A year and a half after Three Aces closed on Taylor Street and chef Matt Troost is embarking on a comeback in River North. The chef, who was also behind the rustic pastas at Charlatan in West Town, is opening Good Measure on Thursday inside the former Bistro Voltaire space at 226 W. Chicago Avenue. While Good Measure won’t challenge gritty punk dens like Delilah’s or Exit, Troost said that the 50-seat bar will have a healthy dose of the D.I.Y. attitude that helped make Three Aces a hit.
The burger was a Three Aces specialty, and Good Measure has big shoes to fill. The new restaurant’s offering is a double stack with roasted garlic and mayo, reported Chicago. Burgers can also be augmented with toppings including foie gras, house giardiniera, and more. Servers will also actually allow customers to have it their ways. Almost any ingredient from the menu, including the avocado crema for the Sardinian flatbread, could be added to the burger.
The menu also includes Nashville hot duck livers, PBR-steamed mussels, and a truffled Polish sausage available grilled or deep fried. Three Aces featured bolognese fries that were magnificent anytime— not just as a hangover remedy. Good Measure’s fries are served with smoky ketchup, Duke’s mayo, and red habanero sauce. There’s also pork ribs with a cilantro-apricot glaze.
Sophia de Oliveira, a Boka Restaurant Group veteran who’s worked at Cold Storage/Swift & Sons in Fulton Market and Devereaux in Gold Coast, is making the drinks. Her sister, Jacyara de Oliveira, is also a bartender who’s worked at Sportsman’s Club. She’s now in the West Loop as beverage director for La Sirena Clandestina and El Che Bar. Trend alert: Good Measure will have a Suntory Toki highball machine (which is quickly becoming for Chicago bars what wood-burning ovens are to kitchens).
Siren Betty Design — which also designed Three Aces — took inspiration from pop-punk bands including Chicago’s very own Naked Raygun and Southern California pioneers Bad Religion. They’ve installed classic checkered floors, vintage art, red neon, and studded-leather barstools, according to the restaurant’s website.
Within eight months, both of Troost’s restaurants had closed as he said he was pursuing new adventures. Now he’s about to embark on the first one. Good Measure opens tomorrow. Check out the drink list below.
Good Measure Beverage Menu by Ashok Selvam on Scribd