For six years now, Mordecai has been a rare bright spot in the Wrigleyville dining universe, which is dominated by game day bars and fast food spots. When Big Star and Swift Tavern opened nearby, things improved, but chef Matthias Merges’s spot has always been my personal favorite. That’s why, when Mordecai closed in January for a renovation and (sort of) re-concept, I got nervous. I shouldn’t have worried.
According to Merges, Mordecai was doing well but suffered from something of a split identity. It couldn’t quite figure out if it was a nice restaurant for neighborhood residents and their families, or a spot for fans to grab a bite before or after a game. This made the menu a little bit incoherent at times. “Previously, we kept making a new menu for game days, with a sandwich section, a hot dog,” Merges says. “We were trying to use those things to please the Cubs customer.” Don’t get him wrong; he loves the fans, but he has to make the restaurant excellent “for the other 260 non-game days a year,” he explains.
A two-month renovation and a new menu have moved Mordecai toward becoming the neighborhood bistro that it probably always should have been. The redesign was focused on making the spot more intimate, adding booths, separating the bar from the dining room, and adding more artwork. The upstairs space, which has served a few different roles over the years, is now only open for private parties, further calming down the area.
The menu is a bit simpler, a bit more family-friendly, but still interesting and made with high quality ingredients. You’ll still find a Slagel Farms burger, but now there’s also wagyu tartare with a cured quail egg and bone marrow aioli. Smoked half chicken with morel mushroom cream is simple but rich, and the best part is that it only costs $24. My favorite part of the menu is the daily specials — if you visit on Thursdays, you can do a duck dinner for two for $95, which has three courses of duck — duck confit in a salad, a duck breast main dish, and then a dessert that incorporates duck fat. Also, a new happy hour menu focuses on shareable plates, like tempura cheese curds and pickles or bratwurst meatballs.
Mordecai was always known for its vintage spirits, and while that’s not quite as much of the identity of the place these days, the great whiskey list is still there. The new beverage program has heavily leaned into low-proof and non-alcoholic cocktails, but those high-end vintage drinks will still show up occasionally. Merges’s plan is to do some features pairing a food special with a cocktail made with vintage spirits.
The new menu launched in February. But Cubs fans, don’t worry — Mordecai definitely still wants to welcome you in. The restaurant now opens at 5 p.m. for dinner every day, but will open two hours before the first pitch on game days. Just don’t expect a hot dog menu.