UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — Soule, a BYOB restaurant offering soul food and seafood in a fine dining setting, is joining Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village.
Located at 1931 W. Chicago Ave., Soule (pronounced "Soul-ay") is owned by Bridgette Flagg, a West Side resident and chef who has operated a private catering business for the past three years.
"I have been looking all over. I love that the area is up and coming and that there's a lot of foot traffic," Flagg said of the storefront, which was previously home to a vintage clothing shop, and, before that, Vigilante Comics.
The 33-seat Soule will be Flagg's first restaurant. Flagg said that she is "praying for Aug. 1" as a potential opening date.
Flagg's menu features fried green tomatoes, fried chicken and catfish, crab legs, lamb chops, jerk chicken and more.
Flagg said her favorite dishes to cook are crab legs and lamb chops.
And while she will be on the premises most of the time, other chefs who specialize in vegan cooking, for instance, are welcome to take over the kitchen for special guest chef events.
Soule will serve lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, along with a monthly brunch.
Flagg said the reception from her retail neighbors has been welcoming.
"There is nothing like this here [along Chicago Avenue]. I love the atmosphere, the people. I started meeting some of my neighbors. Everyone is so nice. I want to feel comfortable and love the area I am in because I will be there all day, every day," Flagg said.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
