avec Grew Up and Got Its Own Place in River North
The River North location drops the communal tables, adds handmade pasta and hearth-baked pizza, and gives Avec's Mediterranean cooking room to breathe.
The West Loop original is dark, intimate, and famously communal. River North is none of those things. It's open, bright, airy, filled with light and the kind of energy that makes it a natural fit for a work happy hour, a team dinner, or a client you actually want to impress. Private tables replace the communal seating entirely. The bar anchors the center of the room. The kitchen is open and visible from across the space, which means you can watch someone build your pizza from where you're sitting.
The menu has its own identity here. Handmade pastas and hearth-baked pizzas don't exist at the West Loop location, and they're worth coming for specifically. The ravioli on our last visit was good enough that we ordered a second plate before the first was finished. That happens rarely. The menu rotates with the seasons so I can't promise what's on it when you arrive, but the kitchen's instincts are sound and whatever pasta is running will be worth ordering. The chorizo stuffed dates carry over from the original and remain non-negotiable. And it sounds strange to get genuinely excited about a salad, but the apple endive salad is excellent. Order it.
This is a reliable, lively spot that earns its place in a crowded neighborhood. Not a destination on its own, but a very good reason to already be in River North.
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