With my April birthday dinner on the horizon, I’d started narrowing down my restaurant options back in December. The pressure was self-imposed, of course, but entirely justified — after all, I am the friend who spends more time on Beli than on Instagram, and I refused to let my friends down. So I did what any self-respecting food-obsessed Chicagoan would do: I made a reservation at Gilt Bar.
Located at 230 W Kinzie St. in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Gilt Bar has been a fixture of the city’s dining scene since it first opened its doors back in 2010 — and it’s also the origin of one of Chicago’s most famed restaurant empires: Hogsalt Hospitality.
Gilt Bar was actually the very first dining establishment opened by chef and entrepreneur Brandon Sodikoff, whose hospitality group has since grown into a powerhouse, with locations across Chicago, New York, Las Vegas and Paris and a portfolio featuring renowned spots like Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf and Armitage Alehouse.
Executive chef Jordan Lazar, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu and most recently worked as a sous chef for BOKA Restaurant Group — a similarly famed empire that owns the likes of Alla Vita and Girl & The Goat — currently leads Gilt Bar’s kitchen. Its website describes its “sumptuous menu of American classics” as “dedicated to the pleasures of drinking in restaurants and eating in bars,” featuring signature dishes like their double wagyu cheeseburger and vodka rigatoni.
Famous for its iconic photobooth and basement speakeasy called “The Library,” I’d assured myself that if the food disappointed, the atmosphere alone would make the night worthwhile. However, as I suspected, neither failed to meet my expectations.
Upon arriving for our reservation, we were greeted by hostesses who quickly whisked us off to our booth. The hospitality had started way before that, though — when I couldn’t secure a reservation for a group larger than five online, they kindly added an extra seat just days before without any fuss.
We started our celebratory feast with three dishes to share: the steamed mussels, chopped wedge salad and brussels sprouts.
While the mussels aren’t listed on the menu as a starter or a side, I would recommend ordering them as such anyway — they were a great light dish to split with the table ahead of the more hefty mains. The wedge salad was good, but not outstanding. While I loved the inclusion of Hogsalt’s signature thick cut bacon, the dressing was a tad overpowering. If you can go without a sharing salad, I would skip it! On the other hand, the brussels sprouts were absolutely delectable and a definite must-order.
Moving on to mains, we ordered three pastas: the tagliatelle carbonara, vodka rigatoni and truffle mafaldine.
Between the vodka rigatoni and truffle mafaldine, I must admit it’s hard to pick a favorite. This was, by far, one of the best vodka rigatoni dishes I’ve had in Chicago. The carbonara, however, received mixed reviews. We ordered two, and one arrived with much less sauce than the other, leaving it quite dry and plain in comparison to its counterpart. Despite that unfortunate mishap, the adequately-sauced carbonara was very tasty!
We also ordered the honey peppered king salmon and double wagyu cheeseburger with added bacon and egg as mains.
Each bite of the tender yet crispy salmon melted in our mouths. The burger was also amazing, but that was to be expected — it shares the same recipe as Au Cheval’s iconic burger, which has topped Bon Appetit and The Foot Network’s best burger in America lists, to name just a few. If you’ve been putting off the hours-long wait at Au Cheval, Gilt Bar (or any Hogsalt restaurant, for that matter) is your shortcut to the same gloriously caramelized bacon and double patty, minus the four-hour line.
And what’s a birthday dinner without some dessert? Gilt Bar brought us a free birthday ice cream, and we paired that with the gooey skillet cookie. Both were divine.
So, if you’re looking for an extensive menu and a celebratory atmosphere that will transport you to a cozy, dimly-lit tavern, look no further than Gilt Bar! I assure you, it will not disappoint.
And one tip I unfortunately only discovered after my dinner: download the Hogsalt Rewards app to rack up points across meals. Believe me, once you’ve been to one Hogsalt restaurant, you’ll already be planning your next visit!