Description
Chef Matt Selby didn’t set out to operate a cafeteria-cum-pantry for the RiverClay condominiums rising five stories above Corner House in Jefferson Park. But since he and his two partners unveiled this 1,250-square-foot eatery in January 2013, that’s precisely what it’s become. “People would come down in their pajamas,” marvels Selby. The airy, wide-windowed restaurant has become a place for residents to grab a bite after a trip to the fitness room, to put down one last drink before heading upstairs for the night, even to bum oregano when they’re making pasta. But Corner House isn’t a cafeteria, of course. Selby spent fifteen years with Vesta Dipping Grill, Steuben’s and Ace, and the Colorado-born, self-described “ingredient dork” has higher aspirations for the first kitchen he can call his own: Corner House is designed as a neighborhood bistro that considers the entire city its neighborhood, one where you can craft a meal from small and (slightly) larger plates, including PEI mussels, chili-braised short ribs, fruit-spiked avocado salad, grilled polenta and a stunning chocolate bread pudding.
