We choose a Chicago street, avenue, or boulevard each month to explore as tourists in our own city. We’re going back to Randolph Street this month.
Why it matters: As Chicago’s premier eating district, this West Loop section between Halsted and Morgan streets rivals River North.
What’s happening: New eateries and retail establishments have flooded Randolph Street in recent years, while the classic Restaurant Row facades are deteriorating.
Driving the news: In January, Stephanie Izard, a well-known chef and restaurateur in Chicago, shuttered the doors of her quaint brunch restaurant Little Goat Diner and moved it to the North Side.
Although though the high-rent neighborhood expects turnover, a lot has changed since the last time.
You’ve probably eaten at Au Cheval, Girl & the Goat, or Bar Siena in the past ten years.
The family has owned J.P. Graziano Grocery Co. for more than a century.
Prior to the turn of the twenty-first century, wholesalers and food processing facilities were the main tenants of Randolph Street.
With the advent of eateries like Izard’s flagship Girl & the Goat, which debuted in 2010, the street underwent a transformation.
Yeah, but restaurateur Jerry Kleiner laid the groundwork for “Restaurant Row” years earlier by opening up upscale restaurants like Marché and Red Light, both of which debuted in the early 1990s.
About the time Au Cheval, Girl & the Goat, and Publican (located two streets over on Fulton) opened, those establishments shuttered.
