Crafting a New Narrative for Southern Food in Downtown Chicago

The way chef Lamar Moore sees it, Southern food often gets a bad rap. With the December debut of etc., his new restaurant in the Loop, he hopes to challenge that. Moore isn’t alone. Chefs, including James Beard Award-winner Erick Williams at Virtue, have — for years — fought back against the notion that all Southern food is fried and heavy. Though the narrative has shifted, it’s hard to forget the misconceptions that often drove chefs like Moore early in their careers.

“I want to show the whole range of what Southern food means to me,” says Moore, who most recently led the kitchen team at Bronzeville Winery and before that Eleven Eleven in the West Loop.

Etc., 404 S. Wells Street — which stands for “experience, taste, cocktails” — will feature upscale Southern food that explores Moore’s Southern roots with a smattering of French twists. It also taps into his varied culinary background, which also includes head chef at Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel and Casino, a job he earned after winning Food Network’s Vegas Chef Prizefight.

Moore’s menu includes braised oxtail with confit cipollini onions and heirloom purple grits from South Carolina. Traditional deviled eggs get the luxe treatment with a dollop of caviar and black-eyed peas serve as the base for his riff on hummus. Smoked catfish becomes a dip with the addition of Cajun spices and whipped cream cheese.

For his version of beef tartare, Moore adds in Alabama-style white barbecue sauce with a smidge of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. “I want to give you a little bit of twang on your tongue,” he says. Instead of bread, he pairs it with chicken cracklings. Even the double-patty burger gets some Southern love with the addition of pimento cheese.

For dessert, banana pudding, a staple for Moore growing up, is subtly infused with smoke. “We want to make food that gives you a warm hug,” he says.

Cocktails from GM Max Shapiro (Roister, St. Clair Supper Club, After) work in tandem with the food. “We’re using a lot of culinary practices in the preparation of our drinks,” says Shapiro.

For the Corn-a-copia, fat-washed mezcal is paired with yuzu, lime, and roasted corn syrup. The same local corn can also be found in etc.’s Cobb salad. Fat-washing also comes into play with Shapiro’s vesper (fat-washed gin and vodka, Lillet, bitters), which he predicts will be a hit during etc.’s happy hour.

Additionally, there will be a tightly curated wine program. Four local beers will be available on draft along with a handful of imported bottles.

Charles Martin, etc.’s majority owner, kept much from the interiors of the previous tenant, Terra e Mare, including the 12-seat marble-topped bar with high-tops nearby in the lounge area. Further back, the cozy dining room seats 44.

“The space already had a lot that worked for us, so we played off of that with our own vibe,” says Martin. That meant adding feminine touches, including large floral murals. “If the ladies love it, you’re good.”

For Moore, etc. marks the first time he’s held an ownership stake in a restaurant, along with hospitality vets Martin, Bobby Burke, and Ron Platt. “As African Americans, it is very difficult for us to have some form of ownership in anything,” says Moore. “It shows longevity and makes you appreciate it even more. It’s a badge of honor.”

Browse photos of the space and food below.

Etc., 404 S. Wells Street, opening Thursday, December 5, hours not yet posted.