LINCOLN PARK — The "community-minded" White Oak Tavern & Inn is set to open Tuesday with its own creamery program.
The restaurant and overnight lodging above the tavern replace John's Place, which had been at 1200 W. Webster Ave. for 20 years. The business remains owned by Lynn and John Manilow.
White Oak Tavern & Inn will be focused on sourcing from Midwestern farms and will feature a bar focused on small-batch bourbons and Midwestern craft beers.
The creamery program will source 100 percent grass-fed, organic dairy from 1871 Dairy out of suburban Wheaton, which White Oak will use to create yogurts, hand-made butters and desserts.
Chef John Asbaty, who has worked at Alinea and Trio, is the executive chef at White Oak Tavern.
"We are devoted to the philosophy of local sourcing," said Asbaty, whose last post was executive chef at Panozzo's Italian Market in the South Loop. "Not because it sounds cool or it's trendy, but because everyone here truly believes in it."
The name of the 2,900 square foot restaurant comes from the Illinois state tree, the White Oak.
"I want guests to see that on the other side of the plate are cooks who truly care for the ingredients, their origins and the real people behind them," Asbaty said. "It's humbling and inspiring for us to meet the people who grow and raise the food we cook."
The upstairs of the restaurant, the Inn, features two apartments that can be rented out on a nightly basis.
The larger of the two units is more than 3,000 total square feet with four bedrooms and skyline views.
The idea to put an inn above the restaurant came to the Manilows during a faintly trip to Rome.
Those staying at the Manilow's inn will be greeted by Lynn and John, the "Inn keepers" and a basket of fresh house-made breads from the chef.
A sampling of the opening menu includes:
• Caramel popcorn, candied pecans, bourbon maple, aged gouda
• Stracciatella, sunflower seed romesco, pickled onions, sprouts, house bread
• Biscuits, n'duja butter, peach preserves
• Winter squash bread, goat butter, chili jam, chives
• Cured meats, pickled vegetables, mustard, greens, house bread
• Kale salad, gem lettuce, apples, turnips, bacon-buttermilk vinaigrette
• Seasonal vegetable tartare, harissa, quark, egg yolk, sprouts, fried bread
• Farro verde, beets, yogurt, watercress, pecans, preserved plum vinaigrette
• Poached sweet potato, roasted mushrooms, pickled beet puree, brown butter, sesame, pea shoots
• Seared rainbow trout, celery root, celery chimichurri, radishes, smoked trout roe
• Grilled pork collar, sweet potato puree, kale, pickled apples, shaved kohlrabi, pork jus
• Slow cooked beef shoulder, polenta potato puree, swiss chard, pickled carrots
• Parsnip cake, olive oil ice cream, milk jam, pears, hickory nuts
• Pumpkin cheesecake, pecan crust, creme fraiche, pepitas, cocoa nibs, bourbon maple
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