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/78288
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP (INTERIOR) SO MANY LUNCHES... SO LITTLE TIME "It's like a private club where everyone is invited. "—rich varnes, gm The clubby main dining room is a go-to spot for the well-heeled. RL's elegant façade sets the tone for its sophisticated interior. staying power W CHICAGO'S TRENDSETTERS AND POWER BROKERS FLOCK TO RL, FOUNDED BY A TITAN OF THE FASHION WORLD. BY ARI BENDERSKY ith its iconic polo ponies, chic housewares, and old-boy-network vibe, Ralph Lauren epitomizes American fashion and culture. So it only makes sense that when the company conceived its first restaurant in 1999, adjacent to its stately boutique on Michigan Avenue (the world's largest Ralph Lauren, it should be noted), the atmosphere would fol- low the Ralph Lauren code to a T. From the leather and wood interior to the gallery-quality art collection to the upscale classic American cuisine, it all fits. And the clientele? Well, they fall right in line, too. RL offers one of Chicago's most sought-after dining rooms, especially at lunch, a go-to gathering spot for the well-heeled, well-connected, and well- groomed. On any given day (assuming you can get a reservation, which must be made well in advance), you will run into Chicago's power set—politicians, bankers, media personalities, celebs, socialites, and more—many of whom dine here several times a week, if not daily. "I spend my life there, I really do," says socialite Mamie Walton. "I'm there three to four times a week. It's like going into your favorite little pub in London, but much chicer. You know everyone—the waiters, the girls at the desk. The food is tremendous and the ambience is incredible. It's just so special." RL exudes power, whether you're sitting in the front bar The RL Burger is said to be one of the best in Chicago. elegant 80 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM sipping a vodka martini, reclining in a deep leather club chair in front of the ebony marble fireplace waiting to be seated, or at one of the prime spots in the dining room. "It's like a private club where everyone is invited," says general manager Rich Varnes, who has been at the restaurant since 2001, when the Gibsons Restaurant Group took over. "The intention of this place was always to be a hot spot, a social scene, to really be a place that represents the Ralph Lauren aspirational lifestyle." There are few rooms in the city that draw so many movers and shakers on any given day of the week. That clientele includes many of Chicago's wealthiest, who live or work nearby, such as former White House social secretary and current CEO of Johnson Publishing Desiree Rogers, Sun-Times entertainment columnist Bill Zwecker, Mesirow Financial EVP Les Coney, former Playboy chairwoman Christie Hefner, man-about-town Neal Zucker, photographer Victor Skrebneski, Ariel Investments' Mellody Hobson and her beau, director George Lucas, the aforementioned legendary socialite Walton, and count- less others who call RL a home away from home. For the upper crust, it's easy to feel at ease inside RL. The room is swathed in mahogany, has navy walls, and is dotted with touches like individual table lamps and leather-bound books. It has her- ringbone floors, oversize pillows, and tufted leather chairs. Then there's the art collection, reported to be worth millions, of portraits, paintings, and celeb- rity photographs that hang throughout the space. "This gorgeous room just screams Ralph Lauren," says executive chef Ryan Pitts, who has been with continued on page 82