Feld in Chicago’s West Town surprises diners from the moment they step inside.
The restaurant is housed in a shotgun-style building common in the city. It has just 20 seats and is led by chef Jake Potashnick, a Chicago native. The menu is ever-changing, shaped by
Potashnick’s commitment to extreme seasonality. Once a point of contention for critics who viewed the approach as a disruption to consistency, that philosophy has since earned Feld a MICHELIN Star.
“Our food is very, very minimalist, and that’s because it’s based around a product,” said Potashnick. “We never try to base what we do around technique.”
Located just off Chicago and Damen Avenue, a lively intersection, Feld quickly leaves the chaos of city life behind. Diners enter a quiet, neutral-toned space and are greeted by staff, with a small bar nook to the right and restrooms to the left. A few steps beyond, the room opens into a square dining space with a gold-toned ceiling and warm backlighting. Guests are seated side by side along the perimeter, facing the center of the room, where the kitchen team handles all prep and plating in full view.
“I wish I could take credit for the layout,” said Potashnick. “It was my design and architecture team. I looked at 19 or 20 locations before I found Feld’s space. It’s a 140-year-old building. I knew I didn’t want a new build. I wanted something that felt uniquely Chicago.”
The restaurant specializes in turning simple ingredients into intricate fare. That approach is evident in dishes like autumn spinach, grilled over cherrywood embers and tossed in schmaltz, a rich chicken-fat emulsion made in-house, for a savory take on creamed spinach. Feld’s craftsmanship extends beyond the kitchen and into its beverage program. Nathan Ducker, the restaurant’s general manager and sommelier, offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings. The latter focus on products that go beyond imitation, offering a more expansive view of what alcohol-free pairing can be. Muri, a Scandinavian producer of complex, non-alcoholic fermented beverages crafted by former Noma team members, is a standout.
Experiencing Feld requires some advance planning. One 7 p.m. seating is offered twice during the week, while weekends feature two seatings, at 5:00 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Reservations are released in advance and tend to fill quickly.
