Chicago-area restaurateur Amy Morton, executive chef Nicole Pederson, and Stefen Bosworth announced their new concept, The Barn (Rear 1016 Church St., Evanston, Illinois). Opening this September, the “meat-centric hideaway” will be a departure from the flexitarian Found, the team’s award-winning first collaboration in Evanston.
The Barn is a nod to Amy Morton’s father, Arnie Morton, with whom she worked side-by-side at his namesake restaurants, Morton’s Steakhouses, in Chicago. Amy’s version, however, features a wide variety of proteins. Options are prepared with accompaniments and sauces in mind.
“The Barn is a coming home for me. I’ve always known I was going to do something around steak because it’s what I grew up with. And I am excited to do it our way,” Morton says.
Nicole Pederson, Food & Wine’s “People’s Best New Chef” nominee in the Great Lakes category in 2014 and 2015, Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, and crowned the “Princess of Porc” for winning Cochon 555 in Chicago last year, offers a menu of refined options. Interactive tableside preparation for salads, deboning fish, and desserts, will add liveliness and fun to the experience.
Located in a 19th century brick barn hidden in an alley in the middle of town, The Barn is a throwback to the panache of old school service with live music. The impeccable, yet comfortable, service will be exemplified by what comes naturally; staff will be encouraged to go off menu and off script to find ways to create special touches throughout the restaurant, such as warming a guests’ car for their departure and taking reservations by hand.
The 75-seat restaurant retains the essence of the original building, which once served as the horse stable for Borden Condensed Milk, with dramatic 20-foot ceilings and crumbling brick walls. A whimsical light fixture will illuminate the space, which will also feature a glowing, back-lit bar and a color palate of blues, greens, and cognacs with lots of textures. The design of the space will play a supporting role to the natural centerpieces of the restaurant—the guests and the food.
