The Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings in Chicago, Summer 2023

Summer’s typically a slower season for restaurant openings, but there are a few notable projects worth getting excited about around Chicago. A pair of brewpubs, one from a band of independent industry members and another from Diageo — one of the biggest alcohol companies in the world — headline this summer’s new offerings. There are also two bars with distinctive atmospheres that will serve different versions of Indian food. Finally, a group that’s known for Mexican food is trying something new with an Italian restaurant taking over River North landmark bar Rockit. We tip our fedoras in tribute to the fallen. Without further delay, here are the most anticipated restaurant openings of the summer in Chicago.

Listed alphabetically.

Clumsy Cow BBQ & Industry Ales Brewpub

Address: 230 S. Wabash Avenue, the Loop

Key Players: Alexander Willis, Dan Rook, Zack Blazek, and Matt Wiegers

Ambitious trio Dan Rook, Zack Blazek, and Matt Wiegers aim to shake up the Loop in a serious way with a one-two punch of summer debuts on Wabash Avenue. The Downtown hospitality veterans will first unleash Clumsy Cow BBQ, helmed by Soul & Smoke-alum Alexander Willis, where patrons will find “new age” takes on rib tips, Polish sausage, and more at 234 S. Wabash. Willis will also tend to vegetarian diners with a Southern-fried lion’s mane mushroom sandwich. Willis and company will follow with Industry Ales Brewpub, an expansive beer haven with multiple floors and a speakeasy-style cocktail bar, at 230 S. Wabash next door to iconic 122-year-old photography retailer Central Camera.

DeNuccis

Address: 503 W. Dickens Avenue, Lincoln Park

Key Players: Ballyhoo Hospitality 

Long before there were fan conventions and pop culture pop-up bars, there was Four Farthings Tavern & Grill. First opened in 1963, the Irish bar took its name from Lord of the Rings and served a loyal cadre of patrons until its closure during the early years of the pandemic. Its former home at the corner of Lincoln, Cleveland, and Dickens will soon bustle activity once again when the team at Ballyhoo Hospitality — the group behind neighborhood staple Gemini across the street — unveils DeNuccis, a red sauce Italian spot that promises New Jersey and New York vibes for dinner daily and for lunch on weekends. The restaurant should open in July, according to a rep.

Federales Logan Square

Address: 2471 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Square

Key players: Four Corners

West Loop party bar Federales, which serves tacos but is better known for serving tequila in ice shot glasses that patrons down and then throw at a bell, will blast into Logan Square this summer with an 8,500-square-foot outpost equipped with a retractable roof. Construction on the former Marcello’s Father & Son at Milwaukee and Sacramento avenues has unfolded over many months, with neighborhood residents observing the proceedings from their barstools across the intersection at breezy corner spot Estero. The Federales team isn’t, however, reinventing the wheel: the menu will be similar to its sister spot. The restaurant should open at the end of July, according to a rep.

Guinness Open Gate Brewery

Address: 901 W. Kinzie Street, Fulton Market

Key Players: Diageo Brands

Guinness, the legendary Irish stout, is focusing operation in Chicago with a new brewpub that was supposed to open in March to tap into the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. No matter, the makers of the mega-stout will now channel summer vibes with a restaurant, brewing facility, and bakery. Yes — Diageo made sure the culinary world knew its new project would involve baking bread — they sponsored the James Beard Awards gala and told the audience. Look for more info soon.

Lilac Tiger

Address: 1742 W. Division Street, Wicker Park

Key Players: Zubair Mohajir, Ty Fujimura, Won Kim

Wazwan, the fast-casual Indian-American restaurant in Wicker Park, has grown too big for its size, and without a liquor license, it’s hard to compete with the bars along Division Street. The same can be said about chef Zubair Mohajir’s passion project, the tasting menu restaurant in the back, called the Coach House by Wazwan; customers expect wine pairings when they sit down for a fine dining meal. So he turned to his friends — Arami’s Ty Fujimura and Kimski’s Won Kim. Fujimura helped Mohajir secure a liquor license, and Kim will help lend a creative touch to transforming Wazwan into Lilac Tiger. The hope is to make the bar to Indian food and drink what Nine Bar has done for Chinese food and drink in Chinatown. Look for bar bites — like Wazwan’s momos and burgers — and fun cocktails.

Monarch & Lion

Address: 302 E. Illinois Street, River North

Key Players: Manish and Rina Mallick, chef Jitin Joshi

In Streeterville, the owners of Rooh Chicago and Bar Goa are working on an English pub that serves British-Indian food using Midwestern ingredients. Monarch & Lion is an atypical pub, though customers will be able to find the latest soccer, crickets, and international matches. The food’s coming from an accomplished chef who’s worked with Gordon Ramsay and has restaurants in England and Dubai. Find fish & chips, bangers & mash, chicken tikka masala, and more. The drink program will lean toward gin.

Sifr

Address: 660 N. Orleans Street, River North

Key Players: Sujan Sarkar, Sahil Sethi

Not much is known about Sifr, described as a “modern Middle Eastern” restaurant by its management, the same team behind Indienne, the French-Indian mashup in River North. Former colleagues, Sujan Sarkar and Sahil Sethi — both cooked at Rooh Chicago — are teaming up once more as Sethi has traveled to do some research and development over the last few months. They’re taking over the former Bernie’s Supper Club, which closed during the pandemic, so they’ll also have a second-floor roof deck to fill. Sakar, who continues to work with the original Rooh brand in New York and San Francisco, has worked with so-called Middle Eastern flavors before, fusing them with Indian and European sensibilities. The restaurant is quickly taking shape and could open by the end of June.

Ummo

Address: 22 W. Hubbard Street, River North

Key Players: José Sosa, Germán González, Carlos Gaytán

Former Gibsons Italia executive chef José Sosa will take center stage in July with the opening of Ummo, his Italy-traversing tribute to the cuisines of Emilia-Romagna and Puglia. Centered around live-fire cooking, Sosa’s ever-changing menu taps into the Italian habit of manipulating ingredients (sourced from around the world) as little as possible, highlighting their distinctive qualities through fresh pasta, as well as meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Housed in the home of shuttered nightlife destination Rockit Bar & Grill, Ummo will feature two floors with a cocktail bar and vintage ‘70s-style lounge space that will host DJs, live music, and other performers.

Source: Eater Chicago