"We wanted this to feel lived in," Tim Anderson told Eater Chicago about Black Briar, the Morgan Street restaurant he and chef Jimmy Papadopoulos opened in late September. The line is about the room's brass chandeliers and its butcher block from Argentina that stands in for a host stand. It also describes what Fulton Market's new restaurants are going for this fall.
Nine months ago the district lost its most visible gathering place. Time Out Market, the food hall at 916 W. Fulton Market, opened in 2019 and closed for good on Jan. 29, 2026. The Sun-Times reported that the company's CEO pointed to falling sales, foot traffic that had been inconsistent since the pandemic, ongoing hybrid work and higher operating costs. A business built on crowds that came and went had trouble when the crowds became unpredictable.
The restaurants that opened between September and early October are built around regulars. Their hours, menus, booking rules and seating plans are designed for someone who lives or works a few blocks away and might come back next week.
Black Briar is designed to be a nightly habit
Black Briar opened Saturday, Sept. 26, at 201 N. Morgan St., the former Bar Takito space. Papadopoulos first wrote a business plan for it in 2009. He went on to cook at Bohemian House and later Bellemore, the Boka Restaurant Group restaurant that closed during the pandemic.
The details that point to repeat visits are easy to list:
- A bar at the center. The 110-seat room, designed by Karen Herold of Studio K Creative, is built around a bar ringed with tan leather stools. U-shaped booths line one side, and high-tops fill a lounge on the other.
- A short kids' menu. Papadopoulos has four kids and told Eater, "I'm a family man."
- Early-bird wine pours. There are 15 wines by the glass on an 80-bottle list, plus rotating pours for early guests. Anderson's stated goal is "We want to pop corks here."
- Open every night. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. daily, and reservations are on OpenTable.
The menu is split into six plain sections, from Raw & Chilled to Dessert. The cooking is more ambitious than the headings suggest. The snail toast is made on house sourdough from a 30-year-old starter named Jane Dough, dipped in a "black magic jus" the way you'd dip an Italian beef. Grilled beans from Nichols Farm and Orchard come with whipped ricotta and warm guanciale. Anderson told Eater the aim is "an iconic Chicago restaurant that's going to be here for generations."
Berenjak opens a door to Soho House on Green Street
At Berenjak, the draw includes a way into a building that is usually members-only. The London Iranian restaurant opened Oct. 2 inside Soho House Chicago at 113–125 N. Green St. Chef Kian Samyani founded Berenjak in 2018 as a tribute to the kebab shops and big family meals of his Tehran childhood. It earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in its first year in London. The Chicago location is a partnership with Soho House and JKS Restaurants, the group behind the two-Michelin-starred Gymkhana.
Soho House is a private, members-only club. Eater Chicago reported that Berenjak's 2024 residency at the club's Dumbo House in New York was open only to members. In Chicago, Berenjak is open to everyone, like the club's other public spaces, the Allis and Fox Bar. Soho House's own dining page says the same.
The menu centers on charcoal-grilled kebabs, mazeh and khoresht, served for sharing with baskets of crisp bread. Chicago also gets drinks that until now were served only in the U.K., including an olive leaf martini and a sparkling watermelon cocktail.
Booking runs through SevenRooms. Reservations open at 6 a.m. four weeks ahead, parties top out at five, and a limited number of walk-in seats are held each night. Those walk-in seats work best for someone who lives close enough to stop by on a Tuesday.
Victory & Vice gives Carpenter Street a reason to come back every game day
The sports bar at 318 N. Carpenter St. opened Wednesday, Sept. 9. It comes from Brian Galati, Chireal Jordan and Josh Howe, the team behind Dearly Beloved, Machine Cocktail Bar and Headquarters Beercade. A sports bar is built for repeat visits by definition, because there's always another game. This one has 30 screens, including a custom 17-by-10-foot viewing wall, an island bar, a 1,000-square-foot patio with its own screens, and a mobile app that lets guests control how they watch. On the menu are a bulgogi cheesesteak, a "Victory pizza puff" and tavern-style pizza. For groups there are mini kegs at the table and shareable espresso martinis.
How the three open rooms compare
| Restaurant | Address | Opened | How to get a table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victory & Vice | 318 N. Carpenter St. | Sept. 9 | Sports bar with an island bar and patio |
| Black Briar | 201 N. Morgan St. | Sept. 26 | 4–10 p.m. daily; OpenTable |
| Berenjak | 113–125 N. Green St. | Oct. 2 | SevenRooms, four weeks out at 6 a.m.; limited nightly walk-ins |
Two more are coming to Fulton Market Street, at very different sizes
The next two openings show the same thinking at both ends of the scale.
Pizzeria Gabbo, from Lettuce Entertain You, will have 60 dining-room seats and eight at the bar at 834 W. Fulton Market St., Suite 200. The company's announcement describes lunch and dinner service, with carryout and delivery to follow. Lettuce calls it a neighborhood pizzeria and bar. The menu pairs tavern-style pizza with a crisper take on New York-style, plus antipasti, pastas and soft-serve gelato. The drinks list includes more than 20 Italian wines by the glass and low-ABV and zero-proof cocktails. Lunch hours and delivery are features that serve people nearby, and a small room fills more easily on a weeknight. The restaurant is announced for fall, with no firm opening date yet.
Gibsons Tavern is the big one. Block Club Chicago reported that Gibsons Restaurant Group plans to open it in November at 925 W. Fulton Market St. Eater describes a 14,000-square-foot, turn-of-the-century-inspired space with cathedral-vaulted ceilings, serving an updated version of classic American food with steaks, seafood and rich desserts. Its Rush Street sibling, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, dates to 1989. The group chose to call it a tavern, which suggests the kind of place you'd return to, even at that size.
Three weekends and a holiday market on the calendar
The restaurants are built for ordinary weeks. The district's calendar fills the weekends in between, starting this one.
- Through Monday, Oct. 26. Oktoberfest Nation continues at 171 N. Peoria St. with Hofbräu München beer, German food, live music, games and the Devil's Wheel.
- Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24–25. Manhattan Vintage, the New York vintage market, makes its first Fulton Market stop at Morgan MFG, 401 N. Morgan St. It's a short walk from Black Briar, which opens at 4 p.m. both days. A few blocks south, Los Angeles activewear brand Set opened its first Midwest store at 946 W. Randolph St. in September, the Sun-Times reported.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Time Out Chicago lists A Nightmare on Fulton Street, an 1980s-themed night with food and drinks spread across Ever's After, The B-Side and The Canvas by Ever. Earlier that day, Block Club's Halloween guide lists the West Loop Halloween Bar Fest from 4 to 10 p.m. at participating bars, including Esco and Bandit.
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 14–15. The Randolph Street Market Holiday Market brings more than 125 vendors, food and drink stalls and live entertainment to the historic Plumbers Union Hall in the West Loop. If Gibsons Tavern opens on its November schedule, the holiday market weekend may be one of its first.
If Fulton Market is your neighborhood, or you're thinking about making it one, I'm glad to talk through how these blocks are changing and which corners are seeing new life. Reach out to Maria Thanasouras anytime. Let's Connect.
