New in Chicago: The Bristol

The Bristol, a self-style "neighborhood eatery and bar," has just opened in the northern Bucktown area. Chicago restaurant vets John Ross, Philip Walters, and executive chef Chris Pandel are to thank for this new addition, each departing from more formal venues (one sixtyblue, N9NE, and Tru, to name a few places on their resumes) to open the casual, communal The Bristol.

The food is seasonal American, with dishes priced and sized for sharing and grazing. The menu is split up into five categories: Snacks, Salads, Fish, Meat, and Etc. The first two categories are comprised of smaller dishes, while the latter three contain closer to entrée sized portions - with nothing priced more than $20. Some of the more unique offerings include Monkey Bread Pull Apart with dill butter and sea salt, Duck Fat Fries with house ketchup and garlic aioli, Stuffed Chicken Wings with chorizo and blue cheese, Raviolo with ricotta, egg yolk, and brown butter, and a Roasted Half Chicken with "Lazy Pierogi" and Madiera.

In addition to the regular menu, Pandel is able to keep the Bristol seasonal with the ever-changing Chalkboard menu. Dishes, smaller "snack" sized ones for the most part, will pop up when the chef finds something at market, and disappear just as fast; there's even another chalkboard running along side the bar with a countdown of how many orders of these items remain. 

In addition to the menu, the set-up of the Bristol encourages sharing and communal dining. Large parties, or those just wanting to chat with their neighbors, can sit at one of the communal tables that run down the entire length of the restaurant. Against one wall, a leather banquet has individual tables for those who want a little more privacy. For those who want to dine at the bar, the Bristol has a beautiful stone one, with comfy leather, backed stools.

Chef Pedigree:

• Most recently a corporate chef for Rick Tramonto's Cenitare restaurant group.
• Before that, worked as the Chef de Cuisine at Tramonto's Osteria Via Stato.
• Worked for two years under Rick Tramonto as a Sous Chef at Tru.
• Spent six years in New York City, working under Daniel Boulud and Andrew Carmellini at Cafe Boulud.

The Bristol

Location: 2152 North Damen Avenue between Webster and Shakespeare Streets
Hours: Sun-Mon, 5:30pm-10pm; Tue-Wed, 5:30pm-11pm; Thur, 5:30pm-midnight, Fri-Sat, 5:30pm-1:00am
Reservations: Not accepted

View the complete listing on Savory Cities for The Bristol.