New Restaurant Roundup

New restaurants open seemingly every day in Chicago, but rarely do two long awaited juggernauts debut in the same week, potentially shifting the paradigm of chef-driven dining in their respective neighborhoods. The first is The Promontory, a sprawling multi-tiered Hyde Park endeavor from the folks behind Longman & Eagle and Dusek’s Board and Beer. Additionally, world-renowned Tony Mantuano breaks new ground with his first non-Italian venture at River Roast.

So named for Hyde Park’s beloved Promontory Point Park, which juts out into Lake Michigan with awe-inducing views of the Chicago skyline to the north, The Promontory is the biggest thing to happen to Hyde Park since college campuses. Long regarded as collegiate Mecca, Hyde Park is on the cusp of a dining renaissance, and The Promontory has the wherewithal to make that happen. Especially considering the hulking breadth of the operation and the diligence that went into perfecting the concept over the past few years. Partners Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden have a solid track record of preempting neighborhood gentrification, espying enclaves that are ready for growth and establishing solid endeavors that help nudge that Domino over the edge. Located at the University of Chicago’s Harper Court development, the bi-level space features a first-floor restaurant and bar hinged on a brick hearth that serves as the focal point of the rustic American menu. The prominence of open fire pits along Promontory Point were in part the inspiration for the menu, helmed by executive chef Jared Wentworth. Expect grilled soft-shell crab with artichoke en barigoule; braised pork and fried clam po’boys; grilled lamb burgers with preserved tomato relish, smoked feta, and chickpea fries; Kentucky burgoo; coq au vin; spaghetti and meatballs made with housemade noodles and veal; and lots more. For dessert, there’s banana pudding, s’more soufflé, Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches, and others. And to drink, cocktails are divvied into categories that are carbonated, shaken, or stirred, along with wine and beer. The Promontory is also home to a concert venue, making the space the ultimate destination for dining, drinking, and entertainment on the south side.

Meanwhile, the north side has a massive new entry of its own. Not since Eataly have River Northers seen such an enormous restaurant as River Roast, the new incarnation of Fulton’s on the River that showcases Tony Mantuano’s first foray into non-Italian cuisine. Instead, he embraces his American side with roast chicken/beef/fish, succotash, chopped salad, uber crispy potatoes, and plenty more. Working in tandem with longtime cohort John Hogan, Mantuano spearheads a new era of riverside dining in Chicago, in a space that could likely house the Titanic. Menu items include bourbon caramel corn flecked with chicken cracklins, Scotch eggs, lobster terrine, country fried rabbit, Yorkshire pudding, squash blossom poppers, and turnips au gratin, which all serve to support the crux of the menu: whole-roasted chicken, fish, and roast beef.

The Promontory
5311 S. Lake Park Avenue West, Chicago
(312) 801-2100
Website

River Roast
315 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago
(312) 822-0100
Website