"The compact menu’s modest, minimalist descriptions don’t do justice to the food, but better to be surprised on the plate than on the page."
Try the squid-ink gnocchi in carrot broth from our 100 Best list: Chef Giuseppe Tentori is first and foremost an Italian & where he really shines is with pastas such as this rich yet delicate gnocchi.
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. Read more.
A Road trip must: This "classic yet modern pub" that sports kobe meatballs with creamy polenta and parsley pesto. Bonus: A 6 bedroom inn for when the food coma sets in. Read more.
Brick walls, Edison bulbs hung by knotted rope, pops of color and upholstery in Pendleton-esque plaid combine for design that evokes a sophisto-casual feel while keeping the focus on the food. Read more.
Pastas, all but one less than $20, make great shared plates and are substantial enough to work as a main course. Read more.
Try the goat-cheese tortalacci from our 100 Best list: These pockets of delicate tortalacci are like tiny, edible presents to everyone lucky enough to get their hands on them.
The miso-marinated lamb ribs are completely unsharable, and so craveable that you should probably order two per person and resign yourself to be seen shamelessly sucking on the bone. Read more.
Every dish (sliced flat iron steak with kimchi; pork loin paired with candied peanuts) is at home in the renovated space, which transformed the cramped bar into an expansive, light-filled room.
This steakhouse’s mac and cheese is a thing of beauty. The pasta is bathed in a blend of Gruyere, comte, mascarpone and raclette cheeses, with a little bechamel sauce for good measure. Read more.
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. Read more.
What do you get when you pair owners of Small Bar and the former chef from Mirai? A magical little sushi spot in West Town that delivers incredible flavors in its surprise platings. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
The neighborhood gem offers chef-driven comfort foods. The brunch fare includes brioche French toast and, predictably, duck confit hash. Read more.
Chosen as one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in America in our annual restaurant issue!
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. Read more.
Veggie forward = 80% vegetarian but you won't miss the meat (I'm an omnivore). Get the veggie burger, it tastes like in-and-out animal style
"the chef gives rein to his Middle Eastern inclinations, from complex spreads with soft bread to fried halloumi with sweet and spicy accents – and a rotisserie chicken so popular it’s available to go"
Chef Enyart serves some of the most inventive Mexican food in town at this spot. Drop by the boisterous bar for a quick bite and a cocktail, while the main room is a serene spot for a long meal. Read more.
The cozy bar behind the dining room is a perfect spot for a tête-à-tête over charcuterie and wine. Read more.
This brunch from celeb chef Rick Bayless is not to be missed—too bad it’s served only on Saturdays. Be sure to check out the huevos “Fronterizos” with sausage and biscuits. Read more.
This subterranean tapas restaurant with only a handful of seats fills its signature iteration with potatoes, speck and manchego cheese. Their specialty though is seafood. Read more.
Desserts tend to be fun and quite sweet; I'm thinking specifically of the old-fashioned cake doughnut, with applejack caramel and spiced-cider sorbet. Read more.
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. Read more.
Housemade lard biscuits come topped with poached eggs and a distinctive cured-and smoked-in-house ham, simmered in Kilgus Farmstead cream and cut into thick slices. Read more.
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. Read more.
This casual, affordable restaurant is perfect for the neighborhood, and her pastas (traditional and creative) are joyful and delicious. Read more.
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. Read more.
Went for Restaurant Week. Arugula salad was light & refreshing. Baked oysters & shrimp were perfect starters! Salmon & 10 oz brick layer ribeye had amazing flavors in their own right - must try's!!
Sure it's tough to get in, but Stephanie Izard's hamachi crudo with crisp pork belly; pappardelle with goat, pork and veal sugo; and intricate veggie dishes make it worth the wait. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.
Learn where your food comes from at this farm-to-table restaurant, and enjoy the daily-changing menu while gazing at the "rural" scenery - it's located in a park that serves as oasis for the city.
Executive chef and partner Charles Welch (Sepia) offers his take on local flavors, with an emphasis on rotisserie cooking, such as chermoula marinated swordfish with spring vegetable panzanella. Read more.
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. Read more.
Bill Addison: "Arroz gordo, a specialty of Macanese home cooks and Fat Rice's namesake dish, forever dispels the notion that fusion cuisine began with wasabi mashed potatoes and its horrific ilk." Read more.
The pan-roasted wild salmon is perfectly crisp fish, subtly sauced, with simple but hardly bland vegetable partners such as buttery melted leeks and celery that coax out more flavor. Read more.
In a city of summits, Chef Joho elevates the flavors of his native Alsace with stunning success at this art deco jewel box. - Inspector
From gougere to salmon to leeks, here's a peek at Chef David Beran’s work-in-progress hors d’oeuvres selection. Read more.
Food critics (and President Obama) will argue it's the best Italian restaurant in the country. Order any of the pasta dishes—they're all amazing.
With three cuts of beef, two types of cheese and a bottomless reserve of umami, it’s clear this burger has been obsessed over by chef Ryan McCaskey http://tmoutchi.us/YmTIHi Read more.
After several engaging variations on austere ingredients, the emotional payoff for a generous plate of meat was enormous. I attacked thick, rosy slices of lamb leg like a famished lion. Read more.
The Boka revamp is now open with acclaimed chef Lee Wolen launching a completely new menu. A new buildout, 180 degrees from the prior look, adds to the more approachable vibe. Read more.
Tim Fahy’s known for nuanced, offbeat desserts: Under ice cream you’ll find pickled raisins, or maybe a crunchy pile of streusel; ganache is at times made just with chocolate other times, with Ovaltin Read more.
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. Read more.
This is already one of Chicago's best Japanese restaurants, with grilled and hot food items that are top-notch. Much of the fish, some of which is being shipped overnight from Japan, is impeccable. Read more.
Topolobampo’s acclaimed burger, available only at lunchtime, is a house-ground rib eye and short-rib patty on an artisan bun, topped with chorizo, melted cheddar, and roasted poblanos. Read more.
4 of 4 stars. "So good, the $400 one spends for dinner here (based on the $185 tasting menu, wine pairing, tax and tip; your mileage may vary) seems like a sensible investment." -- Phil Vettel
Alinea has just been heralded as the best restaurant in North America and the seventh best in the world by the highly influential S. Pellegrino list, perhaps it's time to revisit this gem. Read more.
