Eater Chicago - Chicago’s Restaurant Industry Looks Back at the Year in COVID-19The Chicago Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2021-07-26T11:48:28-05:00http://chicago.eater.com/rss/stream/220960562021-07-26T11:48:28-05:002021-07-26T11:48:28-05:00Trib: ‘Top Chef’ Alum’s Fulton Market Restaurant Does More With Croatia Than Italy
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<figcaption>Rose Mary opened in April. | Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>Also, an ex-Alinea Group chef relocates to the South after plans for his West Town restaurant fell through </p> <p id="9HF1tt"><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/reviews/ct-food-review-rose-mary-joe-flamm-west-loop-20210726-ggzcm7m7jnbuzgy3cowqxvmwpq-story.html">Rose Mary, <em>Top Chef</em> champion Joe Flamm’s hotly anticipated Italian-Croatian restaurant in Fulton Market</a>, has been packed with patrons since it opened — a fact <em>Tribune co-</em>critic Nick Kindelsperger attributes more to Flamm’s celebrity rather than actual food coming out of the kitchen. Despite the chef’s years at acclaimed Italian restaurant <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/spiaggia">Spiaggia</a>, the region is poorly represented by “stodgy” zucchini fritters, “plodding” pesto risotto, and rigatoni so loaded with buffalo milk butter that it resembles a “kids’ menu offering of buttered noodles.” </p>
<p id="vy93d8">Bright moments do shine through, especially in the menu’s Croatian-inspired offerings. Flamm’s tortellini djuvec — based on a Balkan dish of red pepper, eggplant, and zucchini — features “layer upon layer of comforting complexity, which seems to envelop the filled pasta with a generous hug.” The baby octopus cooked in a lidded pot topped with hot embers is “delicate, with no sign of rubberiness,” and grilled cevapi provide a delicate smokiness atop lepinja (a thick flatbread) with kajmak (tangy, unripened cheese). Kindelsperger also praises the drink options, including a golden negroni and selection of Croatian wines. Overall, he gives the restaurant one-and-a-half stars. </p>
<p id="N3NOvX">For Kindelsperger, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/71422/rose-mary">Rose Mary</a>’s shortcomings come into sharp relief when placed into the larger context of the chef’s career and compatriots: the restaurant “lacks the Spiaggia-level precision that you might expect from Flamm” and fails to provide the “mind-bending creativity” seen at venues from other Chicago-based <em>Top Chef </em>contestants like Stephanie Izard (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/girl-the-goat">Girl & the Goat</a>) and Sarah Grueneberg (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/monteverde">Monteverde</a>). While Izard and Grueneberg have both enjoyed a great deal of critical acclaim, neither faced the challenges of opening their first restaurants during the one-two punch of a pandemic and nationwide labor crisis, an environment the <em>Trib</em> does not reference. After an era of mostly positive reviews <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/1/15/22232926/phil-vettel-leaves-the-tribune-chicago-loses-last-full-time-critic">from the retired Phil Vettel</a>, Kindelsperger’s review is a departure from what’s appeared in the <em>Trib</em> in pre-pandemic times.</p>
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<h2 id="OTyQcs">And in other news…</h2>
<p id="abc60Z">— Ex-Roister chef Andrew Brochu seems to have found a home for his <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/12/18/21028768/andrew-brochu-restaurant-brochus-west-town-natalinos-roister-chef-alinea-group">neighborhood restaurant</a> after plans fell through in West Town <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2020/7/29/21345662/andrew-brochu-friend-of-the-devil-dawgs-wicker-park-berghoff-temporarily-closed-chicago-intel">due to the pandemic</a>. “A new lease on life?” Brochu writes in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRr37E9rzKS/">on Instagram</a> below a photo of himself and wife Sophie in front of a fenced-in lot in Savannah, Georgia’s Starland District. Brochu’s was ticketed as one of Chicago’s <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2020/1/3/21038522/best-new-chicago-restaurants-openings-2020">most anticipated openings of 2020</a>.</p>
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</div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRr37E9rzKS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Brochu's (@brochus_restaurant)</a></p>
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<p id="y8Gsj1">— Pilsen juice bar <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/21162/belli-s">Belli’s Cafe</a> plans to open two new locations with juice, smoothies, bowls, and more inside outposts from local fitness chain Studio Three, according to <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/07/26/pilsen-based-bellis-cafe-is-opening-juice-bars-in-river-north-lincoln-park-gyms/">Block Club Chicago</a>. Belli’s owner Alexandra Curatolo tells reporters that she aims to open in late July at 648 N. Clark Street in River North and in August at 2401 N. Halsted Street in Lincoln Park. </p>
<p id="PFTkNR">— Deep-dish pizza giant Lou Malnati’s plans to relocate its suburban headquarters from Northbrook to Buffalo Grove as the brand shifts its focus toward online sales, according to <a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/lou-malnatis-moving-hq-buffalo-grove"><em>Crain’s</em></a>. Currently scattered across multiple offices across the Chicago area, the company aims to move consolidate management, manufacturing, and fulfillment operations to a 125,000 square-foot facility in spring 2022 at 900-950 Busch Parkway. </p>
<p id="ynxngC">— As diners continue to pack restaurants, it should not pose a surprise that if the city sees COVID-19 numbers consistently rise (to more than 200 new cases per day), Mayor Lori Lightfoot will think about reinstating an indoor mask mandate. The mayor’s remarks are part of a podcast interview released Monday with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/opinion/sway-kara-fisher-lori-lightfoot.html">the <em>New York Times</em></a><em>. </em>As of July 19, the seven-day rolling average was 130 new cases. Lightfoot’s comments come as <a href="https://la.eater.com/2021/7/16/22579468/los-angeles-county-resume-indoor-mask-requirement-covid-19-pandemic-summer">mask mandates return to Los Angeles</a> and with worries regarding the delta variant. The <em>Trib’s</em> Gregory Pratt first <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-covid-chicago-mayor-mask-mandate-threshold-20210726-a34p667lxvaypbi3rt4rtypxdq-story.html">spotted this podcast tidbit</a>, and also mentions the mayor is facing criticism over allowing Lollapalooza this weekend. Health experts <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/what-to-know-about-mask-mandates-including-for-vaccinated.html">have reported outdoor events</a> are much safer than indoor activities. </p>
<aside id="H90vfH"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="btubR3"></p>
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/7/26/22590655/rose-mary-joe-flamm-tribune-review-lou-malnatis-headquarters-andrew-brochu-georgia-bellisNaomi Waxman2021-05-21T13:33:30-05:002021-05-21T13:33:30-05:00America’s Indian Restaurants Launch Global Effort to Raise Money for COVID-19 Relief
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<img alt="Auto-Ambulances With Oxygen Support Launched In Delhi" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tn_ESattm56uckel8xD2u5DsbMY=/0x0:5355x4016/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69324811/1232714292.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Auto-rickshaws in Delhi act as ambulances to take those stricken with COVID-19 to get oxygen. | Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Chicago’s Superkhana International joins about 30 restaurants in raising money for India</p> <p id="JTcAf6">While many Americans are celebrating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to lift mask mandates, and more diners are returning to restaurants, there’s a lingering feeling of helplessness among Indian communities, who are inundated with headlines reporting massive death tolls overseas from COVID-19. So far, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/asia/india-coronavirus-cases.html">more than 291,000 have died</a> on the subcontinent, and health experts fear that number is much higher because many victims in rural areas have not yet been accounted for. Still, the situation is becoming more and more dire as hospital beds and other necessary resources are in increasingly short supply. Currently, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/18/world/asia/india-covid-doctors-medical-workers.html">more than 1,000 doctors in India have already died</a> because of the disease.</p>
