Since Joey and Brenna Beato took over Community Tavern, the Portage Park restaurant has expanded its menu away from its origins as a neighborhood steakhouse. But, fortunately, the neighborhood aspect remains. The bar program is robust, and kids under 12 eat free on certain days. The menu defies cohesion, which isn’t a bad thing: There’s a section of Asian-style dumplings, including one stuffed with mushroom butter. A white prawn carbonara is as much Thai as Italian, and the bibimbap can be supercharged with skirt steak, in a nod to the old steakhouse.

With two smokers to prep meaty St. Louis-style and baby back ribs, tender brisket, and apple-and-oak-smoked pulled pork, this destination in the Northwest Side neighborhood of Irving Park delivers barbecue in the styles of Kansas City and Memphis. During the pandemic, owner Barry Sorkin expanded takeout and outdoor dining options, including a patio in the former parking lot.

Want to find a great burger and delicious pizza topped with the freshest veggies of the season? Superkhana International isn’t what diners expect. The restaurant’s backbone is Indian cooking, and diners will detect the familiar spices that make subcontinental cuisine unique. But this isn’t Tata’s Indian American restaurant. The pork vindaloo is sublime, almost a deconstructed version of the dish. The brunch might be the best in town with appam, the Indian griddle cakes, spiked with fresh produce such as spring peas. It’s a classic veggie option that can be brokered toward carnivores by adding bacon. The Hakka noodles are fresh — the best version of the Indian Chinese classic Chicagoans will be able to find. The chefs at Superkhana are just finding their groove. The novelties remain — butter chicken calzones are glorious. But the restaurant offers much more than shock and awe. Indian food is about more than heat.

Few chefs share the talent and drive that Diana Dávila exhibits while showcasing a dazzling display of small Mexican dishes in Logan Square. Dávila isn’t shy about taking risks; she isn’t pandering to the typical American diner. This isn’t a place to fill up on chips and salsa with a pitcher of margaritas; Dávila left her previous job after owners tried to force those expectations on her. That’s not to say the guacamole, steak burrito, and fried oyster tacos aren’t stellar. But customers should dive into unique items like peanut butter lengua and tlacoyo de nopalitos, the latter of which represents Dávila’s passion for pre-Hispanic Mexico.

Chef and owner Jason Hammel continues to keep the community at the forefront of operations at Lula Cafe, which has, since 1999, endeared itself to many in Logan Square as a welcoming space for new American cuisine. This is an all-day cafe with fresh-baked pastries and a stellar breakfast burrito. At night, the wine list goes deep to accompany dishes like roast chicken, beet bruschetta, and summer squash with Santa Rosa plums, Tropea onions, and basil. Find a seat at the bar and enjoy oysters and snacks like chicken liver mousse. Also, Hammel has just published a cookbook.

It’s hard for Chicago hot dog stands to differentiate themselves, as most of them use the same product: dependable Vienna Beef. But Redhot Ranch has managed. First, the stand uses sausage with natural casings. This provides the dogs with a unique bite, snappier than the Oscar Mayers that many Americans grew up eating. The stand also serves Depression dogs, the Chicago variant that comes with french fries in the bun. The griddle burgers are also of note. There are few meals as satisfying late at night. Redhot Ranch has locations in Lakeview and Bucktown, and 35th Street Red Hots, near Sox Park in Bridgeport, is from the same owners and has an identical menu.

Hermosa may look similar to a neighborhood hot dog or beef stand that many Chicagoans grew up with, but chef and owner Ethan Lim, who had a stint as a server at Alinea Group’s Next Restaurant and the Aviary, uses his culinary talent to take Chicago classics to the next evolutionary level, incorporating Asian flavors to create a Cambodian fried chicken sandwich and an Italian beef banh mi. But for those who want a composed meal rather than a fast-casual sandwich, Lim also offers a popular “Family Meal,” essentially a chance to buy out the entire room for dinner. The chef is a one-man show, loading the table up with delicious pan-Asian plates (noodles, Cambodian beef dishes) meant to be shared.

Chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas’s fine dining institution is one of two Chicago restaurants with a full three-star rating from Michelin. Inside the luxurious Lincoln Park dining room, expect a sensory overload. Achatz uses heavily scented citrus, smoke, and other smells to provide diners with a theatrical experience: Servers present dishes as though they were works of art. As dinner for two can run close to $1,000 with wine pairings, Alinea is the restaurant that appears most frequently on Chicagoans’ bucket lists.

Although 2020 was a challenging time to open a restaurant, the pandemic couldn’t stop the husband-and-wife team of Tim Flores and Genie Kwon. Kasama was one of the year’s true bright spots, and one of Eater’s 11 Best New Restaurants in America for 2021. Kwon handles the amazing pastries, like an eclair-shaped croissant topped with Serrano ham or salmon, while Flores prepares Filipino dishes for breakfast and brunch, including spins on lumpia and rice plates with tocino (roasted char siu-like pork) and longganisa (sausage). Kasama broke real ground when it introduced a fine dining dinner menu, one of the few Filipino tasting menus in the country, which immediately became one of the hottest tickets in town. The pair won a James Beard Award in 2023 for best chef: Great Lakes.

Rick Bayless is the Oklahoma-born chef who obsessed over Mexican cuisine, appearing on TV and creating his own grocery-food empire, and his restaurants still remain landmarks in River North for their inventiveness. His flagship, Frontera, which opened in 1987, provides a more casual dining experience, while sibling Topolobampo, which opened two years later, was one of the first restaurants in the U.S. to present Mexican food in a fine dining atmosphere. Bar Sótano is the baby of the group, a basement tavern that serves as an experimental space with pop-ups and creative cocktails. Bayless’s name often prompts emotional responses when it comes to discussion about cultural appropriation, but there’s no question that he’s raised appreciation for Mexican food in America. (Fast-casual Xoco, which has been spun out into the Tortazo chain, is in the same building).

Joe Flamm and his partners went big in Fulton Market, opening a meticulously designed restaurant that’s become a destination for out of towners who know Flamm from his Top Chef win. But Rose Mary, described as “Adriatic drinking food,” writes a love letter to locals with European notes by fusing Italian, Croatian, and Midwestern sensibilities. The pastas would be at home at Spiaggia, one of the best Italian restaurants in Chicago before it closed, and where Flamm cut his teeth. The ribs have a sticky sauce that breeds a familiarity to those who grew up on both the Southwest or Northwest sides. They serve cevapi, a Balkan-style sausage. The octopus, cooked over a wood grill, is perfect. There’s a great energy in the restaurant which also offers a seasonal tasting table over the warmer months. Reservations are a must for the latter.

Chicagoans have few choices for upscale Indian food downtown. Rooh’s 2019 arrival is noteworthy not only because it fills that void, but because it also gives the West Loop some sorely needed variety. Patrons will be more than impressed with familiar classics such as butter chicken, but jackfruit kofta, scallops dusted with gunpowder pepper, and achari monkfish offer a better taste of modern Indian cooking.

The first restaurant from former Top Chef and Spiaggia chef Sarah Grueneberg has quickly cemented itself as one of Chicago’s top Italian destinations. The pastas are the stars at this West Loop hot spot, and customers can see cooks hard at work behind the counter rolling out dough and creating the delectable noodles they will soon consume. The restaurant’s pandemic takeout menu remains, but the dining room offers lively options like whole-bird chicken parm. There’s also a notable gluten-free menu.

HaiSous in Pilsen is a remarkable comeback story for Thai and Danielle Dang after they survived financial fraud at their previous restaurant, Embeya. Now they’re free to focus on food and hospitality. Thai Dang, a native of Vietnam, uses a number of techniques from back home, including claypot cooking, to create a menu that’s as ambitious as it is unpretentious with dishes like grilled wild boar with lemongrass. Danielle Dang’s expertise with cocktails should be better-recognized, as she pairs drinks to complement her husband’s two tasting menus. Customers can also order a la carte.

Chicago’s Mexican community and food enthusiasts worldwide flock to this longtime family-owned counter-service institution in Pilsen that celebrates all parts of the pig. Order carnitas by the pound at the front counter and settle into a table — if one is available — to craft your own individual tacos with a mix of salsas, tortillas, and beans, or order tacos, soup, and cactus salad ready-made. Prepare for lines and waits during peak weekend hours.

