WICKER PARK — “Watch out, here we come…” declared a recent postcard blitz mailed to homeowners who live near etta, a new North Avenue restaurant that aims to open next month along the Bucktown and Wicker Park border.
Short for Henrietta, which means “keeper of the hearth,” etta is owned by the same owners of Maple & Ash, a Gold Coast steak house. Located at 1840 W. North Ave., the intentionally lower-cased “etta” replaces The Southern, which was demolished last May.
The restaurant will feature open hearth cooking from Chef Danny Grant, who plans to make pasta and “beautiful, simple” wood-fired pizzas, according to the Tribune, which first reported on etta in April. “A serious thought-out salad program” is in the works too.
Tricia Mackey, vice president of marketing for Maple & Ash, said etta aims to open “sometime in July.” To tease the arrival, the group mailed out 13,000 postcards, featuring a person in a chicken costume, to area homes.
Also led by Grant, Gold Coast’s Maple & Ash is a ritzy steak house and reliable spot for seafood. By contrast, etta will be “more approachable and laid back,” Mackey said.
At 7,725 square-foot and two stories, etta will be among the neighborhood’s largest restaurants when it opens. There will be 135 seats on its main floor, 61 upstairs and an additional 48 on a rooftop patio.
“The whole downstairs is a big open kitchen,” Mackey said.
Open 7 days a week, there will be a weekend brunch from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A kids menu will be offered too.
For locals interested in sampling etta’s wines, etta will offer wine tastings at the upcoming Bucktown Garden Walk, July 15-16.
