WEST LOOP — As he prepared to open a new sports lounge on Green Street last month, George Giannoulias said he felt like he was "coming home."
Before 130 S. Green St. housed Green Street Local, Giannoulias' new sports lounge, and Karyn Calabrese's vegan restaurant Karyn's on Green, the building was home to another Giannoulias restaurant, longtime West Loop residents will remember: the fine-dining Green Room in the early 2000s.
"Being familiar with this location made it sentimental for me," Giannoulias said at the restaurant last week.
And while Giannoulias wants diners to feel at home in the new sports lounge, the menu, focused on Chicago comfort food, is a departure from the past.
“Like our name implies, we’re hyper focused on the local scene and giving guests a place that they can frequent several times a week and never get bored," Giannoulias said.
George Giannoulias opened Green Street Local, a new sports lounge, in the former Karyn's on Green in the West Loop. [dnainfo/Stephanie Lulay]
Inspired by Chicago's diverse neighborhoods and local ingredients, menu highlights include:
• Chicken & Doughnut, featuring a fried boneless breast of chicken served with a glazed doughnut ($15.95)
• Carbelicious, a colossal serving of baked pasta ($14.95)
• Captain Calamari, calamari cooked to perfection with a Captain Crunch batter and served with a honey cherry pepper relish ($13.95)
• Pilsen Burger, a black bean patty topped with roasted jalapeño aioli, sliced avocado and pico de gallo, served with fresh-cut fries ($12.95)
• Maxwell Street Special, a 10-ounce pork chop topped with haystack onions, served with melted brussel sprouts and seasoned fingerling potatoes ($16.95)
The beverage program includes six seasonal cocktails, more than 50 types of beer are available — including 16 on tap — and the wine menu includes by-the-glass and by-the-bottle options.
The 5,000-square-foot multi-level restaurant with high ceilings, warm woods and high-top seating was designed by Cari Giannoulias of design firm Lewis Giannoulias, George's wife. Sports fans can enjoy local games on one of 30 TVs in the bar and WiFi is available.
The upper level can be rented for private events of up to 60 guests. In the warmer months, the restaurant will offer patio seating for 25 on Green Street.
Green Street Local is now open for dinner from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. weekdays and 4 p.m.-3 a.m.. Saturdays. The sports lounge will open for lunch starting March 14.
George Giannoulias isn't the only Giannoulias in the restaurant game. His younger young brother, former Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, is opening a Kanela Breakfast Club in Andersonville in May.
The Carbelicious, a colossal serving of baked pasta ($14.95) at Green Street Local [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
