When The Publican opened in the West Loop's Fulton Market district in 2008, the neighborhood looked vastly different from what it is today. Then, the area was more populated by the brick warehouses of the city's once-bustling butchering and meatpacking industry, with a select few restaurants and pubs to feed the locals. There was no Google headquarters, no high-end Nobu hotel or private social club Soho House.
In the nearly 20 years since, of course, the area has become a destination for Chicago's iconic restaurant scene, with everyone from Stephanie Izard to David and Anne Posey and more popping up with locations on and near Randolph Street, aka Restaurant Row. Through it all, The Publican's take on meats and more (expanding to Publican Quality Bread, for example) has been a staple in the area. Now, the restaurant launches into a new era with Chef Rob Levitt, long the company's top butcher at Publican Quality Meats, named new chef leading an overhaul to not just their menu but their approach to sourcing and seasonality, too.
After announcing the new chef in July, The Publican hosted a special preview event earlier this month to showcase Chef Rob's choices and priorities, and Third Coast Review was invited to participate. Held on the venue's spacious front patio on a gorgeous Chicago summer evening, a few dozen of the city's media and influencers joined Chef Rob and The Publican's staff and leadership to sample a bit of what's in store for the restaurant's next era.
The first thing that struck me about the spread presented at the event, a community table featuring a selection of menu samples that rotated throughout the evening, was the variety presented. For a restaurant known as a home for top-quality butchering and meat selections, the fresh and vibrant menu featured several vegetable-forward selections, creative takes on seafood and more. Chef Rob's new menu is focused but adventurous, offering the staples one expects at The Publican with plenty of creative twists. The bites of Butcher's Cut sirloin steak, with a porcini rub and salsa verde, were easily the best of the evening, but the rest of the menu gives the red meat a run for its money.
That includes Chef's moist and sweet Ham Chop, a thick pork cut served in a sweet sauce that brings out the meat's brightness, and the roast chicken, enviably rich and plated alongside summer sausage and frites. All of these are sourced from Illinois producers, a point of pride for Levitt and team, but they understandably go a bit further to bring in the delectable Soft Shell Crab, a Maryland product.
Circling the scene all evening were servers with craft cocktails to compliment the creative menu, including Stockholm Syndrome, a lemon-forward sipper with Chicago's own Malort added for an extra kick (though don't worry, one can barely taste it), and Kyle's After Pork, a cocktail with cynar, white rum and a warmth that will pair perfectly as temps continue to dip.
In Chicago's ultra-competitive and ever-changing restaurant industry, it's an accomplishment to stay on the scene for a year, five, even ten. To be pushing nearly 20 years makes a restaurant like The Publican an institution; with the willingness to evolve and break new ground as evidenced by Chef Rob's appointment and his fresh take on their offerings, they're sure to stay as relevant as ever.
The Publican is located at 837 W. Fulton Market and accepts reservations. Learn more online here.
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