Markethouse in the Doubletree Hotel in Streeterville— which remains open, unlike Custom House and C-House, in case you’re having trouble keeping track— has appointed a new chef to take over the reins from Scott Walton who, as reported yesterday, will be running the big new Howells & Hood project in the Tribune Tower. She is De’Ann Wellwerts, who rose from prep cook at the restaurant under Walton beginning in 2009, and plans to continue many of the farm to table things that made Markethouse stand out among the ranks of hotel restaurants. The release says that “the restaurant will introduce a casual focus on comfort food fare tailored to the mealtime needs of its surrounding Streeterville neighborhood,” which we take to mean they’re bringing the food down a price notch to more of a comfort food range (a la Little Market Brasserie, say). But at the same time, happily, they’re touting her continued use of produce directly from farmers and from the large rooftop garden Walton and his cooks built, including creating garden herb-infused teas and craft cocktails.
