Avli gets 2,400 more square feet, including new lounge, in Winnetka

More than 16 years after first opening in Winnetka, Avli — a Greek restaurant that has since expanded with three locations in Chicago and one in Milwaukee — is unveiling its largest transformation yet:

A redesigned menu, new chef and large-scale expansion at its Winnetka location.

“The intention behind the revamp was a way to catch up with the times,” Avli chef Jorge Angulo said. 

Angulo said that at first the transition was “a little difficult” for some of the restaurant’s longtime clientele, but emphasizes that a majority of the menu should still be recognizable for them, even if dishes are presented differently.

“A good 60% to 80% is recognizable, but there have been a lot of drastic changes through presentation and how we go about things,” Angulo said. “After doing the same thing for 16 years, this transition has been difficult, but I feel like everybody’s starting to come around and viewing our new space as the newest version of Avli, instead of ‘Oh, they completely changed everything and it’s a different restaurant.’”

Angulo has been at Avli for approximately six months, after his most recent stint at Vela, a bar and eatery that specializes in Mexican dishes, in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

The chef, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, said that his niche is in working with Mediterranean cuisine, and he wasn’t intimidated by the responsibility of leading the overhaul at Avli, thanks to previous experience working on building and rebuilding restaurants.

“I’ve built my career and reputation on building and overhauling restaurants in Chicago and the surrounding areas,” Angulo said. “I am a true believer in what [Avli owner and founder Louie Alexakis] is trying to do here, extending that city dining experience into the North Shore.”

A major focus of the restaurant’s updated menu is its mezedes, a selection of smaller plates designed to be shared among a table, similar to tapas. Avli offers a menu of both warm and cold mezedes.

“The meze platter is one of our big standouts,” Angulo said. “It’s more what you would see in Greece today.”

Alexakis reiterated that small plates more closely represent authentic and modern Greek dining.

“Sharing plates is literally how you eat in Greece,” Alexakis said. “It’s extremely rare to get a big entree.”

Angulo is also focusing on bringing regionally focused dishes to Avli’s menu, inspired by each of Greece’s unique regions.

“Greece is such a melting pot because of its location,” Angulo said. “You have the influence from Turkey, because they were ruled by the Ottoman Empire for so long. But you also have Italy right next door, and you have the Middle East not too far away. Greece is in that whole melting pot of the Silk Road.”

He said that some regions of Greece have more “spice-heavy” dishes, while others are more “ingredient-forward.”

“That’s where you see your grilled fish with just a piece of lemon,” Angulo said. “We’re trying to do our best to showcase what’s happening in Greece today using those amazing ingredients.”

He said that a vast majority of the restaurant’s ingredients are imported directly from Greece.

“Our fish is coming from the Ionian Sea. All of our cheeses, roasted peppers, olive oil, all of our core ingredients to make and execute our menu are coming directly from Greece,” Angulo said. “That’s how we’re trying to mesh everything together, while catering to the American market.”

Another goal for Alexakis with the overhaul was to encourage customers to get comfortable, and stay for longer than usual.

“I’d love it if people stayed even longer than usual,” Alexakis said. “Have some little plates, relax, have a cocktail, listen to some music and then be surprised that you’ve already stayed here for two hours. Stay as long as you’d like. We wanted to make a menu that was conducive to people sharing and relaxing.”

Avli is encouraging that experience through its new bar and lounge area, which features a large entertainment area where customers can pick and choose through the restaurant’s collection of vinyl records for the right soundtrack for the evening.

The vinyl bar and lounge is just one part of Avli’s recent expansion and renovation. The restaurant now occupies half of Winnetka’s Laundry building, adding 2,400 square feet. The lounge covers approximately 1,600 square feet of the expansion, while a further 800 feet is additional front-room dining.

Despite the menu and bar changes, Angulo said that he hopes that the restaurant’s longtime customers continue to feel welcome in the space.

“The last thing that you want to do is come into a space and change it so drastically that you’re no longer catering to the demographic around your restaurant, you’re now seeking to bring people from outside,” Angulo said.

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