If the name of this restaurant sounds earnest, you’re absolutely right. Chef-owner Erick Williams and his chef de cuisine, Damarr Brown, couldn’t be more purposeful about this Southern heritage restaurant — its menu steeped in tradition while going in new directions, its service built on a culture of hospitality and kindness, and its mission of paying tribute … Read more
Thai Dang (pictured below, far right) is a brilliant culinary translator, a Rosetta Stone of a chef. His Vietnamese cooking manages to be at once absolutely true to its origins and wholly at home in an American bistro setting. With just a few tweaks to presentation, menu description, and ingredients, he finds the universal in … Read more
While the dining room at Shaw’s Crab House is a bit staid, it’s hard to think of a more appealing perch than a barstool at the adjacent Oyster Bar. Energetic and always packed, the room is humming with people drinking martinis or glasses of Chablis and slurping freshly shucked oysters (Shaw’s offers a dozen varieties, … Read more
The better we get to know this restaurant the more we see it for what it is: the city’s best bistro. Ryan Brosseau’s French Canadian cooking suggests the meals you may have had on vacation in Québec City where the bread is impeccable, the homey porcelain plates hold hearty entrées bathed in sauce, and there … Read more
After 21 years, the Boka Group’s flagship seasonal American restaurant has proved its staying power. But even more impressive: It’s never been better. Helmed by Lee Wolen for the past decade, the flavors are dialed in: slow-cooked Icelandic cod with morels, tarragon, and tangles of spring onions tastes like a walk in the fresh April … Read more
You may think of Otto Phan’s side-by-side omakase bars as distinct restaurants; we like to think of them as two sides of the same coin. Maybe that’s because we often dream of the intricately constructed small plates and rare wild fish that make up the menu at Kyoten, but the cost of a meal ($1,000 … Read more
This tiny Cambodian fine-dining BYOB offers one of the greatest and one of the most confounding dining options in Chicago. For years the choice has been between a very good carryout chicken sandwich at lunch, or a tour de force “family meal” at night ($2,600 for up to eight people), when Ethan Eang Lim (pictured) … Read more
Few places in town have the sheer warmth that Elske offers, and it’s a testament to owners David and Anna Posey that they’ve filled their restaurant with not only lovely things, but also people who offer lovely service. Whether you’re sitting at Monica Casillas-Rios’s bar for an herbal martini and a plate of the best … Read more
Even though it’s been around since the fall of 2023, we’re still feeling that new-crush love for this sophisticated fast-casual neighborhood café. At lunch it’s a hard choice between the smoky pulled pork sandwich with assorted herbs and Thai chile vinaigrette and the crispy fried branzino sandwich. For happy hour, there’s no question: The “Chicago … Read more
John Manion’s (pictured) Argentine steakhouse was always great, but it came back from its pandemic closure even better. What changed? The team leaned more into seafood, and the result has been nothing short of a revelation. While the steak is still an anchor of the menu, and we love the steak frites, served with tangy, … Read more