<p id="6CWkWO">When Basu Ratnam heard that India’s government mismanagement had led to a shortage of the oxygen tanks needed to aid victims — and that something as basic as air was in short supply — he decided to take action.</p>
<p id="K4QT9I">“It’s unimaginably difficult to comprehend,” Ratnam says of the devastation in India. “We have family and friends who are buying vaccines, buying remdesivir, oxygenators on the black market for 10 times the going price.”</p>
<p id="YM38ZQ">So the New York restaurateur behind <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/18414/inday">Inday</a> leveraged his standing in the industry to help. He assembled a group of about 30 Indian restaurants from around the world to raise money for COVID-19 relief in India through an effort called <a href="https://www.1billionbreathsindia.com/">1 Billion Breaths</a>. </p>
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<p id="frtOCS">Already, 1 Billion Breaths has pulled together individuals from across the continents. There are several New York restaurants involved, including <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/41624/baar-baar">Baar Baar</a>, Amma, and Proper Indian. Elsewhere, participants include <a href="https://la.eater.com/venue/25437/badmaash">Badmaash</a> in LA, <a href="https://sf.eater.com/venue/46637/besharam">Besharam</a> in San Francisco, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/superkhana-international-2">Superkhana International</a> in Chicago, <a href="https://atlanta.eater.com/venue/435/chai-pani">Chai Pani</a> in the Atlanta area, and <a href="https://miami.eater.com/2017/5/8/15579244/ghee-indian-kitchen-miami">Ghee Indian Kitchen</a> in Miami. Beyond the states, restaurants from Canada, Peru, and England have also joined, including London heavyweight <a href="https://london.eater.com/venue/31405/gymkhana">Gymkhana</a>. The restaurants will prepare special meals — for some, dishes that remind them of family — and from Sunday, May 23, to Sunday, May 30, proceeds from the sales of those meals will go to <a href="https://oxygenforindia.org/">Oxygen For India</a>, a nonprofit that distributes oxygen canisters across the subcontinent.</p>
<p id="BXk5EU">Despite the mounting momentum for the fundraiser, the Indian government hasn’t made it easy. Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime amended a law that restricts foreign aid from helping the country’s citizens. The law mandates that all foreign charities must get affidavits and notary stamps and then open bank accounts with the government-owned State Bank of India. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57095591">The government claims</a> the law brings about transparency so donations aren’t mishandled. Critics point out that the law has hindered other relief efforts and prevented life-saving oxygen concentrators from reaching those sick with COVID-19.</p>
<p id="AiCwfY">Meanwhile, a number of organizations have popped up claiming to provide COVID-19 aid, and folks question if the money will make it to those in need. Some Americans are already skeptical about sending aid overseas: “You don’t want to blindly write a check to India,” New York restaurant owner Roni Mazumdar (<a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/2/10/22273250/dhamaka-opening-nyc-chintan-pandya-roni-mazumdar-indian-restaurant">Dhamaka</a>, <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/50720/adda">Adda Indian Canteen</a>, <a href="https://ny.eater.com/venue/29243/rahi">Rahi</a>, and the <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2020/7/15/21324323/masalawala-lower-east-side-review-robert-sietsema">Masalawala</a>) says. By carefully vetting charities, Ratnam and 1 Billion Breaths want to make it simpler so Americans can donate with peace of mind.</p>
<p id="2vttUZ">The group of participating restaurants represents a diverse mix of cuisines from around the world. In Chicago, Superkhana International, known for its butter chicken calzone, will also hold a separate fundraiser Sunday, May 23, when two cooks — Thommy Padanilam and Sahil Singh — <a href="https://www.exploretock.com/superkhana/experience/281305/tommys-toddy-shop-pothichoru-pop-up?date=2021-05-23&size=1&time=10%3A00">hold a pop-up</a>. They’ll serve <a href="https://medium.com/but-first-food/pothichoru-rice-curry-and-nostalgia-packed-in-a-banana-leaf-409ea576afa7">pothichoru</a>, a dish from Kerala wrapped in banana leaf. It can be filled with rice, curry, and different meats and vegetables. It’s both customizable and portable, making it ideal for takeaway. “I’ve made it for my parents, and they gave it their approval, which is very hard to come by,” Padanilam says.</p>
<p id="Sv6zvT">Padanilam also runs a condiment company, <a href="https://thommystoddyshop.com/">Thommy’s Toddy Shop</a>, where he sells achar and other items. He will be dedicating all proceeds from sales through May to <a href="https://mutualaidindia.com/?utm_source=gdoc">Mutual Aid India</a>.</p>
<p id="HQXzej">As far as the larger international effort goes, Superkhana, inspired by its signature dish, is rolling out a butter chicken potpie carryout meal for two for $68, which is the price of two oxygen canister refills. Superkhana co-chef and co-owner Yoshi Yamada says he and co-owner Zeeshan Shah felt compelled to help.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jBz6DL-pbufg25z5IN01IROWc1k=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22529283/IMG_2961.jpg">
<cite>Superkhana International [Official Photo]</cite>
<figcaption>Superkhana International is serving a butter chicken potpie to help India.</figcaption>
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<p id="nbrYcW">Yamada says it’s been “brutal and painful” for those with family members and friends in India. But the people with those direct connections shouldn’t be the only ones shouldering the burden.</p>
<p id="NSpEOV">“It’s not just about directly knowing someone in India or being culturally connected or in debt to India; it’s also very much about being aware that your friends and colleagues who have those direct connections to India have likely been touched by loss,” Yamada says. “It’s that huge and that devastating.”</p>
<p id="WTb7bl">The pandemic has forced restaurants to find new and more meaningful ways to serve their communities. Some began cooking meals for front-line workers, while others have distributed meals to those in need. It’s more complicated for the Indian community in America with the worry of multiple communities and several oceans separating them. </p>
<p id="u40Mpj">Mazumdar, who hails from Kolkata, lost a friend in India to COVID-19. While he mourns, he’s using 1 Billion Breaths as a way to prevent others from experiencing a similar tragedy.</p>
<p id="RNHxLJ">“Restaurants always stood as vital parts of the social fabric of their neighborhoods,” Mazumdar says. “I believe they’re not just a place to go for food or just to conduct a transaction.”</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3M0Mgu">
<h3 id="4bNmeX">Here’s a list of participating restaurants:</h3>
<ol>
<li id="i8yUcS">Adda (New York)</li>
<li id="thz0OO">Amma (New York)</li>
<li id="c2KM08">Baar Baar (New York)</li>
<li id="mcPekU">Badmaash (Los Angeles)</li>
<li id="hwmxeL">Besharam (San Francisco)</li>
<li id="dmuoPS">Bhai’s Indian Canteen (Toronto)</li>
<li id="8ZOjB7">Bhuna (Portland, Oregon)</li>
<li id="OPXLED">The Bombay Frankie Company (Los Angeles)</li>
<li id="84r8Jh">Chai Pani (Atlanta area)</li>
<li id="B8jG7b">Coconut Lagoon (Ottawa)</li>
<li id="7EJQxT">Coterie (Charleston, South Carolina)</li>
