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Chicago is without a doubt one of North America's great dining destinations, and every year, dozens of new restaurants debut in the Windy City. Haven't been to Chicago since last year's NRA Show? Here are a few of our favorites that have opened in the last 12 months.
Opened: January, 2016
Rich Melman and the other creative minds at legendary multi-concept company Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises just opened a new little sushi spot, Naoki Sushi. Naoki Sushi is actually located within the LEYE culinary lab concept, Intro, at The Belden-Stratford apartments and hotel in the city’s desirable Lincoln Park neighborhood. Led by Naoki Nakashima, LEYE’s long-time sushi chef, Naoki Sushi promises a playful mix of contemporary and classic Japanese items and sushi in a laid-back setting. “I want to make sure our guests have fun, feel relaxed and enjoy great ingredients,” says Nakashima. The menu showcases traditional nigiri and sashimi as well as other sushi items that are more composed and include additional flourishes and ingredients. Japanese main plates, cocktails and sake round out the menu.
Opened: February, 2016
It’s been 14 years since Chicago family-owned multi-concept operator Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants Group opened a new restaurant. Gina Stefani, daughter of the group’s namesake, rejoined the family business two years ago and has just debuted her first project, MAD Social, in the city’s West Loop neighborhood. Executive chef Mariela Bolaños (most recently sous chef at DineAmic Group’s Bar Siena) created what Stefani describes as a globally influenced, New American menu. Small plates dominate the menu, and just about everything, large plates included, menus for less than $20. The cross-cultural compositions include items like Duck Confit Tacos with sriracha aioli, tangy cucumbers and napa cabbage; and Ropa Vieja braised beef tenderloin with crisp plantains, sun-dried tomatoes, hollandaise and cherry pepper relish. The 1900s warehouse-inspired dining room and bar seat 85.
Opened: July 2015
At the top of the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is Cindy's, featuring an open-air terrace with panoramic views of Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago and Lake Michigan. It’s open from brunch until late night and features a menu that favors seafood. The airy, relaxed space was a finalist in this year’s James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant Design awards.
Opened: October 2015
Healthy meets delicious at Beatrix with a seasonal menu inspired by dishes made in the test kitchens of Chicago powerhouse multiconcept operator Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. The menu offers classic dishes with a healthful twist, focusing on craveable items. Signature dishes include Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs, Chili & Chocolate Glazed Salmon, and the favorite Oh My! Caramel Pie. Additionally, Beatrix offers a selection of freshly made pastries and cookies daily.
Opened: March 2016
A tiny but mighty addition to Chicago’s fine dining scene, the 28-seat Oriole offers an extended format tasting menu from executive chef Noah Sandoval and pastry chef Genie Kwon. At $175 a head (with drink pairings running from $75-$125), menus aren’t revealed until the guests’ arrival. You’ll be in good hands, however. Sandoval’s resume includes heading up the kitchen of the (now-closed) Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant Senza, and Kwon won a Jean Banchet award (the veritable Oscars of the Chicago food scene) for her work with Boka Restaurant Group’s GT Fish and Oyster. A recent tasting lineup included Osetra Caviar with egg yolk gelato, aquavit and hazelnut; Steelhead Trout with smoked roe, artichokes and marjoram; Rye Capellini with yeast butter, black truffle and tangerine lace; Lamb Belly with pine nuts, pear and sauternes; Gianduja Palette with bananas, lemon and goat yogurt; and Chicory Custard with whiskey, cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla. The reserved space, featuring brick walls, exposed beams and white tablecloths, lets the food do the talking.
Opened: November 2015
Sarah Grueneberg, chef and partner at Chicago’s Monteverde, is one of several chefs who rose through the ranks to become executive chef of the city’s landmark restaurant, Spiaggia. Under her direction, Spiaggia was awarded a Michelin star for three consecutive years. Grueneberg will no doubt rack up accolades at Monteverde as well. Her upscale Italian cuisine reflects her world travels, and the result is cooking that is both traditional and modern. Grueneberg’s house-made pastas range from the traditional (such as hearty Ragu Alla Napoletana with fusilli, cacciatore sausage, soppressata meatballs and pork shank) to the modern (a wok-fried Arrabbiata linguine with shrimp). A rustic interior captures the atmosphere of an Italian home.
Opened: March 2016
Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden, principal owners of 16”On Center (the group behind Chicago’s Longman & Eagle, Dusek’s, Thalia Hall, The Promontory, Punch House, Beauty Bar and others), just opened two adjoining spaces in the city’s Fulton Market neighborhood. St. Lou’s Assembly is a cheeky “meat and three” cafeteria-style joint headed up by seven-time Michelin-starred chef Jared Wentworth. Diners grab a tray and work their way down the line, selecting offerings like like Meatloaf Wellington; Old Bay Crusted Catfish; and Roast Duck with Lavender Glaze. Sides include Green Bean Casserole; Mac and Cheese with butter cracker crust; and Carrots and Beets with brown butter granola. Rotating daily specials include Fried Chicken with black pepper gravy; Lobster Thermidor with cognac sauce; and Veal Milanese with brown butter capers. But Finkelman and Golden didn’t stop there. Next door they opened…
Opened: March 2016
The no-frills Moneygun is “a bar-goers bar,” complete with neon lights and old-school circular booths. It’s headed up by partners Will Duncan (Punch House), Dustin Drankiewicz (Tack Room & The Promontory, Jean Banchet, and a “Best Mixologist in Chicago” finalist) and Justin Anderson (La Sirena Clandestina). Throwback favorites include a Pink Squirrel, Bee’s Knees, Jack Rose and Side Car. “Bar food,” by Wentworth (he’s usually next door at Saint Lou’s), has never been better: Foie Gras Grand Slam with candied bacon powder and maple braised apples; and buffalo frog legs with aerated blue cheese (a wink at chicken wings).
