Cafe 676 Arrives at the Omni Chicago Hotel
One of the rare outdoor cafes on North Michigan Avenue, this hip, new hangout is located at Huron and North Michigan in front of the luxury, all-suite, Omni Chicago Hotel.
Windy City residents and guests now have a new sidewalk spot to relax, people watch and enjoy a luxe and local beverage, snack or meal. Cafe 676, which opens Aug. 9, is a fresh outdoor dining concept from executive chef Daven Wardynski with a farm-to-table approach. The fare focuses on local purveyors and can be described as Modern Midwest American Cuisine.
Menu items will change by season and consist of light snacks, starters, entree salads and specialty sandwiches. Think local cheeses and spreads like the Apple Smoked Cheddar and Michigan White Bean Spread paired with Grilled Sourdough Flatbread, a Michigan Apple Salad featuring Wisconsin Parmesan and the PB&J Waffle Panini, which uses Mick Klug Farm's Raspberry Jam. The cafe also offers seasonal smoothie flavors including Seedling Farm Peach, True Blue Farm Blueberry and Heritage Farm Carrot as well as lively Chef-Squeezed Lemonade and Tea Forte libations. A kids menu is also available.
"At Cafe 676, we want to provide patrons with an upscale, downtown Chicago cafe that offers a place to relax within the urban jungle," said Chef Wardynski. "Our ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere which is natural and organic through its preparation, presentation and table service."
Chef Wardynski's culinary vision of "Midwest and Local Whenever Possible" not only makes Cafe 676 a top destination on Chicago's famous strip, but it also supports local farmers. His passion for quality goods indigenous to the area has inspired a roof-top garden located directly above the hotel. Atop the roof, Chef nurtures the produce daily himself, only to be harvested and featured in restaurant and Cafe 676 menu items such as the Spence Farm Sweet Corn Soup, Strawberry Salad and Miller Farm Chicken Salad Sandwich. Twice a month, Chef treks to La Fox, Ill., where he visits the 676 honey hive to collect raw honey. The free range bees bring a variety of flavors back to the hive that mimic what is currently in bloom on the prairie. The honey is then used in menu items like 676 Prairie Honey Ice Cream, garnished with honey caramel and a cinnamon and sugar crunch, Prairie Honey Vin atop the Michigan Apple Salad and house-made honey mustard.
Chef Wardynski's Chicago pedigree also includes notable experience at TRU, one of the city's most elite, AAA five-diamond restaurants. He served as chef de partie under celebrity chef Rick Tramonto and oversaw the restaurant's high-profile fish, shellfish and foie gras preparations.
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