April 12--It's supposed to be a quiet opening -- no fanfare, no ribbon-cutting, just unlocking the doors and letting neighbors who see the lights on come in to eat, if they choose.
But partner Chris Pappas posted word of Americano 2211's opening on Facebook, so it might be a smidge noisier than intended. In any case, the restaurant soft-opens today in the space that was most recently home to Birchwood Kitchen.
"Working out the kinks before the official opening," Pappas wrote in his post. So the Yelpers who time water refills with a stopwatch might want to sit this one out.
Americano 2211 fits the mold of a European cafe, offering coffee and pastries (from partner Nancy Silver) in the morning, then morphing into full-service lunch and dinner from chef Fred Noinaj, who has spent time at Analogue and Avec, among others.
The restaurant's liquor license is in the works but isn't here yet.
Americano 2211, 2211 W. North Ave., 773-360-8757, www.americano2211.com
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribpub.com
Twitter @philvettel