<li id="FEuAzA">Curryish (Toronto)</li>
<li id="qsaev2">Dhaasu Cocina (Lima, Peru)</li>
<li id="9xMtQC">East India Company (Ottawa)</li>
<li id="vbcgoM">Ghee Indian Kitchen (Miami)</li>
<li id="WWh10U">Gupshup (New York)</li>
<li id="39F99R">Haldi (Toronto)</li>
<li id="l8IFko">The Host (Toronto)</li>
<li id="RpBj7G">Inday (New York)</li>
<li id="XVXCO1">JKS Restaurants, owners of Gymkhana (London)</li>
<li id="dCxzQA">Maa’s Indian Kitchen (Long Island, New York)</li>
<li id="tu8fdY">Mantra (Toronto)</li>
<li id="S24ZGp">My Shanti (Vancouver)</li>
<li id="0AK60p">The Onion Tree (New York)</li>
<li id="ySUC9q">Paisley (New York)</li>
<li id="JZjVoa">Proper Indian (New York)</li>
<li id="kd7TyI">Rahi (New York)</li>
<li id="Gbci8G">Superkhana International (Chicago)</li>
<li id="oqKGyF">Taj indian Cuisine (Ottawa)</li>
<li id="cXm883">Vij’s (Vancouver) </li>
</ol>
<aside id="fvTAEb"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><ul>
<li id="TXqDrr">One Billion Breaths [<a href="https://www.1billionbreathsindia.com/">Official site</a>]</li>
<li id="BJcA7n">One Billion Breaths [<a href="https://www.instagram.com/1billionbreaths_/">Instagram</a>]</li>
<li id="XcoILq">For India’s Medical Workers, Danger and ‘Heartbreaking Decisions’ [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/18/world/asia/india-covid-doctors-medical-workers.html">New York Times</a>]</li>
<li id="jQ4PL3">India Coronavirus Map and Case Count [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/asia/india-coronavirus-cases.html">New York Times</a>]</li>
<li id="Rv1hwU">India COVID: How law stops NGOs distributing essential aid [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-57095591">BBC</a>]</li>
</ul>
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/21/22446435/1-billion-breaths-indian-restaurant-usa-raise-money-relief-covid-19-indiaAshok Selvam2021-05-18T12:15:09-05:002021-05-18T12:15:09-05:00Dusek’s Reopens With New Chef Inside Thalia Hall
<figure>
<img alt="Exterior of a stone building with Roman arches and a plate glass storefront window." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZBo15ZXTFdV0_bNQZxb4SxsmRO8=/100x0:900x600/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69306200/9942399156_2dcd1fc649_o.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dusek’s is back open in Pilsen. | Marc Much/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Pilsen restaurant is back open for the first time since the pandemic</p> <p id="6feuwq">Until 2020, Dusek’s was the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Pilsen, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/9/26/20884236/michelin-restaurants-chicago-stars-2020">a rare starred spot south of Roosevelt Road</a>. Located on the ground floor of music venue <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/thalia-hall">Thalia Hall</a>, the restaurant encompasses a unique neighborhood history dating back to the 1890s. During the pandemic, ownership elected to keep the restaurant closed without starting a takeout operation. </p>
<p id="tTPUdj">Finally, last week — on Friday, May 14 — the restaurant reopened with a new chef and a remodeled space. Concerts are also back at Thalia Hall.</p>
<p id="yBxIfs">“The shutdown has been so devastating,” says Bruce Finkelman of 16” on Center, which owns the entertainment complex and spots like Empty Bottle and Revival Food Hall. “But it gave us an opportunity to so some of the stuff we really wanted to do but didn’t have the financial wherewithal.”</p>
<p id="4tdwZB">While the Michelin-starred attention was welcome, Finkelman believes the space has earned a reputation as a haven for a shot and a beer, where locals can grab a “flavorful and honest” meal and be out in a flash. The design tweaks aren’t drastic but they help create a bit more synergy between the various spaces within the building. Thalia Hall consists of Dusek’s, basement bar Punch Room, and <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/tack-room">Tack Room</a>, a cocktail bar behind Dusek’s. </p>
<p id="6CHKjw">Finkelman says they did some working to the seating with the banquettes. They added window seats and made the wood-fire oven the star of the kitchen.</p>
<p id="y2FDsg">“I don’t know know if they’re big or small,” Finkelman says. “They seem really nice to us.”</p>
<p id="5zmzwl">Veteran Chicago chef Ben Truesdell (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/pacific-standard-time">Pacific Standard Time</a>) was on the opening team at Dusek’s eight years ago. He returns as the restaurant’s top chef and Finkelman raves about his commitment to sustainability. The chef says he’s excited to be back in the kitchen and to be surrounded by quality ingredients. During the pandemic, restaurants made budget cuts and pivoted to carryout. Slashing expenses also meant reducing spending on pricier menu items. The result is Truesdell and other kitchen workers rarely had the chance to cook with premium items like fresh fish sourced sustainably.</p>
<p id="wjVwPp">But those dark days seem done. <a href="https://www.dusekschicago.com/menu">Some notable new dishes</a> at Dusek’s include a pork schnitzel sandwich, lamb neck pappardelle, and baked squid. There’s also a roasted chicken served on a warm escarole Caesar’s salad. The greens pick up the smoke from the oven which creates a more complex flavor, Truesdell says. He rounds out the menu with Buffalo chicken wings and a griddled cheeseburger. A weekend brunch launches this weekend.</p>
<p id="G0AYrz">“We wanted to be more approachable from every aspect,” Finkelman says. </p>
<p id="p0pv9c">That point is important due to the area as creating a restaurant that’s welcoming to locals is important in Pilsen where gentrification <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2018/2/6/16897876/chicago-restaurants-gentrification-pilsen-logan-square">has long been a hot topic</a>. Finkelman believes he’s established trust with the neighborhood and is ecstatic in welcoming customers back into the space. </p>
<p id="qlgtIN">But there will be a bit of an adjustment for customers and staff after being cooped up at home during the majority of the pandemic. It will take time for customers to revel like before times: “I do think there’s going to be a psychological barrier and people are going to need to get used to socializing again,” Finkelman says.</p>
<p id="qLvRcq">There’s also concerns about safety, including wearing masks during indoor concerts. Dusek’s has remained closed to the general public since March 2020. The kitchen did cook meals for the less fortunate, and more recently the space did small private buyouts for </p>
<p id="53nkbs">“We’ve been really kind of waiting to do anything until the government or the CDC or the medical leaders tell us it’s safe to do so,” Finkelman adds.</p>
<aside id="Nc8q1c"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="IfGR33"></p>
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/18/22436759/duseks-restaurant-thalia-hall-open-pilsen-pandemicAshok Selvam2021-05-13T10:15:03-05:002021-05-13T10:15:03-05:00Farmers Markets Are Back in Chicago After Record Sales in 2020
<figure>
<img alt="A table of fresh veggies under a tent with a person tending to them." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GawWc2zODDgeehelt1KjHr364vc=/101x0:1701x1200/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69280809/Iron_Creek_Farm_2__1_.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Green City Market has returned. | Green City Market/<a class="ql-link" href="http://www.tessgrahamphotography.com/" target="_blank">Tess Graham Photography</a></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many vendors managed to wrest success from the many disruptions and limited capacity brought on by the pandemic</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap p-large-text" id="LJZh0e">Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the shopping experience at Chicago-area farmers markets, and as the 2021 season kicked off this month, vendors and organizers will continue to employ safe shopping standards. As restrictions <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/4/29/22409790/chicago-covid-19-restrictions-united-center-windy-city-smokeout-summer-festivals">on outdoor events ease</a>, markets hope to sustain the high interest in local agriculture that led to record sales in 2020.</p>
