Beloved Beard-Winning Chef to Open New Restaurant Inside Downtown Hotel

James Beard Award winner Carrie Nahabedian plans on opening a new restaurant inside a downtown hotel this summer. The force behind Brindille and the recently closed Naha in River North is once again collaborating with cousin Michael Nahabedian on an unnamed restaurant inside the Gwen: A Luxury Collection Hotel. The fifth-floor restaurant is replacing Circa, a restaurant that opened in 2016 inside the building that houses the hotel and Nordstrom’s at 521 N. Rush Street.

Carrie Nahabedian isn’t ready to reveal what she will be cooking. She told the Tribune that it won’t be overly fancy with white tablecloths. The new restaurant also isn’t a replacement for Naha. When the Michelin-starred restaurant closed in March, Carrie Nahabedian said she was looking for a new space to move the restaurant into.

At the new restaurant inside the Gwen, Michael Nahabedian will manage the beverage program, with his cousin creating the menu, according to a news release. Tom Nahabedian — Michael’s brother — will design the space. He’s also a Beard winner, earning the 2016 Outstanding Restaurant Design award for his work with the Nahabedian’s other restaurant, Brindille.

Stay tuned for more details when they become available.