The Delta, a soul food restaurant in Wicker Park is reopening its doors today, Wednesday, March 24 for dining service, following its temporary closure due to the pandemic. The reopening brings a new Chef to the neighborhood restaurant, Christian Sia, who has reimagined The Delta’s dinner menu.
“We’re hopeful for the future and are grateful for the opportunity to serve our loyal guests and community once again,” says Eldridge Williams, owner, and operating partner of The Delta. “Chef Christian has evolved the menu to align with the vision we’ve always had for the restaurant – a melting pot of diverse dishes that pay homage to the roots of the Mississippi Delta region; and we’re excited to turn the page and enter the next chapter of The Delta’s journey with this diverse new menu.”
The restaurant’s signature Mississippi Red Hot Tamales and burger are still featured on the menu, in addition to its curated cocktails. However, new items include:
· Dime Store Chicken: served whole with b.o.t.d. (beer of the day), mashed sweet potato, seasonal greens, and beer jus
· Fried Kool-Aid Pickles: cornmeal dusted pickles and d.a.f. sauce
· Ho Ping Jun: stir fried jambalaya, black eyed peas, holy trinity
· Hot Tofu Po’ Boy: roasted chili oil, remoulade, lettuce, tomato, frites
“The story of The Delta is what attracted me to the restaurant; from tasting the food, to learning of the Chinese immigrants living in the Mississippi Delta region – the story felt very unique, but also very familiar to me,” Says Christian Sia, Chef at The Chicago Delta. “I grew up in Singapore with a strong female presence in our home kitchen, and by learning to cook under the feet of my great grand grandmother, I was able to take techniques and flavor profiles from my youth and combine them with my formal culinary training – similar to the those who migrated to the Mississippi Delta and combined flavors of their homeland with the food and resources of the region.”
Chef Christian grew up in Singapore and worked at premier restaurants Garibaldi and Jaan Par, with Chef, Andre Chiang, before moving to the United States in 2010. Once state-side, Chef Christian worked his way across the country exploring a multitude of cuisines in Atlanta, South Carolina, Palm Springs, and Chicago, before joining G.O.O.D Pineapple Hospitality (The Delta’s hospitality group) in 2021.
Chef Christian notes that he’s excited to bring new dishes to the menu that showcase seasonality and ingredients from the surrounding states of the Delta region, while also adding various plant-based options to attract Chicago’s growing vegetarian and vegan diners, with his modern approach to classic dishes from the Mississippi Delta.
The neighborhood restaurant debuted its new year-round patio last August, that sits up to 30 people comfortably, in addition to 20 indoor seats, while minding social distancing guidelines.
The Delta is currently open Tuesday thru Thursday, 5:00 p.m. to Midnight, Friday; Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and is closed Sunday and Monday. The team will bring back Sunday brunch in the coming weeks, with details forth coming.
The Delta, a soul food restaurant in Wicker Park is reopening its doors today, Wednesday, March 24 for dining service, following its temporary closure due to the pandemic. The reopening brings a new Chef to the neighborhood restaurant, Christian Sia, who has reimagined The Delta’s dinner menu.
“We’re hopeful for the future and are grateful for the opportunity to serve our loyal guests and community once again,” says Eldridge Williams, owner, and operating partner of The Delta. “Chef Christian has evolved the menu to align with the vision we’ve always had for the restaurant – a melting pot of diverse dishes that pay homage to the roots of the Mississippi Delta region; and we’re excited to turn the page and enter the next chapter of The Delta’s journey with this diverse new menu.”
The restaurant’s signature Mississippi Red Hot Tamales and burger are still featured on the menu, in addition to its curated cocktails. However, new items include:
· Dime Store Chicken: served whole with b.o.t.d. (beer of the day), mashed sweet potato, seasonal greens, and beer jus
· Fried Kool-Aid Pickles: cornmeal dusted pickles and d.a.f. sauce
· Ho Ping Jun: stir fried jambalaya, black eyed peas, holy trinity
· Hot Tofu Po’ Boy: roasted chili oil, remoulade, lettuce, tomato, frites
· Smoked Beef: caramelized onion, Tennessee BBQ, frites
“The story of The Delta is what attracted me to the restaurant; from tasting the food, to learning of the Chinese immigrants living in the Mississippi Delta region – the story felt very unique, but also very familiar to me,” Says Christian Sia, Chef at The Chicago Delta. “I grew up in Singapore with a strong female presence in our home kitchen, and by learning to cook under the feet of my great grand grandmother, I was able to take techniques and flavor profiles from my youth and combine them with my formal culinary training – similar to the those who migrated to the Mississippi Delta and combined flavors of their homeland with the food and resources of the region.”
Chef Christian grew up in Singapore and worked at premier restaurants Garibaldi and Jaan Par, with Chef, Andre Chiang, before moving to the United States in 2010. Once state-side, Chef Christian worked his way across the country exploring a multitude of cuisines in Atlanta, South Carolina, Palm Springs, and Chicago, before joining G.O.O.D Pineapple Hospitality (The Delta’s hospitality group) in 2021.
Chef Christian notes that he’s excited to bring new dishes to the menu that showcase seasonality and ingredients from the surrounding states of the Delta region, while also adding various plant-based options to attract Chicago’s growing vegetarian and vegan diners, with his modern approach to classic dishes from the Mississippi Delta.
The neighborhood restaurant debuted its new year-round patio last August, that sits up to 30 people comfortably, in addition to 20 indoor seats, while minding social distancing guidelines.
The Delta is currently open Tuesday thru Thursday, 5:00 p.m. to Midnight, Friday; Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and is closed Sunday and Monday. The team will bring back Sunday brunch in the coming weeks, with details forth coming.
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