The Return of Eric Aubriot - to Rogers Park?

Just got this email from Joe Moore, of all people:

"Dear Neighbor,

You are invited to attend a meeting to review a proposal for a new gourmet food and wine shop at 1506 W. Jarvis, next door to the new Gruppo diAmici Restaurant. The meeting will take place at my Ward Office, 7356 N. Greenview, Wednesday, January 31st, 7 p.m. The owners of the new store, Eric Aubriot and Jamie Evans of Flangelato, LLC, will present their proposal and respond to your questions.

The property is currently being rezoned from B1-3 to B3-3, as a result of my zoning remap process. The proposed business will be permitted under the new zoning classification. In order to sell wine, however, the business will require a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and a packaged liquor license from the Mayor's Liquor Control Commissioner. The views of the community and the Alderman on issues such as this are often very persuasive to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Liquor Control Commissioner, but are not binding.

The area currently falls under the 49th Ward's moratorium on packaged liquor licenses, which in that area extends on Jarvis from Greenview west to Ashland. If the wine shop is to receive its liquor license, the moratorium in that two-block section must be lifted by the Chicago City Council for one year, according to the City of Chicago Department of Law. After one year, the moratorium may be reinstated.

During that one-year period, other individuals and companies in that two-block area would have the right to apply for a packaged liquor license. Such an application would be subject to the zoning laws and the usual city review process, and would not necessarily be granted.

Co-owner Eric Aubriot is a chef, who has twice been nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Award. Aubriot has opened three north side restaurants—Aubriot and Tournesol, and most recently, Fuse. He has been named one of six Hot Chicago Chefs by Chicago Social Magazine and his restaurants have been listed in Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurants in 1999 and again in 2001.

Aubriot's business partner in the venture, Jamie Evans, is co-owner of the Celtic Knot Public House, a traditional Irish Pub and European restaurant located in Evanston

I look forward to hearing your input and advice on this issue.



Very truly yours,

Joe Moore"

Quite a nice surprise!

That sounds interesting, although probably not what d4v3 had in mind when he bemoaned the loss of a good neighborhood liquor store.

Have to admit, though, I met up with Zim and Ms. Zim at Big Buns and Pita and felt a twinge of ... I don't know, melancholy? ... at how many good little places are on just that stretch of Clark Street and how little love they get. It's hard to imagine many people from outside the neighborhood coming to them, and yet it's hard to imagine the neighborhood generating enough business on its own to sustain them. It seems to me like this new place is just another step towards discarding what is already around in favor of building something all brand new.

(BTW, the Big Buns Home Style Potatoes were just what I hoped for, thin lightly battered, lightly seasoned somewhere-between-fries-and-chips, and nothing disappointed, although next time I think I'll get the cornish hen that Zim ordered! I also enjoyed the curiously sweet tea which was recommended by c8w. It seemed almost floral, in the rose vein. Zim asked what it was all about, but I didn't catch the whole story. Very friendly service from the waiter and the chef(/owner?), although unfortunately the TV was too loud and I had to say "what" a whole lot.)

Looking forward to sharing a little love for the neighborhood with y'all at the South North Clark-a-Thon, coming real soon now!

I'm glad this is out in the open, Jamie has been working very hard on this and had sworn me to absolute secrecy. From what I have been told, the focus will be on affordable and interesting wines (his passion).

I don't know a lot about wine but I will be wishing him the best.

The area currently falls under the 49th Ward's moratorium on packaged liquor licenses

It also falls under the 49th Ward's alderman's crusade against one of the main ingredients for French chefs.

For the sake of the joint venture, I hope Chef Aubriot can hold his tongue at the meeting if things go at all awry. He does not suffer fools gladly, to put it mildly. That's one of the reasons I like him, I guess.

As I'll be in NYC when this meeting is going on, I do hope someone here - preferably a Rogers Parker! - can attend, and let us know what happens. Could be a very entertaining evening!

So... is this an attempt to make up with the foodies with the elections coming?

So... is this an attempt to make up with the foodies with the elections coming?

Quite possibly. I wonder how this exemption will go down with the legion of community activists in RP? I mean, it really is kind of a big deal, in that the area around the Jarvis El has been a big problem for a long time, and now all of a sudden....a really high-end business wants to set up shop, and Alderman Windsock drops everything to lifting a community-generated ban on new alcohol retailers?

Personally, I'm for it, but I can understand why there might be some pretty strong opposition. Not everyone is 100% gung-ho on gentrification here, to put it mildly.

RP is an interesting place to live. Sometimes aggravating and occasionally REALLY dangerous, but always interesting. And it's cheaper than Evanston. Plus better lighting!

I didn't get very good details, but this new place, which I believe will be called "Taste," had a ticketed party for Bastille Day on Saturday. Otherwise, they don't yet look open for business and still have city signs in the window advising of their various licensing statuses.

Did anyone get more intel?