Downtown’s Swanky New Love Letter to Chicago’s Neighborhoods Debuts

Club 77 isn’t ready for primetime, but the new downtown restaurant featuring a piano bar and garden patio debuted grab-and-go items on Monday morning at 77 W. Wacker Drive. The restaurant’s from co-owner Sandy Chen (Le Sud, Koi Fine Dining Asian) and features food from chef Pat Sheerin (City Mouse, Trenchermen). They’ll roll out the full space and dinner menu on September 9 in the Loop.

The restaurant occupies a unique space last occupied by Early Society. Right now, the breakfast and lunch items include an open-faced smoked kind salmon with tahini, cucumber, dill, and new onions; and a corned beef short rib sandwich with quick slaw and “pastrami’d” Thousand Island dressing on marble rye. Check out the full lunch menu here.

When Club 77 gets rolling next month, they’ll offer a two-course prix-fixe for theatre-goers that includes a glass of wine or cocktail, according to a news release. Management is offering a sneak preview of dinner service on Wednesday, but customers will have to RSVP on the website. Entrees include a roasted eggplant and cauliflower risotto with a blackberry soy glaze and a guajillo-braised pork shoulder with corn and masa polenta and roasted peach barbecue sauce. Sheerin is tapping into his love for Chicago’s international neighborhoods, using that for inspiration in his menu.

The restaurant also hopes to draw crowds during post-work happy hours. Cocktails include “Lavender Temptress” (lavender, vodka, muddled strawberries, Fentimans rose lemonade) and the “Rusky Paloma” (mezcal, Luxardo, grapefruit juice, honey syrup).

The restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch this week, but will close Saturday through Monday for Labor Day. Dinner starts Monday, September 9.

Club 77, 77 W. Wacker Drive, open 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Happy hour, for this week, lasts from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.