RIVER NORTH — The jazz-focused seafood restaurant Eddie V's will open its first Midwest outpost in the Shops at North Bridge on Rush Street Monday.
Eddie V's Prime Seafood is expected to open March 24 in the former home of Buca di Beppo at 521 N. Rush St.
The fine dining surf-and-turf-oriented menu includes main courses priced from $20 to $50, market prices for shellfish and small plates in the $12-18 range.
Menu highlights include a tartare of Pacific ahi tuna with curry and sesame oils, sliced avocado, mango and citrus, and a parmesan-crusted North Atlantic lemon sole with tomato and herb salad and lemon-garlic butter.
The restaurant seats 250 and is divided into a formal dining room and an 1,100-square-foot lounge with an oval-shaped oyster and cocktail bar.
Lunch and dinner will be served daily in the Art Deco-styled restaurant and lounge. In the lounge, pianists will perform daily, with jazz and blues trios booked every evening.
"Eddie V’s will complement the area’s existing fine-dining establishments, and we look forward to showcasing our distinctive offerings and first-class service to the city’s dynamic mix of professionals, residents and visitors," said Jim vanDercook, president of Eddie V's, in a statement that also praised the Magnificent Mile as "one of America's top dining destinations."
The Eddie V's franchise, part of Darden Restaurants Inc. — which recently announced plans to revamp another brand in the family, Olive Garden — has restaurants in California, Florida and Arizona, plus six locations in Texas.
