Englewood’s only fine dining restaurant has made its long-awaited return.
Like many other businesses, Sikia, a student-run restaurant inside Kennedy-King College’s Washburne Culinary and Hospitality Institute, shut its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Thursday morning, students watched with pride as school leaders officially re-opened the restaurant, unveiling its newly redesigned dining room.
“Today, we open this restaurant, not just to the school, but to the entire community,” Washburne Executive Dean Jewel Mideau said Thursday. “And what makes this so impactful is that this is not just a restaurant, but it is fine dining.”
Sikia, at 740 W 63rd St., has been a pillar of the Englewood community since it first opened its doors almost two decades ago.
“To be able to sit down and have a conversation over a meal and … having a fine dining experience right here on the corner of 63rd and Halsted is so important,” Cecile De Mello, of community organization Teamwork Englewood, said Thursday. “Prior to the hiatus, I was a regular here, lunch, dinner — sometimes lunch and dinner on the same day.”
De Mello said she tried creme brulee for the first time at Sikia. Since then she has tasted the dessert at restaurants all over the city but confidently shared Thursday that “no one makes it like the students at Kennedy-King College.”
Thanks to a grant from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the interior of Sikia has been reimagined and refreshed over the past few years, with more modern furniture and new floors.
While the inside may look different prices have not changed much since before the pandemic. Sikia’s three-course signature lunch costs about $17 per person. The seasonal lunch menu includes crab cake and carpaccio for starters, skirt steak and branzino for entrees, and s’mores and creme brulee for dessert.
More than a restaurant, Sikia serves as a “living laboratory” for Washburne culinary students, according to Kennedy-King College President Katonja Webb Walker.
“It is a hands-on learning experience, and it’s a stepping stone for the next generation of culinary professionals,” Webb Walker said Thursday. “Our students have transformed their education into an experience that will prepare them for thriving careers. The dishes served here not only showcase their skills, but also their creativity and passion.”
Adrienne Gordon, 44, of Pullman is set to graduate in May with honors and a degree in pastries. She reflected on her culinary school journey and how at times it seemed daunting.
“I contemplated on actually enrolling here, not only because I’m older than probably most here, but … with having a full-time job and holding a full-time position here in school didn’t seem possible, but here I am, four years later,” Gordon said Thursday.
She hopes to launch her own private chef and catering business after graduation. “I’m excited for what’s to come,” she said.
Michael Jasper, another student set to graduate this May, also plans to develop a private chef business and maybe his own restaurant someday.
In the meantime, he’s excited to work in the newly renovated Sikia.
“I have family that has been pestering me to get them a reservation here,” Jasper, 18, said. “I very much love this restaurant, love the area that it’s in, and love that it’s a very good community for growing.”
Sikia is open for lunch service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
Reservations are required and payments must be made by credit or debit card.
Reservations can be made by calling 773-602-5200.
