Two restaurants.One belief.
Everyone deserves a seat at the table — at Porter Cullens in Evergreen Park, and at Ila's Chicago in River North.
The Owner / Kirtan Gandhi
A pub, a path, and a plate.
When I first walked into Porter Cullens, I didn't see a business. I saw a gathering place. For years, this pub had been where neighbors celebrated birthdays, watched the game, caught up after work, and shared stories over a pint. When the opportunity to become its next steward came along in 2023, I knew one thing immediately: my job wasn't to reinvent Porter Cullens. It was to honor what generations of Evergreen Park residents already loved while making it even better.
My own path here wasn't typical.
Before hospitality, I spent sixteen years as a management consultant, helping organizations solve complex business problems. It was rewarding work, but what I enjoyed most was never the spreadsheets or presentations—it was the people. Building relationships. Listening. Creating experiences that mattered. Those same values are what ultimately brought me to this industry.
Growing up on Chicago's South Side in an Indian family, I was surrounded by cultures that believed the table was more than a place to eat. It was where people connected. The warmth of Irish hospitality always resonated with me for the very same reason. Different traditions, shared values: generosity, conversation, and making everyone feel like they belong.
That philosophy shapes every decision we make. We prepare our food fresh because quality matters. We invest in our team because hospitality starts with people. We continue serving the Irish classics our guests have loved for years while adding thoughtful new dishes that reflect who we are today. Every improvement we make has one purpose: to create a place you'll want to return to again and again.
In 2025, I opened a second restaurant, Ila's, named after my mother. While the cuisine is completely different, the mission is exactly the same. Whether you're visiting Porter Cullens or Ila's, I want you to leave feeling like you were genuinely cared for. Because at the end of the day, restaurants aren't just about food.
They're about people. They're about community. They're about creating memories around a table.
This isn't my place, it's our place.
Two restaurants. One belief: everyone deserves a seat at the table
Kirtan Gandhi · Owner, Porter Cullens
Kirtan & Ila
Kirtan & Ila
Outside the pub · family at the door
Porter Cullens, after dark
Evergreen Park · The corner he calls home
Behind the bar
The Irish classics · poured since day one
By the numbers / 04
The Namesake
Ila — mother to Kirtan, inspiration to Ila's.
River North · Opened Sept 2025
Ila's Chicago.
Butter Chicken Empanadas. Birria Lamb Pierogies. The same warmth, twelve miles north.
Named after my mother, Ila, who immigrated from India to Chicago, Ila's is a celebration of global comfort food rooted in the same hospitality that defines Porter Cullens. Different cuisine. Same commitment to fresh ingredients, genuine service, and bringing people together.
Two restaurants. Two neighborhoods. One philosophy.