Matthias Merges is opening Mordecai, a cocktail-focused restaurant, in the Hotel Zachary (3630 N. Clark St.).
The goal is to have the restaurant, across the street from Wrigley Field, ready to go in time for the Cubs’ home opener April 9.
The bilevel space will occupy 3,000 square feet in the hotel complex, with a seating capacity of about 100. The second floor will have a large outdoor patio overlooking The Park at Wrigley and its live-feed jumbo video screen.
“Our relationship (with the Cubs) has been really wonderful,” said Merges, whose Folkart Restaurant Management group already operates Lucky Dorr in The Park at Wrigley. “We’re really looking forward to bringing our cocktail experience to Wrigleyville.”
For an idea of what Mordecai will be like, check out Billy Sunday, Folkart’s restaurant in Logan Square, where craft cocktails are augmented by an eclectic small- and medium-plates menu.
“The challenge is, ‘How do I have great food and still hold a cocktail in my hand?’” Merges said. “I love how food plays to cocktails — fried artichokes with honey and mint, or small tartines, or plates of jamon — letting you hold a conversation with a great drink in front of you and snacks along the way.”
“Mordecai” is a reference to Hall of Fame Cubs pitcher Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, who had a stellar professional career (and two World Series titles with the Cubs) despite missing parts of two fingers after a farm-machinery accident.
“Three fingers” is also an arcane term for measuring the size of a drink pour; expect Mordecai, which will have a special selection of rare whiskeys and scotch, to have fun with that dual meaning.
“Three fingers will be kind of like our pour,” Merges said, “but we’re not going to do Mordecai in a whimsical way. Our goal is to create an exceptional cocktail experience that brings our craft to the neighborhood.”
“Folkart Restaurant Management is nationally acclaimed for creating top-notch and unique beverage programs and culinary delights,” said Crane Kenney, president, Hickory Street Capital (the real-estate arm of the Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs). “We are thrilled to partner with chef Matthias Merges on the launch of Mordecai, and we are confident our guests will enjoy a robust cocktail and restaurant experience.”
pvettel@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @PhilVettel