<p id="hMdC9X">The crisis pushed the start of the 2020 season to June as markets made operational plans that placed safety at the forefront. Organizers required masks and set up entrance checkpoints with one-way traffic. They maintained tight capacity limits, prohibited eating and drinking on site, and canceled special events. There were no chef demonstrations, kids’ activities, or live music. Shoppers waited in long lines at the entrances and booths and couldn’t touch or select their own produce. Yet despite these restrictions and stripped-down amenities, the markets thrived.</p>
<p id="nHgyFH">“Most if not all of my vendors said it was the best year we’d ever had,” says Downtown Evanston Farmers’ Market manager Myra Gorman.</p>
<p id="d8rguB">Some farms decided to skip the 2020 markets or, anticipating lower demand, cut back on their plantings. But grocery store disruptions, a spike in home cooking, and the addition of new services to make shopping easier resulted in farms making up most of the sales they’d lost from selling directly to restaurants, or from early closures.</p>
<p id="st1Axe">“We were kind of taken by surprise last year, because early in the year we didn’t know what to expect. So we held back a little bit,” says Todd Nichols, owner and manager of Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo. “This year we bumped up everything a little bit with the anticipation of a good year.”</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A farmers market exchange of photos,." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wyAQpFvydjSyczN2fNSNuKvD-zk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22510429/SOAR_Farmers_Market_2020_1889.jpg">
<cite>SOAR [Official Photo]</cite>
<figcaption>A scene from the 2020 SOAR Farmers Market at MCA Plaza; the market returns on June 1 at 220 E. Chicago Avenue.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="MezJve">Last week, Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot updated guidelines for farmers markets, allowing the outdoor bazaars to operate at 25 percent capacity or 15 people per 1,000 square feet. <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/15710/green-city-market">Green City Market</a> opened in May in Lincoln Park, still requiring masks and with its capacity limited to 500 people. That’s a big improvement over last year, when only 100 people at a time could shop, a struggle for an event that would draw 7,500 to 10,000 people on a typical pre-pandemic Saturday. Daily attendance last year typically hit about 5,000. Yet the shoppers who did attend spent more money, doing more of their shopping at the market to avoid making trips to the grocery store.</p>
<p id="m7kq2z">“It was really those super-committed shoppers coming through, because they knew they were waiting in line a little bit,” says Green City Market executive director Mandy Moody. “People were doing a lot of shopping at the market and increasing their purchasing, which was phenomenal because the farmers were really grateful to have that support.”</p>
<p id="tRmCT2">Green City Market cut its Wednesday Lincoln Park market last year, but that’s returned this season with programming including grab-and-go kids’ activities and chef Q&As that started with Beverly Kim (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/parachute">Parachute</a>, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/wherewithall">Wherewithall</a>).</p>
<p id="xqcvGC">“We’re excited to bring more of the community vibe back to the market,” Moody says. “We’re getting closer and closer to getting back to normal.”</p>
<p id="XjVbbl">After getting a late start back in 2020, the Lincoln Square Farmers Market opened a month early this year on May 4. Shoppers flocked there last year because they felt safer shopping outside than indoors, and they were also looking for an alternative to the canceled street festivals. While some of Lincoln Square’s usual vendors decided to sit out the season last year, organizers were able to fill the spots with pop-up vendors. Many of those new businesses are returning for the full season this year, so the market has expanded its space to accommodate 40 vendors on Tuesdays and Thursdays, nearly double what it had last year.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A wooden crate full of red radishes." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LgAEUTTNI-oxEG42dVSSc4raTn8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22510477/Jacobson_Family_Farm_13.jpg">
<cite>Green City Market/<a class="ql-link" href="http://www.tessgrahamphotography.com/" target="_blank">Tess Graham Photography</a></cite>
<figcaption>Hands off these radishes.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Vx48kW">“Last year wound up working out really well for us,” says Nicole Benjamin, director of special events for the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. “We had a really great season. We got a lot of positive responses from the neighborhood, so it seemed like this is our time to start early, and we’re already getting a lot of positive feedback and excitement about it.”</p>
<p id="QCzhKG">Shortages at grocery stores caused by supply chain issues created high demand for meat and eggs at farmers markets. And local farms had their own disruptions, because the butchers they normally worked with were booked by bigger operations after COVID-19 shut down many large meat processing plants. The shortages, combined with the boom in home cooking caused by restaurant closures and the Illinois stay-at-home order, forced shoppers to get creative.</p>
<p id="NBiH2l">“With the butchering holdup, we had people trying more weird off-cuts [such as tongue and hearts] that they might not have tried if they weren’t cooking at home as much and if we weren’t sold out of the more premium items,” says Raya Carr, sales manager at Mint Creek Farm in Cabery, a village 85 miles south of Chicago.</p>
<p id="j4SjrZ">Extra free time around the house and concerns about food supply also led to a spike in demand for seasonal garden plants like tomatoes, hot peppers, and basil. But those were also in short supply since they’re typically planted in March — farms didn’t grow as much because they weren’t sure if they’d have a place to sell them.</p>
<p id="1Try9z">“We ended up being sold out of plants very early,” Nichols says. “This year I definitely have more plants available, and I’m hoping the increased gardening interest that people have shown in the past year will continue.” </p>
<p id="kixh3a">The early closure of the farmers markets was a serious concern for Mint Creek Farm, combined <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/3/5/22316044/restaurant-closures-vendors-chicago-covid-ripple-effect">with fewer orders from restaurants</a>. Fortunately, though, the farm had an uptick in interest in its community supported agriculture memberships. (In a CSA, subscribers receive a package of seasonal and surplus products each week for a discounted price.) That’s because shoppers were looking to guarantee their meat supply during continued supply chain disruptions.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UWN2rS4PtlRBo_Enu9lQvGMDkhc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22510463/IMG_3700.jpg">
<cite>Mint Creek Farm [Official Photo]</cite>
<figcaption>Mint Creek Farm’s Raya Carr surrounded by turkeys.</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
<p id="lN80tJ">“I don’t think the farm would still be in business without those memberships,” says Carr. “They definitely grew during the pandemic, and we even had to create a waiting list for a few months. It’s leveled off at about double, but if we had been able to fulfill demand it would have been more like quadruple or quintuple what it was when the pandemic started.”</p>
<p id="kk4cwa">Growing Home in Englewood shut down its farm stand during the pandemic and skipped out on its usual farmers markets, instead focusing entirely on its CSA business and donating produce to the community. It expanded its CSA membership from 30 to 100 and expects to keep those numbers this year.</p>
