Joshua Lee Keating is owner and executive chef of Winnetka’s new restaurant, Stacked and Folded. Photography by Joel Lerner/JWC Media
WINNETKA – North Shore residents can look forward to another new restaurant with the opening of Stacked & Folded in Winnetka’s East Elm business district. Slated to open by the end of February, Stacked & Folded will offer a modern, healthy twist on comfort food.
Owner and executive chef Joshua Keating is no stranger to Winnetka. Born and raised in Northfield and a graduate of New Trier High School, Keating honed his craft for years in California before returning home to the North Shore. He worked as a chef at Little Ricky’s, Trifecta and O’Neil’s before venturing on his own to open Stacked & Folded.
Keating originally planned to open a restaurant with his father three years ago, but those plans were waylaid when his father was diagnosed with ALS and Keating decided to focus on his family. After his father died, Keating decided to pursue his dream to open his own restaurant.
“There is a lot of him here. It means a lot to me. It’s very personal,” Keating said.
Keating’s father was a chef in Glencoe and Northbrook in the 1980s, and Keating followed in his footsteps. “He was a real inspiration for me,” Keating said, who literally grew up in restaurant kitchens.
Stacked & Folded is located in the former storefront of Haute Hot Dogs on Lincoln Avenue and has been fully renovated. A low wooden bar with seating runs along the open kitchen, where Keating will be cooking and serving his patrons himself. “The whole thing is chef driven. It is designed around the kitchen,” Keating explained. “Everything is on display for everyone to see.”
Stacked & Folded is at 551 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka
While Keating is the executive chef and owner, chef Lindsey Lauter will cook at the restaurant on Keating’s days off. “She is a very talented chef,” Keating said.
The front of the restaurant houses coolers where salads, sandwiches and drinks will be available for a quick grab-and-go. White subway tiles and whitewashed walls give the space a bright, clean look, and Keating plans to install a rotating display of local artists’ work. “I want to help support others and give them their shot,” Keating said.
With a focus on fresh, locally sourced and sustainable food, Keating will incorporate artisanal foods such as farro and quinoa into his offerings. The menu will change seasonly, and customers can expect to see unique dishes such as Korean short ribs, pork belly and eggs or tempura battered whitefish in addition to familiar comfort foods such as burgers and cheese steaks. The restaurant also has a liquor license and will offer wine, beer and cocktails.
Keating plans to experiment with different dishes to learn over time what is most popular with customers. “For me it is an honor to serve people,” he said. “It’s an obligation as a chef to step up and do what is right.”
Some of Keating’s meats will come from Hofherr Meat Co. in Northfield and he plans to braise his own meats to bring out the flavor. “Those are things we are going to have a lot of fun with and play with,” he said.
The restaurant’s logo was designed by Keating’s brother and the name Stacked & Folded was chosen by Keating because he saw it as flexible and open. He wants the restaurant to evolve organically and become a part of the community. “I want this to be a community restaurant where everyone feels like it is a piece of their own home,” he said.
And Keating is excited to be in Winnetka and hopes that the East Elm business district will become a food destination in its own right. “I don’t think I would want to open a restaurant anywhere else. This is home.”
Stacked & Folded is located at 551 Lincoln Avenue and will open in late February for lunch and dinner.
Joshua Lee Keating