A sample menu item from Nic & Junior’s, set to arrive in River North this May
Chicago’s flourishing restaurant scene will welcome an array of long-anticipated restaurants this year, bringing flavors from across the globe to your neighborhood.
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Chef Jenner Tomaska, Scott Weiner and Greg Mohr have joined forces to debut The Alston, a classic American steakhouse that will combine high-caliber Midwestern ingredients and French Nouvelle cuisine. Set to open this May, the restaurant will feature tableside service, including bread and cheese carts, along with chef Jenner’s inventive rendition of a Duck à la Presse carved tableside, with sauces prepared and cooked in front of guests. In addition to a 350-seat dining room, the space will house a Champagne bar, a private terrace and private and semi-private dining spaces. The restaurant will also feature an invitation-only members’ club, which grants exclusive access to chef collaborations, curated partnerships, bespoke events and other unique experiences. 750 N. State St.
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This May, Chicago’s Near North neighborhood is welcoming a new addition from operating company Machine Hospitality Group—the force behind institutions like Dearly Beloved and Headquarters Beercade. Situated between Old Town & River North on the former Moody Bible campus, Machine Cocktail Bar is the group’s latest venture within a three-block radius, taking up residence in a sprawling 3,500-square-foot space that pays tribute to the original concept with lush botanic design details, greenery, floral installations and a bar framed by smoked glass. Designed by the group’s Cocktail Collective team, the beverage program emphasizes spirit-forward selections and “legendary” cocktails that honor the restaurant group’s roots. Highlights include the refreshing Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Tenjaku gin, watermelon, blackberry, blueberry, lemon and pink rose and the Cihuatan jade rum-infused Black Hearts Club, comprised of Stiggin’s fancy pineapple rum, pineapple-infused Campari, lime and activated charcoal. The cocktail bar is also set to serve a lineup of globally inspired culinary offerings, including small plates, shareables and entrees, and will host live music performances on Fridays and Saturdays. 213 W. Institute Place
James Beard Foundation Award nominee Junior Borges is opening a globally influenced dining concept. Set to arrive in River North this May, Nic & Junior’s will serve everything from housemade pasta to contemporary Brazillian fare, drawing from Borges’ background as the former executive chef of Brazillian fine dining destination Meridian and his current role as chef-partner for Austin-based Excelsior Hospitality, which includes overseeing the culinary programs at Northern Italian restaurant Juniper and Italian eatery Uncle Nicky’s. Nic & Junior’s is Borges’ first concept as chef and owner, an endeavor he is working on alongside Nicholas Yanes, owner of the Excelsior Hospitality group. The restaurant will feature a bar area, a la carte menu offerings and a raw bar, plus a 30-seat dining room with a six-course prix fixe menu. The beverage program, helmed by award-winning mixologist Travis Tober, will encompass craft cocktails, curated wine pairings and more. 405 N. Wabash
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Iconic Gold Coast haunt Carmine’s is set to reopen this spring following a multimillion-dollar renovation. A Chicago staple since 1974, the Italian restaurant will further its local legacy with a new look and a revitalized one-floor layout with indoor dining, a new private dining room, indoor and outdoor bars, a sprawling terrace space and a total seating capacity for 366 guests. The eatery will boast an elevated terrace bar overlooking Rush Street, complete with a chic marble bar, high-top seating and a contemporary pergola with overhead lighting. Diners can enjoy the steakhouse specialties and Italian staples that have made the restaurant a fan favorite (signature stuffed mushrooms and premium butcher-cut bone-in ribeye, to name a few) while taking in the sleek, revamped environs. 1043 N. Rush St.
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Common Decency’s vibrant, elevated older sister, Feverdream, will debut in Logan Square this spring. Located in the former Thank You space, the restaurant will bring sophisticated plating, inspired cocktails and out-of-the-box ingredients into the limelight and onto its guests’ plates. Chef Mark Steuer, alongside his partners Kelsey Kasper and Jason Turley, has furthered Milkhorse Hospitality’s mission of incorporating dietary restriction-friendly menu offerings and providing sustainable employee support—including insurance, employee loyalty benefits and more—at the group’s latest culinary endeavor. 3152 W. Diversey Ave.
