We fell in love over barbecue, said Akiko Moorman.
In Little Village, Moorman and her husband, Chef Phillip Foss, have had to re-think El Ideas, the tasting menu-driven, intimate little dining room, and re-imagine it as Boxcar Barbecue. So El Ideas is this Michelin-starred chef tasting menu whereas Boxcar is very straightforward barbecue, she said. The biggest thing is we don t have outdoor space or a bar. So in terms of pivoting we were pretty limited when it came to options.
At least he s got a Southern Pride smoker, which he s filling with chicken, for starters. We have a chicken that is really, really moist and barbecued, which is something that is a little hard to find, said Moorman.
El Ideas [Official Photo]
Phillip Foss and Akiko Moorman have converted Foss’ Michelin-starred Douglas Park restaurant into a smoked-meats emporium. Foss is loading up the Bradley smoker that he inherited when he took over the space nine years ago with cuts like a hulking and buttery beef rib. The couple’s new venture, Boxcar Barbecue, debuted Thursday.
El Ideas is one of Chicago’s most unique restaurants, where diners have crowded into a cozy dining room in Douglas Park. The restaurant opened in 2011 and was part of a cluster of Chicago restaurants, including Alinea and Moto, that pushed the city toward experimental dining. Michelin’s prestigious guide lists it as a one-star restaurant.