Since opening just shy of three years ago, The Mothership has quickly established itself as bar that does things its own way. The Bay View establishment that’s known for its unconventional and ambitious craft cocktails, its unmatched affinity for Hamm’s and Campari, and its bold social media presence will soon be adding an on-site food truck to its arsenal.
The Mothership’s owner Ricky Ramirez says he plans to launch Gavilán this spring. The forthcoming food truck, which is named after a Central American bird of prey as a tribute to Ramirez’s Guatemalan-born father, will unofficially start serving during a weekend-long Boone & Crockett pop-up that starts Friday, March 18 and runs through the afternoon of Sunday, March 20. Assuming the permit and licensing process goes as anticipated, Gavilán could fly a few miles south to settle into a permanent home outside The Mothership as early as April.
The idea to expand into dining came about when Foxfire food truck closed last fall. Foxfire, who made specialty deli sandwiches for The Mothership to sell during its first few months in business, sold their truck to Ramirez and Gavilán was born.
“We wanted to have a kitchen here, but we can’t invest fully into changing the building,” Ramirez says. “The truck just made the most sense.”
While the truck itself will be a familiar sight to some, the menu will be completely different than what Foxfire offered. There will be no chicken sandwiches. Instead, Gavilán chef Ryan Hoffman (who some might know as part of former Crossroads Collective tenant Mina Aperitivo) plans to offer eccentric takes on an eclectic blend of street foods and South Side bar cuisine.
“We’re just doing what I like to call, ‘whatever the fuck we feel like doing,'” Ramirez says.
Early menu items include “Spuds” (smashed and fried potatoes with “whatever sauce [they] feel like”), a chopped cheese sandwich, a breakfast sandwich, Spam fried rice, a “Lamb Dip” sandwich with birria-style consommé, and Mushroom & Artichoke Parm.
“I’m trying to treat the food side of it like how the bar is, where we have our Hamm’s—which is the affordable thing you come in and drink—or a $12 cocktail,” Ramirez says. “We’re trying to tie the food in with what we offer in the bar.”
Once it’s officially opened, Gavilán will be parked outside The Mothership on either Lincoln Ave. or Logan Ave. before eventually taking permanent residence on the bar’s Lincoln Avenue-facing patio. Ramirez says the truck will be serving food during business hours Wednesday through Sunday at initially, but will hopefully be open every day the bar is open before too long.
“It’s going to be fucking awesome,” Ramirez says. “It’s going to be cool for the city to have a food option that has the voice that The Mothership has.”
Get ready for some tasty treats to pair with your Hamm’s mini pitcher at The Mothership soon. Until then, you can give Gavilán a try during its Boone & Crockett pop-up March 18-20.
