Just about any concept developed by Boka Restaurant Group—Girl & the Goat! Boka! Alla Vita!—is a hit, so forgive us for being extremely excited about the company's recent announcement about its latest endeavor: Gingie, an American restaurant set to debut at 707 N. Wells St. this summer. The new eatery is set to replace GT Prime, the steakhouse that closed last year.
The culinary effort comes courtesy of chef Brian Lockwood, Boka's new partner, who will offer an "ingredient- and technique-driven [...] menu," according to an official press release.
Funnily enough, Lockwood, who has worked in kitchens across the country, was first introduced to Chicago's dining scene via FX's hit show The Bear.
"I was working as the consulting chef on the show and directly with Jeremy Allen White," he revealed in an official statement. "I fell in love with Chicago and its dining scene. Through dining out, I developed a relationship with Kevin and Rob from Boka. It all just organically fell into place.”
At Gingie, the menu will be split into different categories—shareables, specialties and pastas—featuring standout dishes like baked gnocchi made with Wisconsin cheddar, summer truffle and chive blossom and the the salmon mi-cuit, prepared with chanterelle mushrooms, green tomatoes, shelling beans, spinach and ramen broth.
Of particular note is a vegetarian dish starring eggplant that truly captures the essence of Lockwood's techniques.
The veggie is first scored almost all the way through, then brined, fried and poached in a soy-vinegar broth. "Egg yolks are cured in miso and smoked, while the scored sections of the eggplant are filled with roasted garlic purée, burnt eggplant purée and pickled young ginger," according to an official description.
The creation is then lightly grilled from the bottom, topped with grated miso-egg yolk and served with a sauce of reduced tomato water that is infused with shiso and ginger. Who says vegetarian dishes have to be boring?