When did Oriole become Chicago’s best fine-dining restaurant? Has it been so ever since chef-owner Noah Sandoval and his then-wife, Cara, opened it 10 years ago, channeling the punk energy of Schwa, where Sandoval cut his teeth, into something elegant? Did it emerge by default as others got too set, too niche, too vainglorious? I’d argue it happened in 2020 when Sandoval blew open the one-room restaurant into the dynamic space it occupies today. He may not have invented the notion of taking patrons on a physical journey through a restaurant, but he does it better than anyone else. A bite and a nonalcoholic tipple at the bar make a fine welcome before you stroll to the kitchen counter to meet the cooks and enjoy foie gras mousse on a crunchy pouf of sugared brioche toast. Then you’re at your table, where you’ll eat dishes like a startling bite of lobster with raspberry and rose or rare venison with morels and canelés. New chef de cuisine Colin McHugh and executive sous chef Evelyn Aloupas have reinvigorated a menu that had grown a bit too familiar. The meal ends just as high: Rosemary ice with lemon and olive is a flavor you won’t forget. 

Price: $$$$$
Address: 661 W. Walnut St.
Website: oriolechicago.com