Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Knife Steakhouse Sets Opening Date: Check Out These Preview Photos

By Patty Wetli | October 7, 2016 5:16am
 Knife Steakhouse Preview
Knife Steakhouse Preview
View Full Caption

NORTH CENTER — Knife is less than two weeks away from delivering on its promise to bring a downtown steakhouse experience to the North Side.

The restaurant, 4343 N. Lincoln Ave., will debut to the general public on Oct. 18, according to-owner David Byers, who also runs nearby Fork with his mother Paula.

Between now and then, Fork's best customers will be given the opportunity to pop into Knife for a preview dinner. The Byers are also opening up early reservations to anyone who likes Knife on Facebook.

Here's a sneak peek at what to expect from the menu and decor.

The Food

Byers and executive chef Timothy Cottini, a Fork veteran, have been batting around concepts for new restaurants for years.

"We have so made ideas, 'We could do this, we could do that,'" Byers said. "We've done Fork, we don't want to do another Fork."

The success of Iliana Regan's Elizabeth and Chris Nugent's Goosefoot demonstrated that the neighborhood could and would support higher-end fare, and the notion of a contemporary spin on the classic steakhouse was born.

Knife's signature steak is a 28-day dry-aged ribeye for two, carved tableside. Though beef is the star of the show at Knife, the menu also includes seafood, lamb, pork, chicken and vegetarian entrees.

[All photos DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

The wedge salad has been reinterpreted with grilled iceberg lettuce and the addition of lobster and dehydrated bacon.

The baby iceberg heads are sourced from Urban Till, a hydroponic farm in Chicago.

"The iceberg actually tastes like something. It has a little flavor, a little sweetness," Cottini said.

A tasting portion of the ahi tuna tartare. The fish is flown in fresh from Hawaii.

Cottini demonstrated the tableside preparation of Knife's caesar salad.

The lobster bisque gets its creaminess from vegetables and olive oil, not dairy. It's garnished with lobster ash, made from char-broiled lobster feet.

The Setting

Knife occupies the former home of Chalkboard/Homegrown. Though the layout of the steakhouse is roughly the same as its predecessor's, nearly every surface, fixture and piece of equipment is new, according to Byers.

Though redecorating isn't nearly as daunting a prospect as new construction, Byers said his team did run into a handful of hiccups that delayed Knife's opening.

For starters, the facade was initially painted the wrong color and required a do-over.

Then there was the day that three separate delivery trucks arrived, and they all had to be sent back with at least one piece of damaged goods.

Diners won't be aware of any of that when they enter the restaurant. What's most likely to catch their eye, instead, is the textured tile that covers the walls of the main dining area.

Byers discovered the tile while on the hunt for bathroom decor and quickly fell in love with the design. Judging it far too pretty to be hidden away in the bathrooms, he opted to make the tile Knife's visual focal point.

As the days tick down to Knife's grand opening, Byers is making sure no detail goes overlooked.

"You see us in here changing light bulbs," he said.

Knife Menu by DNAinfo Chicago on Scribd

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.