Naha

NAHA offers a seasonal contemporary American menu that comes alive with the passions and flavors of the Mediterranean and effortlessly blends the culinary, design and management talents of the cousins Nahabedian.

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE—Sieger Bayer, the Leghorn chef and a 2014 Eater Young Guns semi-finalist, is leaving Element Collective's chicken spot on June 21. He'll become a sous chef under chef Tony Quartaro at Formento's, The Bristol Group's upcoming Italian spot on Randolph. [EaterWire]

RIVER NORTH—Chad Ellegood, a 2013 Jean Banchet nominee at NoMI, will take over the NAHA and Brindille wine programs...

Michael Nahabedian went from the cusp of one blossoming neighborhood (opening Cafe Absinthe during the seedy days of Wicker Park when "there were crack houses there") to partnering with his cousin and renowned chef Carrie Nahabedian to open Naha on the cusp of another blossoming neighborhood, River North, in 2000. Nearly 13 years later, the Nahabedians finally decided it was the right time to...

As Tony Mantuano's team prepares to reopen Spiaggia in less than a month, many staffing changes are coming to his iconic Italian restaurant. The latest development sees wine director Jason Carlen departing; he sent an email over the weekend to announce his notice, but will stay on through the reopening. Acclaimed advanced sommelier Rachael Lowe (Sixteen) is leaving her sommelier post at Naha...

Despite a return to winter temps, a sign that spring is here is the appearance of fiddlehead ferns on Chicago menus. The elusive spring green is a chef favorite that's often harvested in early May, thus many of the restaurants that have them now are among the trendiest and priciest in town. Check out the map to see where fiddleheads are already sprouting in the city.

James Beard Award and multiple Michelin star-winning Chef Carrie Nahabedian's River North restaurant features New American cuisine with a healthy amount of influence by her Armenian roots.