Esmé Partners with Chicago-Born Artist Hebru Brantley for Latest Multi-Sensory Dining Collaboration

Esmé has partnered with Chicago-born contemporary artist Hebru Brantley, for their newest menu transition and multi-sensory dining collaboration.

This new menu features favorite dishes offered throughout the restaurant’s tenure – which just celebrated its 5th anniversary in late August – such as Mother of Pearl, with Japanese white sweet potato and kombu ice cream served within a custom Mother of Pearl bowl, crafted by Chicago’s DTK Ceramics; and Clay, featuring squab with summer sausage, cherry, salsify, and a cherry & foie gras jus, presented in clay which is cracked tableside. These dishes have been reimagined through the singularity of Brantley’s narrative-driven work, and are utilized as a canvas to further spotlight his multifaceted ideas and powerful cultural commentaries.

As always, the tasting menu is showcased alongside a curated selection of Brantley’s paintings and sculptures, which are peppered throughout Esmé’s dining room, transforming the restaurant into an immersive, pop-up gallery space. A focal point includes multiple sculptures and pieces of visual art depicting Flyboy – arguably Brantley’s most well-known character, who was inspired by the immense impact of the Tuskegee Airmen, World War II’s groundbreaking group of the first-ever Black, American military pilots. 

Esmé is located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, and serves dinner every Wednesday through Sunday from 5-10 PM ($265pp Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday; $295pp Friday-Saturday). Reservations can be made via OpenTable.

Canapés:

• Egg – A layered egg, featuring fermented white asparagus custard on the bottom layer, followed by chamomile beurre blanc, smoked trout roe, and orange sabayon, and served atop a mini milk crate – referencing Brantley’s beloved piece, “The Red Milk Crate,” which depicts Flyboy sitting on one.
• Tomato Tart – A celebration of peak season tomatoes, with fromage blanc cheese, green tomato tartare, caper salt, and basil sorbet, presented in the drawer of a custom puzzle box that speaks to Brantley’s personal visual language.
• Marigold – In a secondary drawer of the puzzle box, guests will find a tempura-fried marigold with peach, truffle, and puzzle-shaped, pickled beets.

Mains:

• Mother of Pearl – A marquee dish at Esmé that becomes thoughtfully tailored for each artist partnership, currently featuring Japanese white sweet potato and kombu ice cream served within a Mother of Pearl bowl, crafted by the local team at Chicago’s DTK Ceramics, and topped with peanut miso, celery hot sauce, white chocolate, and Osetra caviar. This course is available for guests to add-on to their meal as a supplement.
• Watermelon – Norwegian King crab topped with Guajillo pepper, wrapped in roasted watermelon, paired with heirloom tomatoes and finger limes, and presented with a side cart of tomato-kukicha granita and watermelon dashi.
• Dover Sole – Dover sole served with zucchini and yellow squash, knob onion puree, sweet plantain puree, sea buckthorn sauce and brown butter, plated on a custom piece of plateware made by Charleston-based ceramicist, Alexandra Vaga.
• Rouget – sourced from the Netherlands. Served on a cloud plate and surrounded by a Jimmy Nardello sauce, plum, basil, and a beef tongue rillette. The plateware speaks to another of Brantley’s recurring works, an image of a “Girl on Cloud.”
• Iberico – Iberico pork belly from a family-owned farm in La Alberca in Spain, served with pork belly layered with a spiced sauce, chicharron, pea puree, and fig puree, topped with a walnut jus, and garnished with a bouquet of sugar snap peas, pea tendrils, and horseradish, and with laminated corn bread topped with a slice of lardo. This dish is served on a custom lace plate made by Facture Goods.
• Clay – Another of Esmé’s most signature dishes appears to close out the tasting menu’s Mains, featuring squab cooked in clay, served with a summer sausage, cherry, salsify, and a cherry & foie gras jus, presented in clay which is then cracked tableside.
• Baba – Guests can also add on a truffle supplement to the Baba course; the classic French dessert is presented tableside, featuring a brioche cake with peach puree, popcorn custard, bourbon syrup, and brown butter almonds, and served in a bowl crafted by DTK Ceramics.

Pre-Dessert:

• Sorbet – Passion fruit sorbet with fennel brittle, black sesame praline, clementine meringue and nasturtium flower, served within a picture frame made by Frame Chicago, and plated on a ceramic dish from DTK Ceramics. Guests break through an edible piece of Brantley’s artwork, a portrait of his character Flyboy, to uncover their sorbet underneath.

Desserts:

• Petit Gâteau – Individual cakes celebrating one of Brantley's most recognizable motifs – the hope and optimism-filled sunflower – and presented upon a custom sunflower plate designed by the artist himself; featuring chèvre cheese crémeux, apricot filling, a sunflower and vanilla Bavarian cream, and topped with chèvre cheese ice cream.
• Mignardises – A collection of sweet bites and the customary final course at Esmé: Pâte de Fruit – made with mango and tajin; Bon Bon – with dark chocolate, marshmallows, and peanut butter ganache; and Petit Four – featuring sweet corn, blackberry, and a cornmeal cookie as the base layer.