It’s difficult to believe that the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago is turning eight this May. And while the Renzo Piano-designed white aerie continues to beguile with its unrivalled collection, the powers-that-be felt it was time to spruce up its third-floor restaurant, Terzo Piano.
The original architect Dirk Denison was drafted for the task, adding a new reception area anchored by a white marble bar top that’s lit with an Eileen Gray ‘Tube Light’, while introducing a grey swatch of walls and leather paired with Patricia Urquiola chairs, Arne Jacobson stools and white benches. And just to remind you of where you are, a clutch of sculptures by Nairy Baghramian hold court in vitrines.
The restaurant’s owner and chef Tony Mantuano recently recruited Carolina Diaz to direct the kitchen. Here, the focus may be Mediterranean by way of Italy, but the ingredients are resolutely sourced from the Midwest. Think Wisconsin Parmesan shaved over truffle-scented mozzarella, smoked grapes, spaghetti with bottarga and tuna crudo, and a triumphant lamb ragu sauced with saffron butter.
During the long drab winter months especially, Diaz’s menu is best savoured at tables lining the long stretch of high windows that look out over Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park. In the summer, it will be all about al fresco dining on the Bluhm Family Terrace, which will also mark the debut of British architect David Adjaye’s ‘Washington Skeleton’ chairs for Knoll.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
The Art Institute of Chicago
3rd Floor Modern Wing
159 East Monroe
PHOTOGRAPHY
Anthony Tahlier
-
Seven designers rethinking wood at London Design FestivalAt this year’s London Design Festival, wood proves itself anything but static. We highlight seven designers shaping, colouring, and engineering it in surprising ways
-
Inside Kazakhstan’s brutalist Tselinny cinema – now a hub for contemporary cultureTselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, a modernist landmark redesigned for its new purpose by Asif Khan, gears up for its grand opening in Kazakhstan
-
Oliver Spencer’s orbiting installation offers a meditative shopping experience during London Design FestivalAt Oliver Spencer’s Shoreditch store, a sensory light installation by Studio Rhythmics offers a calming moment during LDF
-
This boisterous cocktail bar in Denver was inspired by Le CorbusierA 1950s furniture showroom has been reborn as a modernist social hub in the city’s Sunnyside neighbourhood. Its cocktails? Semiprecious
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spotVinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
The best dinner party in San Francisco is thrown at this bistro and vinyl barA new chapter begins in Mission Creek as Side A opens in the former Universal Café space
-
Daisy Margarita Bar reimagines the Mexican tavern with vaquero flair in Los AngelesFrom frozen guacamole margaritas to lamb shank with frijoles puercos, this new Sherman Oaks destination mixes playful gastronomy with tradition
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisineAt the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
Why everyone in LA is talking about Café TondoHelmed by chef Valeria Velásquez and designed by Aunt Studio, this new spot delivers Latin American buzz all day long
-
Size doesn’t matter at Now Now, a micro-hotel for solo travellers in New YorkCan you pack style into 32 square feet? We find out
-
At this LA dining hotspot, go Spanish or Japanese as you pleaseA dual-concept dining destination designed by the Rockwell Group brings Mediterranean warmth and Japanese precision to Century City
