LAKEVIEW — Chicago restaurateurs Billy Lawless and Ryan O'Donnell are opening shop in the Southport Corridor in July with Coda di Volpe.
The Southern Italian restaurant will open at 3335 N. Southport Ave. under the direction of executive chef Chris Thompson, known for his San Francisco eateries A16 and Spruce.
"We want to bring a little sophistication to the Southport Corridor, which we feel is really up-and-coming," O'Donnell said Tuesday. "We'll bring some of what Billy does downtown and what I do in Lincoln Park."
Coda di Volpe, named for a white grape and translated as "tail of the fox," will focus on the lighter cuisine south of Rome, heavy on seafood, braised cuts and pasta. Thompson will also highlight his coveted Vera Pizza Napoletana credentials with Neapolitan pizzas from Chicago's first Stefano Ferrara wood-burning oven.
"I definitely strive for authenticity in my pizza," Thompson said.
Chef Chris Thompson is flanked by Chicago restauranteurs Billy Lawless (l.) and Ryan O'Donnell. The three will open Coda di Volpe on the Southport Corridor this summer. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
Lawless and O'Donnell bought the former salon in July and razed it. Construction has accelerated rapidly over the past couple of months to make the July opening possible.
Coda di Volpe will begin with daily dinner service before expanding to lunch and weekend brunch. Carryout might eventually be available, but O'Donnell said the restaurant intends to avoid delivery options to preserve the menu's quality.
While known for heavy-hitters like Gage, Beacon Tavern and Gemini Bistro, the collaborators said their new eatery will be "family oriented," with prices that are "competitive and reasonable" compared to other Southport restaurants.
The restaurant will seat 100, plus 25 seats at the bar. Another 65 seats will fill the sidewalks on both sides of the restaurant at Southport and Henderson.
While the kitchen will be in the basement, the wood-burning oven will anchor the dining room to "create a nice coziness" to complement the mid-century Italian decor, the restaurateurs said.
Construction is underway at 3335 N. Southport Ave., where Coda di Volpe will open in July. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
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