NoBL getting ready in Lansdowne
Steve Wagner, with chef Sam Jacobson, is opening an edgy BYOB up the street from Sycamore.
NoBL getting ready in Lansdowne
Since its founding in 2009, Sycamore in Lansdowne has been one of the BYOB hits of the western suburbs. (LaBan review here.)
When founding chef/partner Meg Votta died a year after the opening of ovarian cancer, her hand-picked successor, Sam Jacobson, stepped in. The kitchen never lost a step.
Now Jacobson and Sycamore owner Steve Wagner are going up the street for a stylish Mediterranean, also a BYOB because Lansdowne is dry.
NoBL - as in "North of Baltimore Avenue" - is pegged for a "June" opening at 24 N. Lansdowne Ave., part of a mini-revitalization of the town. (See Argana Moroccan Cuisine, which opened recently down the block.)
Whereas Sycamore is a more traditional restaurant, the British-born Jacobson will do a glorious Mediterranean menu of small plates and pizzas. Peeking at a preview menu, I see such ambitious-for-Delco dishes as Duck Leg Braised in French Lentils with Thyme; Pappardelle with Chicken Livers, Braised Greens & Balsamic; Grilled Beef Tongue Agrodolce; and Fontina-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs, Porcini Bechamel.
Atmosphere - taking advantage of the 20-foot ceilings of the former hardware store - is warm and sexy, though I stopped during the day. Among the seating options are a chef's counter with high chairs; dining tables encased in a wood-and-glass frame; and a private table in the back set against a twinkly-lighted back wall.
