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/403159
photography by anjali pinto (interiors, bartender, food); clayton hauck (cocktail) songs upstairs The Promontory's second foor is a destination for jazz, blues, and soul. Since the venue opened in August, it has grooved to the likes of Ramsey Lewis, the Ari Brown Quintet, and Maceo Parker. This month's offer- ings include a garage-rock revival featuring '60s group the Cave Dwellers and '50s cult R&B singer T. Valentine (November 1), Willy Porter (November 13), and more. clockwise from far left: Inspired by tree canopies, Juan Angel Chavez's art installation hangs high above the dining room; the bar program highlights fresh and house- made ingredients; the Kentucky Burgoo with pork collar, quail, rabbit sausage, hominy, and charred corn. Craig Golden and chef Jared Wentworth, who also own Michelin-starred Longman & Eagle and Pilsen trio Dusek's, Punch House, and live music venue Thalia Hall. So when the University of Chicago approached them to develop a concept near the new Harper Court, it was a no-brainer.r. With other high-profile restaurateurs like Yusho owner Matthias Merges populating the neighborhood, the challenge became how to make The Promontory's menu stand out. Finkelman's idea? Tap into local history and, inspired by the Alfred Caldwell – designed council rings (now used as fire pits) at Promontory Point on the nearby lakefront, center the kitchen around a massive hearth and feature exclu- sively open-f lame cooking. As chef Wentworth explains it, "Let's cook caveman style and modernize it, and take it to another level." The menu is divided into sections—cold, fast, historic, embers, snacks—and nearly all of the Mediterranean, French, and regional American dishes change as ingredients come and go. Many dishes have some local element that touches the f lames, heated by cherry and oak wood up to 900 degrees. But it is the "historic" section that really gets the chef excited. "This gave me the opportu- nity to do some dishes once done on hearths before modern gas cooking started," he said. "It's cool to do classic one-pots and modernize them by breaking down those components and putting them into modern settings." These include the Kentucky Burgoo, a stew featuring pork collar, quail, and rabbit sausage with green beans, hominy, and charred corn. The dishes may have historic inspiration, but Wentworth's interpretation is utterly of-the-moment—think sweet, smoky Slagel Family Farm pork ribs with plump grilled shrimp served alongside a pillowy scallion crêpe, or a po' boy with crispy fried oysters and tender pulled pork piled into a buttery, house-made lobster roll. The menu will become even more locally focused throughout late fall and winter, Wentworth's favorite time to cook. "We'll feature a lot of modern takes on regional American dishes like game meat, Brunswick stew, pâtés, and terrines, and we're trying to source local venison," he said. "Then, as it gets colder, we'll move into heartier interpretations of stews and one-pots"—ideal dishes for shared meals, and perfectly in keeping with the restaurant's community- centered philosophy. "It's really spectacular to see all these different groups of folks coming out to enjoy the place," says Finkelman with satisfaction. "That's exactly what we envisioned." 5311 South Lake Park Ave. West, 312-801-2100; promontorychicago.com MA drink me The Promontory serves up cocktails with flair. Highly recommended: the hot buttered rum with brown-butter-infused El Dorado rum, vanilla bourbon bitters, and spiced caramel syrup, or the Manhattan ( pictured) with hearth-charred ver- mouth, bourbon, and cherry bark vanilla bitters. "Let's cook caveman styLe and modernize it, and take it to another LeveL." —chef jared wentworth 98 michiganavemag.com taste