Lula Cafe

Spring salad with wild watercress Photos: Jeff Marini If one were to judge a restaurant by how gracefully it grows, Lula would have four stars. What began in 1999 as a modest, friendly café on a gritty block in an even grittier part of town has evolved into something much bigger: a symbol. Not just … Read more

Spiaggia

Agnolotti with ramps and Calabrian chile Photos: Jeff Marini Ah, Spiaggia. Is any restaurant in Chicago more irritatingly perfect? Tony Mantuano’s Italian bastion holds fast on the corner of Chicago’s two poshest streets, enjoying annual James Beard love, boasting a Top Chef winner in the kitchen (executive chef Joe Flamm), and benefiting from the deep … Read more

Topolobampo

Peaches in Cream Photo: Anna Knott Rick Bayless made his first impression in 1987 with Frontera Grill, and it was a great one, introducing Chicagoans to previously unfamiliar Mexican flavors and culinary history. But it’s his follow-up, Topolobampo, that opened our eyes and palates to the then-radical notion of Mexican food as haute cuisine.   … Read more