The bar and nightclub Minibar, over the eight years since it opened, has expanded into next-door spaces several times, making its name more and more of a misnomer. “It was very small when it started,” apologizes John Dalton, a partner. It steps back toward mini as the ownership carves out a space for the restaurant Meat (3339 N. Halsted St., no phone yet), which they style as “mEAT,” which Microsoft Word auto-correct doesn’t like and which reminds us of mRNA. They hope to open in six weeks.

Chef Michael Wurm’s menu foregrounds 12 to 14 types of skewers, like bacon-wrapped chicken with jalapeño, cream cheese, and cilantro-mint crème fraîche or salmon with wasabi peas, Dijon mustard, and soy teriyaki. Customers are invited to share, pulling bites off with individual tongs.

For Meat, skewers aren’t just a menu category; they’re a way of life. “We’re looking for a concept that skewers everything,” Dalton says. “Skewered desserts. A martini selection with great skewers. In Manhattans, our cherries will be skewered. All drinks will have skewers in them.” A concept that skewers everything—maybe this restaurant should be called Satire.