Machine: Engineered Dining and Drink to Open, 3/11

On March 11, Brian Galati and Chireal Jordan, co-owners of Machine Hospitality Group, will open - Machine: engineered dining and drink. The restaurant will be located in Wicker Park at 1846 West Division Street with chef Trevor Hoyte in the kitchen. Hoyte’s Modern American menu has an emphasis on flavors and techniques that are from around the globe, but locally sourced. The cocktail program will be run by Aneka Saxon, who joins the Machine team from Chicago’s The Violet Hour. Machine will also house an in-house flower shop and floral program, aptly named The Florist at Machine.

“We are excited to join the vibrant Wicker Park community, with a concept that is unlike anything they have ever seen,” says co-owner Brian Galati. “We have thoughtfully constructed every aspect of Machine, from our ambitious menus to the eclectic design to our warm hospitality to make sure that we become a mainstay for locals and visitors alike. At Machine, we all eat together.”

Chef Trevor Hoyte’s menu pairs his international travels and upbringing on the island of Barbados. For example, Hoyte’s Walleye is an homage to the Midwest, paired with a mussel escabeche sauce, inspired by a recent trip to Spain. Open for dinner and weekend brunch at the time of opening, Machine’s menu highlights include:

● Carrot Tartare: almonds, black olives, ricotta, fennel, caraway bread

● Braised Pig Tails: hazelnuts, cauliflower, grapes, endive

● Bucatini: shaved egg whites, shiitake mushrooms, kale, parmesan

● Smoked Mushrooms: chicken skins, parmesan, chestnuts, puffed wild rice

● Al Pastor Portobello Mushroom Sandwich: swiss cheese, green chili, lettuce on sourdough

● Machine Burger: foie gras, comte cheese, maitake mushrooms, pickles, house sauce on a brioche bun

Aneka Saxon’s beverage program is rooted in classic cocktail construction, but utilizes modern techniques and fresh flavors. For example, Saxon adapted the classic aviation cocktail (gin, lemon, maraschino, violet) by infusing gin with blue butterfly pea flower, then pairing it with a housemade lemongrass syrup and topping it with a violet flavored cage of spun sugar that guests will break open with tiny gold hammers.

The menu will also offer large format cocktails for 2-4 people served in interesting vessels like a giant diamond or a giraffe carafe. Additional highlights include:

● Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Gin, watermelon, blueberry, lime, luster dust (served in a giant, glass diamond)

● Good Energy: gin, peppermint tea, matcha, coconut cream, coconut foam

● Ice Sage: floral sweet vermouth, botanical dry vermouth, soda water, honeyed blackberry and sage ice

● Once Upon a Cocktail: tequila, pineapple liqueur, white chocolate, clarified lemon

● Breaking Brulee: aged rum, strawberry, vanilla bean, egg, bruleed crust