Located in the heart of Chicago's Loop district at the intersection of Dearborn and Randolph streets, The Dearborn’s expansive 8,000-square-foot space will seamlessly meld a variety of customized hospitality experiences under a single roof. Sisters and partners Clodagh and Amy Lawless have enlisted renowned Chicago architect and designer Mark Knauer (LUXBAR, Shaw’s Crab House, Tavern on Rush, Gibson’s Steakhouse) to craft the interiors of the venue, which will seat nearly 250 guests, and will embrace the soul of the city as well as the rich history that surrounds this area. Located on the ground floor of the buzzy Block 37 property, Knauer’s design is an inviting blend of industrial and modern elements.
Accessible by street side entrance, the front dining room is lined with nearly an entire wall of storefront style windows, presenting guests with a first-row seat to the city in motion. With plush booth seating and tabletop options both high and low, the design supports a unique collection of materials, dropped lighting fixtures, art, and craftsmanship that’s both stylish and timeless. A large bar is located in the central dining space and features impressive, sky-high shelves that prominently showcase an impressive selection of the restaurant’s wine and spirits.
The Dearborn’s 300-square-foot private dining room space will seat up to 27, and is shrouded in brass chandeliers, cascading from barrel-vaulted ceilings.
The Dearborn is an urban American tavern and the first independent restaurant concept by seasoned hospitality veterans and sisters turned restaurant partners, Amy and Clodagh Lawless (The Gage, Acanto). Opening doors on a booming corner of Randolph & Dearborn in summer 2016 at 145 N. Dearborn St., the restaurant will join several other high profile projects at the rapidly emerging shopping and dining destination, Block 37 in the Chicago Loop. The Dearborn will seat 225 as an urban American tavern serving upscale and seasonal cuisine with a Midwestern slant and contemporary twist. Executive Chef Aaron Cuschieri brings an array of experience and accolades to The Dearborn (Alinea, Takashi, Slurping Turtle, Kinmont, Zagat “30 Under 30,” Eater “Young Guns,” Top Chef New Orleans), offering everything from fine dining dishes and creative iterations of fresh seafood and lesser known meat cuts, to very approachable, everyday meals with a seasonal influence. The venue will also present a lively and inviting bar scene that honors classic American cocktails and beers. A pastry chef will be announced in the months to come.
