Restaurant Preview: Fulton Market Outdoor Igloo Dining
In late March, we ceased our restaurant reviews due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down indoor dining options. Over the summer, restrictions eased to a degree with eateries reopening to socially- distanced minimum indoor capacity and outdoor dining, resulting in a lifeline of sorts for struggling restaurants. Now here we are with temperatures dropping, and the pressing question on everyone’s mind is how patrons can enjoy their favorite Chicago foods as the cold weather returns during the pandemic.
Thankfully, there are creative options in the midst of the pandemic. The Fulton Market is now home to the Dining Together, Apart initiative, a partnership between Stella Artois, West Central Association, and the Illinois Restaurant Association, to produce an outdoor dining experience for Chicagoans as the cold creeps back in.
Located in the West Loop, Fulton Market offers a dizzying array of food options in the former warehouse district that has since become a hotspot for restaurants and entertainment in the city. The Dining Together, Apart program has created a hamlet of 21 igloo and greenhouse pods to serve patrons food from some of the area’s best spots.
The public opening of these pods kicked off last Friday and features a bevy of Fulton Market favorites, including:
Beatrix, located at 834 West Fulton Market, offers delicious coffee and tea and a food menu focused on healthy eating like lemon pancakes, ten-grain oatmeal, and a mushroom and quinoa burger.
The Publican, located at 837 West Fulton Market, is known for their take on beer, pork, and oysters with a focus on farm-fresh ingredients. Some of the many highlights on their menu include the pork belly, scallops, and satori oysters.
Kuma’s Corner, located at 852 West Fulton Market, is home to delicious gourmet burgers such as the Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and Black Sabbath (yea, they love their heavy metal music here) and a rotating cast of local craft brews and spirits.
Duck Duck Goat, located at 857 West Fulton Market, is Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard’s creative take on Chinese cuisine with standouts including the crunchy messy wings, wood-fired char siu BBQ ribs, and the grilled beef and broccoli.
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, located at 847 West Fulton Market, is one of the best spots in the city for authentic hot and spicy Nashville- styled chicken. The chicken plates here provide enormous taste, proving that the world-famous in their title is earned and not given.
The Fulton Market pods are constructed with a polycarbonate material that doesn’t let heat escape since there are no heaters currently situated in the structures. In other words, dress warm and don’t hesitate to bring a blanket. These scattered domiciles are socially-distanced and provide comfortable seating for diners to enjoy their meals in time frames of 90 minutes to two and a half hours. A lively chalk street mural designed by Los Angeles-based artist Shepard Farley provides a stimulating aesthetic to this West Loop outdoor dining experience.
The domes will be available to the public until November 21, with an extended continuance still being discussed. Whatever happens after the 21st, the Dine Together, Apart initiative serves as a creative experiment in the pursuit of helping Chicago restaurants survive at a time when they can use all the help they can get. If you plan to book an igloo or greenhouse pod, be sure to contact the restaurant via their website or call ahead.
ERIC KAPLAN AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
