Time Out Market Chicago reveals curated activations coming to its second floor experiential space

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Time Out PR
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Time Out Market Chicago today revealed the latest additions of top local talent to its curation of the best of the city. Lost Lake co-owners Paul McGee and Shelby Allison will debut Secret Sound, an exciting new cocktail concept, and Chef Erick Williams will bring a culinary event series. These activations will be highlights of the culinary and cultural programming on the market’s second floor, which is dedicated to showcasing Chicago chefs, masterclasses, local artists, rotating pop-ups and more. 

When Time Out Market Chicago opens later this year, it will offer some of the city’s best food, drinks and cultural experiences—all based on editorial curation. Spanning 50,000 square feet and three levels, the market will include 18 kitchens, three bars and a rooftop alongside the second floor’s unique features.

A hidden speakeasy

Time Out Market Chicago will feature on the second floor a hidden speakeasy where Paul McGee and Shelby Allison of Lost Lake fame will debut a brand-new cocktail concept called Secret Sound. The award-winning team is known for its imaginative tiki cocktails and tropical concoctions, which have elevated the Logan Square bar to institution status. Secret Sound will specialize in the bold, rum-soaked tiki drinks that earned Lost Lake the title of Best Cocktail Bar in America from Tales of the Cocktail last year, Bar of the Year at the 2018 Time Out Chicago Bar Awards and 2018 finalists for the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Bar Program award (and semi-finalists 2015-2017).

Demonstration kitchen and event kitchen

Two key elements of the market’s second floor are its demonstration kitchen and event kitchen, where a rotating schedule of activations will include pop-ups and cooking classes from up-and-coming chefs and established culinary talent. The demo kitchen offers counter-side seating, which provides guests a front-row experience to the culinary techniques performed by the chefs and their teams. Additionally, there will be a semi-private dining area that can be used for both large-scale and intimate events on the second floor. This is where Chef Erick Williams will be activating a culinary event series.

Last year, chef-owner Erick Williams debuted Virtue Restaurant in Hyde Park, where he melds his fine dining background with culinary prowess and a love of Southern cuisine. The restaurant has garnered rave reviews and awards in record time: just this year, Virtue was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, was listed as one of the best new restaurants in Chicago by Time Out and named one of the 16 best new restaurants in America by Eater. A Chicago native, Williams has embedded himself in the city's culinary scene beginning with his time as executive chef/partner at mk the Restaurant. Along the way, he has made it a priority to donate his time, expertise and talent in partnering with charities to give back to the community with the belief that—as his father once said—"sharing a meal is a universal expression of respect and dignity." Now, Williams will bring an enriching educational event series to the demonstration kitchen and event space on the second floor of Time Out Market Chicago. His mission will be to give Chicago youth a behind-the-scenes look at how chefs work, including hands-on demonstrations, dinners and open discussions. "I'm excited about this collaboration between Virtue and Time Out Market Chicago,” says Williams. “The activations we will bring to the food and cultural market are committed to philanthropic causes. This will be a wonderful opportunity and space to inform our city's youth about food and get them excited about it." 


Bleacher seating and pop-up area

On the market’s second floor, there will also be bleacher seating for guests to sit down, relax and enjoy food from the kitchens on the ground floor or the adjacent Funkenhausen. As previously announced, during their three-month residency Funkenhausen will serve a menu packed with a soulful mashup of Southern and Bavarian cuisines and a creative counter tasting menu. From the bleacher seating, guests can view a massive, 32.8ft x 6.5ft screen, which will showcase artwork from local illustrators and more. The close-by pop-up area will be activated throughout the year with events like a harvest festival for families, a holiday market, live art, local artisans, music performances, and DJs. 

“Time Out Market Chicago will be a sprawling space showcasing some of the best the city has to offer. There will be outstanding food from 18 top chefs and restaurateurs, a rooftop and our impressive second floor where we will bring the city to life with an array of culinary and cultural experiences—this is what makes Time Out Market a place like no other,” said Time Out Market CEO Didier Souillat. “We are thrilled that truly impressive talent will contribute to the activations on the second floor. Chef Erick Williams is one of the city’s most celebrated and outstanding chefs—we have been in conversation with him since we started our curation and we are beyond proud that he will bring to life inspiring event series dedicated to philanthropic causes in our demonstration and event kitchens. Welcoming Lost Lake co-owners Paul McGee and Shelby Allison with Secret Sound to the market is incredibly exciting—they are not only amongst the leading talent in Chicago, but around the world. We are looking forward to bringing the best of the city under one roof and sharing more culinary and cultural additions to the lineup of Time Out Market Chicago soon—we still have some exciting surprises to announce ahead of our opening.”

Set to open later this year, Time Out Market Chicago will be located at 916 W. Fulton Market in the heart of the Fulton Market District. Some of the city’s best chefs have already been announced to join the market, and closer to the opening, further additions to the culinary and cultural lineup will be revealed.

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