Oriole Unleashes a New Age of Fine Dining

Photo by Nick Murway

By: Sarah Freeman | March 10, 2016 | Chicago.Eater.com

The subject of fine dining in Chicago triggers images of crisp white tablecloths and quiet servers hovering over guests with crumb catchers. It's a serious experience — available in heavy doses around town at places like Grace, Alinea, and Next. This year, however, three restaurants will shake up the status quo, offering tasting menus that attempt to combine the entrapments of fine dining with a more light-hearted atmosphere and slightly lower price-point. The first, Oriole, opens tonight — to be followed closely by the Smyth & The Loyalist and Elske, later this year. All three may maintain the white tablecloths, but are also explicitly aiming to get away from the stuffiness that has historically pervaded the genre. Here now is a closer look at Oriole. View it not only as a preview of what's to come tonight, but also with regard to this new rush of restaurants that don't prioritize tweezer technique over a having a good time. Read More...