Graham Elliot is leaving, but Graham Elliot is coming soon

The announcement came today at 1:14pm: Graham Elliot Bowles is leaving Avenues in April, and will be replaced by former Alinea chef de cuisine Curtis Duffy.

With all due respect to Duffy, the loss of Bowles is incredibly depressing news.

Or, rather, it would be if he weren’t opening his own place.

Bowles, who was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2004, has worked in fine dining almost his entire career: He started at Charlie Trotter’s and TRU, went off to work at The Jackson House Inn in Vermont, and then returned to Chicago for his uncommonly successful stint at the Peninsula. Jacket-required, 8-course dining seemed to be in his blood.

But no. “Graham Elliot,” Bowles’ upcoming restaurant in River North’s gallery district, will be what Bowles refers to alternately as reFINEd dining and bistronomic. “The idea is to get away from the old school feel of tuxedoed servers, flower displays and all of that,” he says. “That’s the fine dining of yesterday. We’re trying to move forward and marry fine dining cuisine with a relaxed atmosphere.”

Somewhat like Avenues menu, the menu at Graham Elliot  will be divided into five sections: Cold, Hot, Land, Sea, and Sweet. Bowles will be behind the desserts— “We’re not going to be looking at pastry as its own separate world,” he says—and the wine list will be divided into the same sections, which should make for fail-proof pairings. The room will be more relaxed; you'll probably feel comfortable in jeans; and the prices will be far more reasonable than what Bowles' food has typically gone for.

“I want it to be like I coming to my house,” Bowles says, and if you know Bowles you know that that includes listening to the kind of music he likes. In fact, Bowles told us that he may even play music that he himself recorded. Normally that would make me cringe—but If he’s as good on the guitar as he is in the kitchen, I can’t wait to hear it.