Burl, Evanston's Newest Farmer-Driven Restaurant, Open For Business

EVANSTON, IL —Burl, one of Evanston's most highly anticipated restaurants, is finally set to open on Friday.

Designed as a welcoming space for all, the wood-fired, farmer-driven restaurant aims to celebrate the spirit of Evanston and deep connections between chefs and farmers.

Their farmer-driven approach to creating a menu emphasizes the unique connections Burl has made with local farms from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

During the pandemic, farmers had huge surpluses of crops going unused as restaurants fell on hard
times and shut down. When Chef Tom Carlin talked to some of those farmers at the time, they'd offer 500 pounds of cabbage or six cases of peaches and asked, "Can you figure out something to do with these?"

"That's where the gears started turning, of letting them drive the conversation of what we're going to be cooking at the restaurant," Carlin said. "Bringing my engagement with the farming community to our guests, I think it's a really cool thing to do."

Letting the farms dictate what Burl makes gives Carlin a chance to flex his creative muscles a bit, he
said, imagining the different ways to incorporate one ingredient into many different dishes

Carlin mixed his own tried-and-true techniques with things he's learned since moving to Chicago and being exposed to all sorts of different cuisines. Throughout his career, Carlin has worked at establishments that range from Middle Eastern cuisine to Tex-Mex, and he aims to bring his varied experience into every dish the restaurant serves.

A true student of cultural cuisines, Carlin said he's dedicated hours to studying food from all over the world using an anthropological approach. In studying Middle Eastern food, he looked deeper into the difference between Arabic and Jewish foods, which led him to study religious and tribal implications and how the spice trade impacted food globally.

One thing Carlin learned during his studies was that fire and live wood burning were common denominators among global cuisines. So when creating the kitchen at Burl, he knew he wanted to have his own wood-burning hearth and oven to cook everything on.

"I find that the best way to get to know different people and different cultures is through their food," Carlin said. "So I've always kind of looked at food as this great connector."

The building the restaurant is in was built in 1902 and needed a lot of work to get it ready for guests, Carlin said. But the hard work paid off, and Burl will have about 75 seats inside and 30 seats on the patio during warmer seasons.

Burl will also have an open kitchen, because Carlin said it makes the job more enjoyable and guests really love seeing chefs at work.

Burl's menu will rotate a lot, Carlin said, but the farm-to-fork approach will always shine through in each iteration. Its debut menu features seasonal, shareable plates that aim to highlight the Midwest's most unique flavors.

The restaurant is designed to be the perfect setting for family gatherings, casual lunches or romantic dinners.

"We really want this to be the place where you can bring your family for a celebration," Carlin said. "We're not trying to be a special occasion place, and we're not trying to be the most casual place in town. We want to be this kind of something for everybody."

The restaurant is located at 2545 Prairie Ave. and is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Burl is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.