Lauded Jewish Deli Among Five Restaurants at Upcoming Fulton Market Food Hall

Steingold’s of Chicago, the modern Jewish deli in Lincoln Square, is among the five new restaurants opening inside a new food hall opening in Fulton Market. Other new tenants inside Fulton Galley, a 12,912-square-foot space inside a former poultry processing plant at 1115 W. Fulton Street, include Taco Mucho (Mexican-American food), Pink Salt (Northeastern Thai food), Italianette (Italian food), and Fairview (Latin/American rotisserie meats and veggies). Fulton Galley should open in June, according to a news release.

Back in November, the food hall’s owners spilled plans for their project. Fulton Galley calls for five vendors sharing a space with a 30-seat cocktail bar with 20 beer taps and a coffee/wine bar. It’s from the Galley Group, a Pittsburgh company which has opened food halls in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit. Chicago is the company’s fifth project. The food hall will try to bring more customers to Fulton Market over the weekend with brunch service.

Chefs interested in opening a restaurant inside the food hall submitted applications, and the goal is to serve as an incubator to help chefs eventually open their own free-standing restaurants. Gerad Gobel, who will open Italianette along side wife Alexis Rorabaugh, found out Galley accepted their application on Tuesday morning. He’s a Downstate Illinois native who met Rorabaugh in San Francisco. They wrote their business plan for Italianette more than five years ago before they moved to Chicago. They didn’t have the money to open the restaurant and put the plan on the back burner.

“It seems to be a great way — with limited risk — to get started,” Gobel said of Galley.

They’ll have a menu of eight to 10 items. Unlike Soho, they’ll have more room to experiment with dishes. Italianette’s philosophy is “affordable luxury” with a rotating selection of fresh pastas.

Besides Steingold’s, run by Aaron Steingold, a deli that’s been lauded by Chicago media for creative deli sandwiches that blend Japanese touches, here’s a rundown on the other restaurants and chefs:

• Taco Mucho from Ron Aleman. Aleman’s a Chicago restaurant veteran having worked as executive chef at Devon Seafood Grill in River North. Look for tacos, sandwiches, and shared plates.

Chris Guillen/Fullton Galley

• Pink Salt is from Palita Sriratana, a chef who’s staged at Au Cheval and Nico Osteria. Look for family-style dishes including street-style roasted chicken, papaya salads, and a rotating selection of small plates. She’s also working on brunch.

Fulton Galley [Official Photo]

• Italianette is from Gerad Gobel and Alexis Rorabaugh. This husband-and-wife team have been working at the restaurants nearby Soho House in West Loop. Pastas will include occhi stuffed with burrata and during colder months they’ll serve gnudi in chicken brodo. They’ll also offer Italian-inspired drinks and desserts.

Fulton Galley [Official Photo]

• Fairview is from Dennis Bernard. Bernard’s worked at many One Off Hospitality Group restaurants, as he was most recently chef de cuisine at Fulton Market pioneer Publican. His menu will include spit-roasted meats, fish, salads, and ceviche.

Fulton Galley [Official Photo]