WEST LOOP — Meat-heavy Tete Charcuterie opened this week with a compact menu full of cured meat dishes with a wide-range of international flavors.
The restaurant at 1114 W. Randolph St. is a product of executive chef partners Kurt Guzowski and Thomas Rice and has an emphasis on house-made charcuterie and sausage.
The menu is split into Cured Meats, Sausages, and Terrines and Pates. Rather than revolve around a specific region or style, the menu focuses on simple dishes that are "really, really good," according to Guzowski.
"It's fresh and composed to the region. Each dish has its own identity," Guzowski said.
Indeed, dishes range from an all-beef Chicago-style hot dog to to a French-style "Pate En Coute," with heritage pork, wild boar, duck and foie gras. Prices range from $10 for that hot dog — which is made in-house — to $46 for a large board of Charcuterie.
Drinks include a short wine list and cocktails like the Tete a Tete (gin, pate spice,citrus bitters, sparkling wine) and Two-Tree Days (bourbon, Gran Classico, honey shrub). Tete's craft beer list gives a nod to local brews like Lagunitas IPA, Metropolitan Krankshaft, and Finch's Secret Stache Stout.
The restaurant's interior is accented with wood and splashes of red, including a bright red brick glass room where diners can watch as Charcuterie and sausage is made.
The room currently seats 64. Guzowski said they plan to increase that number with additional seating and plans for an outdoor patio as weather warms up.
Tete is still tweaking its menu, but diners are welcome to stop in for dinner service, Mon-Thurs, 5-10 p.m. and Fri-Sat, 5-11 p.m. The restaurant's grand opening, with a finalized menu, is April 7.
