Cold Storage

"Cold Storage is the seafood counterpart to the meat-heavy steakhouse it’s attached to, Swift & Sons. The two are meant to function independently, but in reality you can’t understand one without understanding the dynamic of the two. It’s like the restaurant version of the movie Inception, a restaurant within a restaurant. Walk in the front door and you’re hit with two layers: to the right, Swift & Sons, a large, lively, and all around great steakhouse that blends in nicely with Fulton Market. To the left, Cold Storage, a bar area that’s been carved out of the same space, but specializes in seafood instead. Make no mistake, Swift & Sons is the DiCaprio of the two, but Cold Storage is more than just a supporting actor. It's an entire supporting cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, and Ellen Page, a group that can carry a night on their own. The space is meant to feel like one of the old refrigeration and ice storage rooms that once filled this neighborhood, and overall that point gets across. But instead of factory workers, Cold Storage serves a more high-end and tech advanced crowd, especially with the Google offices right next door. Seating is highlighted by a large half-moon bar in the center of the room, and that's definitely where you want to be. And while the space feels like a bar, the seafood is great, from oysters, to clams with chorizo, to extremely affordable sandwiches that make for an easy meal. All of these things combined make Cold Storage Perfect for a First/Early In The Game Date, or any meal in general where sitting at a bar or high top table is ideal. We're convinced Leo's character at the end of Inception wasn't in the real world, but we're also convinced we live in The Matrix ourselves. If you don't believe us, Cold Storage is the kind of place to throw back a few oysters and talk about these kinds of things. Food Rundown Homemade Chips Homemade, complimentary chips, and they’re very addicting. They come in handy as a dipping utensil for a lot of dishes. Oysters Start with a few. Smoked Whitefish Dip We love a good smoked whitefish dip, and this is a good smoked whitefish dip. Spread it on the chips, spread it on the crackers, or feel free to use a spoon. A good appetizer for sharing. Smoked Lakefish Chowder Like clam chowder, but with a smoked fish instead. Thick, hearty, and creamy. Sardines Word of advice: order the sardines. They’re marinated in a salsa verde of sorts, and they are excellent. It’s a little on the fishier side, but not as strong as you might think. Sprinkle with lemon, place on a saltine cracker, and take a bite. Steamed Clams In Chorizo Broth Go for these steamed clams over the mussels. They’re smaller and light, but the chorizo broth has a lot of flavor. Shrimp Bahn Mi A great take on a shrimp bahn mi sandwich. Lightly fried shrimp are served on a fresh roll. The kicker is a type of shrimp cake, almost like a flattened crab cake, that sits on the bread as a base. Good meal for yourself. Crispy Clam Roll With Tzatziki Sauce Another strong sandwich choice. A whole mess of crispy clams with tomato, onion, coleslaw, and tzatziki sauce on a roll. Crab Salad On Brioche Basically an open-face crab salad sandwich on a thick piece of brioche. The crab salad is good, but the brioche bread is too heavy duty for the sandwich itself. Skip it. Simply Prepared Fish There are a number of available fish options every day that you can get prepared very simply with olive oil and lemon. It's a great light and healthy move for any meal. Ice Cream Great homemade ice creams. Consider ordering any one of the sundaes before you head out." - Sam Faye

"Kind of like Inception, Cold Storage is normally the seafood restaurant inside Swift & Sons. But now it’s sharing the outdoor space at Swift & Sons, which is sharing the space with the Google building. After you’ve secured that Escher-esque vision inside your head, you should know that Cold Storage also has a great oyster selection, tasty small plates like clams with chorizo, and a fantastic cheeseburger." - adrian kane

"If you’re one of the hundreds of people working at Google in the West Loop, you might already be aware of Cold Storage, the casual seafood spot attached to Swift & Sons. If you’re about to work in the West Loop thanks to all the new development, and don’t know about this place yet, plan to come here, grab a drink, and have some exceptionally good oysters at the raw bar." - adrian kane

"Kind of like Inception, Cold Storage is the restaurant inside the restaurant at Swift & Sons. This spot is seafood focused, and since it’s basically a classy oyster bar, it’s perfect if you can’t decide whether to go out for snacks, entrees, drinks, or everything. And while the raw stuff is great, all of the cooked items are good, too, like clams with chorizo, an affordable shrimp banh mi, and a fantastic cheeseburger. Order the narwhal, a giant sundae with eight scoops of housemade ice cream and sorbet, hot fudge, salted caramel sauce, brownie bits, Buncha Crunch, whipped cream, cherries, and a waffle cone topper. It qualifies as a snack, an entree, and, once it melts, a drink." - adrian kane

"The teams at Cold Storage and Big Gay Ice Cream have joined forces for a special collaboration June 24-28. Customers can try sweet treats ($6-$8) including “Pride Pops” (rainbow sherbet pops served with a tequila shot) and chocolate and peanut butter ice cream pie. The dairy-free “Pride Sunday” with rainbow sherbet sundae and coconut whip is available all month long. A portion of proceeds will go to Howard Brown Health." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff