Edition: Dining in Chicago
Dining: Top Chicago Restaurants
Author: Jody Robbins
Chicago's vibrant dining scene the way our team of concierges see it. Chicago restaurants are profiled for their best features.
Take your pick; Chicago's scene is nothing if not diverse. At three meals a day, you'd need 10 days to eat through all these places. That's why we have brunch.
DECOR
The sophisticated, award-winning design at avec leaves the from-the-heart cuisine of chef Koren Grieveson as the focus here; the communal seating situation only enhances the experience. On the other end of the spectrum, Tru offers up a pricey array of fine art from Warhol to the geometric work of Peter Halley. Italian fine dining is on the menu at Vivere; experience it in the whimsical concept, one of three at the Italian Village.
PIZZA
The home of deep dish pizza in Chicago, Pizzeria Uno is still dishing it up with lines out the door. A sentimental favorite for many Chicagoans, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria uses fresh ingredients on top of a slightly granular, buttery crust. For traditional pizza straight out of Italy, try A Mano.
DISTINCTLY CHICAGO
Here, we start with Chicago-style pizza at Giordano's. Expect a pizza pie stuffed with cheese and toppings, then topped with tomato sauce--it's the Chicago way. Or, try Pizano's Pizza & Pasta, where owner Rudy Malnati, Jr., makes "all kinds of pizza." For one of the city's vaunted Italian beef sandwiches, Al's #1 Italian Beef is a must-hit. Get your sandwich dry (no juice) or wet (juice) and enjoy a Chicago staple.
STEAK
For a modern steakhouse experience, try either Custom House or David Burke's Primehouse. The former is the product of top chef Shawn McClain (also of Spring and Green Zebra), and offers intricately sourced, organic meats; the latter comes from New York City chef David Burke, with his black angus steaks brought directly from the farm in Kentucky that Burke purchased specifically to supply his steaks. Since it's baseball time in Chicago, consider getting your steak thing on at Harry Caray's, a restaurant founded by the legendary Chicago announcer of the same name.
CLASSIC
Gene & Georgetti sets the standard for Italian-style steakhouses in Chicago since 1941. Long a prime spot for closing deals, politicians and businessmen still make this their home away from home. Also exhibiting a strong dose of old-school Chicago is the Chicago Chop House, where a bevy of historic photos accompanies the prime-grade steaks and chops served here. Holding the Cajun food standard aloft in Chicago for more than 25 years, Heaven on Seven brings a piece of the Big Easy to Chicago.
VIEW
At the Signature Room at the 95th, set atop the John Hancock Center, dine and watch the city doing its thing far below. French fine-dining is the draw at Everest, where chef Jean Joho presides nightly over the kitchen, the dining room and one of the best views in the city. For a view much closer to the ground, visit North Pond. Set in an idyllic spot in Lincoln Park, this arts and crafts-decorated restaurant sits away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
ETHNIC CUISINE
Tried and true, Rainforest Cafe serves up jungle-themed menu items (and scenery) that have been culled from a variety of global cuisines. Bistro 110 lays out French comfort food in a relaxed setting; have dessert here, or head across the street to Hershey's Chicago and stock up on sweets for the next decade. The Hard Rock Cafe also has enough energy to keep kids interested, but this is one for adults, as well.
NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT
Chicago Cubs fans who visit Wrigleyville regularly know where to stop for good pizza and all things sports: Red Ivy. In the South Loop neighborhood, locals are all about Grace O'Malley's, an upscale Irish pub. Expect the Irish basics like shepherd's pie and a top-notch beer selection. In Old Town, neighborhood eaters like Orso's, a no-frills Italian spot with live piano music most nights.
NEWCOMER
Take a trip up to the sixteenth floor of the Trump International Hotel & Tower for a look at the lavishly decorated dining room at Sixteen and the grounded, yet imaginative, food produced by chef Frank Brunacci. Last, but not least, Takashi is the newly opened flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Takashi Yagihashi. Expect French-Asian fare that's clean, simple and pleasing to the palate in every way.
Avec
615 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661
A James Beard Award-winning design mixes with flavorful food and a well-conceived wine list is the deal at Avec.
Tru
676 N. St. Clair St, Chicago, IL 60611
Long ranked one of the most elite restaurants in Chicago, Tru hosts a serious art collection that plays into what's going on with the menu of chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand.
Vivere
71 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603
Whimsical and elegant, this highly-acclaimed fine-dining restaurant sits in the Italian Village dining complex and is a top example of a high-end Chicago restaurant.
Italian Village
71 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603
One of Chicago's oldest and most venerated restaurants, Italian Village has been doing it right for more than 80 years.
