Mott St. 1401 N. Ashland Ave. 773-687-9977 Contemporary $30 to $40 Chef-partner: Edward Kim Dining Guide listing Edward Kim’s adventurous ode to a night market somewhere between Bangkok and Seoul—and follow-up to Ruxbin, his beloved BYO down the street—wins the award for this year’s most idiosyncratic opening. Crab brain fried rice? Kimchi empanadas … Read more
The Winchester 1001 N. Winchester Ave. 773-698-8703 American $25 to $35 Chef: Greg Bastien Dining Guide listing Website Former Sepia general manager Chris Pappas and the Dawson designer Dan Sheehy teamed up to create possibly the best neighborhood spot in the city: perky room, sweet staff, ridiculously inexpensive, open all day. And Greg … Read more
Travelle The Langham, 330 N. Wabash Ave. 312-923-7705 Mediterranean $50 to $60 Chef: Tim Graham Dining Guide listing Website And so, hotel dining. Not the trending newbies accessible through a street-level revolving door, but bona fide Hotel Restaurants that require an elevator to whisk you upstairs, where a gracious host awaits. Such is … Read more
The Radler 2375 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-276-0270 German $20 to $30 Chef-partner: Nathan Sears Dining Guide listing Website Gone are the days of German cuisine as a target of “wurst”-related jokes. In 2013, Deutschland scored more restaurants in the Michelin Guide than any country outside of France. So when Vie veterans Nathan Sears … Read more
Chop Shop 2033 W. North Ave. 773 537-4440 American $35 to $45 Dining Guide listing Website Joshua Marrelli A restaurant that doubles as a craft beer bar, triples as a gourmet butcher shop, and quadruples as a party and music space? This evokes images of couples canoodling over oysters and pints of Lagunitas … Read more
Baffo 44 E. Grand Ave. 312-521-8701 Italian $60 to $70 Chef: Eli Anderson Dining Guide listing Website If Eataly, with its clogged aisles of giddy tourists, is Disneyland for food fans, then Baffo, the 65-seat white-tableclothed pasteria downstairs, is the refined counterpart that Euro Disney was meant to be. You’re in for laid-back … Read more
A10 1462 E. 53rd St. 773-288-1010 Italian/French $30 to $40 Chef-owner: Matthias Merges Dining Guide listing Website Matthias Merges (Yusho, Billy Sunday), Charlie Trotter’s right-hand man for 14 years, opened A10 on November 5, the same day his mentor died. In doing so, he simultaneously paid tribute to Trotter and stepped outside the … Read more
Stella Barra Pizzeria 1954 N. Halsted St. 773-634-4101 Pizza $20 to $30 Dining Guide listing Website Jeff Mahin Jeff Mahin, the Lettuce Entertain You chef who practically perfected the doughnut at Do-Rite, works similar magic on crust at this sleek artisanal pizza parlor, a sibling of the two in Southern California. He and … Read more
Beatrix Aloft, 519 N. Clark St. 312-284-1377 American $35 to $45 Chef-partners: John Chiakulas, Rita Dever, Susan Weaver Dining Guide listing Website The current line on Lettuce Entertain You is that the restaurant group has recaptured the hip reputation it once enjoyed. Most attribute the renaissance to the offspring of its chairman, Rich … Read more
Five more to watch for
