Adam Cisek and Jesse Boyle, the partners behind Wrigleyville's Red Ivy, are opening a new bar and restaurant called Reverie in River North in early August.
Cisek said he'd been looking for a venture in River North for some time and expects growth on the neighborhood's west side thanks to the recently expanded 1871 tech incubator at the Merchandise Mart. "There's a lot happening in River North," he said. "It's also the area we want to be in in terms of traffic on the weekends."
TVs are positioned throughout the space, including a bank of seven sets, but the goal is to make them unobtrusive, Cisek said. When there isn't a game on, the screens will display graphics meant to add to the ambiance of the space, which features windows that open onto the street, lots of natural wood, and gold and orange hues.
Chef Rodelio Aglibot of Yum Cha Dim Sum Parlor designed the menu, which includes tuna poke served atop a seaweed "tostada," slow-roasted beef ribs and spring rolls stuffed with Asian pear and house-cured salmon. The lounge has its own menu, centered around a sushi bar serving rolls made with warm rice.
"I think today's diners have become a little more casual in some ways, but they still demand high-quality cuisine and innovation, so we try to thread the needle to create a place that people can go to every day, but we have a chef who's really at the top of his game in terms of innovation," Boyle said. "The objective is to have a place where people still feel they're having a great meal but can watch the game."
The cocktail menu boasts signature drinks for each floor. Downstairs, you can sip The Reverie, a tiki-inspired blend of rum, orange curacao and tropical juices garnished with chilled pineapple. Upstairs, try the Love You Long Time, a shot of lemongrass-infused sake with green tea and togarashi. An upstairs lounge doubles as event space.
Located at 414 N. Orleans St. in the space formerly occupied by Brewstone Beer Company, Reverie will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday. An exact opening date has yet to be announced.