Table, Donkey and Stick Is an Alpine Retreat in the Heart of Logan Square
Nestled among the rocky crags and flowering meadows of the Alps are cozy and welcoming inns, meant to provide food and shelter for trail-weary hikers. They are mountain refuges, and it’s from that same spirit that Logan Square’s Table, Donkey and Stick draws inspiration.
Owner Matt Sussman opened the restaurant in 2012, hoping to introduce Chicagoans to Alpine eating and drinking traditions. Now 13 years in, Table, Donkey and Stick has become a neighborhood staple, in part because it provides a perfect backdrop to almost any occasion.
Here, I’ve had lovely date nights over a split burger and bottle of red on the patio; planned cozy November birthday dinners with friends; and enjoyed many impromptu drinks and charcuterie plates at the bar. The food is always delicious and the vibe always welcoming, which makes it a no-brainer for repeat visits.
Sussman, a baker at heart, built the restaurant on its housemade bread and charcuterie program. The meats, cheeses, and breads offered at those Alpine inns have likely been made by those who are serving them, Sussman says. “Those kinds of products are not truly what they’re supposed to be if they’re not done on a small scale and have a connection to people you can interact with,” he says. “That’s what we’re trying to communicate: This is a personal, local thing.”
Intrigued by the prospect of trying Alpine cuisine, relatively underrepresented in Chicago? Here’s everything you need to know before venturing into Table, Donkey and Stick.
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The Alps stretch across several countries. So does the inspiration for Table, Donkey and Stick’s menu.
The Alps have always been a cultural crossroads, Sussman says. The food traditions aren’t from one particular country — they’re instead influenced by many surrounding areas. “(It’s) an interesting thing to meditate on,” Sussman says. “These countries we think of as separate — there’s Italy and there’s Switzerland and there’s France and there’s Germany — all come together in a really interesting way.”
The menu reflects that. Beyond the housemade charcuterie, the bread is naturally leavened, as it would be in Alpine villages. The menu, made primarily with local ingredients, rotates throughout the year, and some menu mainstays — like certain pasta dishes, which are also made in-house — undergo seasonal tweaks.
If you’re new to Alpine food and not sure where to start, Sussman recommends the pappardelle, which is served with rabbit ragu, pistachio, and tarragon. “It’s very in the spirit of that Alpine part of northern Italy, where you have a lot of ragu based on game like rabbit, and really rich, egg-based pastas like pappardelle that are made by hand,” he says.
From there, don’t miss the potato latkes, one of the few items that have always been on the menu. The beef cheek croquettes, made with roasted mushroom, bone marrow, saba, and herbs, have also “made their way into the staple category,” Sussman says.
If you’re into wine, go on a Tuesday night.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Table, Donkey and Stick’s wine list veers Alpine, too. The selection is dominated by bottles from northern Italy, Austria, Germany, and eastern France. Every Tuesday, Sussman uncorks a few special bottles to serve by the glass at what he calls “a very approachable price.” If a bottle is more expensive, Sussman will offer half pours to make sure more people can afford a taste.
This tradition, called Terroir Tuesday, has been going on for 10 years. That equates to more than 500 tastings, Sussman said. A certified sommelier, Sussman teases what bottles he’ll be opening on the restaurant’s Instagram. (Recent favorites included three Grand Cru rieslings from Gustave Lorentz and Zind-Humbrecht, but there’s always something interesting in the mix.) The restaurant also stocks a selection of fruit brandies and liqueurs, which are prominent in Alpine tradition.
Speaking of drinks, don’t miss happy hour.
The restaurant hosts happy hour at the bar every day from 5 to 7 p.m., offering cheese and charcuterie boards, and rotating beer and cocktails at a discount. Worth special mention is the burger, which the Chicago Tribune named as the best in the city in 2019 (though Sussman notes has been tweaked since then). It’s also available on the happy hour menu for $11, versus the usual $17. The current iteration features house-ground beef, smoked cheddar, shallots, pickles, and horseradish aioli on a brioche bun.
The restaurant’s name refers to an old Brothers Grimm tale.
In the story, three brothers apprentice for a carpenter, a miller, and a woodturner. The carpenter pays the first brother with a table that magically sets itself with fine food and wine. The miller gives the second brother a magical donkey that spits gold. The wood turner gives the third brother a stick that magically clobbers wrongdoers.
After an innkeeper robs the first and second brothers, the third brother uses his magical stick to beat the innkeeper until he returns the table and donkey. Sussman says he loves the image of an enchanted table that sets itself with a rustic feast. The donkey — which can not only spit gold but also produce it from its rear end — is an ironic figure in the low-margin restaurant world.
When the weather allows, sit on the patio tucked away in the back.
There are a few tables in front of the restaurant along the Armitage Avenue sidewalk. Those are lovely places to people-watch on a warm evening. But for a more serene al fresco option, walk through the restaurant’s bar and atrium and out onto its courtyard.The vibe there is simply European, with tables nestled under trees and the sound of Armitage traffic a distant memory.
Sometimes, when it’s not quite warm enough for patio season but Chicagoans are itching to eat outside, Sussman lights a fire in the middle of the courtyard and throws a fire pit party. At these, he often collaborates with neighboring restaurants on more laid-back fare (one recent soirée included special sandwiches made by nearby Lardon, which also makes its own charcuterie).
“There aren’t that many hidden backyards in Chicago,” Sussman says. “From the moment you see the restaurant, it all feels like this hidden spot, and the patio is an extension of that. Something that’s unexpected on the block, a pleasant surprise.”
Ally Marotti is an award-winning journalist covering food and restaurants. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, and other publications. Follow Resy for more great stories.
