Oriole has soared to become Chicago’s most acclaimed fledgling fine-dining restaurant earning stellar reviews from prestigious publications since opening in March 2016. Over three successive evenings the Bailliage secured the entire 28-seat establishment to experience an extended tasting menu created by Executive Chef/Owner Noah Sandoval and Pastry Chef/Partner Genie Kwon. The combination of Oriole’s creative cuisine, exciting beverage pairings and flawless service resulted in one of the finest epicurean adventures in the Bailliage’s fifty-year history.

The restaurant’s unassuming entrance off an alley-like street in the Fulton Market district led to a candlelit industrial freight elevator. Reservations about the location were however quickly dispelled after members were greeted with a cocktail and escorted into the handsome dining room space with exposed brick, wooden support beams and contemporary pendant light fixtures. At the rear of the dining room guests admired the white-tile kitchen visible through a glass window and open doorway.

Once seated at white linen-draped tables, attentive servers poured Krug Champagne. We quickly realized that this would be an unforgettable meal. Chefs Noah and Genie combined culinary forces to craft a 15-course menu incorporating luxury ingredients (golden Osetra caviar, langoustine, Beausoleil oysters, jamón Ibérico de Bellota, Japanese A5 Wagyu and Burgundy truffles) into artfully composed dishes that focused on well-balanced, pure flavours with contrasting textures. Sommelier Aaron McManus enhanced Oriole’s impeccably executed cuisine with wine, beer, cider, sake and cocktail pairings, including some of the finest wines from the Bailliage’s fabled cellar.

On the final day of the Chaîne takeover of Oriole, Bailli Provincial Midwest Renee Wilmeth and Chambellan Provincial/Bailli Mon Roldan thanked the talented team for hosting an astonishing culinary journey. The officers awarded a Chaîne plaque to Chef Noah and his gracious wife, GM/Partner Cara Sandoval, and presented Chef Noah with a birth-year bottle of Bordeaux, Château Lynch-Bages 1981.

The Bailliage of Chicago was indeed thrilled to partake in Oriole’s flight to the apex of the city’s fine-dining scene!

Todd Arkebauer
Vice-Chargé de Presse

Photos courtesy of Lorenzo Tassone Photography (c)