ANDERSONVILLE — Cantina 1910, the upscale Mexican restaurant replacing T's Bar, will finally open its doors Sept. 16, owners announced Wednesday.
The inspiration for the restaurant, at 5025 N. Clark St., stems from the decade-long Mexican revolution, which began in 1910 and is recognized as the country's first major political, social and cultural revolution of the 20th century, said Mark Robertson and Mike Sullivan, co-founders of the restaurant.
“We are truly looking forward to inviting guests in to experience our distinctive view of traditional Mexican flavors through our sustainable and community centric approach,” said Robertson.
The restaurant's menu takes a new approach to traditional and regional dishes, presenting Mexican flavor in unique ways. It will showcase Mexican dishes like tacos, ceviches, small plates and larger entrees with 70 percent of the food and drinks sourced within a 200-mile radius of Chicago, owners said.
Executive Chef Diana Dávila, who was raised outside Chicago and began her culinary career 10 years old in her parent’s taqueria, will head the kitchen, owners said.
Her menu will range from street food classics to multi-dimensional items such as:
• Taco al Pastor: featuring spit roasted pork, onions, cilantro, chopped tomatillo and Midwest adobo (made with raspberry and golden raisins)
• Chorizo de Chivo: featuring goat chorizo, huatape verde (herbaceous sauce thickened with masa), sunchoke mash, and pan friend chochoyotes
• Sweet Potato Panuchos: sweet potato panuchos (layered sweet potato encased in masa off the plancha), trucha ahumada (cold smoked, roasted wild trout), requeson and manchamenteles mole
• Shrimp Ceviche: shrimp, cured egg yolk, salsa macha, bulb onion, huazontle
Curious to explore her roots, Chef Dávila studied at a culinary school in Oaxaca, Mexico. By the age of 20, she was dubbed a “Mexican Marvel” by Sun-Times, and by 21 had received a rare two-star review from Phil Vettel of the Tribune. Most recently, Chef Dávila took the helm at Washington DC’s Jackie’s and Sidebar where she was named a “Rising Star” by Washingtonian Magazine.
The restaurant will also feature a preservation kitchen on the lower level of the restaurant, which will allow staff to extend the lifespan of ingredients by pickling, smoking, fermenting or vacuum sealing them among other processes to manipulate the flavor while sustaining the nutritional value, its owners said. Beginning in 2016, some ingredients will be grown above the restaurant on its rooftop farm, owners said.
Cantina 1910 will be open for dinner from 5-10 p.m. every day of the week. The cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the cantina from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. (3 a.m. on Saturdays).
Its predecessor T's was a 12-year nightlife staple popular among Chicago lesbians, but it closed abruptly in March after former owner Colm Treacy skipped several months' worth of rent and got the boot.
In fall 2013, Robertson said that his team purchased the entire building, not just T's, from former landlord Julie Mai, and that the property was in dismal condition, hence the lengthy timeline for renovations ahead of Cantina 1910's opening.
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