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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T he Guide THE VERY pan-asian food MONTH THIS BEST OF devour: imbibe: hotel bars acquire: winter gear relax: retreats EAT, DRINK, SHOP, AND UNWIND make no little plans FORMER AVENUES CHEF CURTIS DUFFY AIMS HIGH WITH GRACE. BY J.P. ANDERSON R estaurants open every week in this food-obsessed town of ours. But not since Grant Achatz's Next burst onto the scene in early 2011 has a restaurant been as highly anticipated as Grace, the first solo effort from former Avenues chef Curtis Duffy. Little wonder. At Avenues, the Columbus native's exquisite seasonal cui- sine garnered multiple four-star reviews and two Michelin stars; when Duffy announced in July 2011 that he would be leaving to open his own restaurant (and, in doing so, reach for that third star), local foodies immedi- ately started licking their chops in anticipation. Nearly a year and a half later, Duffy's dream has become a reality with Grace, a 64-seat Randolph Street destination. The name, says the chef, "embodies the style of food we produce, meaning that it's elegant, it has refinement, there's a gentleness to it." To that end, the opening menu offers dishes such as toro with ginger, coconut, basil, pomelo, and lime, all nestled inside a thin cylinder made of ice; and a scallop dish livened with goat's milk, hibiscus, and five elements of licorice. The restaurant also features what Duffy hopes is a level of service unmatched in the city, with all staff studying not just the food and wine pro- grams, but every aspect of the restaurant's design, down to the wood used in the doors. "It's about knowledge and embracing and understanding the philosophy and the mind-set of the restaurant in its entirety," Duffy says. In a district packed with culinary heavyweights like Blackbird, Girl & the Goat, and, yes, Next, Grace will face no lack of competition. But Duffy isn't intimidated; he is eager to take the risk of bucking the current diner/ burger trend by opening a serious fine dining establishment. "That's what you do," says Duffy. "If you're not taking a risk, you're not pushing yourself and you're not pushing the food level." Considering Duffy's track record, it's a risk that we're betting pays off in a big way. 652 W. Randolph St., 312-234-9494; grace-restaurant.com MA MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 143 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY TAHLIER