April 01--Erik Anderson, who gained acclaim as chef at The Catbird Seat in Nashville, will be the next chef-in-residence at Intro (2300 N. Lincoln Park West), succeeding inaugural chef C.J. Jacobson.
Jacobson's term runs through April; Anderson will make his debut in mid-May, running through July.
Tickets for Anderson's 2.5-month stint go on sale at noon Wednesday at introchicago.com.
It's a homecoming of sorts for Anderson, who grew up in Downers Grove; his father was a chef at the Drake Oak Brook hotel. Besides his work in Nashville, Anderson put in time at the French Laundry, and spent many years in Minneapolis, most notably as chef de cuisine at Tim McKee's Sea Change Restaurant Bar.
"I like to think my cooking at Intro will be a culmination of all the bits and pieces everywhere I worked," Anderson said. "Catbird kind of helped in breaking the barrier between diner and chef, pushed me to be more active with my guests."
Catbird also got Anderson his place on Food Wine's Best New Chefs 2012 list.
As for the dishes that might appear on Anderson's Intro menus, the French-trained chef hinted at dishes such as a foie gras and salted strawberry tart.
"I love pigeon so there always will be a small bird on the menu," he said. "And beef; there's amazing beef out there. I don't think the world needs another nose-to-tail restaurant."
Intro tickets are available by online presale; prices vary by day and time.
Anderson already knows where he's heading after his tour of duty at Intro; he plans to open Brut, a modern French restaurant, in downtown Minneapolis in the fall.
pvettel@tribune.com
Twitter @philvettel
