For years, Prime & Provisions owners Luke Stoioff and Dave Rekhson would look out from their downtown steakhouse towards the north bank of the Chicago River and ask themselves, ‘What if?’ Across multi-lane Wabash Avenue and over the river sat a space with spectacular views — a basement cafeteria that catered to the workers in the high-rise office building above it. “We used to look out the window of Prime & Provisions at this space all the time from our dining room and be like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to be across the street and actually be on the river?’” says Stoioff.
But then the pandemic hit. The cafeteria closed and never reopened.
Now, a new waterfront restaurant will once again bring that space to life. On Monday, June 1, Stoioff and Rekhson,
cofounders of the DineAmic hospitality group, will open Naia, a hotly anticipated Greek-Levantine restaurant in that former cafeteria space. Featuring 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, the restaurant is just about as close to the water as it could be without actually being in it.
“We willed it,” says Stoioff.
In reality, it was a liquor license consultant who alerted them that the space was available for development. Stoioff and Rekhson quickly got on board, although the process, which began in 2021, was slow-moving. The changing dynamic of River North and the building’s tenants in the aftermath of COVID lockdowns, and the intricate engineering work required to renovate the space caused delays.
“When you’re doing anything by the river and having a design that’s river-centric, it’s a process,” says Stoioff. “All the expensive stuff is the stuff you don’t even see.”
Spanning the entire length of the 60-story skyscraper at 300 N. LaSalle Street and jutting out beyond it, Naia fully leans into its riverfront location that includes 150 feet of direct water frontage. Located below Chicago Cut Steakhouse, a variety of window-style walls and louvered pergolas help create a year-round indoor-outdoor experience and protect against rain and cold weather.
Naia’s menu also embraces its surroundings. “Certain types of concepts belong by water and Mediterranean is one of those,” says Rekhson. Chef Athinagoras Kostakos — a Top Chef: Greece winner and DineAmic partner at La Serre, Lyra, and Violí — developed the menu. Kostakos also owns Nōema, a popular restaurant on the island of Mykonos.
Rather than simply duplicate the Greek menu in place at Lyra, the team is drawing inspiration from other countries bordering the Mediterranean.
“We’re tapping into that whole Levantine region and pulling in some of those spices and flavor profiles that you get from the Eastern Mediterranean as well but with Greece as still the main driver,” says Rekhson. “A lot of the dishes are still traditional, but with a little bit of a twist on them.”
Take Naia’s Turkish dumplings. A riff on manti, these small dumplings are prepared in the style of cacio e pepe. Stuffed with a light potato filling, they are paired with a creamy sauce made with Parmesan and urfa biber, a Turkish chile pepper with smoky notes. Bits of a Parmesan tuile on top add crunch.
From the raw bar menu, there’s crispy rice topped with options like crab, spicy tuna, and wagyu. Here, the Japanese-influenced dish is paired with a Greek lemon-soy vinaigrette and capers. Other raw bar items include oysters and a tuna sashimi sampler with chutoro, otoro, and akami varieties. “It still hits those notes that you’re used to when you’re tasting raw fish, but it has this Mediterranean flavor to it,” says Rekhson.
There’ll be hummus, too, prepared at a tableside cart. A heating element will keep the fresh pita warm while the server mixes the chickpeas, olive oil, and seasonings in a recessed bowl. Guests can customize it with roasted garlic and turn up the heat with spices. “Everybody loves a cart coming over to your table and having that showmanship,” says Rekhson. “The phones come out, and everybody wants to see what’s going on.”
Mezze, flatbreads, seasonal salads, spreads, homemade pasta, and grilled meats and seafood round out the menu. Dessert includes soft-serve Greek yogurt served with crispy kataifi, almonds, and lemon zest.
“Fresh, light, and something that could feel like a special occasion, but is still very approachable,” Stoioff says of their overall approach to the menu. “At our restaurants, we are always looking to create an experience where whether you’re celebrating your birthday or you’re eating there three days a week, it’s a place you can come back to and feel like it resonates.”
For the wine menu, countries spanning the entire Mediterranean are represented in addition to “some sleepers from the Eastern Mediterranean,” says Rekhson. Cocktails incorporate ingredients found in the food such as fresh citrus and fragrant herbs.
Stoioff and Rekhson worked with Katherine Ingrassia and Ryan Nester of Barker Nester to transform the former cafeteria into the waterfront restaurant of their dreams.
After descending the LaSalle staircase, the first thing you’ll see is the 150-seat patio area, a mix of tables and a smattering of large, tan leather, circular booths facing the river, accented with dark wood. The patio is filled with greenery and trees. Across the water is the Riverwalk with iconic Chicago skyscrapers behind it. To the left and right are bascule bridges, LaSalle and Wells streets, respectively.
Inside, an expansive rectangular bar anchors the front space. Nearby are high-top tables and that aforementioned raw bar. Head through a short hallway, and you’ll enter the main dining room. Throughout the indoor space, which seats up to 250, are the same muted earth tones found on the patio. Natural fibers, including twisted rope acting as a see-through room divider, and clay pottery add to the rustic ambiance. On the far wall, a 50-foot, hand-carved stone sculpture depicts the restaurant’s namesake, Naia, which means “water nymph” or “flowing” in Greek.
To ensure ample viewing from every seat, the dining room was created with multiple elevations. “The seats towards the back are almost stadium-style, so you can still see the river,” says Stoioff.
On the far east end of the space is an expansive event space with its own bar and those same river views.
In addition to the guests in the restaurant, Naia also offers a dining delivery service, like in hotels, for the office building’s tenants. Those with boats can also access the restaurant. “We’ll take care of you on your boat,” says Stoioff. Adds Rekhson, “You could be a dock-in instead of a walk-in.”
Naia opens Monday, June 1, at 300 N. LaSalle Street; open 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday. Reservations on OpenTable.
