Chicago's dining landscape reflects a melting pot of ethnic influences

Nation's Restaurant News, May 5, 1997 by Carolyn Walkup

CHICAGO -- The "City of Big Shoulders," still associated with good steaks and Chicago-style pizza, is becoming an ever-more-global restaurant town.

Asia, Latin America, France, the Mediterranean, California and Louisiana are leading locales represented by the crop of new restaurants that opened in Chicago since last spring's National Restaurant Association show here. A few ambitious newcomers encompass more than one cuisine, justifying that overused but accurate description "eclectic."

Most of the new concepts are homegrown, but a few big names from other cities have stepped onto Chicago turf. "Everybody and their mother wants to be in Chicago," says Roger Greenfield, whose Restaurant Development Group operates a dozen restaurants.

Los Angeles-based celebrity restaurateur Wolfgang Puck and wife-partner Barbara Lazaroff chose to open Spago here last December because of Chicago's reputation as a great restaurant city. "I think our style of restaurant really will fit in -- big and more fun with serious food."

Spago, which has been booking reservations weeks in advance for peak weekend time slots, combines elements of the menus of both Spago and Puck's Asian-inspired Chinois on Main in Santa Monica, Calif. The dramatically designed Spago Chicago combines its dining room and the more casual Spago Grill under one roof. The grill specializes in Puck's famous wood-fired pizzas and other California-Italian signature items.

Asian influences

Pan-Asian cuisine is served at Red Light, the newest creation of KDK Restaurant Group in the West Randolph Street market district, across the street from the group's trendy Marche. Partner Jerry Kleiner designed the space in his personal, dramatic style with subtle hints of Asia in some of the hand-laid mosaic tiles and silk upholstery fabrics. Chef-partner Michael Kornick created the menu around "street food" he experienced on extensive travels to Asian countries.

Among the dishes he came up with are small plates of five-spice spare ribs, pork and ginger dumplings and Vietnamese rice paper rolls and large plates of steamed fillet of red snapper with Taiwanese vinegar sauce and clay-pot green curry duck.

Con Fusion in artsy Bucktown showcases former Jimmy's Place chef Kevin Shikami's inventive cuisine, which combines Asian flavors and French style. Owner Deborah Sharpe envisioned the minimalist design, with white walls, light wood floors, some exposed brick and an open kitchen.

Le Colonial, the third outpost of the New York-based company, includes a little French influence in its Vietnamese cuisine. With its atmosphere set in French-colonial Vietnam, the restaurant features such dishes as spicy beef salad with lemon grass and basil; sauteed jumbo shrimp with eggplant in a curried coconut sauce; and ginger-marinated roasted duck with tamarind dipping sauce.

Wood-burning ovens

The new Zarrosta Grill on Rush Street is a clone of its popular predecessor in suburban Oak Brook. Now owned by Weatherly Hospitality Group, Zarrosta Grill shows a great deal of California influence, including a woodburning oven and display kitchen.

Mantuano Mediterranean Table also highlights the ubiquitous large display kitchen and woodburning oven but concentrates on foods of many Mediterranean countries. In addition to the 250-seat dining area, the restaurant offers carryout and a retail market. Located on the ground floor of the striking NBC Tower, just east of Michigan Avenue, Mantuano is a relocation of the former Tuttaposto, about a mile to the west. The owners, who are Tony and Cathy Mantuano and Taste America Restaurants, wanted a more visible spot closer to densely populated office towers.

French bistros and brasseries

France rates as the single-most-influential European country for Chicago's new restaurants. Three newcomers are emulating French bistros and brasseries, not counting Brasserie Jo, which opened more than a year ago and won the 1996 James Beard award for best new restaurant.

The trio of new, casual French restaurants consists of Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar, Bistrot Zinc and Voila! All share moderate check averages of approximately $25 for dinner.

Cyrano's, owned by chef Didier and Jamie Durand, emphasizes the food of chef Durand's native Bergerac in Southwestern France. "We are trying to achieve a true French restaurant." chef Durand says. "Some French restaurants that have opened here have Americanized themselves; we are going the other way."

Bistrot Zinc is one of the highest-profile restaurants to open to date on the emerging Southport Avenue restaurant row on the North Side. It combines two concepts under one roof -- the bistro portion in the back and a more casual cafe in the front. A sidewalk cafe in warm weather is an especially inviting Parisian touch.

Voila!, owned by Levy Restaurants and partner Doug Roth, bears some similarities to the owners' older casual French restaurant, Bistro 110. The bustling brasserie brightens the Loop-area space that formerly housed the Levys' more generic City Tavern.