This past weekend in Chicago, I had a chance to try Paul Kahan’s new restaurant: The Publican. It’s supposed to be a gastropub focusing on beer, oysters and pork. So, that’s what I had when I visited.
We wanted to take public transportation so we could have plenty of beer and because we were having drinks at the Violet Hour before dinner. That made getting to The Publican a bit difficult. The el brings you within about 2-3 blocks, but you’re walking through a random part of town. I’m sure I’m not wrong, nor am I probably the first person to say this, but it seems like the area Paul Kahan chose (Fulton Market) is similar to the meatpacking district in New York, but just now turning in Chicago.
The restaurant just won a James Beard Award for design. The main dining room feels like an old European beer hall. There’s lots of wood, and the main table is a long communal table that seats about 100 people. We were sitting in a booth that had doors on the side, so it was essentially a little box.
The beer list is extensive, but well-edited. Some places (cough, Brick Store Pub) have an almost overwhelming menu, but this one was quite manageable (samples are on the website if you’re curious). I started with Three Floyds’ Gumballhead. My second beer was New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk. The Milk was actually, unsurprisingly, milky. It’s a very dark, thick, rich beer. I’d recommend waiting until after dinner to have it.
We had the Chef’s selction of oysters, featuring my favorites: kumamoto, among others. We also had the Chef’s selection of three hams. Honestly, the hams blew me away more than the oysters. These were pretty decent portions and the quality was absolutely top notch.
The fries with the egg on top were good, but the real standout here were the pork rinds. They were lightly spiced and crispy without being greasy.
For our entrees, we shared the potee and the country ribs. In both dishes, the meat was fall off the bone tender. The veggies were also superb. But while I loved the entrees, I felt that the appetizers we had were more special. If I went back, I’d just go for beer and apps.
For more pics, check out my flickr.
food- 25
decor- 26
service- 24
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