First meeting in the kitchens at Chicago restaurants Wood and Salero, a team of three industry veterans introduce ‘Pompette’, a new all-day neighborhood spot and corner café in Bucktown. Pompette opens doors to its 1,800-square-foot space on Friday, October 7th at 10 am in the former Izakaya Mita location (1960 N Damen Ave). Pompette is helmed by Ashlee Aubin–whose experience includes a stint at Alinea, executive chef at Wood, and leading the kitchen at Salero–and partners Katie Wasielewski, former executive chef of Heisler Hospitality’s British-Indian concept Pub Royale, and Aaron Patten, from the kitchens of Acadia and Moody Tongue. The community-forward gathering spot focuses on a curated Old World wine list, low ABV sippers, and a menu of wine-friendly food and shareable plates.
FOOD & PASTRIES
Wasielewski and Patten take the lead on the food program, which is centered around a European-influenced menu served from morning until the evening hours. The team makes use of its relationships with area farmers to present the neighborhood with familiar, classics with a seasonal twist. In the daytime, look for dishes such as the Farro and Swiss Chard Salad with an herb vinaigrette, candied walnuts, crisp apple and blue cheese; or a rotating Quiche with seasonal, farm-fresh vegetables like rapini and heirloom squash. In the dinner hours, look for offerings like the Buttermilk Fried Quail, served with Calabrian Chili sauce, turmeric, honey and corn salsa; Beet Falafel with garlic tahini vinaigrette, arugula and shaved beets; or Smoked Salmon Blinis topped with creme fraiche, giardiniera, everything spice and trout roe. Pompette will also prepare fresh pastries in house daily like the brown butter streusel coffee cake, and will also feature offerings from West Town’s Aya Pastry and James Beard Nominated Pastry Chef Aya Fukai.
COCKTAILS & SPIRITS
Taking its name from a French slang term for ‘just a little tipsy,’ Pompette’s cocktail program leans into easy-sipping low ABV cocktails and classics. The all-female bar team is helmed by Detroit industry veteran, Margaret Warren, who was most recently lead bartender of neighborhood spot Table, Donkey and Stick. Now at Pompette, Warren puts an emphasis on creating sustainable drinks making use of ingredients from the kitchen, like seasonal pickles for their house Bloody Mary and a tahini-washed amaro. Look for drinks like the classic Spritz, made with Bianco Vermouth, Bergamot Liqueur, Green Tea Soda, Sparkling Wine and Grapefruit, as well as the Spaggliato Blanco, made with grapefruit butter Aveze, Bordiga Vurmut, and Cava. The drink menu will also showcase a selection of fortified wines, brandies, vermouths and amaros.
WINE
On the wine side, Aubin takes on an entirely new role as general manager, stepping out of the kitchen for the first time in 25 years. Aubin has handpicked a list stemming from personal discoveries that play up Old World styles and low-intervention, natural productions. Throughout the menu, Aubin highlights small producers from across France, Italy, Spain, Germany and America, including selections from original innovators like Véronique Cochran of Château Falfas,, and Maxime-François Laurent, whose organic winery in the Côtes du Rhône region embodies the terroir of the clay-limestone rich area.
Pompette will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located at 1960 N Damen Ave. Seating will be first come, first served.
First meeting in the kitchens at Chicago restaurants Wood and Salero, a team of three industry veterans introduce ‘Pompette’, a new all-day neighborhood spot and corner café in Bucktown. Pompette opens doors to its 1,800-square-foot space on Friday, October 7th at 10 am in the former Izakaya Mita location (1960 N Damen Ave). Pompette is helmed by Ashlee Aubin–whose experience includes a stint at Alinea, executive chef at Wood, and leading the kitchen at Salero–and partners Katie Wasielewski, former executive chef of Heisler Hospitality’s British-Indian concept Pub Royale, and Aaron Patten, from the kitchens of Acadia and Moody Tongue. The community-forward gathering spot focuses on a curated Old World wine list, low ABV sippers, and a menu of wine-friendly food and shareable plates.
FOOD & PASTRIES
Wasielewski and Patten take the lead on the food program, which is centered around a European-influenced menu served from morning until the evening hours. The team makes use of its relationships with area farmers to present the neighborhood with familiar, classics with a seasonal twist. In the daytime, look for dishes such as the Farro and Swiss Chard Salad with an herb vinaigrette, candied walnuts, crisp apple and blue cheese; or a rotating Quiche with seasonal, farm-fresh vegetables like rapini and heirloom squash. In the dinner hours, look for offerings like the Buttermilk Fried Quail, served with Calabrian Chili sauce, turmeric, honey and corn salsa; Beet Falafel with garlic tahini vinaigrette, arugula and shaved beets; or Smoked Salmon Blinis topped with creme fraiche, giardiniera, everything spice and trout roe. Pompette will also prepare fresh pastries in house daily like the brown butter streusel coffee cake, and will also feature offerings from West Town’s Aya Pastry and James Beard Nominated Pastry Chef Aya Fukai.
COCKTAILS & SPIRITS
Taking its name from a French slang term for ‘just a little tipsy,’ Pompette’s cocktail program leans into easy-sipping low ABV cocktails and classics. The all-female bar team is helmed by Detroit industry veteran, Margaret Warren, who was most recently lead bartender of neighborhood spot Table, Donkey and Stick. Now at Pompette, Warren puts an emphasis on creating sustainable drinks making use of ingredients from the kitchen, like seasonal pickles for their house Bloody Mary and a tahini-washed amaro. Look for drinks like the classic Spritz, made with Bianco Vermouth, Bergamot Liqueur, Green Tea Soda, Sparkling Wine and Grapefruit, as well as the Spaggliato Blanco, made with grapefruit butter Aveze, Bordiga Vurmut, and Cava. The drink menu will also showcase a selection of fortified wines, brandies, vermouths and amaros.
WINE
On the wine side, Aubin takes on an entirely new role as general manager, stepping out of the kitchen for the first time in 25 years. Aubin has handpicked a list stemming from personal discoveries that play up Old World styles and low-intervention, natural productions. Throughout the menu, Aubin highlights small producers from across France, Italy, Spain, Germany and America, including selections from original innovators like Véronique Cochran of Château Falfas,, and Maxime-François Laurent, whose organic winery in the Côtes du Rhône region embodies the terroir of the clay-limestone rich area.
Pompette will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located at 1960 N Damen Ave. Seating will be first come, first served.
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