcia (Son of a Butcher) to create a Cuban-inspired "boutique-style restaurant" with a late-fall opening in River North, according to a press release.

Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants had been looking for a concept to fill the space at Ohio and Wells since at least 2013. Bartenders at Rum Club will sport pink tuxedos, while waitresses will wear floral dresses, as Rum Club's going for a 1940s-1950s Caribbean aesthetic. Expect palm tree wallpaper, cement tiles from the Dominican Republic and a small stage so Cuban bands can perform Afro-Cuban jazz. Oh, there's also an 8-foot tall mounted marlin.

Rum Club's promising the country's largest rum selection, but they'll have to battle Lost Lake for that title. Incidentally, Lost Lake offers its own rum club for customers, though with a tiki theme. While they sort that one through, check back later for more updates on this project at 601 N. Wells St.