A lot of news has come out of the David Burke Primehouse organization lately, and with today’s announcements in Chicago Real Estate Daily, they may have passed Tony Hu in that regard. Item #1: they’re adding on 4000 square feet to the existing James Hotel location, to include a new lobby, bar, private dining room, wine cellar, etc. Item #2a: a few weeks ago, they were talking about launching a European open-faced sandwiches cafe as part of that renovation, almost exactly at the instant that exactly that sort of thing opened here; but Item #2b, it now has a name, and we have to say, Burke’s Bacon Bar does not particularly sound like the dainty European sandwiches they’re making at Duran.
And Item #3, the big one: there are finally details about their intention to open some kind of restaurant in the under-construction Hotel Indigo, expected to open next spring at 168 N. Michigan Ave. It is said to be a local-focused restaurant serving meats and charcuterie, much of which will be sourced from the midwest. Hotels have a habit these days of opening lip-service-to-local restaurants that really aren’t, and the plans do sound a little vague— but to be fair, it’s also a year away. Primehouse Chef Rick Gresh has been a supporter of the Green City Market and other good things, so we look forward to seeing how this develops and lives up to its concept.
