When we last checked in with Alpana Singh, shortly after the 2012 opening of her first restaurant, the Boarding House, she’d built a wonderful space with an inclusive and populist wine list but not much of a menu to match. At the time the former Check, Please! host and master sommelier vowed to do better—and she did. The Boarding House’s current chef, Tanya Baker, is in contention for a James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef of the Year.
From there the menu explores recognizable territory: a spring pea salad with fresh green favas, which herald the season in a few other dishes; half a poached peach stuffed with blue cheese mousse riding a heap of romaine; sweet, fresh shrimp drizzled with mild cocktail sauce and resting on warm grits; a jar of creamy salt cod brandade garnished with crunchy fried capers.
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