Seasonal Refresh Brings Global Flavors to Chicago Fine Dining Kindling by Chef Jonathon Sawyer is pivoting its menu for fall with a lineup of dishes that emphasize roasted vegetables, warming spices, and global technique. The new offerings became available in October 2026. On the raw side, the kitchen is offering 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. Heavier plates include 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 rotisserie program contributes Brine + Herb-Marinated Amish Farm Chicken served with butternut squash, grilled grapes and rosemary chicken jus. A seasonal sandwich offering features oven-roasted turkey with cinnamon-honey brie and cabbage slaw on Kindling's house-made 1979 Pullman loaf.
Bar Adjusts for Season The cocktail program has introduced three new drinks: 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. The bar is also rolling out new non-alcoholic offerings. Reservations are available via OpenTable.
Why It Matters
As fine-dining restaurants compete on seasonal differentiation, Kindling's approach—rotating globally influenced proteins and house-made foundations like rotisserie and bread—reflects how upscale kitchens are sustaining relevance by combining technique-driven execution with ingredient-driven storytelling.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
