Surprise: Aster Hall, the Gold Coast food hall with 16 stalls curated by Au Cheval’s owners, opened today off Michigan Avenue. Located across the fifth and sixth floors at the 900 North Michigan Shops, customers can snag a Small Cheval burger, a pick-me-up from the Doughnut Vault, or brisket from Green Street Smoked Meats all under one roof. Hogsalt’s Brendan Sodikoff helped oversee the project inside this downtown shopping center.
The phrase “food hall” is a marketing term that tries to separate itself from a mall food court filled with fast-food selections (Orange Julius, Cinnabon). At Aster Hall, they’re going further. Instead of calling the vendors “stalls,” they’re calling them “vaults.” There’s 16 of these vaults and a sixth-floor bar, the Aster Hall Bar & Study. Customers can order their food from touchscreens on the fifth floor.
For the hall’s full lineup click here. Besides the aforementioned favorites, including 3 Greens Market, there are new offerings like Motor City Pizza, Lost Lily’s, and Boardwalk Seafood Co., and the Chocolate Bar. There’s also rotisserie chicken, ramen, and chicken wings.