Chris and Megan Curren
The husband-and-wife-duo behind St. Charles’ The Graceful Ordinary, executive chef Chris Curren and Megan Curren, are back with their newest restaurant concept, Vicolo. Opening this spring, the European-inspired cafe and pasticceria will feature Italian cuisine, handmade pasta and fresh-baked pastries in a 3,200-square-foot space. During the day, the dining destination will host live music, movie screenings and family-friendly performances. At night, a refined dining experience will be ushered in via craft cocktails and chef-curated menu offerings. 7 S. Broadway, Aurora
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A new dining concept from chef Justin Vaiciunas and Michael Mauro of Detroit-based restaurant group Canvas Hospitality is set to debut in River North by late spring. Dubbed LIA (short for “Life Imitates Art”), the restaurant will offer a unique and immersive experience that merges food and art, featuring installations from local artists, globally inspired shareable plates and a constantly evolving tasting menu inspired by artists in residency. LIA’s anticipated opening follows the debut of The Jackson, a joint venture from the duo in Rochester Hills, which was recently selected as one of Detroit News’ Best New Restaurants for its inventive plating, exceptional service and incorporation of fresh, seasonal ingredients. In addition to featuring the work of the area’s acclaimed artists, LIA will also showcase a sprawling, Jackson Pollock-inspired 62 by 7.5-foot canvas painting crafted by Vaiciunas and Mauro themselves. 11 W. Illinois St.
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Friends and hospitality industry veterans chef John Asbaty and restaurateur Alain Uy have joined forces to unveil a new addition to Lincoln Park’s buzzy dining scene. Set to open this summer, Brick & Mortar will offer a fresh take on classic Midwestern fare, incorperating locally sourced ingredients, comfort food staples, a wood-burning hearth and a curated beverage list with spirits, craft beers and wines from the Midwest. Ideal for gatherings of all kinds, the restaurant will feature lounge seating, booths, banquettes and a private dining room inspired by a kitchen library. The eatery’s namesake reflects the pair’s mutual foundation in the Windy City and their journey together—from initially meeting at Evanston’s Trio in 2003 to collaborating on the launch of the Restoration Hardware hospitality program alongside Brendan Sodikoff, including the 2015 opening of the Gold Coast’s 3 Arts Club Café. Lincoln Park
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Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood will welcome a dinner party-inspired fine dining concept this summer. Helmed by executive chef Nicolai Mlodinow, whose pedigree includes working for some of the area’s lauded Michelin-starred restaurants, the restaurant will feature avant-garde fare and a sleek, luxurious aesthetic. At Class Act + Nightcap, boundary-pushing tasting menus will be accompanied by unique, curated libations. Dinner will be held at a 16-seat communal table, followed by cocktails and spirit-free selections at Nightcap, an intimate speakeasy. Upon opening, the eatery will serve its debut tasting menu, “Growing Up,” which transforms childhood flavors into contemporary, refined culinary creations. Location TBD
Chef and partner Thai Dang
Renowned chef and owner of Pilsen’s James Beard Award-nominated HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen, Thai Dang, is unveiling his first restaurant concept with Lettuce Entertain You, anticipated to open in the summer months of 2025. Crying Tiger will offer Southeast Asian dishes in a resplendent atmosphere, designed in collaboration with acclaimed interior architecture practice David Collins Studio—the team responsible for Tre Dita and the St. Regis Chicago’s iconic atmospheres. Address TBD
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Acclaimed chef Thomas Carlin is opening a farmer-driven dining concept with a wood-fired kitchen in Evanston later this year. Formerly head butcher at Publican Quality Meats, chef de cuisine of Dove’s Luncheonette and member of the opening team at Galit, chef Carlin brings an accomplished pedigree and a versatile culinary skillset to Burl, his first restaurant venture. Here, he aims to spotlight the close-knit community of local farmers while showcasing unique seasonal ingredients. 2545 Prairie Ave., Evanston
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Since founders, restaurateurs and longtime friends Diego de la Puente and Diego Herrera opened Osaka Nikkei in 2001, the restaurant has garnered global acclaim for its seamless fusion of culinary traditions and unique dining experience. This year, the second U.S. outpost of the lauded Peruvian-Japanese dining concept is arriving in Fulton Market, bringing mouthwatering specialties like wasabi ceviche, braised short rib asado gyüdon, nigiri and crispy tumbo shrimp to Chicagoans. Located on the ground level of a 100-year-old former cargo storage facility, the restaurant will incorporate local ingredients and inventive adaptations that draw inspiration from the Windy City’s restaurant scene. Additionally, the 180-seat space will feature a Kero Bar social seating configuration to highlight a well-endowed craft cocktail program and DJ tunes. Leading up to its debut, the location will host a series of exclusive, pre-opening events, offering locals a preview of the cuisine, cocktail program and atmosphere. 1101 W. Lake St.
See also: The 17 Most Sought-After Reservations In Chicago
Photography by: Photos of Crying Tiger courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants; photo of Zachary Engel and Andrés Clavero by Brian Cassella; photo of Vicolo courtesy of Matt Reeves; photo of Nic & Junior’s courtesy of Junior Borges
