Making waves
Rosebud Restaurant Group takes to the sea with Joe Fish
Joe Fish marks Joe Farina’s fifth time at the helm of a Rosebud restaurant in nearly two decades. But this time, things are getting a little more personal for the chef: When he explains how he dreamed up the menu — which is seafood-focused with an Italian bent — he simply says, “It’s food Joe likes to eat.”
He’s certainly earned the right to exercise a little creative license. “A lot of the most popular dishes at most of our locations are the ones that Joe created,” says Managing Partner Yvonne Contreras, naming Rosebud’s Mama’s Meatball Salad — famously topped with two nine-ounce meatballs — as an example. In fact, the group felt so grateful to Farina that they named Joe Fish after him: “We used to call him ‘Joe the Fish Guy,’ ” laughs Contreras.
The restaurant’s simple but descriptive moniker fits its menu, which centers on fresh seafood flown in daily from Hawaii and the East Coast and prepared Mediterraneanstyle with less than five ingredients, according to Farina. That minimalistic approach — a first for Rosebud — applies to Joe Fish’s low-key vibe, as well. “We wanted to build an upscale place where people want to come a few nights a week, with a very chill atmosphere,” says Farina. “It’s kind of like my house.” Here’s what else to expect at Joe Fish:
Chef stats: Farina got his start as the head chef at Carmine’s in 1997, crafting the rich, original Italian fare that would soon become his signature. Three years later, he was named executive corporate chef of all Rosebud Restaurants (including Centro, Carmine’s and seven Rosebud locations in the city and suburbs), a position he still holds.
Living large: Both the menu and the portions at Joe Fish are deliciously outsized. The regularly rotating “By Sea” selections include Chilean sea bass wrapped in prosciutto ($43) and a whole branzino, a favorite of Farina’s prepped with lemon, olive oil, herbs and sea salt and deboned tableside ($34). “Everything is made-to-order, rather than pre-prepped, battered or breaded,” says Farina. “We want to bring out the natural flavors of the fish.” If you can, save space for the pastas — especially the fettuccine, extravagantly topped with Alaskan king crab legs ($45).
Raw deal: Farina shucks 10 types of oysters culled from both coasts each day — and to save you the trouble, he paired them with complementary Champagnes, like the NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut ($100 with a dozen oysters). Or, pick your own wines from the more than 300-strong list, curated by Beverage Director Trudy Thomas, who plucked varietals everywhere from the European coast to South Africa.
End with a bang: Logan Square’s Bang Bang Pie Shop makes several cameo appearances at Joe Fish: For an appetizer, they’ve supplied their famous biscuits ($3, named among the best in the world by Food & Wine) spread with whipped lardo and Himalayan rock salt, and for dessert, they’ve sent over their creamy cheesecakes and seasonal pies (both $8). In typical Farina fashion, the partnership was forged casually: “I was talking to [co-owner] Dave Miller and just decided, ‘Let’s give them a shot.’”
445 N. Dearborn, (312) 832-7700; Rosebudrestaurants.com