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/198792
TASTE Family Dinners CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The French fare at Pierrot Gourmet and the farro and grapes salad at Gilt Bar are two of OrganicLife CEO Jonas Falk's favorites; he also enjoys the tapas at Mercat a la Planxa. AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES, ORGANICLIFE CEO JONAS FALK SHARES HIS FAVORITE RESTAURANTS FOR GATHERING WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COLLEAGUES. BY ELLE EICHINGER J Mercat a la Planxa "One of the guys I graduated with at Kendall College had taken a job at Mercat. He called me to ask for advice on whether it would be a good spot to work, so we tried it, and it was and is phenomenal. The fish is always great, as is the branzino con alcachofas. It's a great place to take people from out of town." 638 S. Michigan Ave., 312-765-0524; mercatchicago.com Three Aces "Three Aces has some of the best Italian food in the city; it's a relaxed environment, but the food is four-star. Everything on the menu is good, but 90 the house-made tagliatelle is ridiculous. We bring our management team there to eat and discuss what happened that month and what's to come." 1321 W. Taylor St., 312-243-1577; threeaceschicago.com David Burke's Primehouse "David Burke's has the best steak in the city. Anytime we have board meetings or business meetings, this is where we go. I have a huge family—five sisters and two brothers—and it's my favorite place to take them when they come downtown." 616 N. Rush St., 312-660-6000; davidburkesprimehouse.com Gilt Bar "I go to Gilt Bar at least once a week. Our offices are a few blocks away in River North, so we found it when we opened and have been going ever since. Chef Jason Vaughan's farro and grapes salad is one of the best things in the world." 230 W. Kinzie St., 312-464-9544; giltbarchicago.com Pierrot Gourmet "Pierrot at the Peninsula is two blocks from my house, and its outdoor patio is one of the nicest places in the city. The menu is old-school French but with a twist, and the service is fantastic. The popover with chicken and sweet potato hash is delicious." 108 E. Superior St., 312-573-6749; peninsula.com Mon Ami Gabi "My dad's favorite dish in the world is steak frites, and he loves Mon Ami's version, so we used to go there often. [Now] I go during the week, and the ambience is perfect." 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, 773-348-8886; monamigabi.com MA PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANUWAT MORAKOTJANTACHOTE (PIERROT GOURMET); KARI SKAFLEN (GILT BAR) onas Falk's original business plan for OrganicLife—written his first and only year at Michigan State University—earned him a lowly 'D' grade. ("I was a terrible student," Falk admits. "I spent my time running a restaurant on campus and barely went to class.") Falk pushed ahead with his business plan anyway, and six short years later, OrganicLife is the largest healthy alternative food service management company in the Midwest, serving more than 30 million meals each month to students across Illinois and employing more than 250 workers, 100 of which are chefs and cooks. "While I could have pursued many different aspects of the food service industry, I felt the biggest need was for nutritious meals—that kids will actually eat—at the school level," Falk says. This month, the 29-year-old will celebrate Thanksgiving with his family in Glencoe ("my mom still won't let me in the kitchen," he jokes, "even after all these years"). Back in Chicago, these are his favorite places for dining with a group. MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 090_MA_Taste_Tour_Nov13.indd 90 10/21/13 10:35 AM