Paul Kahan Is Going Italian With Nico

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jun 24, 2013 3:20PM

Paul Kahan is one of Chicago's most beloved restauranteurs. Anyone who eats in this city is a fan of at least one of his establishments, and you could put together a pretty good eating trip through the city for a tourist just by handing them a list of One Off Hospitality's restaurants. Kahan has just announced his latest restaurant, and this time, he's going Italian.

The Tribune reports that the Thompson Hotel in the Gold Coast will play host to Nico, a new Italian restaurant with a focus on seafood. It'll have 125 seats and the kitchen will be headed by current Avec chef Erling Wu-Bower. We're not quite sure it's going to be as anticipated as Next, but we're certainly excited. The food?

Kahan said he’s aiming for “unpretentious elegance, a lot of it based on the pure simplicity of the food. Italian food is the most pared down, simple and intriguing of any cuisine in the world.”

It will also be yet another restaurant (hello, Nellcote) with a name inspired by rock music.

Nico is, indeed, named for the German art-rock ingenue who most famously collaborated with The Velvet Underground on its debut album.

More details are available in the Trib. The restaurant is slated to open in December.