Gorman & Co.’s reimagined restaurant on the lower level of the Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront features a new menu with elevated twists on nostalgic favorites and a brand-new look.
It’s all in hopes of a creating a refreshed vibe and injecting some excitement into the hotel restaurant at 416 S. Main St.
“We could have done some new decor and been done with it, but we thought we really should take this opportunity to launch something fun, unique, different,” said Gorman’s Director of Food & Beverage Dennis Fenrick. “Something that is kind of cool and people are going to want to come in and check out and enjoy while they are here.”
Fenrick said the restaurant formerly known as The Tower Kitchen & Bar was rebranded as Culinary Underground. It has undergone a transformation from listless tavern into what he hopes guests will find a vibrant, art-filled and tasty homage to the history of the building and the legacy of downtown Rockford.
The hotel celebrated Sept. 18 what they said is “Rockford’s bold new dining experience” with a grand opening of the renovated restaurant with festivities, food tastings, cocktail sipping and music.
Here’s what you need to know.
What’s new?
Executive chef Olivia Maynard created a new menu that includes typical favorites like 10-inch pizzas, but also adds unique new creations. New decor was added with vintage photos, art and little games at every table. Gorman commissioned local artist Brett Whitacre for a painting and they got it, but they also got an “unofficial mascot.” Whitacre created a vivid 12-foot by 5-foot painting featuring a sock monkey from Rockford’s industrial past. Fenrick said it is “kicking back in a chair, a pair of vintage Air Jordans on and drinking a cocktail with sunglasses,” creating a fun new tone that the restaurant could build upon. Dozens of vintage photographs from the history of the building built in 1913 and from downtown Rockford decorate the walls.
Why make the changes?
There were two major reasons for the changes, Fenrick said. First, people kept getting the hotel’s two restaurants confused. It was called the Tower and then there was also The Top Rooftop Bar & Lounge. The Tower is located on the lower level which has a great view of Davis Park to the south, but seems to be a basement when entering from Main Street. Folks would think they were going to one restaurant but find they had actually made reservations at the other, Fenrick said.
Another problem was that The Tower didn’t have much of a vibe or identity.
“We really wanted to create a place that was fun and vibrant,” Fenrick said.
What about the food?
There are typical menu items alongside new made-from-scratch items that are “recognizable yet put a little a bit of a twist on what you would expect,” Fenrick said. A typical sandwich or pizza costs about $15 while the highest priced menu item is a 12-ounce ribeye steak and potatoes for $35. Highlights include:
What’s to drink?
Culinary Underground offers some tasty cocktails like the Can’t be Beet for $13 featuring mezcal, beet shrub, lime juice, agave with a tajin rim and the Monkey Business for $12 with Bacardi rum, Cointreau, banana puree, bitters and limed juice. Offering 12 varieties of draft beers, it also offers “hand shakes” which are a shot and beer combo for $10.
What are their hours?
Open daily 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11p.m.; and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight. Walk ins welcome but reservations are accepted by calling 815-688-7878.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey. Editor Corina Curry contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Embassy Suites introduces Culinary Underground with new menu, new look
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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