The Exchange - Chicago
Housed in Daniel Burnham's historic Railroad Exchange building, The Exchange restaurant is headed up by James Beard-nominated Chef Brian Huston, serving a menu designed to please the many people who stop into this Michigan Avenue location. With an emphasis upon vegetable-forward dishes, The Exchange presents a tightly focused menu that represents a range of dining possibilities.
Vegetables are a big deal at The Exchange, which is not to say that's all that's served (not by a long shot!), but if you're interested in eating more plants, The Exchange is a fine place to follow that impulse with style.
An excellent starter is the tartine of feta, cucumber, slow roasted tomato, mint, and red onion, or the classic Tomato and Burrata with aged balsamic, basil pesto, toasted baguette. Moving into dinner, there are some beautifully executed veg (or mostly veg) menu items like the Deluxe Mac n' Cheese with fusilli, Merkt's cheddar, and raclette; the Black Pepper Tofu, with pickled zucchini, coconut rice, and snap peas, and the Mushroom Rigatoni with Parmigiano-Reggiano and extra virgin olive oil.
If you're interested in more omnivorous menu options, there's Farmed Chicken Thighs with summer squash, coriander chutney, pan jus, and fregola; Steamed Walleye with giant runner bean ragout, green olives, and orange; and a 10 oz. Filet with sweet and sour cipollini onions, mushrooms, and spinach salad.
In The Exchange restaurant is the Listening Room, Chicago's first Japanese-inspired audio experience; The Listening Room features state-of-the-art audio experiences and expertly crafted cocktails. This music-focused bar is designed for mingling before or after dinner, and it's especially designed for solo diners who just want to grab a bite, maybe chat a little, and groove to some tunes (and, yes, we're talking vinyl here) -- the room has a slight, but not overbearing, club vibe.
Dining at The Exchange, having a drink at The Listening Room, both are one-of-a-kind experiences.
