A new Basque-inspired restaurant, Gilda, is set to open this spring in West Town at 1421 W. Chicago Ave., the former site of Chi-Latin restaurant. The team behind Gilda includes Jeremy Leven, Rafael Esparza, and Anthony Baier, all of whom have significant experience in the Chicago hospitality industry.
Leven has previously worked at Spanish restaurants such as mfk. and Mama Delia, while Esparza’s background includes stints at Momotaro, Band of Bohemia, Kimski, and various pop-up events through his FAFO imprint. Baier will also be cooking at Gilda.
The restaurant aims to offer a menu inspired by the pintxos bars of Northern Spain but adapted with local influences. “It’s really inspired by the pintxos bars of San Sebastián,” Leven said. “We’re not trying to replicate Basque cuisine or Spanish cuisine in general. We’re taking that as a starting point, and we are rooting it in a very strong Chicago tradition of the creative convergence of cultures.”
Gilda is named after a classic Spanish pinxto featuring olives, piparra peppers, and anchovies—a dish itself named for a 1946 Rita Hayworth film. “We’re trying to just continue that lineage, and pay homage to it,” Leven added.
The menu is still being developed but will include dishes such as crispy prawn head with ajo blanco dipping sauce and a Malört grilled cheese possibly cooked in Jamón ibérico fat. Esparza described their approach: “It’s a lot of playing around with stuff that we’ve done before, just tweaking it a little bit so it makes sense with the space. We’re just letting the definition of what the food’s going to be here be Basque-guided, but very fluid.” The wine list will feature selections beyond Spanish varietals.
Leven noted their excitement about joining West Town’s independent restaurant scene: “We’re excited to be part of a community. I think sometimes you lose that in the bigger restaurant neighborhoods closer to downtown,” he said. “It’s a revival of independence.”
In other neighborhood food news, Prequel Cafe has opened a second location at 2034 W. Division St., which will house its bakery production and serve mostly takeout coffee and espresso drinks while maintaining its original spot on Chicago Avenue. Co-owner Anabel Crespo explained the move was intended to streamline operations: “Division [Street] is so walkable, and I feel like it’s undergoing a little bit of a revival, a lot of businesses are popping up here,” Crespo said. “I feel like a lot of our customers are probably going to be really happy that we’re over here, because a lot of them actually live closer to this location.” The new cafe operates daily from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Additionally, SeoulSpice Korean Kitchen will open its third Chicago location Tuesday at 1480 N. Milwaukee Ave., offering $5 bowls during its grand opening from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Founded by Eric Shin in Washington D.C., SeoulSpice serves customizable Korean rice bowls based on family recipes and now has locations across Virginia, Maryland, and Chicago. Shin commented last year: “Everything is made from the ground up. None of this stuff is pre-prepared… All the sauces are made from scratch.” The Wicker Park branch will operate daily from 10:45 a.m.-10 p.m.