<p id="ykUSVR">“It actually got people to try new varieties of food, because most of it was already planted out in the fields,” says Growing Home urban farm site manager Fred Daniels. “Some people who probably didn’t like arugula or didn’t like kohlrabi, they got to experiment with it. Our team did an amazing job with outreach, coming up with recipes for everything that was going in the boxes. People got to eat some stuff that they probably wouldn’t have tried.”</p>
<p id="eteTZ2">Growing Home’s CSA members normally pick up their boxes from the farm stand or farmers markets, but the farm started delivering the produce last year and will continue the service this year. Green City Market is also continuing the delivery and curbside programs it launched last year.</p>
<p id="IXdoTq">“We had a lot of people who shared with us how important that was,” Moody says. “Everyone’s hungry to get back to the farmers market, but some people are just not in the place because of their own health or the health of those they live with.”</p>
<p id="b5QPUh">Nichols Farm also started offering online ordering and home delivery last year. Alongside a boom in CSA membership, those sales helped make up for lost revenue from selling to restaurants, which normally accounts for 50 percent of the farm’s business.</p>
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<p id="7Z7R7y">“We embraced [online sales] right away last year when they closed the markets in the spring and it took off right away,” Nichols says. “It’s been a good addition.” </p>
<p id="r5aw0M">Safety protocols continue to pose a challenge for farms and markets, particularly restrictions on customers handling produce. Nichols says he needed 10 employees working instead of the usual five at many of his busier markets because staff need to select and bag everything.</p>
<p id="YaQNvk">“Sales were good, but it was not without a lot of effort,” he says. “I hope they ease some restrictions this year. As long as people aren’t allowed to touch their products, that means you have to run a farmers market more like a deli. It’s such a different ball game when people can grab and choose their own stuff versus you having to do that for them.”</p>
<p id="QIpaZK">The ban on serving prepared foods at the Evanston Farmers’ Market was lifted partway through the 2020 season, and Gorman says she hopes 2021 sees more easing of restrictions.</p>
<p id="KMwRcU">“I would like to see us put out some tables so people have a place to eat,” she says. “I’d like to see us allowing more families to come back and do our kids’ club and music. It’s just a part of the market that makes it that much better.”</p>
<p id="u8pXRv">Still, some of the restrictions created new opportunities. The Lincoln Square Farmers Market needed to rely on volunteers for the first time last year to help with managing capacity and ensure that shoppers were wearing masks and keeping socially distanced. The enthusiasm of the volunteers led the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce to offer another way for people to support the community, starting a Friends of the Market program where members donate $50 to $200 to support the market’s operations and receive swag and discounts at local businesses.</p>
<p id="JVCfP8">With less of a need to cook at home or look for alternatives to the grocery store this year, some customers might not return to the farmers markets. But others will have formed a new appreciation for local farms. Moody says that between 2,000 and 3,000 people experienced the Green City Market for the first time last year, either in person or through the delivery service, and she hopes they’ll remember that local farmers were there for them when they needed them.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="q6ZvbD">“The biggest thing we can do is really communicate with our growing community and help them understand how impactful it is when they shop from the farmers market,” Moody says. “Also when you taste good, real food it’s hard to go back.”</p>
<aside id="V2IhGm"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside>
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/13/22429525/farmers-markets-chicago-social-distancing-mask-requirements-2021Samantha Nelson2021-05-11T13:55:18-05:002021-05-11T13:55:18-05:00A Chicago Chef Rolls the Dice on Casino Life in Indiana
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<figcaption>The Hard Rock Casino opens this week in Gary. | Hard Rock/Guy Rhodes</figcaption>
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<p>Jason Hedin, formerly of Hubbard Inn and Joy District in River North, is heading up Council Oak Steaks and Seafood inside Gary’s Hard Rock Casino</p> <p id="R28uvf">Jason Hedin has traveled the world and cooked with celebrity chefs like Laurent Gras at Chicago’s L20 and in Australia with Dan Hunter. Now, as the pandemic forced him from his kitchen at River North’s <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/joy-district">Joy District</a>, Hedin readies to embark on an unusual new undertaking. He’s the opening chef at Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, the 100-seat restaurant that opens on Thursday, May 14 with the rest of <a href="https://www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com">Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana</a> in Gary.</p>
<p id="yij1cE">A casino doesn’t exactly follow the description painted by health experts of a pandemic-friendly environment where outdoor dining and social distancing have been stressed. But Hedin says he’s comfortable with the casino’s HEPA filters and a state-of-the art filtration system. Gary’s pandemic capacity rules mirror Chicago’s at a 50 percent limit per room.</p>
<p id="mQwTx8">Hedin says his casino looks different compared to smoky and dingy rooms the general public may expect. They’ve got windows at the restaurant and the coffee shop also will have outdoor seating. Hedin, perhaps drinking the company Kool-Aid, says Hard Rock wants to shatter expectations.</p>
<p id="EkPzqO">“I can turn around in my open kitchen and look outside,” Hedin says.</p>
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<img alt="A restaurants marble bar with wire seats and liquor on the shelf." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ltk-xsNqNSIOCr8O5CknJTcwXfg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22505056/087_hardrock_050621.jpg">
<cite>Hard Rock/Guy Rhodes</cite>
<figcaption>The view inside Council Oak Steak and Seafood.</figcaption>
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<p id="kB8MFr">Council Oaks is one of five restaurants inside the $300 million casino. Beyond the steakhouse, Hedin is also in charge of Plum Lounge, an invite-only club for high rollers. There’s also YOUYU Noodle Bar serving Asian street food; Fresh Harvest, a Jack-of-all trades serving soups, pizza, rotisseries meats, and dim sum; and then there’s the standard Hard Rock Cafe. The overall operation includes eight kitchens, and 140 chefs, sous chefs, cooks, and stewards. </p>
<p id="C5S0ZZ">One of Council Oak’s gimmicks will be allowing customers to peer through a window to ogle a refrigerated room of meat so they could pick which chop they want prepared. Indiana is home to 13 casinos with a handful in Gary, Indiana, a half an hour southeast of Chicago by car. Casino diners are different compared to the customers Hedin is used to in Chicago. The chef jokes that he’ll have to send out a few more well-done steaks than usual. While Hard Rock has some items that are mandatory, Hedin says he has control of about half the menu.</p>
<p id="WoD6WT">Hedin is serious about the meat, which is sourced from <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/purely-meat-co">Purely Meat Co.</a>, the same vendor that supplies steaks to prized-steakhouse Gibsons. They’ll dry age the meat at the restaurant. The deployment of Himalayan salt is similar to how the now-shuttered David Burke’s Primehouse aged its steaks in River North. They’ll eventually add imported beef from Japan, Hedin says, adding that he wants to use his fine dining prowess.</p>
<p id="lNayeG">“Chicago is the land of steakhouses and all the steakhouses sort of get muddied,” Hedin says. “We’re really trying for our steakhouse to stand apart.”</p>
