Entre Sueños’ Baja Med Cuisine Will Pop Up at Soho House in West Loop | Eater Chicago

"Chef Stephen Sandoval, who worked at Leña Brava with Rick Bayless, first launched this project as a pop-up in 2021 and matured it with an extended run inside Soho House in the West Loop after an initial six-month engagement was lengthened by customer demand. He offers a spin on Baja‑Med cuisine that “mingled with Mexican, Spanish, and Asian influences,” with cured seafood and fire‑roasted items taking star turns; he also wants to include a tasting‑menu component in the full restaurant. After encountering delays to the permanent site, he has continued working (including opening a more casual West Town outpost) and plans a return to Soho House as a testing ground: a 12‑course, 12‑night preview — billed as Entre Sueños — A Glimpse — will run starting Saturday, March 8, serving dinners on Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, April 13, with tickets via Tock. Sandoval calls the second stint at Soho a “creative workshop” where he’ll “slowly roll out new dishes and dial in recipes,” and promises that early diners will taste different meals than those at the pop‑up’s final dates: “It’s just more refined,” he says, “We’re revisiting some old dishes and making them better.” He also notes, “And we’ll tell new stories, too.” Among the items being refined are a new version of his fan‑favorite tuna tostada and a new octopus dish; the larger Soho House kitchen will give him more room and the proper equipment to execute the open‑fire cooking he prefers. For those who can’t wait for the full restaurant, he advises booking tickets to the chef’s Valentine’s Day three‑course dinner at his more casual spot as a succinct preview of what’s to come. The permanent location is planned for 1235 W. Grand Avenue with a target opening in late 2025." - Ashok Selvam