Atelier Restaurant

Michelin-Starred Atelier Reopens in Lincoln Square With a New Bar Menu | Eater Chicago

"After two years in one of Chicago’s smallest fine dining rooms, this Michelin-starred restaurant has reopened a few blocks away at 4544 N. Western Avenue, doubling its footprint to an 1,800-square-foot space with 36 seats across a dining room, bar, and small lounge while keeping its neighborhood feel. Executive chef Bradyn Kawcak keeps seasonal, globally influenced tasting menus at the core and debuts a new bar menu for drop-ins, mixing playful comforts like boiled peanuts and a patty melt with caviar and truffle supplements; greatest hits return too, including Buttermilk and Brassica (a roasted broccoli and buttermilk salad with Concord grape jelly) and bacon–blue cheese canelés. Beverage director Ali Martin spotlights women winemakers and crafts cocktails from kitchen leftovers (think syrups from macerated summer fruit or the liquid from preserved lemons), with both standard and reserve pairings plus spirit-free options. The warm, workshop-inspired room shows artwork by staff and friends, and the signature open kitchen remains, now framed by windows to invite peeks and a sense of community. Backed by owner Tim Lacey, a longtime Lincoln Square resident, the move was modestly remodeled and buoyed by a fundraising campaign that reached nearly 97 percent of its $500,000 goal. Soft-opening service features the à la carte bar menu with BYOB encouraged while the liquor license is pending; the full tasting menu will launch once it arrives, with hours 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday–Thursday and 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Friday–Saturday until the grand opening." - Jeffy Mai