Fluke seviche at Province
New
Province
If chefs were geographic points of interest, Randy Zweiban would be the Panama Canal: His new West Loop restaurant, Province, connects North and South America. A former diamond setter, caterer, rock ’n’ roll drummer, and exec chef at Nacional 27, Zweiban specializes in sprightly dishes such as a seviche of sashimi-grade fluke with citrus juices, minced peppers, and grapefruit segments (pictured here; $7). And this time he’s doing it in a completely green venture, from the building materials to the organic wines to the all-natural Gunthorp Farms pork. The Panama Canal took ten years to build and cost thousands of lives. We predict Province’s launch fares slightly better. 161 N. Jefferson St.; 312-669-9900. –Justine Gregory
Budget Beat
Cafecito
You don’t have to be a frugal tourist or a college student to appreciate Cafecito, a chipper new Cuban coffeehouse next door to a hostel and a quick hop from several Loop campuses. You could be a culture vulture looking for a bite before a performance at the Auditorium or Symphony Center (it’s open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) or, frankly, just grateful for a cheap, interesting meal in a spendy neighborhood. Substantial and satisfying pressed sandwiches are the main event: The cubano ($4.99) is piled with marinated roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and sweet pickles; jardin ($5.49) is full of roasted vegetables and mushrooms, mozzarella, fresh arugula, and jalapeño hummus. We also like the choripan ($5.49), with its bold Spanish chorizo, grilled onions, and chimichurri, and the excellent atun ($5.49), tuna and olive salad. Sides ($2.35 for a generous “small”) include hearts of palm with artichokes, roasted red peppers, and eggplant salad. Finally, there’s robust, slightly sweetened Cuban coffee, American coffee and teas, and hot chocolate, any of which goes down easy with a sweet from the pastry case. 26 E. Congress Pkwy.; 312-922-2233. –Joanne Trestrail
Eclectic
Briejo
First off, it’s not “Brie-AY-ho,” nor is there anything remotely Mexican about Briejo, so get that out of your mind. Brigette Lytle’s new 55-seat spot in Oak Park’s arts district is pronounced “Brie-Jo,” and her menu is full of eclectic creations by two veteran chefs, Jody André (Speakeasy) and Katherine August (Tizi Melloul). “The food is very much from their pasts, plus what I have been thinking about,” says Lytle, a market research director. This means dishes such as a crab cake topped with bacon, a fried egg, and truffle-dressed watercress. We’re expecting a hit—assuming Lytle did her research. 211 Harrison St., Oak Park; 708-848-2743. –Jeff Ruby
Café des Architectes
On the Move
Martial Noguier
A native Parisian, Noguier has been at home in Chicago for ten years now—briefly lighting a fire at The Pump Room, then launching One Sixtyblue into three-star territory. His recent surprise move to the Sofitel actually makes perfect sense. “I want to do a real bistro,” says Noguier about Café des Architectes, the hotel’s striking dining room. “Like what’s happening now in Paris.” Look for wild sea bass with baby asparagus, Comté cheese, almond emulsion, and veal jus, with pommes frites ($28). “I am going to try to be a neighborhood restaurant. Nothing ostentatious.” Sounds good to us. Et vous? 20 E. Chestnut St.; 312-324-4000. –Penny Pollack
Photography: (Seviche) courtesy of Province, (Café Des Architectes) Kendall Karmanian