Restaurant News: Alpana Singh To Open The Boarding House This Summer, Two Chefs To Host Anti-Restaurant Week Dinner

By Amy Cavanaugh in Food on Jan 28, 2012 5:00PM

• Sommelier Alpana Singh, the Check, Please host who left Lettuce Entertain You last year, released details this week about her forthcoming wine bar. The bar’s name is The Boarding House, and it’s located at 720 North Wells, which is, yes, a former boarding house.

Chicago architect Jeremiah Johnson is designing The Boarding House, which will spread out over multiple levels. The River North restaurant will offer a menu “inspired by a bygone era, in terms of food, libations, ambience, service, and beyond.”

Singh plans to offer both new and classic wines, along with cocktails and beer. The Boarding House will be opening some time this summer.

• Our feelings on Restaurant Week are no secret, which is why we're jealous of anyone who gets to try the 15-course Anti-Restaurant week menu that Shin Thompson (Boinsoiree) and Philip Foss (EL) are offering at Bonsoiree on February 21. The chefs announced the dinner on Twitter, and Grub Street got some more details this week:

"Restaurant Week is based on your ability to add volume, and for a small restaurant like Phillip's or mine, there's no way to make $33 or $44 work for us doing the kind of menu we do," Thompson says. Foss adds, "You're getting people into your restaurant but they're not getting a true taste of who you are. I always hated it at Lockwood— the hotel was obviously concerned about food costs, so you'd have a roast chicken, a pasta, some inexpensive red meat. I stood behind the food but it was never indicative of what we were really about. I don't think many restaurants would say this is the meal we'd want Michelin or some critic to judge us on, so why should we want the public to judge us on it?"

There's no menu or price yet, but you can get details by signing up for EL or Bonsoiree's mailing lists.