The Pioneer Tavern Group, the folks behind the Pony Inn in Lakeview and Lottie’s Pub in Bucktown, have announced that their new project, Frontier (1072 N. Milwaukee, 773-772-4322, thefrontierchicago.com), will open in West Town on Thursday, February 10. Executive chef Brian Jupiter will be tapping into two trends: oysters (there will be eight to ten varieties) and whole-animal cookery, spit-roasting entire pigs, lambs, goats, or boar for groups of eight to 12; there’s also a chef’s table. His menu features items like wild boar served with sweet potatoes and wilted dandelion greens and a shepherd’s pie made with braised elk roast. The western-themed space includes a 40-foot bar with 16 craft beers on ice taps, scads of flat-screen TVs, and an upstairs lounge where DJs will spin. There are also plans for a 2,500-square-foot outdoor beer garden.
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Maybe there’s something in the air: last week saw the openings of both Lincoln Park’s Taco Joint Urban Taqueria and Cantina, a late-night spot from Edgar Castaneda of Zocalo, and Lakeview’s Barrio Urban Taqueria, which has an extensive menu including huitlacoche sopes, cochinita pibil, and posole made with pork from Duroc Farms. It’s open till 11 PM nightly; carryout is in the works.