Opened: November 2015
Eating on the go in Chicago just hit a new level of awesome. BomboBar, the dessert shop component of the multilevel, recently opened Bar Siena in the city’s South Loop, just opened a fast-casual walk-up window serving coffee, gelato, bomboloni (donuts) and other Italian treats by day. When the green light goes late night Friday and Saturday, BomboBar serves up midnight snacks like the BomboBurger (bomboloni stuffed with a juicy beef patty, braised onions, sharp American cheese and garlic aioli); and crispy truffle potato skins with a lemon garlic dipping sauce. Bar Siena’s executive chef Fabio Viviani and DineAmic pastry chef Amy Arnold oversee BomboBar. DineAmic is the company behind other successful Chicago restaurants such as Siena Tavern and Prime & Provisions.
Opened: May 2015
We like restaurants that are refined but not too fancy-pants. Wood tabletops instead of tablecloths, please. More importantly, we’re eager to try Dolce Italian's modern Italian dishes from executive chef Paolo Dorigato, fresh off his win on Bravo's Best New Restaurant.
Opened: July 2015
Chicago multi-concept operator Dineamic Group (Prime & Provisions, Bull & Bear, BomboBar) has launched its seventh venue, Bar Siena, in the city’s West Loop neighborhood. The concept is a big, (8,000-square-foot), hip spinoff of the group’s successful Siena Tavern. Both restaurants were inspired by a quaint Italian bar (La Taverna, Siena) that struck the fancy of the guys at Dineamic. There’s star power in the kitchen. Top Chef fan favorite and Bar Siena/Siena Tavern partner Fabio Viviani (whose legendary 12-oz. Siena Tavern Meatball has its own Twitter account) is overseeing the from-scratch Italian menu along with Bar Siena’s executive chef Jeremy Tannehill (formerly of the group’s Public House). Fresh pastas and Italian street foods highlight the menu. A cicchetti (small plates) menu includes stracchino cheese fritters and grilled octopus served over peppers and charred escarole with a chili vinaigrette. Pastas include sweet corn ravioli; and agnolotti stuffed with burrata. On our way out, we'll be stopping off at Bar Siena’s doughnut bar, which has its own street entrance. where you can get gelato and Lavazzo coffee, too.
Opened: January 2016
Mike Sheerin (Lutèce, Atlas, Jean-Georges, WD-50, Blackbird), a Food & Wine “Best New Chef,” is the latest upscale player to experiment in the fast casual realm. He just opened Packed: Dumplings Reimagined with business partner Aaron DiMaria in the city’s tony Hyde Park neighborhood. The light and laid-back 50-seat shop switches up the traditional dumpling paradigm with savory and sweet takes on the classic street food. The “Packed” dumplings rotate monthly and include varieties such as Pastrami. It has pumpernickel, beer-braised onion, pickled green tomatoes and violet mustard. The Butternut is a squash dumpling with sage, lady apples, a curry wrapper and balsamic caramel. A “ladeled” section of the menu features dumpling soups such as the Posole with braised pork shoulder, pasilla peppers and hominy.
Opened: March 2016
One of the latest concepts from the multiconcept gurus at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises is Il Porcellino, a “rustic everyday trattoria” in Chicago’s River North neighborhood that “pays respect to the great Italian home cooks around the world,” according to chef/partner Doug Psaltis. A largely organic and locally-sourced menu includes items such as housemade pastas, vegetable antipasti, focaccia pizzas and the signature Il Porcellino with heritage Berkshire pork and wild Umbrian cicerchia beans. A Food & Wine “most influential bartender” Julian Cox offers creative takes on classic cocktails, and the Italian-driven wine program features small producers and encourages sharing with different sizes of bottlings.
Opened: March 2016
Chicago’s Greektown has a fresh addition with Aviva, a more modern, market-driven concept than its conventional neighbors. The name is Hebrew for “springtime,” and the seasonal menu features items from across the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, France, Greece, North Africa and the Middle East). The menu is the work of consulting chef Alan Lake, who has worked as a hired gun for dozens of restaurants including Pensiero in Chicago and Etre in Palm Beach, FL. Offerings include Avocado Bombe stuffed with crab, shrimp, scallops, tarragon and lemon zest; and Pan-fried Branzino with Israeli couscous, saffron tomato broth and herb salad. The clean midcentury space subtly pulls in design elements from Greece, Italy and Morocco.
Reopened: July 2015
In 2014, Tony Mantuano closed his well-known Spiaggia for four months to complete a massive redesign, and last summer, he also revamped his more casual Café Spiaggia. The menu and décor are all know. Sleek marble, futuristic light fixtures and lighter walls bring the space more in line with upscale Spiaggia next door. To go along with the physical transformation, Café Spiaggia’s menu also has a new look, as do the wine list and dessert choices.
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