New Restaurants Bring Barbecue, Sushi, and a New Standard for Bar Food

Forget sunshine, when it comes to combatting seasonal affective disorder, nothing gets the job done quite like fork-tender brisket, popcorn sweetbreads, and a boatload of sushi so fresh you’ll think you’re surfing the Pacific. Chicago’s latest batch of restaurant openings brings a breath of potent fresh air when we need it the most. From prolific restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff to Rockit Ranch Productions and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, the new spots in town come courtesy of a few heavy-hitters.

Brendan Sodikoff, the restaurateur who doesn’t understand the concept of sleep, is at it again, this time harnessing his inner barbecue maven at Green Street Smoked Meats. Tucked down the same West Loop alleyway as RM Champagne Salon, Green Street Smoked Meats feels like a trip down a wonderland-inducing rabbit hole, but instead of cartoonish rabbits and whimsy, the animals are slow-cooked and smoked until so tender they practically fall apart when you breathe on them. The small menu is in contrast with the massive barnyard-like space, which has the feel of a Texas farmhouse backyard. Brisket, chicken, pork belly, pulled pork sandwiches, a few stellar sides, and Frito pie comprise the bulk of the menu, plus soft-serve ice cream for dessert. Go for the brisket, sliced into thick, fatty slabs as supple as aspic. Pop a squat on one of the picnic tables or around the sprawling circular bar, then get lost in your meat and pretend you’re at a barnyard far far away.

Sushi wunderkind, knife-slinger, and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is the latest big name chef to land in Chicago, newly at the helm of Japonais by Morimoto. The longstanding Japonais recently underwent an overhaul to get in shape for Morimoto, who cites Japanese cuisine with Western techniques as his specialty. Along with a refurbished, sushi-filled menu, the space sports some new design details, such as an American elm wood counter along the sushi bar and a canopied shochu bar bedecked with tall tables just begging to be strewn with cocktails. The restaurant also boasts the largest selection of Japanese whiskey in Chicago, for whiskey connoisseurs out there.

Bottlefork, the latest endeavor from Rockit Ranch Productions, takes an official bow on February 18. Globally inspired cuisine courtesy of Chef Kevin Hickey forms perfect synergy with a masterful, exotic beverage program to give River North an exemplary new dining and drinking option. Many dishes are made with liquor and many drinks feature food ingredients, as the kitchen and bar work in harmonious tandem. From pork jerky to fiercely addictive popcorn sweetbreads (think popcorn shrimp, but creamier), the menu draws inspiration from all over, allowing Hickey to imbue his own brand of haute whimsy and creativity into a drinking-focused restaurant. And the beverages are just as thoughtful, such as warm cocktails made with beer malt tea and topped with beer-infused whipped cream and a Chi-Sconsin Old Fashioned made with local Rhine Hall cherry brandy, sugar, orange, and Luxardo Maraschino.

Green Street Smoked Meats
112 N. Green Street, Chicago
(312) 754-0431
Website

Japonais by Morimoto
600 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago
(312) 822-9600
Website

Bottlefork
441 N. Clark Street, Chicago
(312) 955-1900
Website