First Look: Nightwood

When we asked Jason Hammel, one of the partners behind Nightwood, why he named the restaurant for a highly lyrical, surreal novel by Djuna Barnes, we got what first seemed like an intentionally vague answer: "It is meant to evoke a mystery."

And so it does. There’s much left unsaid at this Pilsen spot from Hammel and Amalea Tshilds, who also own Lula Cafe in Logan Square and have partnered here with Matt Eisler (Bar DeVille, Empire Liquors, Angels & Kings) and local designer Kevin Heisner (whose design projects include Bar DeVille, Empire Liquors and Little Branch Cafe). But Nightwood has plenty to say—you just have to listen differently.

Heisner’s design is intricate, but embellishments are subtle. We had to study the ceiling in the main dining room to appreciate its dimensions; the graceful, easy flow of the diverse materials used throughout the space, from cork to glass block to exposed brick, easily might go unnoticed.

Nightwood is also filled with surprising spaces: a fully covered and enclosed outdoor cafe you must pass through to access the main door; a corridor behind the host stand that leads to the kitchen, taking you by a wall of wine storage; a tucked-away staircase that unveils an intimate subterranean room set with two communal tables and a casual lounge where you can wait for a table. (There’s a good chance you’ll spend some time there. Nightwood only takes reservations for parties of six or more and waits are already the norm at peak times.)

But while there’s an element of discovery to the physical space, there’s nothing cryptic about chef de cuisine Jason Vincent’s food. Vincent, who spent four years as Hammel’s sous chef at Lula before taking the reins here, has a pure, honest style. Appropriately, the space where Vincent and his crew work is as open as an open kitchen can get. Sit at one of the dozen or so barstools perched along the counter that faces the action and you’ll literally be inches from your food.

Ingredients, whether organic trout from Wisconsin’s Rushing Waters Fisheries or rare Iroquois white corn meal produced in Illinois with assistance from a Frontera Farmer Foundation grant, quietly take the lead. Flavor combinations are gentle but deliberate, coaxing the best from of-the-moment ingredients such as morels, ramps and asparagus.

The menu is truly seasonal, so like many things in this city (the weather, the fortunes of our sports teams), it changes daily. Expect 8 to 10 appetizers, most priced from $8 to $12, and an equal number of entrees, which usually top out at $25. Though preparations change, you can always count on spit-roasted chicken, wood-grilled fish and a burger.

This usually would be the place where I’d point to some dishes to help ensure that your first meal at Nightwood, like mine, will beguile you to want more. But the ever-changing nature of the menu means the earthy morel and green garlic soup that had me surreptitiously running my finger around the bowl to capture a few extra drops will not be available by the time you read this. And the orecchetti, little lobe-shaped pieces of handmade semolina pasta that were rolled out and cut right in front of us, may be served with something other than silky trout belly. The smoky wood-grilled lamb chop served over roundly rich whipped potatoes and grilled spring onions may be gone too.

Of all the dishes we sampled, I most wish for you the chance to taste the maple-glazed pancetta and poached egg, which was laid out over that grant-subsidized white corn polenta—but I can’t offer any reassurances. Perhaps I’ve even said too much. Some things, after all, are meant to remain a mystery.

M. Kathleen Pratt is the Metromix dining producer. kpratt@tribune.com

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