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<cite>Hard Rock [Official Photo]</cite>
<figcaption>Council Oak Steakhouse and Seafood chef Jason Hedin.</figcaption>
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<p id="F3S4OO">The company reached out to Hedin last year while he was on furlough from 8Hospitality, the company behind Joy District and Hubbard Inn in River North. Initially, Hedin says he enjoyed this time away from restaurants but as the pandemic dragged on: “That got old pretty fast.”</p>
<p id="YUgNES">The restaurant industry continues to face a labor dilemma with management <a href="https://www.eater.com/22417344/restaurant-labor-shortage-covid-19-unemployment-benefits-risks">struggling to lure workers</a> who have concerns about low wages, a lack of healthcare benefits, and toxic environments. Hard Rock’s corporate structure has provided a shelter for Hedin. They can better afford to pay for healthcare insurance compared to many independent restaurants. Hard Rock convinced Hedin that the company was “on an uphill trajectory compared to the rest of the industry.” They showed him a willingness to invest billions in the company over the new decade, Hedin says. There’s also internal opportunities to travel and work with counter parts outside of the Midwest. For example, Hard Rock is <a href="https://hardrockcasinorockford.com">planning a casino</a> in downstate Rockford.</p>
<p id="XX9i6R">How the Gary casino fares is worth watching from in Chicago <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/4/23/22395813/chicago-casino-bids-restaurants-request-for-proposal">as Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city</a> continues the path toward opening their own casino. The job market is competitive in Chicago with workers demanding more from employers including for more details including a set job description and responsibilities. Many also request salary information, something that Hard Rock hasn’t disclosed <a href="https://www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com/careers">on its job ads</a> as the casino continues its search for key personnel days before the opening.</p>
<p id="cHMW0b">Hard Rock is a name familiar to Chicagoans. The chain’s restaurant opened in 1986 in River North and the city had also had a branded hotel that’s since been renamed. The company has seen consumer demand even during the pandemic, Hedin says. A colleague working at Hard Rock’s Atlantic City, New Jersey venue says their restaurants can see 600 to 700 covers daily. Though high-volume spaces can scare many in the age of COVID-19, they provide Hedin with optimism. </p>
<p id="7qqQDA">“Covers on Friday are higher than ever,” Hedin says of Atlantic City. “People are ready to go out, ready to eat out again.”</p>
<p id="6xDZiI"><a href="https://www.hardrockcasinonorthernindiana.com"><em>Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana</em></a><em>, 5400 W. 29th Avenue, Gary, Indiana; planned for a Thursday opening.</em></p>
<aside id="wBkD7M"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside>
https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/10/22419163/jason-hedin-hard-rock-gary-council-oaks-steaks-seafoodAshok Selvam2021-05-07T12:00:17-05:002021-05-07T12:00:17-05:00After 13 Years, Half Acre Beer to Leave Lincoln Avenue
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<img alt="taproom at Half Acre Beer Co." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LZej9uYCVCEE2x7XXJwcZ2ZSSns=/54x0:907x640/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69252864/Half_Acre.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Half Acre Beer Co. is leaving Lincoln Square. | Half Acre Beer Co. [Official Photo]</figcaption>
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<p>Hop Butcher to the World, another Chicago brewery thirsty for its own space, will move in</p> <p id="UVJRgZ">Half Acre Beer Co., the maker of Daisy Cutter and one of the city’s most successful breweries, is leaving its North Center home after 13 years. Half Acre has sold its space to <a href="http://www.hopbutcher.com/">Hop Butcher For The World</a>, a fellow Chicago brewery that’s lusted for its own taproom for years. The breweries will finalize the sale in October, according to a news release. The brewpub has remained closed since March 2020.</p>
<p id="kBh8OY">The move marks a milestone for North Center and Chicago’s beer scene. Half Acre, which has since opened a larger production facility with brewpub and beer garden on Balmoral, had outgrown its tiny location at 4257 N. Lincoln Avenue. The deal allows Hop Butcher to make more beer and have a consumer-facing space to showcase its lineup. Half Acre can then focus on its Balmoral facility where it ships out beer across the country.</p>
<p id="N91qQ1">Hop Butcher, a brewery that opened in 2014, focuses on unique IPAs like Blazed Orange (a milkshake double IPA with vanilla and orange), lagers, and stouts. They’ll put their own spin on the space. Hop Butcher’s Jeremiah Zimmer tells Eater that it’s too soon to share what they have planned in terms of food, as he and co-founder Jude La Rose will wait until the fall to open. But they have “all intentions of getting into that kitchen with the same vigor we approach our beers though.”</p>
<p id="9qPesL">Back in 2008, breweries in Chicago remained a novelty, a place seen reserved for beer nerds. Half Acre would helped disintegrate that myth allowing friends to gather while playing boardgames and giving parents a little serenity by providing a space to bring their small children while enjoying a few pints. While that happened, Half Acre would hook customers with special brews in foeders and rare releases like Big Hugs and Benthic imperial stouts. Brewery taprooms slowly emerged as competition to taverns.</p>
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<cite>Hop Butcher For the World/MZ Photography</cite>
<figcaption>Hop Butcher For The World’s founders.</figcaption>
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<p id="CvjA6l"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2016/1/8/10736990/half-acre-taproom-food-menu">Half Acre would</a> eventually bring in veteran chef Nick Lacasse to create a brewpub menu with pad Thai burritos and “science cheese” nachos. The food’s success proved to brewery owners that customers wanted more than typical pub fare and forced them to step up their games. In a way, Half Acre laid the path for the success of <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/band-of-bohemia">Band of Bohemia</a> and Moody Tongue Brewing, the only two brewpubs to receive Michelin stars in America.</p>
<p id="UydBTx">“I think our goal was to always be thoughtful about the things we’re doing,” says Half Acre co-founder Gabriel Magliaro, adding that Chicago’s strong restaurant scene makes it difficult to put up a bad food showing.</p>
<p id="5sVrs7">Magliaro adds Half Acre recently upgraded its kitchen space on Balmoral that will allow it to crank out more elevate food offerings. Before the pandemic, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/12/5/20997737/big-star-tacos-half-acre-beer-balmoral-brewery-kitchen">Half Acre announced</a> a collaboration with <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/big-star-3">Big Star</a>, the honky-tonk taco spot in Wicker Park and Wrigleyville, for parent company <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/one-off-hospitality-group">One Off Hospitality Group</a> to take over food service. The pandemic has killed that deal: “They’re focusing on other stuff,” Magliaro says. “But who knows what lies down the road?”</p>
<p id="XBsc8c">Half Acre has hired Claire Smyth, a veteran chef who’s worked at <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/bar-biscay">Bar Biscay</a> and <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/eris-brewery-and-ciderhouse">Eris Brewery & Cider House</a>, to helm its kitchen on Balmoral. They’ll unveil a new menu later this month, Magliaro says. The North Center brewpub has been closed since the pandemic shutdown in March 2020. Stay tuned for updates on Hop Butcher’s opening.</p>
<p id="7QYaGG"><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/chi-half-acre-expansion-20140324-story.html">The <em>Tribune</em> first reported</a> the story.</p>
