Acclaimed Chef Jason Vincent Unleashing His First Restaurant On July 1

More than 26 months after leaving Nightwood, chef Jason Vincent will start cooking for customers in a restaurant kitchen again in less than two weeks. Vincent, a Food & Wine best new chef among other accolades, set the opening date for his first restaurant, the ironically-named Giant in Logan Square. He'll open the doors at 3209 W. Armitage to the public for the first time on July 1; expect reservations to be available tomorrow on the restaurant's website.

To recap: Vincent, who left the acclaimed now-closed Pilsen restaurant where he made his name to be a dad, signed a lease for a tiny space on Logan's burgeoning Armitage Avenue strip after prompting from his wife. He brought on chef/partner Ben Lustbader and beverage director Josh Perlman to execute the seasonal, elevated Midwestern fare, without a strict concept. "We're going to make delicious food and you're going to like it," the feisty Vincent said back in February when asked if there will be a concept.

Expect Jonah crab salad with waffle fries, carrots with Thai chili and peanut, baby back ribs with pickles, and many more small and large dishes on the initial summer menu. A changing extensive house-made pasta program will always be available. Also expect Perlman's boutique global wine list highlighting Greece and Spain, craft cocktails and local beers, as well as a large selection of rose and sparklings for the summer.

With just 44 seats inside, reservations should be at a premium. They'll be available beginning tomorrow for dates that are now just 10 days away.