Fresh off his well-received collaboration with Noah Sandoval (creating Pizza Friendly Pizza in the old Bite Cafe space), Bruce Finkelman is joining forces with another well-known Chicago chef.
Finkelman, who is managing partner of 16? on Center restaurant group, and chef Jonathan Zaragoza of Birrieria Zaragoza, will create El Oso, a Mexican restaurant specializing in masa-focused dishes, inside The Promontory (5311 S. Lake Park Ave.), a 16? on Center property that has been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
El Oso is launching as a three-month residency, though it could last longer, the partners say.
“I was looking for interesting ideas that were fun and conducive for operating in these times,” Finkelman said. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Jonathan’s place, and I couldn’t wait to call.”
Zaragoza said he’s looking forward to working with Promontory’s brick hearth.
“It’s really great to be cooking with fire again,” said Zaragoza, whose family’s restaurant is famed for its roasted goat. “That’s how I learned to cook; when I worked with my dad (Juan, who founded the birrieria), my job was to stoke the fires so the goat went in at the right temperature.”
“One thing that’s pretty cool is that he leans into the masa so much,” Finkelman said of Zaragoza. “It’s really exciting to see the menu he’s created; the creativity is amazing.”
“A lot of the dishes we’re cooking come from necessity, made by poor people,” Zaragoza said. “I grew up with this cooking of necessity, and it’s using ingredients like masa. If you’re not leaning into those ingredients and honoring them, you’re missing some of the point.”
Pairing with the food will be an agave-focused drink program by bar manager Mark Phelan.
El Oso, which means “the bear,” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Zaragoza himself.
“It’s the nickname my dad gave me when I was grumpy,” he said. “He was talking to my girlfriend, Jennifer, and he said, ‘He’s sweet most of the time, but then the bear comes out.’ It’s one of my favorite animals.”
El Oso will serve dinner only, via counter service. An opening date has not been set, though Finkelman said mid-October is the target.
