WEST LOOP — A chef power couple who have worked in some of the best kitchens in the West Loop now plan to open a restaurant of their own on Randolph's restaurant row.
David Posey, longtime chef de cuisine at Blackbird, and his wife, Anna Posey, former executive pastry chef at The Publican, plan to open their own high-end restaurant at 1350 W. Randolph St. in 2016, David Posey confirmed. The West Loop building formerly housed Sawtooth Restaurant and Lounge, which closed in April.
David Posey won't reveal the name of the restaurant yet, but said that the fare would be similar to Blackbird, but at a lower price. The restaurant will likely feature an eight-course tasting menu for less than $100, he said.
"Nothing is set in stone yet," Posey said of the menu.
The restaurant, which will seat 55, will be located on the first floor of the building and private dining space with seating for 25 will be featured on the second floor. The couple is transforming the building's third floor into a loft space, where they plan to live, Posey said.
The couple bought the building in May.
The restaurant's design will be influenced by the Scandinavian aesthetic, Posey said — clean, light and open. David Posey's mother is from Denmark and he grew up traveling to the Nordic country to visit family. The chef couple also got engaged in Denmark, Posey said.
David Posey left Blackbird for good in December after nine years at the award-winning One Off Hospitality Group restaurant on Randolph. Posey was nominated for the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef award in 2013 and 2014.
Anna Posey worked as executive pastry chef at The Publican for three years and worked at Publican Quality Meats, both One Off Hospitality restaurants in the West Loop. She is also an artist and painted the current mural outside The Violet Hour in Wicker Park.
The chefs weren't set on any particular neighborhood, or staying in the West Loop. They worked with real estate agents for months to identify a potential site but it was actually David Posey's father that found them the perfect site.
"My dad lives in California and he is friends with someone who knew the building's owner" here, Posey said. The building "had enormous potential," he said.
Construction on the restaurant will begin this fall, and David and Anna Posey plan to open in the first half of 2016.
Chefs David and Anna Posey plan to open a high-end restaurant in the former Sawtooth building, at 1350 W. Randolph, in 2016. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
Sawtooth Restaurant and Lounge closed in April after a shooting near the club, critically injuring a 29-year-old man. The restaurant-lounge was also facing a looming eviction and city attempts to revoke its liquor license.
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