This new petite deli and wine bar brings casual sophistication to North Oak Park
A new spot on Broadway has expanded the dining options in North Oak Park, offering deli-style sandwiches and a modest selection of wines and beers.
It’s called Bardega, a playful portmanteau of bar and bodega, and it quietly opened last week in the space that was once occupied by KC Kombucha at 3326 Broadway.
The project is the joint effort of four partners: Benjamin Tamayo, Matthew Byrd, Bobby Falcon and Benjamin Leibold. The collective all worked together at the restaurant group that manages Darling Aviary and Flamingo House, but wanted to do something as a team.
“I live a block down, and I was driving by, and I noticed there was a for-lease sign. It was turnkey, pretty much. We came in here, and we all loved, like, the idea. We love the neighborhood. And here we are,” Leibold said.
Bardega serves made-to-order sandwiches by day out of the modest kitchen at the rear of the space. The menu is terse, with just three sandos so far, but they punch above their weight.
The Sweet Heat Morty ($12) stacks mortadella with pistachio cream, burrata spread, arugula and hot honey on focaccia. The Maury Melt ($10) combines sumac herb tuna salad with celery, onions, smoked cheddar, tomato and lettuce; a vegan version can be made with a chickpea-artichoke spread subbing in for the tuna.
The Tamayo Torpedo ($12), named after one of the partners who is the chef, goes full deli counter with finocchiona, capocolla, soppressata, American cheese, a house giardiniera, tomato, lettuce, chipotle mayo and mustard on a Pugliese roll.
Specialty sandwiches end at 5 p.m., and the space shifts to bar mode, with wine, beer and low-ABV cocktails. Currently, the wine menu is also limited, with just a sauvignon blanc blend, a French malbec and a Spanish Tempranillo, but they hope to expand to about seven or eight wines.
Simpler grab-and-go sandwiches, such as turkey & cheese ($8), chicken Caesar wrap ($8) and veggie wrap ($8) are at the ready in the cold case throughout the day. They also plan to roll out a tinned fish program and other small plates for evening service shortly.
The menus are rightsized to the petite eatery.
“We’re trying to efficiently maximize our humble little space,” Tamayo said.