<p id="Skpxd5"><a href="http://www.hopbutcher.com/"><em>Hop Butcher For The World</em></a><em> brewpub, 4257 N. Lincoln Avenue, planned for an October opening.</em></p>
<aside id="vtkS74"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="Q3Y3Eb"></p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/7/22424662/half-acre-beer-close-lincoln-north-center-hop-butcher-sale-beer-brewpub-taproomAshok Selvam2021-05-04T11:27:26-05:002021-05-04T11:27:26-05:00Illinois Restaurants Could Reopen at Full Capacity by July
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<img alt="A bar with checkered tile and a wooden table in front." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6rn9_YOAx6PiMh6NBgZRf8V0gxU=/89x0:1512x1067/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69235168/51127805189_3fe2596bc4_h.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rose Mary in Fulton Market will have more tables available in July. | Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Chicago’s goal is to fully reopen by Independence Day</p> <p id="BcDZot">At a news conference Tuesday morning at McCormick Place Convention Center to announce the return of the Chicago Auto Show, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city’s hopes to lift capacity limits on restaurants and other businesses by July 1. Meanwhile, restaurants outside of Chicago could fully reopen by mid-June.</p>
<p id="boAKQD">Lightfoot said she wants to get the city’s economy “back on track” and she was encouraged by her Saturday visit to Navy Pier where she saw enthusiastic visitors respect social distance rules while wearing masks and watching a fireworks display. Lightfoot said mask wearing will be a practice that she believes that will continue through the next year or so, mentioning how masks are common sights in foreign countries that have dealt with multiple public health crises.</p>
<p id="XxbZop">Lightfoot said COVID-19 metrics are improving and that health experts predictive modeling for the summer are giving the city reason for optimism. This is also good news for fans of summer festivals, Many restaurants lost money in 2020 after the pandemic wiped out the festival slate; food vending at festivals can provide a valuable revenue stream. While Lightfoot said this summer will feel more like the summer of 2019 than the pandemic summer of 2020, she urged caution.</p>
<p id="fztBWk">“Don’t skip to end of the chapter: there’s more that’s coming,” the mayor said. “We feel very confident on what the summer is going to look like.”</p>
<p id="0zlCrL">Illinois Restaurant Association CEO & President Sam Toia tells Eater Chicago that he has a meeting scheduled with city officials later on Tuesday for more clarity on reopening guidelines. Lightfoot’s announcement comes a day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared the state’s restaurants <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/5/3/22417412/return-full-capacity-indoor-dining-may-nyc">could open at full capacity on May 19</a>. N.Y. Mayor Bill de Blasio <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2021/4/29/22409544/nyc-mayor-restaurant-bar-full-reopening-july-1">had targeted a July 1 date</a> to remove capacity limits for the Big Apple. Not every restaurant would be able to make that deadline as it takes time to bulk up staff — many service industry workers are reluctant to return to restaurants for various reasons. </p>
<p id="PQAkpD">The city has stuck to its plans to gradually increase on-premise service for restaurants and bars, which was suspended for a second time on October 29 (the first being in March 2020). Chicago restaurants welcomed indoor diners <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/1/23/22245848/chicago-cook-county-indoor-dining-restaurants-bars-dining-room-covid">back in late January</a> at a 25 percent maximum capacity or 25 per room. The capacity limit increased to 40 percent, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/2/16/22285840/chicago-restaurants-50-percent-capacity-increase-covid-restrictions">or a 50 per room max in February</a>. While the city maintained the 50-person limit, capacity was tweaked to <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/3/2/22309340/chicago-indoor-dining-restrictions-capacity-coronavirus">50 percent two weeks later</a>. Last week, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/4/29/22409790/chicago-covid-19-restrictions-united-center-windy-city-smokeout-summer-festivals">Lightfoot announced</a> the most recent adjustment when the maximum per-person capacity was increased to 100 people. <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2021/3/22/22344263/restaurants-bars-capacity-limit-proof-covid-19-vaccination-pritzker-ramova-theater-restoration">Fully vaccinated customers</a> don’t count against capacity limits.</p>
<p id="k7b1kV">The state <a href="https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/bridge-phase">could next week advance</a> to a bridge phase between Phase 4 of its COVID-19 recovery plan and Phase 5 — a final phase that comes without capacity limits. While indoor capacity limits for the bridge phase vary by municipality, the phase doesn’t have a radical impact on restaurants and bars. It’s more about loosening restrictions for theaters, sports, and museums.</p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2021/5/4/22419106/return-full-capacity-indoor-dining-july-chicago-illinois-restaurantsAshok Selvam2020-06-04T15:20:09-05:002020-06-04T15:20:09-05:00Garifuna Flava Relies on Community Guidance During Tumultuous Times
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<figcaption>Hussein Castillo of Garifuna Flava says he plans to take the reopening slowly. | Hussein Castillo</figcaption>
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<p>Read, in their own words, how Chicago restaurant leaders are coping with the COVID-19 outbreak</p> <p id="sYWvUC"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/chicago">Chicago</a> restaurants and bars with food are allowed to <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2020/6/3/21279007/chicago-restaurants-open-patio-outdoor-dining">open for socially-distanced outdoor dining</a>. On Wednesday, some establishments began serving dine-in customers for the first time in more than 11 weeks, while others are staggering their reopenings over the next several days. Restaurant owners are grappling with this step ostensibly toward economic recovery, asking themselves difficult questions about health, safety, and what needs to change for restaurants to be worth saving. </p>
<p id="k89HQg">In this regular feature, Eater Chicago will talk to three members of Chicago’s food world, asking them about how they’ve changed their business models during the pandemic and what the long-term consequences may be for farm-to-table restaurants.</p>
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<cite>Hussein Castillo</cite>
<figcaption>Hussein Castillo of Garifuna Flava</figcaption>
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<p id="ZQHBUr">Hussein Castillo co-operates Caribbean and Central American restaurant <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/26280/garifuna-flava-a-taste-of-belize">Garifuna Flava</a> with mother and chef Yolanda and father Rhodel on West 63rd Street in Marquette Park, as well as an outpost in the <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/11708/chicago-french-market">Chicago’s French Market</a>. The stand-alone restaurant has remained open during Illinois’s stay-at-home order and is offering food <a href="https://www.garifunaflava.say2eat.com/order-online">for takeout and delivery</a>.</p>
