The Kennison, Opening Today, Unleashes a New Era of Lincoln Park Dining

A new era of dining starts today in Lincoln Park, as Boka Restaurant Group —with the help of a few friends— unveil The Kennison, the new restaurant replacing Perennial Virant on the ground floor of The Hotel Lincoln. The restaurant’s operators, 90/94 Restaurant Group, seek to establish tighter synergy between the hotel and a more-diverse clientele to the corner of Lincoln, Clark, and Wells.

They’ve made the interiors more reflective of a neighborhood restaurant. At the same time, 90/94’s Ryan See and Dan Warren have strived to ensure the restaurant meets the high dining and operation standards of all Boka restaurants. They added a raw bar and made the space more stroller friendly. Parents should really appreciate the wider spaces when they come by for brunch after spending their Saturday across the street in Lincoln Park at Green City Market.

Chef Bill Walker comes over from Green Zebra. The Kennison’s menu is far from pure vegetarian, but it’s clear that Walker learned a thing or two at the West Town veggie stalwart. The menu features a vegetarian version of pastrami on rye made with carrots, kraut, beets, horseradish, and caraway. They’ve tried to make the modern American menu approachable but not to scare unadventurous diners away and offer ingredients and preparations that aren’t boring.

The Kennison is the first restaurant for 90/94, and Warren and See have shown interest in opening more. They’re also operating the hotel’s two other food and drink establishments —Elaine’s Coffee Call on the ground floor and The J. Parker rooftop bar.

Check out The Kennison starting tonight and see if they’ll deliver a worth successor to Perennial in Lincoln Park. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

The Kennison, 1800 N. Lincoln Ave., (312) 981-7070, open 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday; 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.