These Chicago Restaurants Are Popping Up Around The Country

By Anthony Todd in Food on Mar 27, 2017 2:16PM

Chicken sandwish and negroni slush at Parson's. Photo via Facebook.

Chicago tends to be the object, not the perpetrator, of restaurant expansion efforts. The typical story is a restaurant group from New York or Los Angeles or Miami wants to throw open its doors somewhere in the Midwest, so they plop an outpost down in Chicago. This month, that pattern is changing a bit, as a few big names in Chicago food put out feelers elsewhere.

Last week, Eater Nashville reported that Parson's Chicken and Fish, home of the ever-popular Negroni slushie, is opening a location in Nashville. They did a popup in Nashville in 2013, and now are joining a version of the New Orleans food hall St. Roch Market. The location will apparently have 200 seats and outdoor space (because you can't have Parson's without a patio) and will open this fall.

Honey Butter Fried Chicken is a concept that has seemed ripe for expansion since the day it opened to out-the-door lines. Well, they're doing a few pop-up dinners in Detroit on April 22 and 23, at Russel Street Deli and Grey Ghost. It's way too early to claim that this means they're opening more locations, but I can dream, right? Reservations for the Grey Ghost pop-up can be made by phone at 313-262-6534.

Nashville is getting more than one Chicago transplant. Rockit Ranch Productions let Chicagoist know that Sunda, the trendy pan-Asian spot in River North, is opening a second location (their first outside of Chicago) in Nashville this fall. I'm a tiny bit surprised, because while Sunda is popular with glamorous people, it never struck me as a concept that was particular unique from a culinary standpoint. Also, if this works, don't be surprised when Rockit continues to expand its reach around the country. The current chef de cuisine at Sunda Chicago, Mike Morales, will be running the restaurant in Nashville, set to open later this year.