It’s not uncommon for one spouse to cast a little friendly blame on another during a marital squabble. However, it’s slightly rarer for a spouse to blame another for the existence of the entire restaurant. Almost the first thing that chef Tom Carlin of Burl said to me about his brand new Evanston restaurant was, “It’s all Rachel’s fault.”

Rachel is Rachel Canfora-Carlin, the second half of the husband-and-wife team behind Burl. And the fault in question? Forcing Carlin to call a realtor the very moment that the space that is now Burl became available, rather than waiting until the following Monday, when Canfora-Carlin was afraid the space might already be gone. The rest is restaurant history, as the pair acquired the building in fall of 2024 and opened Burl a few weeks ago.

Both have deep roots in Chicago’s culinary scene. Carlin was previously head butcher at Publican Quality Meats and sous chef at Galit, and Canfora-Carlin has worked for One Off Hospitality and Boka Group and is currently Director of Recruiting, Training, and Development at Hogsalt. Yeah, that’s right — running a restaurant is Canfora-Carlin’s second job; my hat goes off to her.

Burl is taking an approach that used to be common but has become somewhat less fashionable in recent years — a return to local, farm-focused food. The veggie side of the menu right now features carrots, beets, cabbage, and sweet potato, though don’t let that dissuade you, as the dishes, like beets with chocolate, quinoa, and apples or cabbage served with two kinds of mole and “crispy bits” all sound delicious. “It’s the honest way to cook,” says Carlin. “When you eat in a restaurant, I think that when you sit down you should know where in the world you are and what time of year it is. If you sit down at Burl right now, you think it’s winter in the Midwest.” Canfora-Carlin, who is focused on the front of the house, agrees, and emphasizes that a good restaurant tells stories. “We want our servers and team not to just be order takers, but to paint the picture and tell the intention.” When Carlin talks about local farmers getting to know his kids’ names or picking out specific animals for his restaurant, his passion for ingredients shines through.

The menu at Burl is very small — only a few vegetable dishes and five main courses, plus some spreads and breads. This is, as Carlin notes wryly, because his entire walk-in is only a five-foot by eight-foot space. But it’s also because that’s how he likes to eat and to cook. He prefers a smaller menu where he can pay attention to everything. And attention is required; the pappardelle bolognese, for example, takes three days to make and used to sell out instantly when he served it at PQM. The fried walleye with Kennebec potatoes has become an unexpected hit, with one U.K.-based guest calling it the only authentic fish and chips she’s tasted in the U.S.

For now, Burl is open for dinner Wednesday to Sunday, but expect expanded hours in the future, as the restaurant eventually adds a patio, as well as brunch service. For Evanstonians (which includes me) it’s a welcome addition to have another date night spot in the area. Says Carlin, “We wanted to provide the area with a more grown-up experience, more sit down, polished.”