Chef Alain Njike of Alain's Restaurant in the South Loop. (Photos: 312 Dining Diva)
So, 2012 is turning out to be quite a stellar one for
Charlie Trotter's alums.
Former Trotter's Executive Chef
Matthias Merges opened
Yusho in the winter.
Bill Kim debuted his third restaurant,
belly Q, in late August.
Graham Elliot opened
G.E.B. also in the summer, and
Curtis Duffy is set to open
Grace later this fall.
Also tossing his hat into the ring of rock star spots is
Alain Njike, who opened
Alain's Restaurant in the South Loop in early August. But what sets Njike apart from the others is that he's bringing a cuisine to Chicago that's never been done before—particularly on an upscale level. His contemporary American menu is highly influenced by flavors from his homeland on Africa's West Coast.