Top 5 Restaurant Openings: Higher/Middle End Ria Epic Davanti Enoteca Arami Girl and The Goat —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Restaurant Openings: Lower End/Ethnic Franks ‘N’ Dawgs Mac and Min’s Del Seoul Gaztro-Wagon (storefront) M Burger —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Hangover Helpers Op la, Saigon Sisters Pork belly kimchi fries, Del Seoul Sonoran hot dog, Big Star Tempura fried pickles, Lillie’s Q Griddled burger with a side of loaded fries, Edzo’s —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Chefs We’ll Miss (some will be back) Rob and Allison Levitt (formerly Mado) David Carrier (formerly Kith and Kin) Paul Wildermuth (formerly of Opera—RIP) Laurent Gras (formerly L20) Jackie Shen (Red Light) —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Restaurants We’ll Miss Masu Izakaya Gennaro’s May Street Market Aldino’s CND Gyros —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Tacos La Lagartija Shrimp Taco Big Star Taco de Panza (Pork Belly) Del Seoul Spicy BBQ Pork Rockin’ Taco Tofu al Pastor Mercadito Carne —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Desserts Hot Chocolate, banana coffee cake Girl and the Goat, frozen corn nougat Mastro’s, warm butter cake The Florentine, ricotta cheesecake Aldino’s, grapefruit panna cotta —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Higher-End Dishes Confit chicken thighs, Kith and Kin Scallops with blood sausage and tangerine, Sepia Lobster, strawberry sabayon, osetra caviar, Ria Sweet corn fritters, Prairie Fire Grilled beef heart with faro, Mado —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Lower-End/Ethnic Dishes Goat curry (Khasi Ko Maasu), Chicago Curry House Chili Chicken, Delhi 6 Filipino breakfast, Uncle Mike’s Lamb brain (Mughuz masala), Shan Grocery Fish and chips, Big and Little’s —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 “Sandwiches” Moof, Bagel on Damen Root-beer-glazed ham po’boy, Mac and Min’s “Grilled cheese,” Sprout Root-beer-glazed short-rib sliders, Sable Pork shoulder naan-wich, Gaztro-Wagon
Top 5 Drinks Girl and the Goat, Maker’s 46 old fashioned Bar Deville, Sazerac Sable Kitchen and Bar, Drunken Pig Two Brothers/Urthel Moaten, Flemish-style Red Ale Gilt Bar, Queen’s Park Swizzle —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 food-related experiences I assumed would suck, but were really good Dinner at Tabor Hill Winery Jalapeno and honey-tinged wings, Morgan’s on Maxwell Garlic honey chicken wings, Chinese Yum Yum Thai chopped chicken salad, Panera M Burger —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Pastas Wild boar pappardelle, Vivere Sausage rigatoni, Davanti Enoteca Brown butter caramelle, The Florentine Bucatini carbonara, The Florentine Spaghetti carbonara, Kith and Kin —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Soups Ramen, Arami Vegan butternut squash with Granny Smith apples, Bagel on Damen Thai-spiced butternut squash soup, Tabor Hill Red beans and rice soup, Mac and Min’s King crab carrot soup, Macku —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Foods in “Ball” Form Meatballs and grits, Gilt Bar Palak kofta, India House Anna’s veal meatballs, Aldino’s Falafel, I Dream of Falafel Croquetas de pollo, Pasha —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Pizzas/Flatbread Girl and the Goat, Goat flatbread Davanti Enoteca, Pizza della Fattoria Zaytune, fresh lavash Apart, Cacciatore Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co., Mediterranean bread —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Vegetable/Salads Gilt Bar, charcoal-grilled escarole Girl and the Goat, black olive mezzalune Sprout, licorice root salad The Florentine, roasted cauliflower Calabrian chili relish Tabor Hill, BLT salad —Michael Nagrant
Top 5 Sausages/Charcuterie Prairie Fire, house-made Mint Creek Farms Lamb Sausage Romanian Kosher, salami—medium hard SugarToad, Corned Beef Heart Brand BBQ, Brandcheezie Franks ‘N’ Dawgs, beef curry dog —Michael Nagrant
Dining and Drinking Top 5 of 2021 I like street food, but I also like eating high-end, white tablecloth dinners. I guess I just like eating.
Dining and Drinking Top 5: May 2022 The weather is encouraging us to go out and have fun, even with the enduring specter of the plague hanging over our heads. To be on the safe side, check websites for these events.
Dining and Drinking Top 5: September 2021 As of this writing, the following events are still scheduled for September, though with Delta dangling over our heads, who the hell knows what might happen…or not happen. Check respective websites for updates.