Pizzeria Uno
29 East Ohio, Chicago, IL 60611
Pizzeria Uno's founder Ike Sewell is credited as the inventor of deep-dish pizza. Definately a must visit.
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
1 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193
This Chicago-based family-owned chain features Chicago-style deep-dish and thin-crust pizza, plus soups, salads, pastas and sandwiches.
A Mano
335 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60610
Rustic Italian is on the menu at A Mano, brought to you by the folks behind Bin 36. Menu items include house-made pastas and pizzas, with an emphasis on organic ingredients.
Giordano's
1800 S. Elmhurst Rd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Two brothers hailing from a town near Torino, Italy opened the first Giordano's outpost in 1974, and now the delicious stuffed pizza is available at over 35 locations in Illinois and Florida.
Pizano's Pizza and Pasta
864 N. State St, Chicago, IL 60610
Pizano's is a relative newcomer to the Chicago pizza scene--they opened in 1991--the Malnati family has been involved with the pizza business since 1943.
Custom House
500 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60605
Custom House, led by Shawn McClain, named Best Chef Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2006, focuses on offering the finest artisanal meats and fresh, seasonal ingredients. Unlike most classic steak houses, Custom House allows carnivores to savor their meat raw, cured, marinated, braised, roasted and slow-cooked.
Harry Caray's
10233 W. Higgins Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018
This is the suburban outpost of the popular Chicago eatery, which is named after Chicago's beloved baseball announcer, Harry Caray.
Gene & Georgetti
500 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Chicago's oldest steakhouse dating back to 1941, this is a classic, Italian-style steakhouse.
Chicago Chop House
60 W. Ontario St., Chicago, IL 60610
This steak house is located in a restored Brownstone with multiple levels of dining and a variety of energy levels.
Heaven on Seven
600 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
If you like spice, Heaven on Seven’s Cajun and Creole menu will flatter your taste buds. Heaven on Seven is the closest you can get to Louisiana home cooking without actually traveling.
Signature Room at the 95th Floor
875 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Sitting high above street-level, the Signature Room in the John Hancock building offers a breathtaking view of the city and a warm ambiance to match. Serving a high-class dining experience, from Sunday brunch to evening cocktails, the Signature Room puts the Magnificent in the Mile!
Everest
440 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60605
Exquisite wine and cuisine accompany the breathtaking view of the city at Everest. (Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc. Restaurant)
North Pond
2610 N. Cannon Dr., Chicago, IL 60614
The Arts and Crafts-style restaurant, which is located in a former warming house on a pond in Lincoln Park, has stellar views of the park, and the interior features a fireplace and all-season glass enclosed seating (glass doors open in the summer months).
Brazzaz
539 N. Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610
Servers at this River North Brazilian steakhouse carve some 16 varieties of meat tableside.
Elephant & Castle
160 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611
At this English pub in Chicago, expect a mix of traditional English pub fare and American menu items are served here; English-style breakfast is also a draw.
India House
59 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60610
The extensive menu features both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices, with many items roasted in the tandoor oven. Indian House offers a daily fixed price lunch buffet.
Rainforest Cafe
605 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60610
Kids love this restaurant. The menu contains a mish-mash of fusion fare, but the real attraction to this scene is the tropical fauna and animals feigning life through mechanistic motions.
Bistro 110
110 E. Pearson Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Hard Rock Cafe
63 W. Ontario St., Chicago, IL 60610
The casual American menu offers choices like the legendary burgers, baby back ribs and blackened chicken pasta, plus lighter fare like salads and sandwiches.
Grace O'Malley's
1416 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
This South Loop restaurant and bar is named after the legendary Irish chieftain and pirate, and the decor features loads of dark wood with touches of Ireland. The menu offers choices like fish and chips, shepherd's pie and Irish blue cheese-crusted pork loin, plus lighter fare like burgers, salads and sandwiches.
Sixteen
401 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Located on the16th floor of Chicago's new Trump International Hotel & Tower, Sixteen offers gorgeous city views and the modern American Cuisine of Chef Frank Brunacci.
Takashi
1952 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Takashi, owned by nationally acclaimed chef Takashi Yagihash, serves upscale French-American with Japanese influences in an intimate setting.
ZED451
3008 Finley Rd., Downers Grove, IL 60515
Upscale steakhouse that is contemporary and internationally-inspired.
John Hancock Observatory
875 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
See Chicago from the top of the John Hancock Center in the heart of downtown. The John Hancock Observatory offers Chicago views at their finest and their new Cafe Espression by Lavazza is one of the most high altitude coffee purveyors in the world.
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