The Oakville Grill & Cellar Opens Tuesday, April 25 in Chicago’s Fulton Market
Chef Max Robbins and Wine Director Richard Hanauer bring a taste of Napa Valley to Chicago
Reservations are now live for The Oakville Grill & Cellar opening Tuesday, April 25 in the Fulton Market District. The restaurant is a new concept from Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and brings the ethos of Napa Valley to Chicago. The Oakville Grill & Cellar is a collaboration between Chef Max Robbins (former Culinary Director and Managing Partner at Land and Sea Dept. and Executive Chef of Longman & Eagle) and Wine Director Richard Hanauer, Partner at RPM Restaurants. Make a reservation at The Oakville Grill & Cellar via OpenTable.
The Oakville Grill & Cellar celebrates the food, wine and lifestyle of California, capturing the feel of a neighborhood restaurant. The menu is inspired by the team’s partnerships with farms, ranches and wineries throughout California and the Midwest.
View the menu from The Oakville Grill & Cellar here.
The Food
The menu at The Oakville Grill & Cellar features comfort food favorites with a focus on dishes made with expertly sourced and simply prepared ingredients. Starters fall into three categories: Chilled & Raw, Craveables and Salads. Examples include Yellowfin Tuna Tostada with salsa macha, crispy carrot and avocado; wood and charcoal roasted Heirloom Artichoke with California olive oil and pepperoncini aioli; Heirloom Peppers which are smoked, peeled and finished with sherry vinegar, California olive oil, garlic and chives; and Napa Caesar, a twist on the original made with romaine, Napa cabbage and radicchio tossed with crispy sourdough breadcrumbs and a light dressing.
Entrees are split between Mains and From the Oak Wood Grill. A light and crispy half Fried Chicken comes with potato salad made with pepperoncini and grain mustard as well as a bottle of housemade pepper vinegar for guests to top their bird. Coal Roasted Faroe Island Salmon is roasted and finished with a sweet and smoky BBQ glaze and served with stone-ground grits made with 26-month-aged Gouda. Housemade Pappardelle is tossed in a sauce of confit eggplant and slow-roasted mushrooms creating a rich Bolognese-style dish. The West Coast Petrale Sole focuses on a simple preparation of brown butter and capers to highlight the flavor of the California fish. Chef Robbins chooses skirt steak for his iteration of Prime Steak Frites, using the outside of the cut for its marbling and tenderness, and marinating the meat in roasted guajillo pepper before serving it alongside hand-cut potatoes with lime cilantro butter.
Desserts from Pastry Chef and Chicago native Claire Smyth are both playful and nostalgic. Highlights include The Oakville Peanut Butter Pie with a caramel ganache and chocolate cookie crust; Tropical Banana Split with sweet cream ice cream, passionfruit sorbet and caramelized bananas; and a Warm Wild Berry Cobbler with streusel topping and creme fraiche ice cream.
The Wine Program
The Oakville Grill & Cellar boasts the largest, exclusively California wine list in Chicago, with more than 750 wines hand-selected by Hanauer and his team of sommeliers. The list celebrates the bounty and diversity of Californian wine ranging from its iconic regions like Napa and Sonoma to the lesser-known appellations such as Lodi, Ballard Canyon and Willow Creek and the up-and-coming destinations of Santa Ynez and Paso Robles. The king of Napa Valley red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, comprises the largest section of the list next to ample selections of full-bodied reds to lighter whites, sparkling and sweet. With California being one of the few places to create a wine program running the entire gamut of varietals without leaving its borders, the result is a dynamic wine list at The Oakville Grill & Cellar that pairs seamlessly with the menu. The list also includes more than two dozen wines-by-the-glass as well as large format and half bottles.
The Cellar Door
Located through the main dining room is The Cellar Door, a private six-seat tasting room where each month, Hanauer and the sommelier team partner with a California winery to perform its current tasting room offerings. A first-of-its-kind wine experience, The Cellar Door mirrors the experience that guests would have if they were visiting the vineyard in California, also giving guests the opportunity to purchase any of the wines and join the winery’s mailing club. The intimate tastings are offered for up to six guests at a time on Tuesdays – Saturdays from 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM.
The Cellar Door’s first tasting experience is with Robert Sinskey Vineyards. An additional food menu is available to add on to each experience, featuring a rotating charcuterie selection paired to each winery. Upcoming featured tastings at The Cellar Door will include Ridge Vineyards and more.
The Design
Lettuce Entertain You’s in-house Interior Design team led by Design Director Avril Zayas, in collaboration with Weiss Architects and Studio BE, brings the rustic comfort of Northern California to Fulton Market. Inspired by Napa Valley vineyards and tasting rooms, the space feels bright and airy with natural wood textures and greenery. Upon entering the restaurant, guests are greeted by a lively bar offering bar seating, cozy banquets and standing tables. Along with the bar area, the main dining room provides banquet and table seating for more than 200 guests with an additional 40 outdoor seats along The Mews. A sculptural staircase leads to a two-story glass wine cellar and to the restaurant’s all-seasons terrace featuring an indoor-outdoor bar and seating for 80 guests, and can also serve as a private dining space.
167 Events
In addition to the restaurant, Lettuce Entertain You also has debuted 167 Events located on the 17th floor of 167 Green in Fulton Market District. This office amenity space is acclaimed as one of the most innovative floors in the country complete with a Town Hall that doubles as a full-size professional basketball court, Sitting Room, Game Room, and Terrace with views of the city’s skyline. This venue can accommodate social and corporate events and can host groups of 20-400 people. The events menu features the best of Lettuce Entertain You’s culinary offerings including food from The Oakville Grill & Cellar, as well as catering options. For more information contact 167events@leye.com.
In addition to bringing wine country to our guests, The Oakville Grill & Cellar is giving guests the opportunity to head to wine country themselves. From now – Wednesday, May 31, guests can enter to win a trip to Napa Valley inclusive of airfare, a two-night stay at the Archer Hotel in downtown Napa, tastings and tours of local wineries, and more for the winner and a guest. Click here to enter The Oakville Grill & Cellar’s opening sweepstakes.
The Oakville Grill & Cellar is located at 163 North Green Street and is open Sunday – Thursday 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM and Friday and Saturday 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM with lunch and weekend brunch service coming soon. For more information or to make a reservation visit www.theoakville.com or call 773-309-2300. Follow the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram at @theoakvillechicago.The Cellar Door will be open Tuesday – Saturday from 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM. To make a reservation at the Cellar Door, click here.
