First Look: Ada St.
By Anthony Todd in Food on Feb 28, 2012 5:30PM
Ada. St., set to open next week, is the newest venture from Michael Kornick and David Morton, the brains behind DMK and Fishbar. It's about as different as you can imagine from those two bright, hopping joints - but it's certain to be just as popular.
Upon entering the (as-yet-unmarked) Ada St., visitors will come upon the first of many unique touches: a greeting drink. The outer lounge area, built in a renovated elevator shaft, contains a small bar and a pair of comfortable chairs. Every night, something different (and free) will be served as an introduction to the restaurant. Last night, it was a gin and tonic made with North Shore Gin and homemade tonic. Some nights, it may be a local beer or an exciting new cocktail experiment. In the summer, expect chilled rose.
Visitors proceed down a dark, candlelit corridor (past the Wine Library) to the main dining room. As they arrive, they'll pass by the restaurant's vinyl collection. Ada St. will not have a DJ or a playlist - Kornick has decided that they will only play complete records. If you want, grab one and bring it to the bar, and they'll put in in the queue. The dining room seems cavernous after the tiny entrance but is really quite small, with 8-10 tables and a long bar. The back of the dining room is a huge rolling garage door which, come summer weather, will open onto a patio.
The food and drink look like they're going to match up to the wonderfully-designed space. Tim Lacey, formerly of The Drawing Room, has taken the helm behind the bar and has come up with a sophisticated cocktail list filled with local craft spirits. Chicago newcomer Zoe Schor is running the kitchen. Formerly a chef at Thomas Keller's Bouchon and Tom Collichio's Craft, Schor has created a menu filled with small, savory bites, including a chicken-fried quail that made us sit up and take note. The charcuterie and cheese programs may end up the stars of the restaurant; Kornick and Schor have worked with some of Chicago's best purveyors to bring in products found nowhere else in Chicago.
Ada St. hasn't officially opened yet (they are taking reservations for next week) but if you stop by this weekend and try the door, you may find that they are open for business. While the location may be a bit out of the way, we are confident that they will be doing a brisk business soon, so consider reserving now.
Kornick and Morton have created a restaurant that many may quickly dismiss as gimmicky - after all, hasn't the unmarked restaurant thing been done? Small plates are over and vinyl is so hipster circa 2011. But when all the gimmicks combine to create something as charming as Ada St, we just call them good ideas.
Ada St. is located at 1664 N. Ada St.