By Reina Hardy
Special to Inside
For years, the Fine Dining Room of Kendall College has given Evanston residents haute cuisine for less. But Kendall is outgrowing the suburb, and considering a relocation. Kendall College, along with its renowned Dining Room, might end up in Lincoln Park.
Kendall, a four year private college, offers a number of degrees, from early childhood education to hospitality management. School officials say they are looking at a facility on Goose Island, the river-bound industrial sector already famed for its boutique brewery. The building is already set up with a number of USDA approved kitchens, which school officials say would work well for the college's thriving culinary arts division. It is the former headquarters of Sara Lee Corporation.
The Dining Room serves a daily pate, and extravagant main courses like herb garlic crusted rack of lamb and truffle mashed potato with lamb jus, with prices ranging from $6 for an appetizer to $17 for an entrée. The catch? Everything is cooked and served by Kendall culinary arts students, which might explain why the Dining Room is BYOB (bring your own booze).
But budget gourmets shouldn't get too excited. Charles Jones, Kendall's Director of Development, says the Goose Island location is purely speculative. "We have been considering a number of opportunities over the past year, because as much as we love the place we have in Evanston, we have outgrown it," said Jones. "We are looking at other sites, where we can expand our offerings. We've not signed anything as of yet."
If the move does go through, Lincoln Park residents will be also be able to indulge in a number of adult education classes. Kendall will teach you how to make chocolate, judge fine scotches, or bone a fish. But in any case, you'll have to wait. "No matter what happens," says Jones, "we will be in Evanston for another year."
If you would like to sample the Fine Dining Room while it is still in Evanston, call (847) 448-2399. A $16 fixed price lunch is served Monday through Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Dinner a la carte is served Tuesday through Saturday, 6 to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Menus are available on www.kendall.edu; BYOB and reservations are required.
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