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Big Star Mariscos is slated to open this fall. Located in a bright and airy 6,000 square foot space at 551 N. Ogden in the city’s West Town neighborhood, Big Star Mariscos will feature a handful of longstanding Big Star options, as well as strong drinks, tunes and an open-air patio. However, with Kahan and longtime Big Star Culinary Director Chris Miller at the helm, Big Star Mariscos will also introduce a new menu of coastal seafood offerings, as well as a takeout window and curbside service. 

“Anyone who has been around me knows seafood has always been one of my biggest passions,” says Kahan. "In the very early days of Big Star we were grilling fish and people loved it. However, we quickly realized with the volume and the size of the kitchen, we were limited on what we could offer. Now alongside Chris, who has been working with our team for 11 years, we have the opportunity to expand our menu in this space to showcase seafood through the Big Star lens. That’s personally exciting to us and we’re thrilled to implement some new twists for the brand this time around.”
 
More specifically, guests can look forward to aguachile and ceviche, as well as simple whole fish preparations drawing inspiration from coastal regions such as Vera Cruz, Nayarit, Baja, Ensenada, and the Yucatan. Big Star will once again join up with their longtime tortilla partner, Pilsen’s family-operated El Popocatepetl Tortillería to develop a tortilla that’s a bit different than the original masa-based versions that have been served at Big Star for over a decade, instead opting for a coarser tortilla (also masa-based) to complement their seafood offerings.
 
In terms of drinks, Beverage Director Laurent Schroeder-Lebec, who opened the original Big Star 13 years ago, says Big Star Mariscos will be “coming in with all the heavy hitters—the margaritas, the Ranch Water and the great bourbon selection,” but also with an emphasis on cocktails using flavors such as passionfruit, mint, and prickly pear to complement the seafood-focused food. And after launching their own in-house record label Big Star Recording Co. in 2017 to support local independent artists, guests can expect music to once again play a role in the concept as the team continues the tradition of an all vinyl turntable on site.
 
 

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