WEST TOWN — Dig out your berets: The sparse details revealed last week on Beatnik — a New American restaurant and bar from the owners of Wicker Park's Bordel and Black Bull — have been fleshed out.
Inspired by the bohemian lifestyle and aesthetic sensibility of the 1950s in America and Europe, the nearly 200-seat Beatnik is located at 1604 W. Chicago Ave. in the former Mecca Fashion building.
Beatnik, scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Wednesday, has an outdoor courtyard which will be enclosed for winter, a cocktail bar, main dining room and a private dining area.
Designed by the Bonhomme Hospitality team with owners, Daniel Alonso and Nader, Rafid, and Fadi Hindo hand-selecting pieces from Bali, Egypt, Argentina, Italy, and Spain, the massive 6,000 square-foot interior is "meant to feel like a journey through the back roads paved by a gypsy traveler," according to a news release.
New American dishes from chef executive chef Marcos Campos and chef de cuisine Jonathan Meyer are composed with the exotic spices and bright flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, Asia and Latin America, the team says.
Highlighted dishes include roasted Lebanese style lamb served with homemade roti bread, sherry pickled radishes, pistachio tzatziki and garbanzo Salad with dried tomatoes, roasted butternut squash with Jalapeño and cilantro Greek yogurt, grilled broccoli hummus, "spicy puffed rice" and more.
Cocktails from Bonhomme's group beverage director Liz Pearce (also owner of The Drifter), with an assist from bar director Jacyara de Oliveira, will be "fun and creative with unexpected combinations of bright, intense flavors."
“The modern beatnik is constantly seeking inspiration. They are unconcerned with 'cool' and instead want to consume food, art, music, and life,” said de Oliveira in a prepared statement. “I think [Liz and I] showcase this spirit of the modern beatnik because we are insistent on the fact that cocktails can be fun, creative, beautiful, and unstuffy.”
Cocktails include a gin-based "Summers in Sweden" with peach and nutmeg, "Modern Culture"with Green Chile Vodka and tequlia-based "Equatorial Gatherings."
Pearce and de Oliveira are also implementing green initiatives and sustainable methods of operating behind the bar, rejecting the idea that there has to be waste in fine dining and cocktails.
Rounding put the worldly ambience, patrons will enjoy reggae, Afrobeat, and Middle Eastern Classic Rock along with Brazilian Soul and 60s French pop music.
Beatnik, 1604 W. Chicago Ave. Hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Friday for dinner; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. brunch and dinner on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. for brunch and dinner on Sundays.
For more info, visit beatnikchicago.com.
