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Little Fort Tavern to Open by Summer in Former Glunz Bavarian Haus

By Patty Wetli | February 10, 2014 7:55am
 Come summer, the shuttered Glunz Bavarian Haus will be transformed into Little Fort Tavern.
Come summer, the shuttered Glunz Bavarian Haus will be transformed into Little Fort Tavern.
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DNAinfo/Patty Wetli

NORTH CENTER — With the opening of one new tavern barely under their belts, the owners of Commonwealth in Roscoe Village are already making plans for a sibling.

Little Fort Tavern will be the next concept from Matt Baldino, set to open this summer at 4128 N. Lincoln Ave. in the former Glunz Bavarian Haus, which closed in October.

Similar to Commonwealth, Little Fort — a nod to the original name of Lincoln Avenue — will operate under the premise that the folks who enjoy sports bars and the folks who enjoy chef-driven food aren't mutually exclusive.

The menu at Little Fort will be "slightly more meat-centric" than Commonwealth's but will likely feature a similar range of farm-to-table fare — from beef tartare to fried chicken, Baldino said.

Bar offerings will include craft beers and cocktails as well as Coors and Miller Lite.

"We'll have good beer, bad beer and everything in between," he said.

Baldino, who lives in Roscoe Village, was attracted to the space in large part because of nearby St. Ben's and Coonley Elementary.

"I love grade schools," he said. "You get parents involved. You support them and help them raise money, they support your business."

The area is also lacking anything as ambitious as Little Fort, Baldino said.

"I just think that location ... there's no giant," he said.

With the Fountainhead team prepping its cider pub, The Northman, just up the street at 4337 N. Lincoln Ave., Baldino isn't worried about competition — he's glad to have a like-minded business nearby helping to create a hub.

"The fact that Foutainhead is going in, that only helps," he said.