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Chicago Culinary Kitchen planning move to new Palatine location

Popular Chicago Culinary Kitchen in Palatine is planning to move to a bigger building on the village's far north end with expanded hours to serve authentic Texas-style barbecue, craft beer and more.

At a meeting Tuesday night, the advisory Palatine zoning board of appeals recommended that a special-use permit be granted for Chicago Culinary Kitchen to move into vacant space at Lake Cook Commons. The strip mall on the southeast corner of Lake-Cook and Hicks roads is near Route 53 and borders Long Grove.

“I think it's time to grow up,” said Greg Gaardbo, who with wife Kristina co-owns the cozy joint at Northwest Highway and Quentin Road. “We started with whatever and did weekends and now it's time to be open six days a week. And we can have a lot more fun in this (new) place.”

Chicago Culinary Kitchen is a hybrid business with cooking classes, catering, special gatherings and a weekend barbecue restaurant in North Quentin Plaza. The eatery has developed a regional following for brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, 18-hour pit beans and other items on a limited menu served from 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays until they run out.

To meet customer demand, the new location would have 77 indoor seats, a bar and 20 outdoor patio seats. The Gaardbos said it could open by early summer.

“The only complaints we really get are there is not enough seating and that we're not open enough hours,” said Kristina Gaardbo, a certified craft beer expert whose husband is a pitmaster. “And so we decided that it's time to move and expand because we are growing.”

Lunch and dinner would be served Tuesday through Sunday. There also would be a “Texas rock 'n' roll brunch” on Sunday, with an earlier opening time, music and a monthly pajama party tied into it, the Gaardbos said.

Terry Yormark II of South Barrington purchased what was a rundown strip mall about three years ago. He said the Gaardbos have created a “Palatine success story.”

“While I was working with them, the thing Greg was persistent about throughout was he wanted to stay in Palatine,” Yormark said.

After opening as an event space in October 2016, Chicago Culinary Kitchen began the weekend restaurant in March 2017.

The Palatine village council will receive the zoning board of appeals' positive recommendation for the eatery to receive the special-use permit. The council is expected to consider the proposal at a meeting Monday night.

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  Popular Chicago Culinary Kitchen in Palatine is planning to move to a bigger building at Lake Cook Commons on the village's far north end. The strip mall is on Long Grove's border at Lake-Cook and Hicks roads. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
  Plans are in the works for Chicago Culinary Kitchen to move from Northwest Highway and Quentin Road in Palatine to the village's far north end. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
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