Chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields announce that their West Loop concept The Loyalist will open on July 30. The Loyalist presents a more casual complement to its sister restaurant Smyth that opens in September with a tasting menu experience. The husband and wife duo bring experience from Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea, returning to Chicago after a successful run with their Virginia restaurant Town House.
The neighborhood restaurant will serve rustic, craveable fare inspired by seasonal ingredients from the restaurant’s exclusive farm partner in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Many dishes will rotate seasonally alongside staple dishes like The Loyalist Burger. The burger is seared with shaved onions, topped with American cheese that Shields makes in-house, housemade pickled cucumbers and onions, slathered with a special onion-infused mayo on a toasted sesame seed bun. The menu includes:
- Biscuits, n'duja butter, ramp honey
- Roasted beets, avocado, pumpkin seed butter
- Heirloom tomatoes & plum, fresh cheese, fried bread
- Chicken liver mousse, sourdough toast, radish, salted cherry
- Smoky potatoes, kraut, The Farm egg, buttermilk mayonnaise
- Grilled squid, sungold tomatoes, fresno chile
- Spicy clams & spaghetti
- Broiled sea trout, kasu, charred cucumber
- Crispy chicken thighs, Carolina gold rice grits, pickled tripe
- Bbq roasted pork shoulder & sides
- Aged Ribeye, brown butter, black garlic
- The Loyalist cheeseburger & fries
- Lemongrass sundae, blueberries, salted black licorice
- Toasted pavlova, sweet corn, blackberry sorbet
- Chocolate blackout cake, whipped creme fraiche
On the beverage side, Roger Landes will craft a variety of cocktails also inspired by seasonality that utilize fresh and preserved ingredients from the farm. General Manager/Sommelier Kelly Coughlin will also curate a list of wines and craft beers to be served downstairs. Cocktails include:
- The Chip Marlow Conspiracy: gin, lemon, earl grey, genepi, orange bitters, white wine
- Nothing Noble: bourbon, demerara, Amargo Valet, lemon, mint
- Papa Doble: white rum, grapefruit, lime, maraschino liqueur
- Providence Manhattan: rye, Vermouth di Torino, Cynar, pipe tobacco
- Can’t Smile Without You: London dry gin, Oloroso sherry, Cascara, lemon, wyrmwood, egg white
- Tarantella: Peruvian pisco, Kina, mulberry, lemon, sparkling wine, carbonated fruit
- Under the Volcano: mezcal, pamplemousse, lime, herbsaint, Hellfire bitters, shaved ice
- Innocents Abroad: Genever gin, Chinato, Gentianne, grapefruit bitters
- I’m Right Here: blanco tequila, Sotol, cilantro oil, lime, coriander bitters
- No True Scotsman: blended scotch, Islay scotch, crème de violette, lemon, Peychaud’s bitters
The Loyalist offers a comfortable environment that preserves the pre-existing structure and integrity of its Ada Street space while adding composed elements like herring bone walls in a rich charcoal tone and natural wooden beams and bar tops. The restaurant seats 91 in booths and communal tables as well as 14 people at the bar. Dim lighting reflected in brushed mirrors creates a warm environment with plush leather seating for a comfortable dining experience. Tucked beneath its sister restaurant Smyth, The Loyalist evokes a more casual air for diners looking to enjoy dinner or just drinks.
