Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar in Chicago

Since overfishing began driving up prices of the most prized types of caviar – that is, roe sourced specifically from a few select sturgeon species – several decades ago, it has been viewed as an expensive luxury food available only to the rich and fabulous. It's a stereotype that certainly still rings true, as the fishy specialty has made waves as part of a $2,000 omelet¹ at a Manhattan restaurant and was topped with 24-karat gold at the Oscars.²

But at Heritage, a restaurant and caviar bar in Chicago, executive chef Guy Meikle gives caviar a makeover, ditching its grandeur in favor of a more casual experience and presenting it as an affordable food that guests can enjoy from brunch to dinner for as little as $10.

Adventures in Caviar

"I feel like everywhere you go, the caviar experience is held up on a pedestal," says Meikle, who worked with caviar at a catering company and at a Michelin-starred French restaurant before opening Heritage. "You've got to pay hundreds of dollars and it's this small, petite experience [where] you take a couple bites and you're done. Or it's part of the larger fine dining experience as part of a dish, and then you're not really truly enjoying the essence of the caviar or the roe."

Heritage's relaxed approach to caviar is made possible by its diverse menu, which lets people "explore and have fun" instead of allowing the cost to create a barrier for those interested in trying it for the first time or having it again. Meikle notes that sustainable sourcing is an integral part of offering so many types of caviar and roe; in addition to more expensive caviar sourced from farm-raised fish imported from Germany, Uruguay, and China, the menu includes roe sourced from American sturgeon species like spoonbill in Tennessee and hackleback in Illinois.

"There's an affordability scale when you move from roe all the way through caviar, and we have all of that available, so if people want to come in and spend $10 for a good, generous portion of roe, then they can do that," Meikle says. "So our goal is kind of demystifying that by having all of those options available and then letting people choose their own adventure."

The 15- or 30-gram portions of caviar are served chilled, presented on ice with platters of housemade rye bread, pickles, and butter, as well as potato chips, chives, capers, and other pairings.

"We always want people to try it first just by itself because the texture of the eggs when you pop them against the roof of your mouth is really the experience and the true way to taste the true nature of the caviar," Meikle explains. "[Then] see how all the different garnishes affect the flavor. They might mask certain bitternesses; they might bring out other flavor qualities behind the caviar. Each caviar is going to have a different flavor profile depending on where it was raised and how it was raised. Learning about that aspect of it is what's the most fun for everybody, including us."

With more than a dozen items, the diverse caviar bar menu can sometimes be intimidating to diners ordering caviar for the first time, so Heritage staff members are trained to help narrow it down.

"I think when first-timers are faced with the menu and there's a lot of decision, it's up to our staff to kind of say, 'Pick a price point and pick the kind of experience you want to have. Do you want a lot? Do you want a little?' And let us start to guide you."

No Rules, Just Roe

Although Heritage staff is available to help guests decide which caviar they'd like to order, they're encouraged to enjoy the caviar however they'd like.

"Our whole goal is to dispel that there's any right way to do anything with food," Meikle says. "It's all about what makes you happy and giving you enough of a jumping-off point to just enjoy it."

The only rule Meikle recommends following? Don't use spoons made of reactive metals or stainless steel.

"We use bone or gold spoons," Meikle says. "Stainless steel or silver can kind of oxidize the caviar in a funky way, so other than that, there's really no wrong way to do it."

Meikle says Heritage's approach to caviar has helped translate the specialty food from an out-of-reach luxury into more relatable fare that diners are comfortable ordering at any meal.

"No one was more shocked – pleasantly shocked – that people got it right away and that we see a lot of people coming into the door," Meikle says. "I think that's the really enjoyable part is that it's not just a one-time experience and then you never come back. People are truly making it part of their dining rotation."

References

1. The world’s most expensive omelet costs $2,000—here’s what you get. CNBC. Accessed September 2021.
2. Chef Wolfgang Puck readies caviar, gold dust for Oscars feast. Reuters. Accessed September 2021.