Photo via Conrad Chicago
Chicago’s patchwork of neighborhoods is one of the things that makes the city so great. Deeply rooted in its multifaceted neighborhood culture, each with its own style and character, it makes for a true melting pot indicative of a world-class metropolis. While some pockets of the city are visibly entrenched and distinct in this regard, the downtown area used to feel less like its own neighborhood and more like a glistening tourist destination. But thanks to new restaurants like the ones taking shape at the new Conrad Chicago {101 East Erie Street, Chicago; 312.667.6700} hotel, the Magnificent Mile is developing its own persona as a neighborhood in and of itself. These restaurants—Il Tavolino, Baptiste & Bottle, and Noyane—are the handiwork of Richard Sandoval, a globally renowned chef with a penchant for visionary style and eclectic cuisine. Along with an A-List roster of talent on both the culinary and beverage sides, Sandoval cooked up unique dining spaces throughout the property that span various floors, cuisines, and inspirations, from Italian comforts to elaborate bourbon cocktails—all with friendly service, warm atmospheres, and a sense of place. The result? A new neighborhood outlet that stands out as a local icon.
In partnering with Sandoval, the Conrad Chicago sought to curate dining concepts that, while miles apart from one another in flavor, adhere to a central theme of conviviality and welcoming ambience. The first restaurant guests will see is Il Tavolino on the ground floor, a modern Italian café designed to pay homage to River North’s former roots as Chicago’s Little Sicily. Along with Sandoval, the casual spot showcases the work of Chef Nathan Volz, and together, the two rigorously source Italian products to use with their housemade vittles for pizzas, salads, pastas, pastries, fresh juices, and more. Dishes include Strozzapreti Pasta with lamb ragù, Zucchini Chips with lemon-basil dip, and Pazzettes—an Il Tavolino novelty that takes shape as a folded over pizza sandwich.
Crossing the globe, Japanese concept Noyane is forthcoming at the Conrad, a rooftop restaurant with beautifully prepared sushi and sashimi. That’s due in the spring, just in time for the winter thaw and prime alfresco weather.
Photo via Conrad Chicago
Then there’s the crown jewel of the property, and the restaurant sure to become a neighborhood essential for locals and visitors alike: Baptiste & Bottle. Located on the 20th floor and designed to resemble a contemporary, chic saloon, the restaurant pays equal mind to food and beverage, ensuring a seamless synergy between menus hinged on American classics. Food-wise, Sandoval tapped Executive Chef James Lintelmann to oversee a menu of American cuisine that’s as elevated as the high-rise restaurant itself, while Michael Fawthrop puts the spotlight on bourbon as the crux of the extensive drink list. Together, the complimentary programs are designed to pay homage to bourbon’s all-American roots, all while curating a sense of comfort and neighborly appeal for guests from near and far.
“We really focus on technique on both sides—for both beverage and food,” explains Lintelmann, whose colorful résumé includes stints at The Lobby and Charlie Trotter’s. “It’s solid execution and technique across the board.” For him, that means honing a menu he bills as “American regional,” a sentiment that matches Chicago’s own metropolitan heritage.
Photo via Conrad Chicago
“Chicago is this huge melting pot, so we really get inspired by a lot of different cuisines that can be classified as American. We can have curry on the menu, we can have mole on the menu,” says the chef, whose Chicago-centric ideology makes perfect sense considering the restaurant is named after Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable, the first permanent resident of Chicago in 1790.
This means the kitchen makes their own sauerkraut, serves spätzle with duck confit and chestnut foam, pairs roasted Amish chicken with mole, and splashes mushroom orecchiette with Sherry emulsion, to name a few creative concoctions. But regional flavors don’t translate to inaccessibility; Day Boat Scallops, a lust-worthy house B&B Burger, and Prime NY Strip Steak hold sway on the menu, too. Altogether, the restaurant is re-examining the idea of American cuisine in all its melting pot glory, all through a seasonal lens. For Fawthrop and his beverage program, the key to complementing Lintelmann’s cooking is in the balance.
Photo via Conrad Chicago
“I came on after the chef, and he had his menu pretty set, so I tasted his food, saw some techniques, and talked about the concept,” Fawthrop explains. “The idea is balance. His food is really technique-driven with lots of char, smoke components, preserved components, vinegar, pork, seafood, and chicken. All the American fare you can find.”
For Fawthrop, then, it’s all about finding flavors that make the food and drink harmonious—one cohesive dining experience, with ample emphasis on one of the most impressive and comprehensive bourbon programs in Chicago.
The drink list is divided into two sections: classic and specialty. Some of Baptiste & Bottle’s novelty highlights include the Southside Mule, which Fawthrop makes with a creamy oated whiskey, pineapple shrub, and ginger beer. As he describes it, “It’s balanced and super fresh. We add our finesse and make it really bourbon-centric; that’s what we do.” Then there’s the Curtsy and a Bow, one of the highlights off his tableside cocktail list made with Basil Hayden bourbon, orgeat, absinthe, and Tonka “fog.” The Kitihawa, named after Jean Baptiste’s wife, has Belvedere vodka, citrus, St-Germain, and a meringue-like St-Germain foam on top. “Texture is a huge part of the food menu, so I brought that to the beverage side as well,” says Fawthrop.
Photo via Conrad Chicago
Another distinction is the restaurant’s Bourbon Baron Program, which guides enthusiasts through tastings and flights of specialty bourbons over the course of various visits. Once diners sample a certain number of whiskeys, they receive their own premium bottle to store onsite in a personalized bourbon locker. The idea, per Fawthrop, stemmed from the fact that bourbon can be intimidating, and the restaurant wanted a way to break down that wall.
Along with synergy between texture and balance, the central tenet on both sides of the kitchen-bar equation is a commitment to friendliness and approachability, with the ultimate goal of filling downtown’s neighborhood void. “It’s really about giving great service and being warming. We want guests to be comfortable and come back all the time,” explains Fawthrop. Echoes Lintelmann: “We’re not special occasion; our price point is modest considering our location. I come from fine dining and this is nothing like that. We want to be more than a once-a-year place.”
In a city of Chicago’s magnitude—where a sprawling neighborhood structure shares a map with a red-hot hotel industry—Baptiste & Bottle, along with the other outlets at the Conrad Chicago, are bridging the gap in exciting new ways.
By Matt Kirouac
Photo via Conrad Chicago
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