When Alexis Rice and Eve Studnicka started their delivery service Funeral Potatoes in 2020, establishing a brick-and-mortar location was the last thing on their minds. Their weekly menu of fun riffs on Midwest dishes like the namesake hash brown casserole that’s brought to weddings, potlucks, and funerals — “cheesy carbs for hard times,” quips Rice — was all about pandemic survival. But after four years of deliveries, it was time to change things up.

In July, Funeral Potatoes took over the kitchen at the Portage Park bar Moonflower (4359 N. Milwaukee Ave.), owned by Zach Rivera, Christina Chae, and Marvin Boeving. “They were in a similar but opposite boat where they had no interest in running a restaurant and wanted someone who could take that off their plate,” says Rice. Since then, delivery has been eliminated and Studnicka stepped down from ownership but is still involved in running the operation.

In addition to paying homage to the small-town Midwest roots of its founders, the menu offers the kind of food that works well alongside cocktails. Rice serves bites like the New Moon burger, with two patties, smoked Gouda, chile sauce, garlic mayo, and pickles from Vargo Brother Ferments, and party fries, which are decked out with giardiniera, kimchi ranch, and crispy shallots. Different versions of funeral potatoes will be featured each month. Rice hopes to collaborate with local businesses, including Sugar Moon Bakery, where Studnicka works, but she’s already thrilled with what this new chapter has meant: “Having a fryer is cool, but the community connection that isn’t just online is what I’m most excited about.”