Introduction to the Finer Diner
EDGEBROOK — The Edgebrook Coffee Shop and Diner is trading in its corned beef hash and ceramic coffee mugs for white tablecloths and duck confit — at least for one night.
Sean Nixon has thought about hosting upscale dinners at the Edgebrook Coffee Shop, 6322 N. Central Ave., since he bought the longtime business in 2023. On Aug. 13, Nixon will bring his dream to life with a five-course “Finer Diner” dinner presented in collaboration with chef Zacharias Craig of Logan Square’s Mano a Mano.
The Inspiration Behind the Finer Diner
Nixon, of Jefferson Park, started experimenting with cooking while working as a server at acclaimed molecular gastronomy eatery Moto. He and Edgebrook Coffee Shop cook Cory Perkins use the diner’s weekly specials to whip up unique creations, including shrimp and crab étouffée and pierogi-stuffed omelettes. The specials are posted every week, and the diner has developed regulars who come in to try each new dish.
“We want to show this community that we’re more than just breakfast,” Nixon said. “It gives us an opportunity to show them what we can do.”
The Edgebrook Coffee Shop’s shrimp and crab étouffée. Credit: Provided by the Edgebrook Coffee Shop and Diner
The Finer Diner Event
For the Finer Diner event, the small, bustling restaurant will be transformed into an intimate, upscale dining room, Nixon said. The dinner will start 6 p.m. Aug. 13 and will be built around the theme “everything old is new again.”
Nixon said his team dug up classic recipes from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s and breathed new life into them with modern techniques. The menu will include a coquilles St. Jacques, which is a popular French dish that features scallops poached in cream with mashed potatoes and leeks, plus a deconstructed beef Wellington and a basked Alaska.
The dinner will have 21 seats. Tickets are $150 and can be bought by messaging the Edgebrook Coffee Shop on Facebook or by calling the diner at 773-657-3974.
From left: Yazmin Villasana, Sean Nixon, Zach Ortlieb and Cory Perkins. Credit: Molly DeVore/ Block Club Chicago
Future Plans for the Finer Diner
Nixon got to know Craig because the chef and his wife have been regulars at the Edgebrook Coffee Shop for over a year.
Nixon said he hopes to host the Finer Diner dinners as a sort of regular supper club, with visiting chefs bringing their own “culinary points of view” to Edgebrook. He said it will allow Northwest Siders to experience dishes from places like the Duck Inn without having to make the 14-mile commute to Bridgeport.
“It’s an opportunity to introduce these chefs to a whole new audience,” Nixon said. “You can get a Downtown experience and a Downtown flavor palate without the hassle of actually having to go Downtown.”
He said the dinner parties will also allow chefs to flex their creative muscles.
“If it sounds good, we’ll run it,” he said with a laugh.
Conclusion
The Edgebrook Coffee Shop and Diner is set to host an upscale, 5-course dinner party, and you’re invited. The Finer Diner event promises to be an unforgettable experience, with a menu that features classic recipes from the 1950s, ’60s,
