GROWING UP
JUNE – AUGUST 2025
The opening menu is inspired by Chef Nicolai’s experience growing up in Pasadena, California. The menu reflects the cultural cornucopia of Southern California and encapsulates the playfulness of childhood.
Every dish is a nod to Chef’s favorite foods and flavors as a kid. Some take inspiration from his parent’s creative concoctions. Others pay homage to the food establishments his family frequented, ranging from the Chinese dim sum restaurant to the Mexican taco truck to the Indian corner store to the Pastrami fast food joint. These casual dishes are themselves growing up into haute cuisine. The result is a dining experience filled with nostalgia and whimsy.
THE INSPIRATION
Flavors from Pasadena transformed into modernist masterpieces in Chicago
GROWING UP MENU
Boquet
Oysters and Apples
Blackened Seafood
Scrimps
Quesadillas
Not Campbell’s
Mama Sauce
Chicken Debate
Taco Truck
The Duck
Shaved Ice
Ice Cream Truck
Birthday Tarts
YOU’RE INVITED TO THE CLASS ACT DINNER PARTY
TIME
5:30pm and 8:30pm
Every Wednesday - Sunday
LOCATION
Bucktown, Chicago, IL
We’ll send you the exact address 24 hours in advance of your reservation
A WARM WELCOME
We’ll be waiting at the door for your arrival. You’lll start the evening mixing and mingling with the dinner party as you try the first tantalizing sips and bites.
A SHARED TABLE
You’ll move to the dining room where you’ll be seated at 16-seat communal table where you’ll interact, indulge, and imbibe while witnessing the energy of an open kitchen.
A NIGHTCAP
You’ll conclude your evening with a nightcap at Nightcap, our intimate speakeasy crafting bespoke cocktails and spirit-free creations.