At Burl, every dish on the menu incorporates components which are cooked over fire — a unifying culinary thread — and aims to showcase ingredients sourced from small farms the owners have built relationships with over the years.

Evanston residents and husband-and-wife team Thomas Carlin and Rachel Canfora-Carlin founded the restaurant, which is set to open in Fall 2025 on Central Street. Carlin will be Burl’s operating chef partner, and Canfora-Carlin its strategic partner.

“The thing I want people to feel when they come in is that connection that we have,” Carlin said. “The warmth of the fire, and also the connection Rachel and I developed with these farmers over the years, and the connection to the land and to the vegetables and to the seasonality of it.”

The couple met while working at Publican Quality Meats. Both come from an extensive background in the restaurant industry. Canfora-Carlin is director of recruiting, training and development for the restaurant company Hogsalt; whereas Carlin’s background includes time as chef de cuisine at Dove’s Luncheonette and as part of the opening team at Galit, which earned its first Michelin star in 2022.

After moving to Evanston near Central Street, both wanted to open a restaurant in the area. When Coast Sushi closed down, they said they leaped at the opportunity.

The name “Burl” refers to a rounded growth on a tree trunk or branch, prized in woodworking for their unique patterns. Carlin said the name is a nod to its open-fire cooking and serves as a metaphor for its location — an offshoot of Central Street — and the building’s history of transformation through multiple storefronts.

Carlin said he doesn’t have strong cultural ties to any particular cuisine, instead he connects with various cultures by studying foods from around the world. When developing a theme for his restaurant, fire’s universality across cuisines resonated with him.

“The thing that everybody does is, at some point, people have cooked over fire,” Carlin said. “If I cook over fire, and I focus on that, then I can cook using my knowledge I’ve acquired from all these other cuisines that I really love.”

As a Midwest native, Carlin said he loves connecting with and supporting farmers, who take care of their communities and each other. He added that he appreciates their passion and care for their craft, especially as small farms work towards a better world.

Canfora-Carlin said she hopes Burl is a welcoming, family-friendly spot that people can regularly return to and make new memories in, not just for special occasions.

“I feel we, as Evanstonians, deserve a place of continual warmth and hospitality,” Canfora-Carlin said. “A place where you get elevated food, but you also can come in and bring your kids and have it be this warm and inviting place.”

Angela Shaffer, Central Street’s community director, said she is excited to welcome Burl to its group of businesses in a statement to The Daily. 

Over 90% of businesses, like Burl, are independently-owned on Central Street, Shaffer said, many owners are also neighborhood residents.

“This is such a win for us!” Shaffer said. “Burl will be a destination restaurant that will bring more visitors to our shopping district.”

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