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Chicago restaurants
The abiding cliché regarding dining in Chicago—that it is the quintessential meat-and-potatoes town—should have been laid to rest more than a decade ago. While there are still plenty of sirloins to go around, an especially innovative generation of chefs has earned Chicago a reputation for risk-taking, high-flying food. In 1988, Charlie Trotter got things rolling with his New American cuisine. He's since been followed by chefs such as Homaro Cantu and Grant Achatz, who consistently turn out taste bud–stimulating, chemistry-lab creations—with ambitious prices to match. You'll find most of these designer kitchens clustered around the Gold Coast, River North, and the Loop. The other noteworthy trend in Chicago restaurants involves luxe renditions of global cuisine, especially at theatrical Michigan Avenue and River North dining rooms. Rick Bayless's sister kitchens, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, have turned Chicagoans on to upscale Latin dishes, while Shanghai Terrace at the Peninsula finds a coherent seam in pan-Asian food.
Of course, there's also a wealth of cheap eats and soulful ethnic restaurants. Head to Bucktown or Wicker Park for intimate cafés, Andersonville for heartland Scandinavian food, or Devon Street for a surplus of authentic Indian restaurants. And don't leave the city without chowing down on a supremely meaty hot dog from the Wiener's Circle.
The neighborhood surrounding it continues to gentrify, but Paul Kahan's Mediterranean-inspired restaurant remains refreshingly simple. The service is friendly...more
While the more formal Spiaggia is one of the restaurants that helped turn the Gold Coast into an haute buffet line, its Trumpified dining room (all soaring...more
Celebrity chef and local hero Charlie Trotter's shrine to "New American" cooking is still the hottest dining ticket in Chicago. Foodies from all over gladly...more
Local favorite Shawn McClain is known for tinkering with tradition. His Spring adds a subtle Asian accent to seafood, and the homely vegetable won a glamorous...more
Celebrity chef David Burke's Primehouse (part of the James Hotel) is a playful and more sophisticated interpretation of the classic steak house formula....more
Locals and tourists line up for gourmet Mexican fare at these lively River North twins (Topolobampo's the upscale one). Rick and Deann Bayless have been wowing...more
When Stephanie Izard won season four of Top Chef, the victory was a tribute to her faultless sense of style as well as seamless cooking. Both skills pay off,...more
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