Luxurious dining at its finest; chef Curtis Duffy is a master of precision and refinement, and his multicourse meals (one flora, one fauna) progress so naturally it’s like having a conversation. Mehr erfahren.
Topolobampo and chef Rick Bayless deserve kudos not only for raising the bar on Mexican cuisine, but also for refusing to rest on their considerable laurels. Mehr erfahren.
As good as the sushi is here, chef Mark Hellyar’s prepared plates, including rich and bold sukiyaki, terrific robata-grill snacks and the signature Momotaro tartare are what will blow your mind. Mehr erfahren.
Whether one opts for the a la carte menu or the monthly tasting (10 or so courses for about $125), the experience will be superb. Mehr erfahren.
The focus belongs on Sandoval's simple-looking but complex plates, and the way each course segues seamlessly to the next. An extraordinary dining experience, and a remarkable debut. Mehr erfahren.
Iliana Regan, the Queen of the Forest Floor, turns her frequent foraging trips into masterful menu progressions. Mehr erfahren.
The flagship restaurant in the Boka Restaurant Group combines Lee Wolen's approachable yet astonishing savory dishes with Meg Galus' imaginative and delicious pastries. Mehr erfahren.
Too often overlooked for its less-than-picturesque exterior and South Loop location, Ryan McCaskey’s restaurant is a four-year-old gem that can hold its own with just about any restaurant in town. Mehr erfahren.
It’s customary for guests at four-star restaurants to relinquish control of the evening to the chef, but Carrie Nahabedian much prefers to engage her guests in the process from the very beginning. Mehr erfahren.
The restaurant offers tasting menus ($95 and $160), but a la carte selections, available in the lounge, will give you a sense of the experience. Mehr erfahren.
Glorious city views and bronze Soldini sculptures (one per table) still aren’t as eye-catching as some of Joho’s plates. One of Chicago’s treasures. Mehr erfahren.
Rick Bayless' newest effort focuses on Mexico's Baja California Norte, a region whose cuisine is largely seafood based, with a reliance on open-fire cooking. Mehr erfahren.
A messy, brash, noisy and primal restaurant where an open hearth fuels most of the cooking and plate presentation only occasionally catches chef Andrew Brochu's attention. Mehr erfahren.
Inventiveness, affordable and fun converge in Avondale, where chef-couple Johnny Clark and Beverly Kim combine Asian ingredients and contemporary cooking into food that is uniquely their own. Mehr erfahren.
The best restaurant to open in 2015 is this Lincoln Park gem, chef Jason Paskewitz' unapologetic homage to classic French cuisine, abetted by a smoothly professional service staff. Mehr erfahren.
It’s noisy. It’s crowded. You sit with strangers, contemplating the unfamiliar, while servers gently guide you through Abraham Conlon’s lively, Macau-inspired dishes. Mehr erfahren.
This beautiful, middle-of-Lincoln-Park oasis has such a superb location and so cool an interior, I sometimes forget how good Bruce Sherman’s food is. Mehr erfahren.
[Stephanie Izard's] deftly balanced flavors are wonderful to behold, but her true genius is the way she can get customers to try unusual foods, and love them. Mehr erfahren.
This Andersonville restaurant would be worth putting on this list for its fried chicken alone, but Big Jones has so much more going on. Mehr erfahren.
Chicago's theme-changing restaurant is now in the hands of the under-30 Jenner Tomaska, who replaces LA-bound Dave Beran (for whom Tomaska was sous-chef). Mehr erfahren.
This casual, affordable restaurant is perfect for the neighborhood, and her pastas (traditional and creative) are joyful and delicious. Mehr erfahren.
What started as a one-night pop-up dinner became Stephanie Izard’s third restaurant as part of the Boka Group, where Chinese flavors and techniques are reverently, if not strictly, employed. Mehr erfahren.
2015 was the year of the chef-driven steakhouse, and this Market District gem, featuring chef Chris Pandel and pastry chef Meg Galus, is one of the prime examples. Mehr erfahren.
Chef Erling Wu-Bower’s menu is rustic Italian, which doesn’t prevent him from using Hawaiian madai or Dungeness crab as the market permits. Mehr erfahren.
