For years, a small, upscale restaurant housed in a little inn off Davis Street has been the home to some of Chicago’s finest culinary talents. Today, the tradition continues as a new generation aims to establish its own take on fine dining.
A short walk from Evanston’s downtown, The Homestead, 1625 Hinman Ave., has a reputation for culinary excellence. Former in-house restaurants Trio and Trio Atelier set the standard, producing numerous celebrity chefs, including Gale Gand of Food Network fame.
After Trio Atelier closed its doors in February 2006, the owners of The Homestead hoped to continue the hotel’s history of fine dining. Unlike the previous restaurants, however, the hotel’s owners wanted something simpler and more approachable for Evanston diners. The result, Quince, has offered an “excitedly unexpected” menu to Evanston gourmands for a year and a half.
To create the menu, owners turned to Mark Hannon, a young chef who had been working as a sous-chef at four-star restaurant Azul in Miami’s Mandarin Oriental hotel.
“It was a serious opportunity for advancement,” Hannon said. “I knew what kind of a place Trio was, and I thought maybe I could do Quince justice.”
Hannon was exposed to the restaurant business at an early age, he said. Hannon’s father owned a New York seafood restaurant where his son spent time learning the ups and downs of the business.
“As a kid, I saw what my father was doing every day, ” he said. “It was really the only thing I ever wanted to do.”
Hannon received formal training at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he graduated in 2003. After moving to Miami, he earned a position at Azul, where he worked until coming to Evanston.
Much smaller and more moderately priced, Quince was far from the type of restaurant that he normally frequented.
“This was a big change from the type of place I was at before, but this was a chance to test myself and see what I could really do,” he said.
Paying homage to the hotel’s modern colonial theme, Hannon crafted the menu with a “chic” approach to classic American dishes.
“Contemporary American cuisine is really a melting pot, so I can do a lot of different things,” said Hannon.
According to Quince General Manager Joe Ziomek, Weinberg ’02 and a former Daily staffer, one of the restaurant’s most popular items is the shaved asparagus salad. Other popular dishes include hearty red wine-braised short ribs and yellowtail snapper, he said.
“I think what makes our food unique is that it has a comfort-food base, but the presentation and the combinations are much more contemporary,” Ziomek said. “They’re more globally influenced.”
Ziomek said Quince’s unpretentious, approachable atmosphere is more inviting for locals and NU students.
“The staff is young, the food is modern and the wine list is very international,” he said. “We’re geared toward a younger palette and certainly prepared to serve a younger clientele as well as anyone else.”
Tina Warnke, general manager of The Homestead, said that Quince’s ultimate test came when Henry Adaniya, former manager of Trio, visited the new restaurant.
“Henry came in and gave us a rave review,” she said. “It was a huge thrill and honor. Quince continues to be something we’re very proud of.”
