Fear of frying

Photo: Martha Williams

Club sandwiches, chicken-noodle soup and fried calamari are the kinds of dishes most chefs can make with their eyes closed. But for chef John Hogan, it’s not that simple. He’s used to whipping up specials like risotto with frog legs at the French-tinged steakhouse Keefer’s, so the all-American menu at his new restaurant, Tavern at the Park, is actually…intimidating. “It’s challenging, because I’ve never really worked in a restaurant that’s not French,” he says. That challenge—to cater to the tourist clientele of Millennium Park but still keep things interesting—has been met by dishes such as a barbecue-chicken sandwich (completed with a cherry-cola barbecue sauce), double-cut pork chops, chicken potpie, housemade shredded onion rings and shoestring fries served with white-truffle aioli. Looks like he’s sneaking in some French stuff after all. 130 E Randolph St between Beaubien Ct and Stetson Ave (312-552-0070).—David Tamarkin