Michael Lachowicz, a revered chef with many years of expertise in French fine-dining eating places on the North Shore and elsewhere, isn’t shy about explaining why he desires to open a fast-casual Mexican restaurant close to Winnetka’s Metra prepare station subsequent month.
“That is about revenue,” Lachowicz stated. “I’m not within the enterprise of being within the restaurant enterprise for enjoyable anymore… It was enjoyable and passionate for a very long time, and it’s nonetheless enjoyable and passionate, but when it’s not adopted intently by a sustainable, responsibly run enterprise, I don’t need something to do with it.”
Lachowicz, maybe greatest recognized for his work at Aboyer, Le Francais, George Trois and different north suburban French eating places, is working with the George Trois Group companions Miguel Escobar and Sergio Angel to open a fast-casual restaurant at 544 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka. In keeping with Lachowicz, the restaurant’s model might be much like MOD Pizza or Chipotle, with disposable cups and flatware; an obvious departure from his days working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyon, France.
That’s to not say that Lachowicz isn’t gushing with particulars of the standard of meals, aguas frescas made each day, and the menu’s wealthy flavors created by Escobar, in whose honor the restaurant is called.
“We’re going to be doing all of the classics,” Lachowicz stated.
He emphasised that the menu might be approachable, with the model of a “neighborhood taqueria” in thoughts.
“There’s nothing esoteric or troublesome to clarify or determine,” Lachowicz stated, shooing away the notion that foie gras could be on the menu. He estimates that tacos, whether or not they be pork, hen, beef or mushroom, might be within the $3 to $4 value vary.
Whereas he doesn’t anticipate having a breakfast menu on provide straight away, Lachowicz stated he was enthusiastic about testing the morning rush hour market with churros and scorching chocolate.
The restaurant group, which additionally owns Aboyer, earlier within the yr closed Fonda restaurant in Evanston. That restaurant, Lachowicz stated, was a full service expertise with a bigger wait workers. It had increased bills than revenues, and that led to the restaurant’s closure. Fondita Miguel won’t have servers, and is concentrated extra on to-go orders, whether or not that be for New Trier Excessive College college students, Metra passengers or folks strolling by in downtown Winnetka, Lachowicz stated.
Lachowicz stated he’s additionally engaged on opening a number of extra retailers of Fondita Miguel within the suburbs, together with his eye on Waukegan for the subsequent one. Winnetka’s Fondita Miguel might be closed Mondays and open Tuesday via Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to three p.m.
