I’ve been asked many times if I’ve ever been to The Publican since it’s one of the more popular and well received restaurants in the city created by none other than Paul Kahan. Until this week my answer had been a surprising no. Every time I almost made it there I’d take a quick peek at the menu and wonder what the heck would I eat? I’m by no means a vegetarian/pescatarian or shy from trying new foods. But I also don’t run to eat lots of red meat or heavy pork products or other “natural” preparations. While I admire The Publican’s use of local farms and whole animal products, the menu is actually limited in scale (i.e. mostly Pork and raw seafood choices). If you’re not interested in blood sausages, various charcuterie, sweet breads and pork bellies then I’d say your experience might be limited to oysters, other raw seafood and some vegetables. I’m up for anything and was happy to check it out, especially the space (James Beard Award Winning Design) and highly regarded beer list.
I’ll join everyone else when I say the atmosphere and décor are top notch and not done justice through pictures. It’s a lively “beer hall” style experience with communal tables and a standing bar area. The room has a nice rumble of noise emanating from happy eaters and drinkers. It’s a place that encompasses happy people all sharing a similar experience drinking and eating good food. The beer list is quite interesting and full of choices you might not find in many places in Chicago. Don’t expect to find $3 bud lights or PBRs and most beers are large format with large format type prices.
I’ll join everyone else when I say the atmosphere and décor are top notch and not done justice through pictures. It’s a lively “beer hall” style experience with communal tables and a standing bar area. The room has a nice rumble of noise emanating from happy eaters and drinkers. It’s a place that encompasses happy people all sharing a similar experience drinking and eating good food. The beer list is quite interesting and full of choices you might not find in many places in Chicago. Don’t expect to find $3 bud lights or PBRs and most beers are large format with large format type prices.