Bread & Wine
3732 West Irving Park Road
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 866-5266
Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 5pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-10:30pm
Sun: 10am-2pm, 5pm-10pm
BREAD & WINE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD AMERICAN BISTRO, WINE BAR AND MARKET ON CHICAGO’S NORTHWEST SIDE.
Focusing on farm to table fare, Bread & Wine delivers elevated, nostalgic Midwestern fare. Owners Lisa Fosler Kelly, a lawyer, chef and the wine manager, and Jennifer Wisniewski, an experienced restaurant manager and developer who was involved in Naha and Café Absinthe, have partnered with chef Curtis Gamble, a veteran of the burgeoning restaurant scene in Pittsburgh, to launch this restaurant in a neighborhood that has historically been overlooked.
Serving both hearty and lighter fare, Bread & Wine menu items are designed, in part, to highlight the different ethnicities in the neighborhood. Visitors can sit at the open kitchen and watch dinner being prepared, or choose one of the unique, local wood tables in the dining room. The space was previously a laundromat, which, like many spaces in this area, was sitting vacant, but has now been converted into an inviting, calm place where people can gather to drink and dine in a comfortable space. A ten person bar and a ten person chef’s counter seek to encourage parties of one or two and provide plenty of space for those who prefer counter seating.
Bread & Wine’s market carries its own private label house made retail items, as well as off the shelf food items from local artisans and a selection of carefully chosen cheese, wine, beer and spirits.
Chef Curtis Gamble
Born into a small town working class family, Curtis Gamble was drawn into the kitchen at an early age, as he connected with the sense of gratification and craftsmanship that cooking provides. He attended the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts and landed key positions at some of the most celebrated restaurants in Pittsburgh, including the executive sous chef position at Six Penn Kitchen (Best New Chef, Best New Restaurant and Best American Restaurant awards in Pittsburg) and as Executive Chef of the Café at the Frick. Curtis then honed his skills in Cleveland, OH, under nationally recognized Chef Douglas Katz at Fire Food and Drink before taking over the kitchen at The Black River Café. It was at The Black River Café where he developed his first charcuterie program, making cheese, curing meats, and hosting heritage breed hog dinners.
THE TEAM
Bread & Wine is owned and operated by Lisa Fosler Kelly and Jennifer Wisniewski. Ms. Kelly is a chef and an attorney who practiced law full time for more than 17 years. Her history includes helping to operate a wine store, where she experienced wine at its most basic level. She also worked in the restaurant industry for years both before and during her secondary education. Ms. Kelly recently completed the professional culinary program at Kendall College. Ms. Wisniewski has extensive experience in restaurant development and management, and has been involved with numerous successful ventures in Chicago, including Cafe Absinthe, Green Dolphin & Naha.
