Recipe for Summer Cocktails- Chef Atticus    @chefatticus

Making the Caipirinha, as it is a Brazilian drink which ties in well with the olympics in Rio.  Listen to Full Interview.

Everyone knows Dean loves his backyard gardening, so he invited Fairmont Chicago Chef, Atticus Garant to talk about the best late summer fruits and vegetables. Atticus shared with Dean some of his tips and tricks to cooking with the freshest of ingredients, along with what he is keeping his eyes open for at local farmers markets.  Listen to Full Interview.

Chefs’ Picks tracks down what the pros are eating and cooking from coast to coast.

With the (literal) salad days of summer upon us, a simple vinaigrette is a wonderful way to add a refreshing burst of flavor to leafy greens and other vegetables. For most culinary professionals, no bottled dressing will do — chefs across the country create their own riffs on this classic by experimenting with different acidic ingredients to really make those flavors pop. We got the lowdown from several pros on the go-to vinaigrettes they use to pep up salads and more.  Read Full Article.

If you ever went to Aria, the velvety, space-age harem of a restaurant in the Fairmont Chicago where Beverly Kim of Parachute got her start, you will barely recognize the space in its new form as Columbus Tap. Columbus Tap's hexagonal floor tiles and beer-making paraphernalia couldn't differ more from Aria's carpets, curtains and chandeliers. If you still had any doubt that casual has overrun restaurant dining, you couldn't ask for clearer confirmation than this.  Read Full Article.

There's no better time to indulge in delicious doughnuts at Columbus Tap than on National Doughnut Day this Friday, June 3.

Transcending trendy and just downright tasty, the quintessential Chicago tap house offers a rotating selection of three doughnuts created by Chef Atticus Garant, available for $4. Recent selections have included S’mores Old Fashioned, Peanut Butter Old Fashioned, Toasted Coconut Old Fashioned, Coconut Mascarpone Giant Cream Puffs, Cookies & Cream Doughnut Holes, White Chocolate and Mandarin Tangerine Eclairs and more.

A espresso pudding and crème anglaise doughnut with coffee is also available on the dessert menu at dinner for $7. 

Beer lovers need to head over to Columbus Tap to taste the latest from Chicago and Midwestern breweries. The new restaurant also offers seasonal cocktails made with craft beers, including the Citrus & Smoke with mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Aperol, egg white, sour ale and "elbow grease."  
 

...When the Fairmont Chicago opened Columbus Tap, we knew it would soon become a go-to place to eat and drink in Chicago. The brand-new gastropub has a Midwest-focused menu highlighting seasonal fare and locally grown ingredients, as well as an extensive beer selection, from mainstays to craft beers. Come here for the Whiskey Honey Ham Hock or a porchetta sandwich, or pile the whole family in for dinner, which they serve every day of the week.  Read Full Article.

...At the Fairmont Chicago’s new hidden-gem restaurant, there’s a whole section of the lunch menu devoted to open-faced toasts. Go for the rotisserie chicken with bacon, lettuce, tomato and a smoky take on ranch dressing. It’s like a B.L.T. with a twist.  Read Full Article.

Tourist central got a little more interesting thanks to the just-opened gastropub in the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. Locals will be into the concept, too: The 16 beers on tap come from Chicago favorites like Revolution, Half Acre, and Two Brothers. Order a flight of four for $12 and you’ll embark on a beer tour of the Midwest without ever leaving your seat. Round out the experience by sampling snacks that put a twist on traditional bar bites. The nuts have bacon and rosemary, the chicken wings are served with a house-made hot sauce, and the pork crackling “animal crackers” are in a category all their own.  Read Full Article.

Columbus Tap (200 N. Columbus) is slated to open at the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Par this spring.    Read Full Article

Current Position:  Chef, Columbus Tap

First Food Service Job:  Burger & fries cook at McDonalds when I was 15

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The gastropub within the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park serves a savory, Midwest-focused menu including a porchetta sandwich and whiskey honey ham hocks designed to pair with the selection of 16 drafts and seasonal cocktails.  Read Full Article.

Today is National Beer Day. So the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park figured this was the moment to open its new restaurant called the Columbus Tap at 200 N. Columbus Drive. Emphasizing a huge array of beers, along with wine, spirits and cocktails, the Fairmont's Columbus Tap is a cunning attempt to attract more of the sizable crowds that flock to nearby Millennium Park every day ... Read Full Article

The draft list is almost exclusively Chicago breweries, but it is far from a gimmick. General Manager Joe Bunke spent months developing a list that is as balanced across styles as it is with the local breweries. Columbus Tap will also feature an exclusive collaboration brew with Logan Square's Maplewood Brewery, the aptly named When Life Gives You Kumquats citrus saison, which will sure to be a crowd pleaser as the weather warms up. In the off chance you can't find something to quench your thirst from the 16 handles, Bunke has created a bottle and reserve list that ranges from Old Style to a three year vertical of Revolutions Deth's Tar barrel-aged stout.  As equally impressive as the beverage program is Chef Atticus Garant's menu.  Read More

…The bar touts a special beer, called Bespoke Blend, that's brewed over at Maplewood Brewery in Logan Square. But most will probably go for one of the Tap's burgers, which chef Atticus Garant said will vie for burger supremacy with the city's best. The pub's menu is full of shareable dishes, including whiskey honey ham hocks and the animal crackers —pork cracklings sprinkled with seasonings.   Read Full Article.

…the bar "is a gesture toward the sort of restaurant the neighborhood deserves," said Joe Bunke, Columbus Tap's general manager.  Columbus Tap even has its own brew: "Bespoke Blend," a Citrus Spelt Saison from Logan Square's Maplewood Brewery.  Read Full Article.

Celebrate James Beard and Chicago’s vibrant culinary scene with a week of exclusive restaurant menus and dishes inspired by James Beard's American Classic recipes. Nearly 100 top Chicago restaurants will honor the man known as the "Dean of American cookery" through their food. Join them during the second annual James Beard Eats Week! 

Click to browse the list of participating restaurants and special menus.  Be sure to make your reservation to take part.