Chicagoans like their steak to err on the side of excess (for proof, see the big ol’ rib eye on page 83). But this dish is proof that there’s beauty in restraint, too: Noah Sandoval presents a two-bite slice (three, if you’re feeling particularly dainty) of exquisitely marbled Japanese beef more or less alone on … Read more
There are only a handful of ingredients in this exceptional French toast. But Somerset’s take elevates each one to its greatest potential, from the thick slices of day-old housemade brioche that spends more than half an hour soaking up egg custard to the seasonal fruit that adorns it. The end result is a brunch delight: … Read more
Turkey sandwiches are so often edible asceticism, a way of atoning for past gustatory sins. But not this one: The B. Franklin takes the oft-dry deli meat and turns it into a vessel for vibrant toppings like pickled Fresno chiles and sprouts, plus a sofrito-flavored aioli and avocado for extra lusciousness. All pleasure, no pain.
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
