The handcrafted pastas at the Italian Village’s newly rejuvenated spot rotate constantly, but chef Emily Phillips’s playful deftness with subtle flavors remains a constant. Witness the ingredients in her rigatoni dish: At first glance you can’t tell the sautéed figs from the morels, but the former accentuates the braised pulled duck meat with sweetness, and … Read more
Nothing is as it seems on Yugen’s ultraluxe tasting menu. Instead of presenting the standard umami-heavy Japanese egg custard, chef Mari Katsumura offers an uni-infused fantasia that serves as a base for a velvety Hudson Valley foie gras ganache, Santa Barbara uni tongues, fried kombu, and apple chips. Smoked foie gras fat — yes, that … Read more
The next time you’re ready to commit to securing a spot in that interminable queue at Brendan Sodikoff’s moodily lit diner, resist the urge to order the burger that everyone else is eating and turn your attention instead to the fried bologna sandwich. At this point, just about anyone in town can make a great, … Read more
Many a Chicagoan first discovered culinary bliss inside one of the ceramic crocks that contain this mainstay on the neo-Mediterranean spot’s menu since the place opened in 2003. This is our city’s touchstone small plate: four medjool dates, stuffed to bursting with smoky chorizo and just barely held together by a bacon belt, swimming in … Read more
The 12-year-old father-son operation specializes in one thing: birria, the fragrant Jaliscan goat-meat stew. It’s not as if they really need to do much else, considering how intoxicating their take on it is: Organic goat meat (butchered in-house by the Zaragozas themselves) is steam-cooked, marinated in a deep, multilayered mole until it practically collapses, and … Read more
Like so many other brilliant ideas, this one started as a scribble on a napkin. From there, chef-partner Brian Ahern’s brainchild grew into a three-day procession of seasoning, searing, braising, and deep-frying in beef fat — and it ended up a Chicago-by-wayof- the-bayou classic. The beignets make a compelling case that every doughnut would be … Read more
At first glance, Boka’s restrained beef tartare looks stingy, as if chef Lee Wolen is holding out on you. Not so. It doesn’t take much to experience the power and finesse of this small plate, made with uniformly diced dry-aged beef and showered with just enough tendrils of cured, shaved egg yolk and carrots to … Read more
Picture it: Sitting on the hood of your car in Calumet Fisheries’ gravel parking lot, the sun peeking through the clouds, a Styrofoam container of goldenbrown fried shrimp in your lap. It’s a simple Chicago pleasure, all shattering batter and juicy shellfish, meant to be eaten outside. In short — the most iconic of summertime … Read more
These heroic carnitas run the gamut from soft and juicy to crunchy and caramelized, and it’s that textural balance — equal parts puffy chicharrón, chewy skin, and shreddy pulled pork — that sets apart Don Pedro’s version of the classic Mexican street food. The richness of it all — amplified by onions, cilantro, salsa, and … Read more
Three years ago, we crowned this creation by Jennifer Jones Enyart the city’s best piece of cake, and we continue to stand by that claim. The James Beard Award–nominated pastry chef creates tender layers that give off a buttery sheen, but the magic lies in her sour-cream-laced frosting, which strikes the elusive sweetbitter balance. It’s … Read more
