Zoe Schor is taking Split-Rail (2500 W. Chicago Ave.), the restaurant she opened in June of last year, in a new direction.
“We’re pretty well identified in the upscale-casual-reimagined realm,” she said. “This is re-establishing the type of restaurant we want to be.”
What will that mean, exactly? Chicken, for one thing. A fair amount of chicken.
“I did a fried-chicken dinner a few weeks ago,” said Schor, who has done chicken-and-Champagne dinners with some frequency in Split-Rail’s first year, “and it reminded me of why I love to cook. This kind of cooking is a real passion for me.”
And so, beginning in September, the restaurant will transition to more neighborhood-style, offering food that is more comfort-focused, more approachable and more affordable, Schor said.
This will come as a surprise to those who (like me) found Schor’s food pretty comforting and approachable already. And Schor said there would be no change to the restaurant’s name, decor, its terrific beverage program or high-level service.
Though Schor is reticent on details for now, expect “the kind of food I’ve always liked to cook, and that people in the neighborhood have responded to,” she said.
The last day for Split-Rail’s current menu will be Sept. 2. The restaurant will take a brief hiatus “to make the changes that, to us, feel right,” Schor said. “We’ll reopen to our neighbors and the general public in the coming weeks.”
The new menu definitely will feature fried chicken and Champagne, Schor said, along with additional chicken dishes. A few, as-yet-unnamed, customer-favorite dishes will carry over as well.
“When you’re running a restaurant, change can be scary,” she said. “But in this case, when that change is dictated by the neighborhood and fueled by passion, it’s kind of a no-brainer.”
Twitter @PhilVettel
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