Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/508485
photography by neil burger drink up! Cocktails by Peter Vestinos show respect for tradition and restraint from fuss. "I wanted to get back to something more refned and sophisticated, rooted in classic cocktails," says the renowned mixologist. Options with French fair include La Grande Dame, which tops gin, cognac, grapefruit and Creole bitters, lemon, and soda with fresh mint. clockwise from above: Rachel Dow, a first-time head chef, created The Betty's menu of just a dozen or so small and larger plates; the retro-chic bar with tufted stools; a lamb dish with falafel and artichoke. menu with just a dozen or so small and larger plates. It rambles around, from light kampachi crudo to rich tikka masala chicken, but what ties the offerings together is a sense of balance: Gemlike pomegranate seeds stud the fried caulif lower salad, adding brightness to the best-selling, earthy dish. Grilled squid mingles with tossed frisée and nutty bulgur accented by lemony tahini. "I jokingly call it 'Modern Grandma' just because the f lavors are familiar," says Dow. "I feel like most people have a pretty nostalgic view of their grandmother's cooking. But I don't want to call it comfort food. That indicates heaviness to me. I'm always looking for balance with acid, texture, and richness." Channeling Betty Crocker, her desserts hew homey, with a daily mini pie and seasonal cookies. Dow, who does not have a strong sweet tooth, is satisfied by "a little something." "We weren't trying to pick just one cuisine but to let chef Rachel do her thing, and she likes bringing in f lavors from all over the place," says Chris Haisma, a partner in Footman Hospitality. "And the design is the same way." Indeed it is: Piles of vintage suitcases neighbor a player piano. A tufted couch runs along a wall-length bookcase filled with an old phonograph, radio, and stacks of vinyl (played over an excellent sound system that allows conversation). The ambience is so retro, if not period- specific, that you almost expect a smoke-filled room. "Betty is a well-traveled woman," says designer Studio K owner Karen Herold. In conceiving the place, they played with the character of Betty as an old-soul hostess. "It was the idea that people would go to see Betty, and she would pour you a glass of whiskey and hang out," says Herold. "The Betty became our ideal woman." For the record, there are men at work here, too. Peter Vestinos (Sepia) designed the beverage program to include a smartly curated list of craft beers and boutique wines as well as original cocktails, many with an effervescence that matches the celebratory feeling of spending an evening with Betty. "I don't want to say it's mature," says Dow, "but it's a grown-up place to have drinks and dinner without being too committed to a restaurant." 839 W. Fulton Market, 312-733-2222; thebettychicago.com MA "I don't want to call It comfort food. that IndIcates heavIness to me. I'm always lookIng for balance wIth acId, texture, and rIchness." —rachel dow house seats From '70s-inspired high- top stools to velvet-covered slipper chairs, vantage points vary at The Betty. Survey it all from the custom-made, 25-foot tufted red leather banquette that grounds the library- like lounge, giving it, as designer Karen Herold says, "a sense that it's been around a long time." 90 michiganavemag.com taste