Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/101703
FLAVOR OF THE MONTH Tesori is a hidden gem in the Symphony Center. sounds delicious SYMPHONY CENTER'S TESORI IS WORTHY OF APPLAUSE. BY J.P. ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATHAN KIRKMAN R espected as it was during its 17-year run, Rhapsody, the Symphony Center's longtime fine dining restaurant, was never particularly inviting. The crowd was hushed; the cuisine was serious; and the wide-open room and massive 12-foot windows removed any trace of intimacy. It was, frankly, the restaurant of another era. "It was stuffy," sums up general manager Amanda Su, a petite former dancer turned restaurant pro who was instrumental in transitioning Rhapsody to a new concept. "We wanted [the new place] to be approachable and comforting, to be a 'third place' for people in addition to work and home.... We're so associated with the Symphony that people didn't even realize we were open to the public when I first started—so shying away from that would be a good thing." To that end, in the dining room, window transoms were added to lower the ceilings and add intimacy, and rich chocolate-brown leather banquettes give the place a clubby feel. The biggest design change, though, is in the bar. "It glows," Diners enjoy Italian-inspired dishes courtesy of Executive Chef Andrew Deuel. says Su. "The architect said that people are like bugs toward a light—they go toward the glow—so it was really important for the bar to have an almost amber [light] to it." The result of all this tinkering is Tesori—and, as it turns out, it's a very good thing. Though it opened to little fanfare in September, the casual, convivial, 180-seat Mediterranean spot is drawing more and more attention as a neighborhood go-to, not to mention a favorite of visiting and local celebs, from CSO figures Yo-Yo Ma and Riccardo Muti to Cloud Atlas codirector Lana Wachowski. The much-improved atmosphere is certainly part of the appeal, but the lion's share of credit for Tesori's success falls squarely on the shoulders of chef Andrew Deuel, whose accessible, flavorful cuisine has made foodies take notice. A veteran of legendary New York kitchens Le Cirque 2000 and the Rainbow Room, the 38-year-old Ohio native's cooking philosophy is straightforward. "I focus on using the best ingredients and preparing Tesori's success falls on the shoulders of chef Andrew Deuel, whose flavorful cuisine has made foodies take notice. 58 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 058-061_MA_FOM_FlavorOfTheMonth_Winter13.indd 58 1/2/13 6:43 PM