<p id="o9Gx7p">“The tricky part of all this is the reopening, because it’s such a minefield now. Public safety, staff safety, plus getting the business back to at least half of what it was before — we’re trying to reimagine how to do business in this kind of economy. We’re trying to be as creative and inventive as possible. We’re reorganizing our menu so it’s more flexible to what the customers may want at any particular time, we’ve done family meals, and we’ve started doing a delivery service... We’re just trying to show that we’re still there for our customers and our community as best as possible. It’s going to be a slow opening in terms of people really wanting to come out and dine. The pandemic’s not over — things are starting to reopen, but it’s not necessarily over. We assume it’s not going to be a grand rush, but a lot of caution... We’ll take it slowly, that’s our plan. We also try to be cautious and smart about any decision we make, take things slowly and see how things pan out. We still make our services available to everyone. This is our city and this is our livelihood so we want to give our community something that they enjoy and that we enjoy giving to the community...</p>
<p id="9MMW43">I guess the best way we view [Chicago’s recent unrest] is, regardless of what’s happened, we’re all Chicagoans in this situation together so we’re going to work together to get through it. Customers have reached out to us, other restaurateurs have reached out as well, and we’ve reached out to them. We’re all in it — we all know we’re going to get through it. We know that completely valid issues have been brought up that are being protested about, which we totally support. We definitely are behind what’s happening in terms of systemic change in Chicago and across the U.S. We know things got a bit out of hand, but we also know as Chicagoans that it’s a sign for change. We’re behind whatever it takes to bring about that change and improve our communities.”</p>
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<cite>Zoe Schor</cite>
<figcaption>Zoe Schor (left) of Split Rail with partner Whitney LaMora</figcaption>
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<p id="AFBwBU">Zoë Schor is a co-owner and chef at neighborhood spot <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/30063/split-rail">Split-Rail</a> in West Town, as well as <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2020/2/13/21136251/dorothy-basement-bar-split-rail-ukrainian-village-humboldt-park-cocktails-photos-images">new downstairs bar</a> Dorothy. Split-Rail has been open for takeout during the stay-at-home order. Schor and girlfriend Whitney LaMora, who runs flexible event space <a href="https://www.themartinchicago.com/">the Martin</a>, recently launched at-home dining and class series “<a href="https://www.splitrailchicago.com/event/off-the-table-an-engaging-dinner-series/">Off the Table</a>.” Together, they aim to combat the emotional and psychological exhaustion that many are experiencing during the pandemic with interactive classes that demystify intimidating ingredients and techniques, like whole fish cookery.</p>
<p id="EngJIc">“I’m a human being, there are days when I would give anything to roll back the clock, go to <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/cafe-cancale">Cafe Cancale</a> and order a martini, but for the most part I’ve been pushing myself not to indulge in that thought process. We are where we are, and things will change again, and if we’re lucky we won’t ever again have this opportunity to stay in like this. I don’t want this to happen again, so because of that it’s like, this is your one chance. Live it the way you want to live it, examine your business, your career, your relationships — no excuses. That’s what I’m trying to focus on... The restaurant industry has been quick to say, ‘how are [officials] going to save us?’ The question is, how are we going to save ourselves? I’m seeing it happening, big chefs are making moves, the Independent Restaurant Coalition has done a lot for us. But what are we doing at home to make sure restaurants are worth reopening?...</p>
<p id="om8s0O">Ultimately, that’s the question that every restaurant owner needs to address. What will be different about me when this is over? What will be different about my business when this is over? Basically, if you come out of this and you go back to business as usual, shame on you. We have this incredible opportunity to restart exactly the way we want to and the way we think is right... Leaders need to make a change and stay when we come back we’re going to do this different. It might resemble what we did before, it might not, but it should be notably different.”</p>
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<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://3rdarm.biz/los-surfos/jose-olguin-photography/" target="_blank">Jose Olguin</a></cite>
<figcaption>Lanie Bayless of Bar Sótano</figcaption>
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<p id="pebvZ6">Lanie Bayless is the spirits director at the Frontera Group, the company behind acclaimed Chicago establishments including <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/frontera-grill-2">Frontera Grill</a>, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/topolobampo">Topolobampo</a>, and <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/bar-s-tano">Bar Sótano</a>, founded by her father, decorated chef Rick Bayless. The group closed all of its restaurants when stay at home was issued in March, before reopening a few of its restaurants for takeout. Several of <a href="https://www.rickbayless.com/now-booking-your-spot-on-our-patio/">the group’s restaurants are reopening</a> in the next several days, starting Thursday at Xoco in River North. Lanie Bayless is more than 20 weeks pregnant with her first child.</p>
<p id="PTMtYl">“We are doing everything we can to keep things safe for eating outside, but the question is, will anyone come? It’s a concern a lot of restaurateurs have... Everyone has their own comfort level with this situation. We hope to welcome people back into our home when [they] feel comfortable. We are taking all the precautions and steps we can to make employees and guests as safe as possible... When it comes to pregnancy, experiencing this during this crazy time of pandemic has not necessarily been the easiest. Obviously, I’m particularly scared of getting sick and what that could mean for the baby, so when we do talk about opening stuff up, I am taking a more cautious approach than some people because of that. At least in my thinking and in my brain, it’s like, ‘well, do I really want to be around these people that aren’t wearing masks while they’re having dinner?’ Of course we’ll take all the precautions we can internally to keep ourselves safe, but as we’ve learned through this crazy virus, nothing is particularly safe. </p>
<p id="Vnl6lj">Obviously, too, Frontera and this group is my legacy — my parents are passing it down to me, so it’s definitely something my husband and I think about wanting to save for next generation, for our little baby girl. We want to fight as much as we can to keep things going and happy. We have so many amazing staff, people who have worked for us for 20, 30 years, people who grew up raising me. I want those people to be around when our daughter is born to help raise her the way I was raised in this amazing, crazy environment. It takes more of an emotional stake in that way, just wanting to see these people back in the restaurant, see them around and have them still be part of our lives. </p>
<p id="aOoouf">There’s always this crazy side of my brain that’s like, ‘you’re going to get sick and hurt your baby.’ I’ve been juggling those two things a lot, which has added an extra level of anxiety, but I’m just trying to push through it and figure out how to best serve both sides of that, I guess. It’s also interesting to think about working in Bar Sótano as a pregnant person. I’m trying to figure out too, when things do reopen what my role will be. I can still create drinks and taste things when need be and stuff like that, but it was one of my biggest concerns when if found out I was pregnant was how to balance role as beverage director. At work, people are constantly handing me things to drink.The pandemic has been been a bit of a blessing that way because I haven’t had to do that and I’m able to keep things a little more calm in that regard. Unfortunately it’s a little hard for me to be on my feet for long periods of time, so I’m thinking about where I’m going to fit in in terms of work that needs to be done.”</p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2020/6/4/21278094/chicago-chefs-restaurant-coronavirus-garifuna-flava-split-rail-dorothy-frontera-groupNaomi Waxman