Expat, an all-day cafe from Bonhomme, debuts in West Loop | Eater Chicago

"Opening Friday, April 12 at 165 W. Ogden Ave., Expat converts an underutilized private party space into an all-day cafe and bar serving American comfort food, natural wine, and coffee cocktails inspired by bars that catered to homesick Americans in Havana, Ibiza, and Marrakech in the 1950s. The 2,000-square-foot space is outfitted with tiles, rugs, and handcrafted pieces from Moroccan cooperatives alongside Italian furniture and lighting, offers plenty of outlets for locals and workers and a large outdoor patio, and will rotate coffee from local roasters starting with Hexe and Metropolis. Daytime staples include French toast with strawberry compote and candied hazelnuts, a breakfast burrito, and avocado toast; evenings focus on comfort food such as wood-fired pizza, house-smoked pastrami sandwiches, and fish tacos. Live music features a jazz pianist during the week and vinyl DJs most nights, while the cocktail program—drawn from historic expat bars—includes the Papa Doble (rum, maraschino, grapefruit, lime) from El Floridita and the Suffering Bastard (bourbon, gin, ginger, lime, bitters, mint) from Shepheard’s Hotel, plus coffee cocktails and a selection of natural wines priced at $50 or less. Expat is scheduled to be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., with Sunday hours coming soon." - Sam Nelson