Rick Bayless took Chicago’s enchiladas-and-tacos Mexican dining scene and showed us a better way, one that celebrated regional authenticity and sustainably and ethically raised ingredients. Mehr erfahren.
I don't think there's anything that chef Martial Noguier doesn't do well. Noguier started his career as a pastry chef, so don’t skip that course. Mehr erfahren.
Andrew Zimmerman is barely a blip on the celebrity-chef radar, perhaps, but he’s a familiar name where it counts: in the industry. Mehr erfahren.
With a plate of boquerones (cured white anchovies on grilled bread) and a glass of txakolina in hand, you might think you feel sand between your toes. Mehr erfahren.
Chef/owner Phillip Foss will go so far as to instruct diners to lick their plates clean (I did this once), but it’s all about breaking down walls and making seriously creative food fun to eat. Mehr erfahren.
For a city with no seashore, Chicago is a hell of an oyster town, and there's no better place to find them than at Giuseppe Tentori's spiffy nautical getaway in River North. Mehr erfahren.
I went with Salero because the cooking is more ambitious, the Spanish menu (“Midwest inspired by Spain” is how Aubin puts it) is more of the moment, and I love the space. Mehr erfahren.
I love everything about this Hyde Park restaurant. I love the architecturally interesting space, the smart and down-to-earth service and the creative French-Italian menu. Mehr erfahren.
Head for the purple awning, set back from Michigan Avenue, for a delirious assortment of protein-rich, Mediterranean small plates from James Beard-award-winning chef Jimmy Bannos, Jr. Mehr erfahren.
Calling Brian Enyart and Jennifer Jones Enyart two Frontera/Topolobampo alumns doesn’t begin to describe the influence and importance they brought to those restaurants. Mehr erfahren.
If your understanding of Czech food is limited to the dumpling palaces of the western burbs, this hip River North spot will be a revelation. Mehr erfahren.
If there’s a better bird than the sized-for-two roasted duck at Kevin Hickey’s Bridgeport hangout (in a former pre-Prohibition tavern), I’ve yet to try it. Mehr erfahren.
This is a steakhouse with a wink and a nudge, offering ironic riffs on steakhouse culture while still providing outstanding food. Mehr erfahren.
This little space for pop-up restaurants at the back of Kinmont is a great place to try food from a wide variety of chefs and pop-ups. Mehr erfahren.
Jared Wentworth has earned a Michelin star here, and his Pilsen restaurant, Dusek's, and either location you'll find full-flavored, unfussy food, serious cocktails and other libations. Mehr erfahren.
Chef/owner Gene Kato is a virtuoso on the robata grill, and that is the laser-like focus (so focused, he doesn't bother with sushi) of his 35-seat restaurant. Mehr erfahren.
Plates are tiny, so you can try multiple dishes; the trick is knowing when to stop. Mehr erfahren.
Run by two couples who worked together at Spiaggia, Autre Monde is one of the jewels of the western burbs. Mehr erfahren.
Few chefs are as nuanced as Michael Taus, whose dishes are models of subtlety and restraint. Mehr erfahren.
A champion of local farm relationships and vegetable-forward cooking well ahead of the curve, Lula Café stays relevant and exciting well into its second decade in Chicago. Mehr erfahren.
Chef Erick Williams’ creative American cuisine never fails to impress, whether you order a la carte or tasting menu — even the simple bar bites menu is thoughtful. Mehr erfahren.
Cameron Grant’s northern-Italian cooking, making great use of regional treasures such as plin pasta and grana padano cheese, is worth a little squeeze. Mehr erfahren.
Steaks are the draw, of course, but chef Doug Psaltis applies a lot of TLC to his other dishes, too. Mehr erfahren.
I love Julia Momose’s bar program, Aaron Lirette’s menu is approachable and delicious, and the vibe, as I’ve said before, is mature and sophisticated. Mehr erfahren.
Stop in for a quick bite off Mark Mendez's small-plates menu (mojama, or salt-cured tuna loin, is a treat), or settle in for several dishes or the paella of the day. Mehr erfahren.
People in the know come here for two things: Peking-style duck and the moist and delicious Mike’s chicken. Mehr erfahren.
