Hype. You’ll humor it. Smile at it. Friend it on Facebook. You just won’t believe it. Instead,
there’s this. It’s an inspection sheet of sorts. A road test. A canary in the coal mine of Chicago
nightlife. We call it Due Diligence—dangerous work, but your nights are too important to leave to
chance.
The Place: Au Cheval, the latest in the rapidly expanding empire of Gilt Bar’s Brendan Sodikoff, who has already greatly improved your appreciation of fried dough (Doughnut Vault) and a good cocktail with your oysters (Maude’s).
The Hype: Just a humble ode to a classic late-night diner.
The Reality: And Frontera Grill is just a taco joint. Burgers, beef stew, foie gras, a two-pound steak and a $9 bologna sandwich will be your choices for the evening. And no, that sandwich doesn’t include fries. You can, however, order a Hemingway daiquiri. Try that at Manny’s.
The Hype: This is a new direction for Sodikoff.
The Reality: You’ll be in familiar territory. The look: Gilt Bar + Maude’s + Doughnut Vault + a diner in Brooklyn. There are counter stools, but you should be willing to do unspeakable acts to get one of those chesterfield-style booths.
The Hype: Late-night chilaquiles.
The Reality: Just don’t show up too late. Right now, the place closes at 2am for this after-midnight dish. So think of this as the date-saving backup when you forgot to make reservations at Maude’s.
The Place: Au Cheval, the latest in the rapidly expanding empire of Gilt Bar’s Brendan Sodikoff, who has already greatly improved your appreciation of fried dough (Doughnut Vault) and a good cocktail with your oysters (Maude’s).
The Hype: Just a humble ode to a classic late-night diner.
The Reality: And Frontera Grill is just a taco joint. Burgers, beef stew, foie gras, a two-pound steak and a $9 bologna sandwich will be your choices for the evening. And no, that sandwich doesn’t include fries. You can, however, order a Hemingway daiquiri. Try that at Manny’s.
The Hype: This is a new direction for Sodikoff.
The Reality: You’ll be in familiar territory. The look: Gilt Bar + Maude’s + Doughnut Vault + a diner in Brooklyn. There are counter stools, but you should be willing to do unspeakable acts to get one of those chesterfield-style booths.
The Hype: Late-night chilaquiles.
The Reality: Just don’t show up too late. Right now, the place closes at 2am for this after-midnight dish. So think of this as the date-saving backup when you forgot to make reservations at Maude’s.