Chicago has many food halls, but none offer the same type of experience as 88 Marketplace, the Chinese grocer in East Pilsen. The grocery store stocks tons of ingredients not readily available at chain supermarkets. That alone makes it a destination, but the second-floor food court offers wonders, headlined by 312 Fish Market, a sit-down restaurant with one of the most creative sushi menus in town at affordable prices. Find dumplings and other delights from A Place in Northeast, barbecue duck, and more from BBQ King 88. On the first floor, there’s Holu Steakhouse, where diners can find rare, pricey, and delectable cuts of beef along with top-notch cocktails. No stuffy River North steakhouse can compare. Then find Qiao Lin Hotpot, possibly the best hot pot in Chicago. Finally, get something sweet at Pure Tea. It took a while for 88 Marketplace to get going, but it’s now chugging on all cylinders.

Feeling the quesabirria mania? Head to the Southwest Side near Midway International Airport for goat that isn’t labeled as the latest food trend. There’s a simple menu packed with deep flavors here. The handmade tortillas and accouterments form the foundation of a signature Chicago meal. This family-run restaurant is takeout-only. Get there early, as it often closes by early evening A second location recently opened in Uptown near Broadway and Lawrence.

Chicago restaurant veteran Erick Williams has finally launched the restaurant he’s been dreaming of opening. Williams is intent on smashing all expectations for Southern food, and hopes to give diners a new perspective on Black cuisine. If customers want lighter fare, there are dishes like cauliflower with cashew dukkah and root cellar vegetables. For richer appetites, the beef short ribs with creamed spinach and crushed potatoes satisfy. Williams won the James Beard Award in 2022 for Best Chef: Great Lakes. One of Eater’s Best New Restaurants in 2019, Virtue has claimed its place as an iconic Chicago eatery. As Williams takes a step back to manage other restaurants, he’s trusted Virtue to protege Damarr Brown. All Brown did in 2023 was win the James Beard Award for emerging chef.

Chicago’s legendary aquarium-style smokers are on display at Lem’s, underneath a giant lighted sign off 75th Street. This small shack specializes in sauced baby back ribs and giant hot links. Chicago is credited with creating the practice of serving rib tips slathered with sauce, and this is the place to give newbies an introduction.

It’s hard to break the hold of habit and branding, as seen every weekend with tourists crowding into Chicago’s fine downtown deep-dish establishments, waiting hours to be fed. For those not interested in those pomp and circumstances there’s Milly’s Pizza in the Pan in Uptown. Milly’s began during the pandemic in a Humboldt Park ghost kitchen but recently moved to a permanent location on the North Side — with an obscene delivery zone. Robert Maleski is a one-man operation, churning out artisanal pies with quality ingredients and that “burnt” ring of caramelized cheese around the edges. While deep dish is polarizing, Maleski’s methods restore that magic of eating it for the first time. Even the most stubborn hater will find love for Milly’s. A second location is soon opening in suburban Berwyn.

Obelix tells one of the purest Chicago stories. The restaurant is run by a pair of brothers, French Americans who watched their parents run some of the city’s most successful French restaurants in town (Le Bouchon, La Sardine). With Obelix, Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey have taken the lessons their dear parents have bestowed and added their perspective as city dwellers: find massive seafood towers, a taco with foie gras, and a decadent beef Wellington. The traditional French staples (gooey French onion soup) remain. But this bistro has a comfortable and modern feel, blending several culinary traditions to create a true French Chicago restaurant, a unique experience for any Francophile.

One of Chicago’s most thrilling dining experiences comes from secret Edgewater locale. Don Young retains the title of “youngest chef to preside over a Michelin-starred kitchen” as he worked at West Town’s Temporis when the restaurant earned the honor. He’s puttered around town, most recently at Venteux, before creating his own endeavor. Duck Sel, yes a pun the mushroom, is a fine dining pop-up that allows the chef to demonstrate his mastery of many techniques with his trademark playfulness. It’s a throwback to the type of underground pop-ups that launched the careers of many, and it’s ideal for a special night out. Tickets go onsite bi-monthly. Young says he’s content with the pop-up but would eventually like to open his own restaurant.

There are a lot of steakhouses in Chicago, catering to what Midwesterners are supposed to love. Meat and potatoes are fine, but most steakhouses offer the same offerings and ambiance, catering to the expense account crowd. Boeufhaus is the antidote to that pablum. The menu is tight, but the quality is abundant. Customers will find three to four steaks a day (most are dry-aged, while the New York strip is wet-aged). The wine list stars and matches the dry-aged funk of the meat. Cured seafood, vivacious veggie side dishes, and killer cocktails with welcoming service are all hallmarks. There’s no sous vide meat here and it’s not a cheap meal by any stretch, but unlike most of the downtown steakhouses, customers won’t leave here bloated and bored. The food and service set a new mark for a neighborhood restaurant. The downtown landmarks are great, but Boeufhaus is for a more sophisticated guest, not just the bros who are paying off a bet with a steak dinner.

Restaurants can relocate for a variety of reasons. The objective for chef Joe Frillman and his team at Daisies was boalstering their mission of celebrating midwestern comfort foods, a genre that includes fresh-made pasta, creative preparation of vegetables, and esoteric items like French onion dip with fresh-fried potato chips. Since moving into a larger space, Daisies has been packed for dinner. During the day, the spacious dining room might be the best place to work from home with plenty of outlets, strong coffee, and an avalanche of pastries from ace baker Leigh Omilinsky. Omilinsky is also a partner in the operation and the genius behind the can’t-miss desserts, right down to the gelato. Lunch service has also returned including a decadent cheesesteak. Some restaurants are spread too thin and don’t really excel in one category. But Daisies has kept its team intact, for the most part (they’ve been overly transparent with their service fees, using it for good, not evil), and that allows them to actually be really good at more than one thing. It’s a family-friendly all-day restaurant with a fun wine list. One of the city’s most unique spots and worth leaving Downtown Chicago to visit.

John and Karen Shields have brought their vision to life in Chicago, pushing fine dining boundaries delivering an extravagant tasting menu. The techniques, ingredients, and service are all top notch, and they are one of a handful of restaurants that have attained a full three-star rating from the Michelin Guide. Developing close relationships with purveyors all of the Midwest, the Smyth dishes out creativity in one of Chicago’s most expensive meals.

Reboots are cliched in the restaurant world, but Lilac Tiger in Wicker Park isn’t a reboot, it represents a rebirth. The front was the casual space where Zubair Mohaijir found a home for his wandering pop-up Wazwan which specialized in sandwiches and Desi American food (South Asian burgers, fried chicken sandwiches). Mohajir bought his investors out, secured a liquor license, and partnered with a few new folks to relaunch the space as a casual restaurant with mean cocktails. The food is a melange of South Indian Muslim food, something that doesn’t get much recognition in America. You’ll find wonderful bar bites like beef nihari momos, chicken nuggets, and spicy burgers. Take special note of the Chettinad Masala, which comes with a choice of chicken, mushroom, or paneer. The mushroom version is the best rice dish in Chicago — a comforting mouthful of perfectly spiced masala, tender mushroom, and basmati rice. The back area is home to the Coach House, Mohajir’s reservation-only tasting menu restaurant where he shows off his large ambition, whether that’s ancient duck recipes or melding Mexican and Indian flavors.

Esme won’t be for everyone. Jenner Tomaska and his wife Katrina Bravo have transformed a corner Lincoln Park space into a gallery where they can showcase local visual artists on a rotating basis. And the commitment extends to the tasting menu which often incorporates the artist either through the plating or another esoteric manner. There’s playfulness for this special occasion spot, which aims to show that working-class Chicago can feel comfortable in an upscale scenario full of sauce dots. A recent menu includes dover sole, unusually presented as a rack akin to lamb. But the elegance remained. Tomaska is a Chicago native and Alinea Group. The lineage is apparent, but the chef is keen on giving customers more than just an onslaught of course. He wants to trick them into actually taking away something extra with their meals. 

The Duck Inn is the ultimate neighborhood restaurant, a family-friendly place that Bridgeport locals could regularly visit — to nosh on Italian beef and duck fat-infused hot dogs while drinking a cold brew. But with special dishes like rotisserie duck, the restaurant also caters to special occasions thanks to chef Kevin Hickey’s fine dining edge. The cocktail and wine list is not just great in general, but it’s also one of the best to find a good drink on the South Side and that scarcity makes the restaurant even more remarkable.