Acadia (restaurant)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Ryan McCaskey |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Key people | Ryan McCaskey (owner and executive chef), Michael Simon (bartender) |
| Products | New American cuisine |
Acadia was a dining establishment located on Chicago's South Side, launched by Ryan McCaskey in 2011. The restaurant focused on New American cuisine with strong influences from Maine's culinary traditions and achieved several Michelin stars before ceasing operations in 2020.
Description
Acadia combined upscale dining with a bar area offering a more relaxed menu. The bar program, led by bartender Michael Simon, earned praise for its creative cocktail selections. While the building's exterior was modest, the interior showcased a thoughtfully designed, minimalist dining space. The Chicago Tribune described it as "warmly minimalist, softly lit, and serenely quiet," featuring alabaster walls complemented by beaded-metal curtains. In 2015, the restaurant temporarily closed to undergo interior renovations.
Menu
The restaurant presented five- and ten-course tasting menus highlighting "elevated" modern American fare, including items such as cheeseburgers, lobster rolls, lobster pot pie, and a Wagyu steak entrée. The dishes tended to be rich and hearty but were priced more moderately compared to comparable fine dining venues. The menu was heavily inspired by the cuisine of New England, particularly Maine, with many ingredients sourced directly from Deer Isle, Maine. Chef Ryan McCaskey incorporated a "green-and-white palette" into the menu design to evoke memories of his childhood summers spent in Maine.
History
Established in 2011 by Vietnam-born chef Ryan McCaskey—who was adopted by a Chicago family through Operation Babylift—Acadia stood out as one of the few fine dining options within Chicago's South Side, a neighborhood generally known for its affordability. As the sole proprietor and executive chef, McCaskey drew heavily on his early culinary education and experiences growing up in Maine to define the restaurant’s character.
Acadia garnered significant critical praise, earning its initial Michelin star in 2013 and sustaining two stars for five years running. In 2019, it was honored by the Chicago Tribune as among Chicago’s top dining establishments.
The restaurant permanently closed in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During its closure, several former staff members accused McCaskey of creating a hostile work environment that included allegations of sexual harassment. Following Acadia’s shutdown, McCaskey went on to open Acadia House Provisions in Maine.
See also
- List of closed restaurants in the United States
- List of Chicago Michelin-starred dining establishments
- List of New American cuisine restaurants
External links
- Articles with short description
- Establishments founded in Illinois in 2011
- Illinois closures in 2020
- Former fine dining restaurants in the United States
- Chicago Michelin-starred restaurants no longer operating
- Illinois New American restaurants that have closed
- Restaurants closed due to the COVID-19 crisis
- Restaurants that ceased operations in 2020
- Restaurants launched in 2011
- Defunct Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago