at least a dozen new spots opening up each month, Chicago's dining
scene just keeps expanding! But some new additions are creating a
bit more of a buzz than the rest. 190 North's Lou Canellis took a
tour of some of the hot new spots in for the food lovers out there!
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There's certainly never been a shortage of good steakhouses in
this town but the latest meat-lover's offering is adding a little
more style to the mix -- as a nightclub and restaurant. Avenue M
gets its catchy name comes from its locale -- along Milwaukee Avenue.
And once inside, you can see, its definitely not your old-style
steakhouse. You will see sweeping sheer curtains and trendy balcony
lounges where crowds can scope out the patrons below.
"We say an opportunity here with this space to come together and
do something we found special, unique in its application in this
contemporary American steakhouse type of environment with the lounge
hybrid," said Lew.
Lew Langer launched this new concept with three friends who have
all enjoyed success in the nightlife business. For Avenue M's upscale
cuisine though, they turned to Chef Daniel Kelly.
"We have a world class chef that has an upscale presentation on
some Contemporary American Steakhouse fare and I think that's what
makes it really special for our guests," said Langer.
Some of the signature dishes coming out of Kelly's kitchen are
pan-seared chicken breast stuffed with Maine lobster, roasted fillet
of bass served over spinach and, of course, mouth-watering steaks!
On beautiful summer nights, the place to be is on Avenue M's ivy-covered
terrace. It boasts both a lounge and a dining area, where the full
menu is served.
Another contemporary take on the Chicago steakhouse is a sleek
new destination in Printer's Row. At the helm of Custom House is
none other than Chef Shawn McClain of Spring and Green Zebra acclaim.
"Whereas our first one, Spring, focuses on eclectic seafood, Green
Zebra is vegetarian, our third focuses on meat, a contemporary look
at meat and steak," said McClain.
To compliment all of the meaty offerings -- like braised short
ribs, McClain likes to advantage of fresh, seasonal offerings for
creative side dishes like truffle risotto and au gratin potatoes
with sheep's milk cheese.
"We try to get to the markets each week to bring to the table
everything that is in bounty," said McClain.
Custom House's fresh take on cuisine hasn't taken long to gather
a following of loyal food lovers.
"Our main focus was something that was timeless, really comfortable,
urban and contemporary that really fits downtown, allowing people
to relax and enjoy a meal," said McClain.
If it's a simpler time you are yearning for, the old-fashioned
delicatessen is making a hip comeback in the South Loop with the
arrival of Eleven City Diner.
"I don't think we're really reinventing the wheel or anything.
I think we're just kind of giving something to people that we all
grew up with. It is what speaks to me," said McClain.
Owner Brad Rubin offers plenty of lox and bagels, matzo ball soup,
hot, hand-cut corned beef and pastrami and old fashioned-sweets
too!
"We have a 1961 soda fountain completely refurbished. We have
an in-house soda jerk at all times," said Rubin.
That means you can get all kinds of malts and egg creams. And
along with the nostalgic food offerings, the décor will take you
back in time with the classic lunch counter, subway tiles, leather
booths and even a penny candy counter.
"It has very much a New York influence too, this particular restaurant,
not just the food, the design, the interiors," said Seibert Solomon.
"I had matzo ball soup, probably haven't had it in 20 years. It
was the first thing I saw on the menu and it was delicious."
Our last stop is an ultra-modern mecca for people with a sweet
tooth. F212 is an edgy new dessert lounge and coffee house designed
by the same man who brought us Mod and Sugar!
"I wanted something different. I used to go to clubs and lounges
and coffee houses and I wanted to mesh the two," said Aliya Jiwa,
owner.
F212 has a modern decor.
"I basically gave him the name and a color scheme and he came
up with everything else. Everything is based on temperature. Fahrenheit
212, it's the boiling point of water," said Jiwa.
And so fittingly, all things brewed are big on the menu at F212
but you can find lunch and dinner fare too -- like eight different
types of pot pie. But owner, Aliya Jiwa also wanted sweets to be
a fixture.
"We have a pastry chef. He makes desserts exclusively for us,
they're all individual," said Jiwa.
All in all, they serve up about 25 different sweets each day.
Some of their favorites are their chocolate hazelnut dome and the
hot chocolate flight. Most nights, an in-house DJ helps to keep
the club vibe going.For more information:
