Honey's Brings Swagger and Sophistication to Lake Street With Tomorrow's Opening

One of the hottest new restaurants in Chicago may indeed be Honey's, debuting Tuesday night at 1111 W. Lake Street. While the five industry veterans behind the project might have more swagger than your average restaurateur, their contemporary American restaurant shows more sophistication than showmanship.

Guests enter into what co-founder Andrew Miller calls a "decompression area" — black and white tiles and gold light fixtures acts as a transition from the developing strip of Lake Street into the bar and lounge area. "You have to find us," says Miller. "But once you've been here, you always know how to get back." Inside, one of two skylights acts as the focal point in addition to an ached wood bar accented with antique mirrors that spans from the stone floor to the 17-foot-high ceiling.

The dining room plays on the combo of leather and lace with black leather booths and lace curtains. White tablecloths nod to fine dining — general manager Tyrone Redic (Acadia) helps solidify this sentiment — while oak hitches filled with stemware and freshly cut flowers feel apartment-like. Here, executive chef and partner Charles Welch (Sepia) offers his take on local flavors, with an emphasis on rotisserie cooking, such as chermoula marinated swordfish with spring vegetable panzanella as well as fava bean and English pea falafel with preserved lemon yogurt, marinated eggplant, and mint.

Welch also has a hand in the cocktail program, which features just five rotating drinks, from the "Smoke Up Your Glass" with reposado tequila, mezcal, rosemary, lavender, and Luxardo to the "Angel In Disguise" with Rhine Hall plum brandy, blackberry mure, Earl Grey tea, and lemon. These are complimented by a 50-bottle wine list, with an emphasis on new and old world wines in addition to champagne and rosé.

Honey's is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight, with food served until 10 p.m. on Monday though Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday