WEST LOOP — A new fast casual restaurant focused on all-things polenta has opened on Lake Street in the West Loop.
Milan natives Emile Chalouhi and chef Camillo Villa opened The Polenta Bar at 1002 W. Lake St. last week. Chalouhi and Villa moved to Chicago from Italy to open the restaurant this year.
While American Italian cooking often focuses on pasta dishes, the cornmeal-based dish is a staple in Northern Italian cuisine, Chalouhi said.
"In Milan, polenta is basically what pasta is in southern Italy. On top of that you literally would put everything," Chalouhi said.
At The Polenta Bar, polenta is topped with the diner's choice of sauces and meats — options include a classic tomato sauce, Taleggio cheese sauce, organic chicken in a white wine sauce and slow-cooked wild boar — and served with seasonal vegetables. Menu items range from $12-15 and the restaurant offers a number of gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan options.
The Chicago shop is Chalouhi's first restaurant in the United States. He first gained interest in opening a restaurant in America under the U.S.'s SelectUSA investment program, and aimed to open a restaurant in Kansas City or Chicago.
"Chicago won," Chalouhi said, adding that he is excited to open the restaurant in the booming West Loop neighborhood.
The Polenta Bar is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sundays.
Emile Chalouhi and chef Camillo Villa have opened The Polenta Bar at 1002 W. Lake St. in the West Loop. [DNAinfo/Stephanie Lulay]
