Acclaimed Fat Rice Throws Elaborate Halloween Prank

UPDATE: Despite the information procured by an anonymous spokesperson, there is no new restaurant from Fat Rice. It’s a trick in time for Halloween. Society51 is Fat Rice’s Halloween party. In the past, the Logan Square restaurant has embraced old-school hip-hop and celebrated the holiday. Sociey51’s website uploaded a bizarre video on Tuesday unfurling the gag. At the end, it read: “You’ve been tricked.” The Tribune also jumped on the joke. Revised story follows.

Late last week, news of a mysterious new restaurant from Fat Rice chef-owner Abe Conlon began surfacing. It’s called Society51, as an anonymous spokesperson answered a few questions via a press contact email on the restaurant’s website. The person behind the curtain said a new restaurant would open at an undisclosed location in Logan Square.

Fat Rice opened in 2012 in Logan Square from Conlon and business partner Adrienne Lo. The restaurant features a singular menu that fuses many cultures from Macau, China, India, and Portugal. It’s one of Chicago’s essential restaurants and anchors a stretch of Diversey Avenue in Logan Square that includes Cellar Door Provisions, Lost Lake, Masa Azul, and Superkhana International. Last year, Conlon won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.

There will be no new restaurant. But the spokesperson joked about a space for “artistic performances” that will take place while customers enjoy a “morphing tasting menu,” according to the spokesperson. Like its older sibling, Society51 will feature global — and this time historical — influences. The spokesperson said it will “present a modern-day interpretation of lost ancient cuisines, blending the exotic ingredients and forgotten flavors that honor the architects of Ancient Egyptian, Roman, and pre-colonial Meso-American societies.” Perhaps that will clue customers in to what to expect for Halloween.

While the spokesperson didn’t offer any insights on an opening timeline, there’s a countdown on the restaurant’s website. It should reach zero in a day. Reservations and menu details will eventually be released on the site. Stay tuned for more updates.