Young American Progressive Bar & Kitchen - Logan Square

This new bar-with-snacks from Leisure Activities (Sportsman's Club, Estereo, Ludlow Liquors) opened about a month ago in the now-combined spaces formerly occupied by Johnnie's Grill and Mezcaleria Las Flores. The food menu is by Chef Nick Jirasek (Old Habits @ Ludlow Liquors). The beverage program is helmed by Julia McKinley, formerly of Lost Lake, Lonesome Rose and Milk Room.

We stopped in for a few beverages and snacks earlier this week and really enjoyed our session. The well-conceived cocktails are notably food-friendly. They deliver distinctive flavors without being over-the-top palate blasters. They're mostly low ABV, which makes them pleasantly sessionable, too. The selection of original libations includes three non-alcoholic beverages to which CBD oil can be added for $3.00.

The two of us shared five beverages, three that contained alcohol and two that were n/a but to which we opted to add the CBD oil . . .

Young Americano | house bitter, Italian vermouth, soda
Super refreshing and quite crushable. Very nice notes of vanilla here.

Hey High Hello | pineau de charentes, fino sherry, gin, lemon tonic
A very well-balanced and tasty beverage.

Creature Of Love | tawny port, amontillado sherry, bourbon, lemon, tart cherry, angosgtura
Wonderfully restrained sweetness and another super easy-drinker. I loved that the fruit was there but not in a way that overwhelmed.

Honey Do (n/a) | schizandra berry tea, star anise, lemon, bee pollen, honey + CBD oil
All the components came together nicely in this calming sipper.

No New Friends (n/a) | turmeric tonic tea, hibiscus, lime, aquafaba + CBD oil
I especially loved the combination of the turmeric and the hibiscus.

Speaking of CBD oil, some (most?) of the food is also focused on functionality and/or restoration but not at the expense of flavor or fun. We tried several dishes that were all quite delicious, including the Calmonds, which contain CBD oil . . .


Calmonds | chamomile, chicken salt, CBD oil, thyme
Herbaceous, savory, salty and quite delicious.


Black Bean Brandade with Sea Veg | fermented black beans, whipped dulse potatoes, sea lettuce
Another winning dish. I really enjoyed the sea lettuce "crackers."



Pickled Okra | smoked pimenton, popcorn grits, old ham
Excellent across the board. The rich, tender grits were some of the best I've had in a long time.


Lamb Tartare | house-mixed lamb, black cardamom, tiger bomb oil
Outstanding flavors and textures. I loved the tiger bomb oil, which reminded me a lot of chili oil. We were told that the entire dish was a play on communion. Hence, the wafers and the very red-colored tartare, resembling blood/wine.


Goth Bread | activated charcoal, leek ash, cheese, nighttime sauce, smudged butter, yolk
This mini loaf was excellent, with an exterior crust as smooth as a stone, and a delicious tender crumb inside. There was also melted cheese all over the underside of the bread, which enhanced the experience even further. A delicious and fun indulgence.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable first visit and I look forward to returning because there are a bunch of other dishes and beverages that I'd like to try. In the interest of full disclosure, Chef Nick sent out a few of the dishes pictured above. We had every intention of ordering them but he beat us to it, which was very kind and oddly intuitive of him. I joked that maybe they'd planted a microphone under our stools but he never admitted it!

=R=

Young American (website)
2545 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 687-8385

Stopped by Young American last week and had the one-two punch of Ricky and Calmonds with CBD. They've started using a full-spectrum CBD tincture in both (they'd previously been using a less flavorful isolate), though I struggled to detect the flavor in either food or drink. That said, I did feel a little "different" when walking into the cool and surprisingly rain-less Chicago evening, though this could have been the power of suggestion at work.

As it seems Illinois may be headed toward legalization (someday, if not this year), it seems a matter of time before THC is added to comestibles at places like Young American. That, needless to say, will be a whole 'nother thing.

CBD is already available in either food or drink or both at Fat Rice, 20East, Entente and other bar/restaurants in the city. Of course, you can bring your own, and you can buy CBD at many outlets. Locally in Oak Park, they have a wide selection at Fresh Thyme on North Avenue (though not Whole Foods).

Just you wait until the first chef gets arrested.
It will happen! Remember, they busted Hot Doug's for serving fois gras.
You did not mention what was the background music here. I'll take a pragmatic guess it was David Bowie.

Logan Square’s Young American Switches to Filipino Food After Eight Months

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/18/20 ... -food-menu