Seasonal Refresh Brings Warming Flavors to Fine Dining Kindling, Chef Jonathon Sawyer's Chicago restaurant, has introduced a fall menu that emphasizes earthy, warming flavors alongside global influences. The lineup includes new seafood and poultry dishes designed to reflect the season's heavier palate.
New Dishes Highlight Seasonal Proteins Seafood options include Saku Gold Tuna with crispy sushi rice, black truffle and truffle aioli; Hamachi with avocado, aji amarillo mayo and Peruvian causa; and Miso-Glazed Bay Scallop with Okinawa sweet potato purée and hollandaise. Heartier mains feature Curried Squash Pasta, which pairs roasted kabocha squash and yellow Thai curry with chewy Korean rice cake noodles, toasted pepitas, brown butter and sage. The Brine + Herb-Marinated Amish Farm Chicken comes from Kindling's Parisian rotisserie with butternut squash, grilled grapes and rosemary chicken jus. An Oven-Roasted Turkey Sandwich rounds out the poultry offerings, featuring cinnamon-honey brie and cabbage slaw on a 1979 Pullman loaf.
Bar Program Expands With Seasonal Cocktails The seasonal menu extends to the bar with new cocktails including The Ogden with vodka, spiced liqueur and sparkling cranberry; Plum & Peril with mezcal, chili-infused plum and Sfumato; and Shadow Play featuring banana-infused dark rum, Meletti and lemon. New non-alcoholic offerings are also available. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.
Why It Matters
Seasonal menu rotations remain a core strategy for fine dining establishments to drive repeat visits and capitalize on ingredient availability and customer expectation shifts. Kindling's incorporation of global techniques—Peruvian, Thai, and Okinawan preparations—signals the continued influence of international culinary trends on upscale Chicago dining.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
