Son of a Butcher Tavern offers meaty menu in Logan Square

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Meat lovers take note: Chicago has a lot more beefy options than just steakhouses. In fact, a new tavern in Logan Square has a fairly meaty menu with not one steak on it. That's due in part to the chef's experience and creativity.

Beef tongue gyros, lamb merguez hot dogs and pork cheek tortas are just a few clues indicating the kitchen at Son of a Butcher Tavern has more skill than simply throwing sirloins onto a grill. But not everything is beef and pork-focused here, even a vegetarian could assemble a decent meal.

The crowd is eager to eat at Son of a Butcher Tavern; not just because it's pushing the boundaries of the typical neighborhood restaurant, but also because they're doing creative things with the "off" cuts.

"We do the meat cuts, we do cheeks, we do necks, the homemade sausages and meatballs, but we also do little riffs on meat dishes vegetarian style," said Son of a Butcher Chef Frank Valdez.

Like a hummus done Mexican-style with pickled onions and charred pita bread, for one thing, but also whole fish and other non-meat riffs. Pork is prevalent. In a vibrant mussel dish, for example, that begins with shaved fennel.

"Homemade pork meatballs, they're heavy on fennel, heavy on garlic and they get paired with Prince Edward Island mussels," Valdez said.

Plus a vibrant sauce containing piquillo peppers and Roma tomatoes. Beef tongue gyros taste much better than they sound, with a cilantro yogurt in place of the usual tzatziki. There are plenty of beers and cocktails here as well - it's a tavern after all - and several go exceedingly well with hearty dishes like a six-hour slow-roasted lamb shank served over annatto seed-laced couscous, topped with a sweet-spicy salsa combining dates and chiles, plus lamb's natural partner, feta cheese.

"It's nice and tender. Pairs nicely with feta on there, saltiness; has a date-chile salsa, which the dates add some sweetness and you've got some chiles adding a little zip to the dish," Valdez said.

Son of a Butcher Tavern

2934 W. Diversey

(773) 270-4520

http://www.sonofabutchertavern.com/