1 / 10 NEXT Hope you speak Thai. It’s about to become Chicago’s first language. 953 W. Fulton Market; 312-226-0858. PLUS: Jeff Ruby's thoughts on the new menu » | Penny Pollack on why Ruby's wrong »Photograph: Penny Pollack 2 / 10 PERENNIAL VIRANT Any city snob who whined about hiking out to the burbs for Paul Virant’s cooking: Here you go. 1800 N. Lincoln Ave.; 312-981-7070. Read our review »Photograph: Penny Pollack 3 / 10 ROOTS HANDMADE PIZZA Pizza, hot dogs, beer. Outdoor seating. Say, do you think Roots will be packed all summer? 1924 W. Chicago Ave.; 773-645-4949Photograph: Courtesy of Roots Handmade Pizza 4 / 10 GT FISH & OYSTER In this locavore moment, how did oysters get to be the hottest food in the grid? 531 N. Wells St.; 312-929-3501. Read our review »Photograph: Anna Knott 5 / 10 THE BURGER PHILOSOPHY This Edgewater revelation is like a Five Guys that went to grad school. 1541 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.; 773-944-0373Photograph: Courtesy of The Burger Philosophy 6 / 10 FISH BAR There’s no crisp pork belly, no pulled pork, and no anything wrapped in prosciutto. Apparently, you can have a hit without pork. 2956 N. Sheffield Ave.; 773-687-8177Photograph: Courtesy of Fish Bar 7 / 10 RUSTIC HOUSE Leave it to Jason Paskewitz to muscle in between Alinea and Charlie Trotter’s—with highfalutin rotisserie, no less. 1967 N. Halsted St.; 312-929-3227. Brows pics of the halibut, gnocchi, and other dishes from Rustic House in our photo-blog, What Penny Eats »Photograph: Courtesy of Rustic House 8 / 10 BITE CAFE There’s no better music venue/restaurant combination right now than Bite and the adjoining Empty Bottle. 1039 N. Western Ave.; 773-395-2483. Bite Cafe is our pick for our favorite new BYO in the Best of Chicago 2011 list. See other winners in dining here »Photograph: Anna Knott 9 / 10 PAZZI DI PIZZA Proving once again that Neapolitan pizza made in an imported wood-burning oven by a pizzaiolo is America’s food. 105 S. York St., Elmhurst; 630-279-2323Photograph: Courtesy of Pazzi di Pizza 10 / 10 THE BEDFORD Striking space, gorgeous crowd. If only the menu held the same allure. 1612 W. Division St.; 773-235-8800. Read about nightlife writer Amalie Drury's night out at The Bedford »Photograph: Anna Knott The Hot List: 10 places everyone's talking about and dining at in August—in order of heat Chicago’s most-buzzed-about restaurants this month By Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby August 1, 2011, 8:57 am Click thumbnails to launch gallery.