SOUTH LOOP — After leaving its Pilsen brewery earlier this year, Moody Tongue’s next chapter in the South Loop includes two new restaurants helmed by former Longman & Eagle chef Jared Wentworth.
Called the Dining Room and the Bar, the Wentworth-led eateries opened in the brewery’s new home at 2515 S. Wabash Ave. in Motor Row earlier this month. The site formerly housed Baderbrau before the brewery shuttered.
Inside Moody Tongue’s new intimate 28-seat restaurant, the Dining Room offers a 12-course seasonal tasting menu with beer pairings for $155. The menu includes Maine lobster, king crab, scallop, foie gras and desserts crafted by pastry chef Tucker Critchfield.
Brewmaster Jared Rouben has paired the dishes with Moody Tongue beers, including new offerings like the Pressed Asian Pear Saison, Sour Peach Belgium and the Hazy IPA.
The Bar, meant to be an expanded version of its award-winning Pilsen tasting room, offers 16 Moody beers on tap and an a la carte menu that includes the Moody burger, skillet-fried chicken, fresh oysters and a 12-layer German chocolate cake, a beloved dessert served at the Pilsen taproom.
The South Loop brewery will also offer guided tours on Saturdays.
Earlier this year, cousins and brewery founders Rouben and Jeremy Cohn announced they would close the Pilsen brewery to move to the larger 25,800-square-foot space in the South Loop.
“It’s always been our intention to expand the culinary offerings at Moody Tongue, but we wanted to focus on building the brand and increasing beer production first,” Rouben said. “Now after five years, with the new venue and help of Wentworth, we will finally have the capability to move forward with our vision.”
Moody Tongue opened its Pilsen brewery at 2136 S. Peoria St. in 2014. It officially closed the Pilsen brewery in June. Earlier this year, the Pilsen taproom was recognized as the best bar at the Jean Banchet Awards.
The Bar is open 4-10 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4-11 p.m. Thursdays, 4 p.m.-midnight Fridays and noon-midnight Saturdays.
The Dining Room is open Tuesday through Saturday and accepts reservations online.
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