LITTLE ITALY — Two Chicago sommeliers will open a wine bar and restaurant at the former site of Urban Union — chef Michael Shrader's upscale Taylor Street restaurant that closed abruptly last year.
Jason Prah (Acadia) and Scott Harney (Eno Wine Room) plan to open Bascule, a wine bar with affordable wine options and small plates at 1421 W. Taylor St., by early October.
Prah said the two men had briefly considered the old Webster's Wine Bar in Lincoln Park, but ultimately settled on Urban's relatively untouched interior, which includes a wood-burning oven, wine tap system and sommelier table.
Little Italy "currently doesn't have anything quite like it. You're going to see a juxtaposition of different cuisines and different styles," said Prah, who recently left his position as general manager and sommelier at the South Loop's Acadia.
Chloe Riley schools Jon Hansen a bit on wine, Little Italy, and the new restaurant:
Bascule — a reference to Chicago's many bridges — will focus on "rustic American" small and midsize plates (flatbreads, smoked mussels and oysters) with food being served as late as 1 a.m., Prah said Wednesday. Bottles on the international wine list will range from $20 to $100, and Bascule will also have a small craft beer and craft cocktail list.
By offering a mix of prices (including wine pours starting at $6), Prah said he hoped to avoid the fate of the upscale Urban Union — which closed in May 2013 after just a year and four months.
"Because of the price point, I think we can capture the attention of that neighborhood," Prah said. "It allows the guest to pick and choose, really making it a kind of choose-your-own-adventure situation."
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