Alinea's Speakeasy The Office Is 'Nearly Ready' With Flower-Blinged Tartare

Looks like The Office, the speakeasy wing of the Chicago cocktail bar The Aviary coming to the Mandarin Oriental, is pretty close to its debut. Co-owner Nick Kokonas posted yesterday that it’s “nearly ready,” alongside some jamon Iberico.

The Alinea team has been ramping up the Instagram teases, with co-owner and chef Grant Achatz sharing potential dishes:

There’s some pretty gorgeous beef tartare

What looks like crudite

And some cutely plated foie gras terrine

The Office will be focused on rare spirits and pre-Prohibition-style cocktails, with a more intimate 45 seats compared to The Aviary’s 90. The Aviary — the inventive Chicago cocktail bar from the Alinea team — will begin construction once The Office opens. Expect breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus a wider array of cocktails when that arrives.

More teases are sure to come, so keep an eye on the team’s social media — and here at Eater — for further details.

• All Coverage of The Aviary [ENY]