A former Chicago chef with designs on fresh-made hotdogs, craft beer and other “gourmet street foods” is planning to open what will be the second full-service restaurant in the fast-emerging Gateway Quarter.

The eatery, to be called Senate, is targeted for early to mid-October at 1212 Vine St., across from the Quarter’s only restaurant, Lavomatic. Senate will be operated by Chicago native Daniel Wright, formerly of Souk and Blackbird restaurants, and his wife, Lana, who will run the front of the house.

The 60-seat Senate (with a patio for 15 to 20) is described by Wright as casual with high-end food, the kind of place where an epicurean event can be experienced in jeans and a T-shirt. Menu items will include the house-made hot dogs, bacon-wrapped oysters, Guinness-braised veal cheek and crushed pretzel silver dollar pancakes (for dessert). The couple plans on an expansive list of craft beers, including St-Ambroise of Montreal.

“I don’t want to put anything on the menu that I would not want to eat,” Wright said over coffee with his wife. “I don’t expect people to eat here five days a week, but at least there’s variety to eat here five days a week.”

Or five nights. Senate will be serving until at least 1 a.m. on weekends, and the kitchen will stay open until 11 p.m. weeknights. Menu prices will range from $4 to $20.

The Wrights met at Souk, a Middle eastern eatery, six years ago when Lana Wright moved to Chicago from Cincinnati and took a job running the front of the restaurant. They returned to Cincinnati about two years ago – she works at the Palace, and he has worked for various chefs including Jean-Robert de Cavel. They married in May and signed a lease on the Vine Street property in June. They expect to employ 10 to 12.

The Gateway Quarter, a retail and residential district north of Central Parkway, counts about 15 retail tenants, said Kathleen Norris, who handles leasing in the district and is director of Brandt Urban Retail. Norris is in negotiations to lease the space adjoining Senate to a restaurant user and said several office tenants are in the process of moving in. “Before the first of the year, I expect to have more than 20 businesses open,” she said.

Among the office tenants are Web site design firm Vine Street Interactive; Cooknee, a kitchen and bathroom designer; and Creative Housing Resources Ltd., a developer of affordable housing. Creative Housing Resources, to open in the Gateway One building, is operated by architect Roger Robinson and Bren Blaine, former CEO of Tender Mercies. Blaine said location was the selling point.

“It’s close to a lot of the housing going on in Cincinnati,” he said. “And we both live within a block or two of it. I love being close to work.”