Desserts are divine, particularly the cloud-light Grand Marnier or chocolate soufflé. Tuesday’s three-course $27.50 prix fixe allows a choice of any item on the menu. Read more.
We opt for a flaky, cheese-stuffed pastry called burek and grilled sausage links known as cevapcici. Read more.
Try the Naem khao thawt from our 100 Best list: Northern specialties like this crispy rice salad with ham, are a textbook example of Thai food’s ability to hit sweet, sour, salty & spicy all at once.
Ganji’s massive miche is crusty and cakey; his cranberry-walnut loaf makes the world’s best toast. The best part of this great bread? We hear PQM also sells some meats to go with it. Read more.
Chorizo joins barbecue lamb, and rabbit confit is paired with marcona-almond emulsion. When a dish (shrimp and grits) disappoints, it’s not because it’s bad but it can’t hold up to competing dishes. Read more.
Try seasonal creations like candied Buddha hand citrus with cheesecake custard and lemon sherbet or go for the chocolate peanut-butter terrine with banana meringue, bacon and curried peanut brittle. Read more.
Tuesdays: "Thief's choice" $4 glass of wine (one red selection, one white). Nibble on light appetizers like a charcuterie made by North Star American Bistro. Perfect after-work spot.
Buy nails from the bartender for 25 cents each and challenge your friends to a friendly game of Hammerschlagen!
Try the grilled green tea–washed mackerel pike from our 100 Best list: Chef-owner Kee Chan’s underappreciated ode to grilled seafood & modern Japanese small plates are insanely good, expertly grilled.
Thought you'd want to know: Flirty Cupcakes has been nominated for Best Dessert Truck in Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Eat Out Awards. Vote now! Read more.
We found a brunch cocktail we always hoped existed but never thought we’d find, La Bastarda, which the bar describes as the bastard child of a mimosa, Bloody Mary, bellini and margarita. Imagine that. Read more.
Voted one of our Best new Restaurants for 2011. Classic arancine, a delightful salumi formaggi plate, and dead-on spaghetti with tuna ragù. Affogato with a shot of espresso is a perfecto finish.
Thought you’d want to know: Due Lire has been nominated for Best New Italian in Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Eat Out Awards. Vote now! Read more.
Hit up this trendy restaurant when you want Greek munchies like the Florina peppers (two roasted red peppers stuffed with creamy feta), loukaniko (a pork-lamb sausage) and huge gyro platters. Read more.
Thought you’d want to know: Dirk Flanigan has been nominated for Chef of the Year in Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Eat Out Awards and Billy Lawless has been nominated for Restaurateur of the Year. Vote now! Read more.
New York's Tippling Bros. make a smash with cocktails on tap at Ryan Poli's Spanish spot. Read more.
The bar's boob-tube ban "draws your attention to the aesthetics of the place," manager Jen Templeton says. In this case, that means a room full of warm midcentury woodwork and smartly dressed drinkers Read more.
Few ingredients are needed for a housemade phyllo filled with ramps and flanked by feta or a bowl of fava beans tossed with preserved lamb, but solid execution and superb seasoning yields max flavor. Read more.
Try the Swiss chard tortelloni from our 100 Best list: These chard-stuffed pasta pockets aren’t currently on the menu. But we strongly encourage you to start a petition to bring them back.
This European export has a full menu of food. Frittaten soup is offered daily, and the roasted lamb is served with toothsome spaetzle. At the end of the meal, a slice of opera cake is a necessity. Read more.
Thought you'd want to know: Matthew Eversman has been nominated for Breakout Chef of the Year in Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Eat Out Awards. Vote now! Read more.
Try the Rocket Sauce from our 100 Best list: It’s the most refreshing iced tea known to sticky summer days, boosted with ginger syrup and fresh lime juice.
While a steam-simmered (not boiled) hot dog is preferred among connoisseurs of the Chicago-style dog, grilling is also an acceptable cooking method. Read more.
Head to the 5th Floor for a view of the Tiffany Favrile glass ceiling, which was installed in 1907, and contains over 1.6 million pieces of glass.
This spot is putting pounds on the pub scene, with drinks like a St. Germain Champagne cocktail and U.K. classics like fish-and-chips. The Newcastle-battered cod is crispy, the fried egg BLT heavy. Read more.
