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!
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAGES FOR FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY (SEDGWICK & BACON) SO MANY DINNERS (SO LITTLE TIME) Gregory Elliott's revitalized menu. Wave at the W Hotel has been injected with energy. UP ON THE ROOF continued from page 68 the zeitgeist. Chapman came in under- standing the Chicago market and is ready to shake things up. "I want it to be a fun, hip, energetic restaurant and lounge," says Chapman, who is also a certified sommelier. "We're reenergizing the bar operations to create that vibe and get it back into the hotel lobby and restaurant." Wave diners Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon Chapman pays homage to Elliott's style of letting ingredients shine by incorporating seasonal flavors into his cocktails. "The holidays are here and seasons are changing," Chapman says, and his autumn drink list expresses that, using "pumpkin, spices, cinnamon, and things that entice the palate and give you those warm feelings." Other changes are afoot at Wave. To keep pace with the transformation in the dining room, the W's owners are investing in a top-to- bottom makeover that will include a renovation of the restaurant. For Elliott, it means an even greater opportunity to keep Wave from being just another hotel restaurant. The chef and his team are ready. Says Elliott, "The timing is right to breathe new life into this place and get it back on the map." 644 N. Lakeshore Dr., 312-255-4460; waverestaurant.com MA 70 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM Even as Chicagoans bear down for winter, Elliott is looking ahead to spring. An avid gardener, Elliott has plans to construct a 2,000- to 2,500-square-foot rooftop garden on the W's sixth floor. Elliott says he'll grow produce such as lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, baby carrots, kale, zucchini, baby beets, and beans. "I won't be able to grow enough to supply the restaurant," says Elliott, "[but] we can grow enough to create a rooftop section of the menu with dishes that use its ingredients." FALL FLAVORS In keeping with the chef's passion for the season ("I love autumn, football— everything that goes into Thanksgiving"), Elliott has created a classic holiday menu. Available à la carte or family style, the feast kicks off with shaved persimmon salad with pomegranate, endive, and Big Wood's blue cheese, then follows with Slagel Family Farm roast turkey with roasted garlic and sage rub; house-made garlic stuffing; caramelized Brussels sprouts with maple syrup, bacon and nutmeg; and Yukon gold mashed potatoes with chives and crème fraîche. For dessert, count on Seedling Farm pear financier with rosemary ice cream and classic pumpkin pie with cinnamon whip ice cream. Seedling Farm pear financier. Pumpkin spice martini