Bonsoirée
| Bonsoirée | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Bonsoirée | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | September 2006 |
| Closed | October 2012 |
Previous owner | Shin Thompson |
| Chef | Shin Thompson Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark (2012) |
| Food type | French and Japanese-influenced contemporary cuisine |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide, 2011–2012) |
| Location | 2728 West Armitage Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60647, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°55′3.5″N 87°41′45.5″W / 41.917639°N 87.695972°W |
Bonsoirée was a fine dining restaurant in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Chef and owner Shin Thompson opened it in September 2006 as a small gourmet-to-go café, then developed it into a BYOB restaurant centered on seasonal tasting menus and French cuisine with Japanese influences.[1][2] Bonsoirée received one Michelin star in the guide's inaugural 2011 Chicago edition and retained it for 2012.[3][4] It closed in October 2012.[5]
History
[edit]Thompson opened Bonsoirée Café and Delicacies with business partner Kurt Chenier in September 2006. The 26-seat operation initially sold sandwiches and prepared food and ran a catering business; dinner service began as a side project in the storefront and expanded as demand increased.[2][6][1] The restaurant also held reservation-only Saturday "Underground" dinners, a format that grew from meals Thompson and his colleagues had prepared for friends and family.[1]
By 2008, Bonsoirée was operating as a French BYOB restaurant with frequently changing five- and seven-course tasting menus.[7] Thompson's cooking combined French techniques with Japanese presentation and ingredients. In October 2010, he and Bonsoirée chef Luke Creagan prepared a five-course dinner at the James Beard Foundation's James Beard House, Thompson's second appearance there.[8]
Michelin included Bonsoirée among the 18 restaurants awarded one star in the inaugural 2011 Chicago guide.[3] That year, it completed an enclosed patio with a retractable roof that was intended to add approximately 20 seats to the 28-seat dining room. The restaurant was then serving eight- and thirteen-course menus and offered nonalcoholic beverage pairings while remaining BYOB.[9]
In July 2012, Thompson announced that he would step away from day-to-day operations while remaining majority owner. Chefs Beverly Kim and her husband, Johnny Clark, joined the restaurant to take over its kitchen.[10] After a two-week closure for remodeling, Bonsoirée reopened on August 24 with a 12-course menu emphasizing Korean and contemporary preparations, a prepaid reservation system, and a beverage program that replaced its BYOB policy.[11]
Kim and Clark mutually agreed to leave the partnership in early October. The restaurant announced that it would stop service on October 13 for a possible reconcept, but the closure became permanent.[4][5] Table, Donkey and Stick subsequently opened in the space.[2] In 2013, Thompson revived the Bonsoirée name for occasional private dinners in customers' homes.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Stanton, Mary (Summer 2011). "The Main Course" (PDF). Roosevelt Review. Roosevelt University. pp. 12–17. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Pollack, Penny; Trestrail, Joanne (December 18, 2012). "What's Coming and What's Cheap in Chicago Dining". Chicago. Archived from the original on May 12, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 "First-Ever Michelin Guide Chicago Showcases Chicago As A World-Class Dining Destination" (Press release). Michelin. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on December 6, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026 – via PR Newswire.
- 1 2 Bendersky, Ari (October 3, 2012). "Beverly Kim, Johnny Clark Out at Bonsoiree; Restaurant Will Either Re-concept or Close". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- 1 2 "Bonsoirée bids adieu". Crain's Chicago Business. October 11, 2012. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Nagrant, Michael (July 24, 2007). "Shin Thompson". Michael Nagrant. Archived from the original on May 21, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Bonsoiree (closed)". Check, Please!. WTTW. November 21, 2008. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Bendersky, Ari (September 23, 2010). "Bonsoiree Chefs Cooking at James Beard House". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Bendersky, Ari (August 22, 2011). "Bonsoiree Adding Glass-Enclosed Patio to Backyard". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Bendersky, Ari (July 2, 2012). "Beverly Kim Leaving Aria to Partner With Shin Thompson at Bonsoiree; Will Take Over Kitchen". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Mai, Jeffy (August 24, 2012). "Bonsoiree Reopens Tonight Under Beverly Kim". Eater Chicago. Archived from the original on December 15, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
- ↑ Hickman, Brett (November 19, 2013). "Shin Thompson Revamps Bonsoiree As Home Dinner Series". Eater Chicago. Retrieved August 10, 2026.