Trendy late night spots attract wide array of Chicago diners
BY CAROLYN WALKUP July 20, 2011 5:28PM
The dining room at Hubbard Inn. | Scott Stewart~Sun-Times
Updated: May 9, 2012 9:40AM
There was a time when few Chicago restaurants served meals late at night, and those that did did not have many customers. Those days are fast disappearing.
More and more full-service, fine-dining restaurants are keeping their kitchens open till 11 p.m., midnight or even 1 a.m. and are experiencing sizable crowds of diners ordering everything from full dinners to snacks or desserts. Restaurants within a short cab ride from theaters, the opera, the symphony, concert venues and major-league sporting events are especially in demand after events.
David Flom of Chicago Cut Steakhouse (300 N. LaSalle, 312-329-1800, chicagocutsteakhouse.com) said he decided to keep the restaurant open till 2 a.m. nightly after seeing hundreds of restaurants in New York full of diners late into the night.
“There is a push to catch up to New York,” he said.
And, unlike many Chicago restaurants that Flom saw paring back their full menus as the night wore on, Chicago Cut serves its complete menu till closing. Some guests order the traditional big steakhouse meal, while others order a series of appetizers or just desserts.
Chicago Cut has the added bonus of a patio overlooking the Chicago River, where food now can be served until midnight nightly, thanks to a recently passed trial city ordinance allowing that specific closing time for some 70 downtown restaurants with outdoor patios or rooftop service.
Jackie Shen, Chicago Cut’s executive chef, who has worked everywhere from the former Red Light to Lawry’s the Prime Rib, is putting her signature on most of the non-steak items, such as the Scottish salmon with Mediterranean relish and orange honey glaze, and whitefish with clam white wine sauce. Among her desserts is her locally famous Chocolate Bag — a dark chocolate shell filled with whipped cream and berries.
A more veteran locally owned steak house, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (1029 N. Rush, 312-266-8999, gibsonssteakhouse.com), was one of the first restaurants to stay open late in the 1990s, when many members of the fabled Chicago Bulls team that starred Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and other legends came in for dinner after the games, according to John Colletti, managing partner of Gibsons Restaurant Group. They sought steak dinners — and a place where other diners would leave them alone, Colletti said.
When word got out that the players often could be spotted there, Gibsons’ late-night business grew, without benefit of advertising or marketing. Since then, the group’s other downtown restaurants, including Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House (1024 N. Rush, 312-640-0999, hugosfrogbar.com), Luxbar (18 E. Bellevue Pl., 312-642-3400, luxbar.com) and Quartino Ristorante, Pizzeria & Wine Bar (626 N. State, 312-698-5000, quartinochicago.com), followed suit with late-night hours.
“We want people to have the same experience then as they would have at 6:30 or 7 p.m. They are not second-class citizens,” Colletti said. “Our staff is aware that they will be busy during late evenings and they don’t slack off.”
SushiSamba Rio (504 N. Wells, 312-595-2300, sushisamba.com), a New York transplant that always has included late-night dining as part of its Brazilian/Japanese concept, deliberately creates a party atmosphere complemented by specialty cocktails and DJs on some nights. With food served till midnight, 1 or 2 a.m., depending on the night of the week, the restaurant capitalizes on its small plates of sushi, grilled meats and other items.
To further entice latecomers, SushiSamba Rio recently unveiled its Samba Hour at the bar that starts at 11 p.m., where foods from a special menu are $5. Quite a few guests also order full dinners at that time, said Hayes Swope, director of operations.
Mercadito Chicago (108 W. Kinzie, 312-329-9555, mercaditohospitality.com) also promotes its late-night menu with the new $2.75 Taco Tuesdays, starting at 9 p.m., featuring 11 different varieties. Encouraging diners to order small portions of several different items has kept this Latin-themed hot spot hopping on weeknights as well as weekends, according to Alfredo Sandoval, managing partner.
“It’s easy to come in late at night and not have to order huge amounts of food,” Sandoval said. “We’re not a bar or club, but we have high energy. That ambiance helps to bring in a lot of people.”
While most restaurants that serve food late claim they see diners of all ages, most admit the crowd generally trends younger as the night gets older. One exception is Benny’s Chop House (444 N. Wabash, 312-626-2444,
bennyschophouse.com), which serves food ordered before 1 a.m. and has become “a destination for many people who want to listen to music in a civilized environment,” said Mitchell Schmieding, director of operations.
Customers range from post-rock concertgoers to corporate executives having late working dinners. Benny’s recently hosted a group of bankers who called in their orders ahead of time so their food would be ready when they arrived at 10:30 p.m.
Although liquor licensees must shoo out reluctant customers by their legally mandated closing times, most do not rush late-night diners who order food in time to enjoy it at a leisurely pace, said Bob Zrenner, executive chef at Hubbard Inn (110 W. Hubbard, 312-222-1331, hubbardinn.com). Specializing in small portions of flatbreads, pan-seared prawns, lobster club sandwiches and other dishes, the eclectic restaurant welcomes walk-ins later at night and gives diners plenty of time to unwind, he said.
Carolyn Walkup is a local free-lance writer.
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