Hotly Anticipated Latin American-Influenced Restaurant Opens in Lincoln Park

Mundano, Lincoln Park’s hotly anticipated new American restaurant with Latin American influences, opened over the weekend inside the former Blanchard space, reps wrote in an Instagram post. Former Quiote chef Ross Henke, who garnered fans during his three years at the Logan Square Mexican hotspot, leads the kitchen. The restaurant represents a culinary evolution for Henke, whose menu touches on and plays with a number of culinary traditions. The Blanchard, a French neighborhood bistro, closed after three years in 2018.

Menu highlights include multicultural mashups such as dan dan noodles with lamb chorizo, chile morita, garlic, and “Mexiracha;” tortellini with hominy soubise, French onion broth, and chives; and savory churros with Manchego and herbs. The space also houses a bar, though an online drink menu is not yet available.

Fellow Quiote alum Trista Baker is Mundano’s front-of-house manager. She founded the Restaurant Culture Association, a nonprofit designed to address issues of workplace equality and safety in the hospitality industry. Henke believes she will cultivate the same environment of respect and collaboration she previously maintained in Logan Square, and hopes to set an example for other Chicago restaurants. The ambitious Mexican restaurant closed suddenly in August.

Mundano is now open and reservations are available online. Stay tuned for a look inside the former Blanchard space in Lincoln Park.

Mundano, 1935 N. Lincoln Park West, Open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; Open for bar service from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; Open for “just desserts” from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday; 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.