Birchwood Kitchen’s turkey club with smoked bacon, field greens, and tomato jam on multigrain bread (right) and baguette with goat cheese, ginger-pickled beets, and walnut pesto

Daniel Sirko, the former cheese guru at Pastoral and Fox & Obel, is now trying his hand at seasonal sandwiches, soups, and salads at Birchwood Kitchen, his new Bucktown BYO. Sirko and his partner, Judd Murphy, roast their own meats, make their own mozzarella, pick their own herbs, and spin classics such as a French dip sporting leg of lamb, pickled onions, and herb jus. Even their weekend brunch items are unusual, such as butternut squash waffles with pickled pears and polenta vegetable napoleon topped with aged Gruyère and a poached egg. And just in time for summer, you can relish these new flavors on the comfy patio out back. 2211 W. North Ave.; 773-276-2100.

Photograph: Anna Knott