Ad Categories: Dining & Drinking

Bubbly Cuisine

When Alinea alums enter kitchens elsewhere, it’s always interesting. Andrew Brochu, 26, a veteran of Grant Achatz’s kitchen, has been named the exec chef at jazz lounge Pops For Champagne (601 N. State St.; 312-266-7677)—a seemingly unlikely place for an Alinea disciple. “I am working with the wine director to make sure that everything is Champagne-friendly,” says Brochu. “A lot of seafood, a lot of light flavors, nothing too sharp that will overwhelm the Champagnes.” For example, Brochu developed intriguing small plates such as Bollinger-poached lobster with smoked paprika risotto, pickled fennel, and lobster broth; and desserts such as chocolate cake with raspberries, milk pudding, violet gel, and…

The One Thing Randolph Ain’t Got

Angela Hepler-Lee, already a queen of Randolph Street as a partner in crowd-magnets Sushi Wabi and De Cero, adds another jewel to the crown in April: Veera Sway (844 W. Randolph St.; 312-491-0844), a 50-seat modern Indian spot next door to Sushi Wabi. “Indian for Americans is really untouched,” says Hepler-Lee, who named the restaurant for a chef in London who inspired the idea. The plan: “approachable Indian” in a rustic-yet-contemporary space designed by Amelia Briske, who masterminded a gut rehab of an old produce stand. The kitchen, run by Moto alum Tyler Williams, will be equipped with two tandoor ovens—one for bread, one for everything else; his menu will include coconut-seared scallops and lamb sausage with apricots and almonds, plus classics like chicken tikka masala. Williams, a self-described “mutt from Michigan,” is bolstering his knowledge of the cuisine in the home of Ranjana Bhargava, whom he identifies…

Rising Sun on Clark

The old Platiyo space (3313 N. Clark St.) next to Mia Francesca is getting a big-name tenant: Lynne Wallack, the owner of Deleece (4004 N. Southport Ave.; 773-325-1710). Wallack; her husband, John Handler; and Deleece’s chef, Josh Hansen, are partners in Shochu, the planned 80-seat Japanese-American lounge named for a Japanese distilled liquor. “This will be the place that brings shochu into Chicago, and does it in an American way,” says Wallack, who cites the fact that shochu now outsells saké in Japan. “The Japanese compare it to vodka but it’s lower in calories and alcohol content. [Shochu is roughly 25 to 30 percent alcohol content]. And smoother.” Wallack’s crew has a menu of “Asian-edged” small plates (maki, yakitori with seven different sauces) to go with an extensive shochu/cocktail list. And they’re definitely playing up the supposed health benefits of the drink: “We found research on this man [Shigechiyo Izumi, 1865-1986] in the Guinness Book of World Records who lived to be…