Jan. 07--You know Half Acre the brewery. And Half Acre the taproom. Get ready for Half Acre the restaurant.
One of Chicago's original craft breweries -- turning a grizzled nine years old this year -- will open its kitchen Jan. 14 at its original brewery, 4257 N. Lincoln Ave., with a menu going from elaborate burritos to full plates.
Half Acre co-founder Gabriel Magliaro said the menu "draws from personal interests and experience," which translates to a hearty and eclectic lineup.
The burritos stray from the standard chicken, beef or veggie; think Goat Picadillo, made with guajillo spiced goat, avocado, refried white beans, cumin cucumbers, goat cheddar and cilantro, and Smoked Beef Rib Cap, stuffed with caramelized onion, arugula, horseradish sauce and potato gratin.
Plates include spare ribs, chicken thighs and something called Not Cho's, which sounds like a cold-weather, belly-filling dish handed down by the beer gods themselves: oxtail, Spanish chorizo, roasted peppers, pickled carrots, smoky tomato sauce and something called "science cheese sauce."
The kitchen will close at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Half Acre's head chef is Nick Lacasse, who has worked under Charlie Trotter and Shawn McClain (founder of Green Zebra) and was executive chef at The Drawing Room and MFK.
Magliaro said Half Acre has been developing a food program for 18 months, but for much longer has harbored the idea of adding a kitchen to the tap room it opened in 2012.
Another taproom and kitchen will follow at the production brewery that Half Acre launched earlier this year, at 2050 W. Balmoral Ave., though ground has yet to be broken. Magliaro said he hopes to have at least the tap room at that location open by the end of the year.
"This isn't a tack-on attraction," Magliaro said by email. "It's a specific effort to open up an entirely new creative door at Half Acre. We love food and couldn't be more excited about the range of opportunity that comes with this ability."
jbnoel@tribpub.com
