Maxwells Trading Officially Added to the Michelin Guide
Photo Jeff Marini; Menu Design by HiFi Brands
Maxwells Trading has been officially added to the Michelin Guide.
“The revered dining bible has added Cariño, John’s Food and Wine, Maxwells Trading, Sifr, Taqueria Chingon, and Warlord to its list of recommended restaurants. Michelin uses anonymous inspectors to evaluate a place’s quality, giving one, two or three stars to the very best.” - Jeffy Mai, TimeOut Chicago
In early 2024, Chef Erling Wu-Bower and Josh Tilden of Underscore Hospitality reached out to HiFi with an ambitious new concept: Maxwells Trading.
We knew immediately that this one would be different. Challenges were inherent in many aspects of the project that made it so special. Starting with the building, an old railroad storage warehouse on the fringe of the West Loop in an area not yet zoned for restaurants.
Logo & Identity Design by HiFi Brands
But the vision was there, and we were there for it. For almost a year we worked with Wu-Bower and Tilden on forming the mound of clay that was the vision in their heads. They had already done quite a bit of work on the interiors, but the name, brand identity, and design had yet to be developed. This being their first project together since Pacific Standard Time, stakes were high and the execution needed to be right for the project and unique partnership with rooftop growers The Roof Crop.
Ultimately, the building and neighborhood itself served as the roots that would grow the experiences to be had within. Two peaks of the greenhouses in which ingredients are grown form a graphic “M,” and house the growth of ingredients and good times to be had within. The rest of the visual system is inspired by music. Vintage Jazz and soul album covers set the tone for the restrained yet playful expressions that grew into the visual identity.
Naming & Concept Sketch by HiFi Brands
Photo by Jeff Marini
“It can feel as if half the city is dining in this quiet pocket of West Loop. Conversation and laughter bounce off the hard warehouse floors and large, black-framed windows and travel along a bar that looks almost endless from the front door. The cooking behind all this commotion assuredly plays with Japanese, Chinese and Thai elements.”
Photo by Jeff Marini; Menu Design by HiFi Brands
Photo Jeff Marini
Photo Jeff Marini
We are excited to see what Wu-Bower and Tilden of Underscore Hospitality have in store for Maxwells Trading. In the meantime, if you have not dined there yet we strongly encourage you to make a reservation and see for yourself.