Claudia, the imaginative tasting menu concept from chef Trevor Teich, has closed. The restaurant opened a little over 1½ years ago at 1952 N. Damen Ave. in Bucktown after years of operating as a pop-up concept. In fact, Teich first cooked under the Claudia name in 2013.
Teich said he was immensely proud of the work of his team, but that the past few months had been hard. “Chicago is tough right now,” Teich told the Tribune. “The winter is always slow, but this winter was the slowest I’ve seen in my career.”
While he’s sad to see the restaurant close, he praised his staff for its hard work. “I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished in a very small period of time,” Teich said. “The food was going toward something very special.”
Claudia drew some impressive reviews during its short run. We gave the restaurant 3 ½ stars in our December 2021 review, noting that Chef Teich was “precise yet playful, nostalgic yet driven.” In April 2022, the restaurant picked up one Michelin star.
Teich announced the closing on Facebook, writing that anyone who had paid for an upcoming reservation would be refunded. He also thanked customers for giving the restaurant a shot: “We want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude to all of you who have supported us throughout the time we have been here. Your patronage, feedback, and loyalty have been invaluable to us, and we are truly grateful for your continued support.”
Though Claudia is done, Teich said you haven’t seen the last of him. “I have no idea what I’m going to do next,” Teich said. “But I’m not done cooking. I’m not going to give up.”
