Food & Drink

Alfresco

The Reader's guide to outdoor dining

June 12, 2008

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A. Jackson

Bright skies, sunshine you can feel in your bones—the days of summer are finally here, and with them comes the hankering to eat outdoors, whether in a garden courtyard, on a glittering riverfront terrace, or on a see-and-be-seen rooftop patio. For our annual Alfresco guide we’ve combed our listings to find some 50 great spots for outdoor dining (and drinking, of course).

Our selections were culled from the more than 4,000 restaurants, bars, and lounges in the Reader Restaurant Finder, our searchable online database. Restaurants in the database can be rated by more than 3,800 Raters, who feed us information and comments on their dining experiences. Reviews are written by Reader staff and contributors and (where noted) Raters.

For many more suggestions than we could fit here, see our expanded Alfresco dining guide; for the complete database and information on how to become a Reader Restaurant Rater go to chicagoreader.com/restaurantfinder. And for more on food and drink, see our blog The Food Chain.

—Kate Schmidt, restaurants editor

Adobo Grill 2005 W. Division | 773-252-9990

F 8.5 | S 7 | A 7.3 | $$$ (6 reports) Mexican/Southwestern | Dinner: seven days | Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

rrr The sister location of Old Town’s Adobo Grill is all dark reds, Mexican folk art, and paintings of loteria cards, but the night I was there a steady backbeat of cell-phone conversations threatened to kill the ambience. The food, though, was for the most part great. The justifiably famous guacamole was chunky, spicy, and bright; ceviche, cool and tart, was also delicious, if a bit difficult to get at in the now-obligatory martini glass. (Are you supposed to drink it?) Grilled lamb chops, a special, were caramelized on the outside and rosy pink on the inside, and they tasted even better than they looked. Our waiter was charming but agonizingly elusive. Luckily, I could spend all night with Adobo’s incomparable margaritas—and the next morning with cafe de olla (coffee with cinnamon, orange peel, and brown sugar), served at the excellent Sunday brunch. The sidewalk cafe offers great people watching. —Chip Dudley

Amphora 7547 N. Clark | 773-262-5767

$$ Mediterranean, Small Plates | Lunch: Sunday; Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | Closed Monday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

At Amphora you experience some cognitive dissonance: Greek vases hang high against the clubby dark wood of the former Gateway Bar & Grill, a television blares over the world music on the sound system, and the purportedly pan-Mediterranean menu includes Caesar salad and shrimp de Jonghe, a dish that originated in the exotic port city of Chicago. The food helps overcome these incongruities. Crispy flatbreads, large enough to make a meal, come with sunny ingredients like goat cheese, olives, and fresh mozzarella. Salt cod cakes were clean tasting and delicately crisped, reflecting quality ingredients and a capable hand in the kitchen. A braised lamb shank was big and meaty, but befitting the Mediterranean focus there are many seafood dishes and enough vegetarian entrees—including pasta, soups, and spanakopita—to satisfy those who don’t eat things with eyes or mothers. In fact, with ten nightly dinner specials offered at $9.99, there’s something to satisfy almost everyone. The full bar has a good selection of wines, over half available by the glass and many in carafes (for a reasonable $16), and a small-plates menu is served till the wee hours. Out back there’s a fenced-in patio with seating for about 70 where you’d never think you were in a grocery store parking lot. —David Hammond

Angels & Mariachis 1721 W. Division | 773-227-7772

$ Bar/Lounge, Mexican/Southwestern | Lunch: Saturday-Sunday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2

The decorations at this new two-story “taco bar & rock cantina”­—bull’s’ heads, lucha libre masks, Mexican novena candles, murals, photos, more—are so overwhelming that it’s hard to look away long enough to focus on the menu. And it takes some focus to decide what to order, when ten varieties of tacos vie for space with soups and salads, molletes, queso fundido, tortas, and flautas as well as standards like guacamole and quesadillas. The selection of tequilas, available in flights of blanco, reposado, and añnejo as well as in single shots and a variety of margaritas, is respectable, as is the list of Mexican beers. There are also machines (the kind 7-Eleven uses for Slurpees) for frozen margaritas and frozen sangria. The patio seats 50 and can get pretty raucous. —Julia Thiel

Athena 212 S. Halsted | 312-655-0000

F 7.3 | S 6.7 | A 7.3 | $$ (6 reports) Greek, Mediterranean | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, other nights till 11:30

At Athena you’ll find old-world fare like loukaniko (homemade sausage), dolmades, lamb with artichokes in lemon sauce, and galaktobouriko, a faintly lemon-flavored custard that floats beneath several flaky layers of honey-soaked phyllo dough. The bright interior is spacious and colorful, but the big draw is the lovely two-level outdoor garden, open spring to fall. Still, that’s not what keeps at least one customer coming. A 45-year-old who’s been dining here weekly since 1996, when the Tsoukalas family opened Athena, says, “They make you feel comfortable, and that’s not true of all these Greek restaurants.” —Ryan Hubbard

Avenue M 695 N. Milwaukee | 312-243-1133

$$$ Steaks/Lobster, American Contemporary/Regional | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, Friday till 2

Avenue M, a sleek steak house from the owners of clubs like Transit and Circus, is much more than a see-and-be-seen spot. Sure, the interior is stunning, with modernist wood accents, sleek rectangular light fixtures, and an upstairs lounge that overlooks the dim bar area. Same goes for the lush patio, surrounded by ivy-covered walls and offering cabanas and lounge seating in addition to alfresco dining. But under chef Mariano Aguirre, the place cooks as good as it looks, artfully balancing steak-house standards with French, Italian, and Asian influences. Appetizers include a beet carpaccio with spicy greens and grilled shrimp with arugula as well as maki, sashimi, and raw options, and while my friend pooh-poohed a sprinkling of sea salt on the oysters, I liked how it complemented the sweet shellfish and fresh grated horseradish. Seasonal house-made pastas include lump crabmeat ravioli with asparagus and a red pepper sauce. But save room for some meat: from filet mignon to strips to a veal chop and an impressive rack of Colorado lamb. Wild king salmon with risotto, spinach, and portobellos was soft and flaky, the mushrooms delights in themselves. —Heather Kenny

Bad Dog Tavern 4535 N. Lincoln | 773-334-4040

F 7.5 | S 7.4 | A 7.8 | $$$ (20 reports) Bar/Lounge, American Contemporary/Regional | Lunch: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2

The global-fusion-meets-contemporary-American menu at this sleek room is several cuts above bar food. An order of tempura-style green beans comes with a lime-ginger-soy dipping sauce. There are pizzas with classic toppings, but sandwiches and salads get interesting twists like the goat cheese wonton on a bed of mixed greens. Entrees include a special of feta-stuffed chicken breasts over spinach and an herb-marinated pork tenderloin served with garlic mashed potatoes. The several choices on tap include Delirium Tremens, and there’s a kickass outdoor patio. The kitchen stays open till 11 nightly, and there’s a late-night menu available till midnight. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Bin Wine Cafe 1559 N. Milwaukee | 773-486-2233

$$ Global/Fusion/Eclectic, Small Plates | Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11:30

As at its parent restaurant, Bin 36, offerings on the seasonal menu here are annotated with recommended wine pairings, and if you can’t choose just one, there’s always the easy out of a flight, available by the whole or half glass. Under executive chef John Caputo there’s lots of good stuff. Tempura green beans, delivered in a little brown paper bag, had a delicious side of aioli. A hanger steak and pommes frites were expertly prepared, and what may just be the best monkfish I’ve had in my life came with tasty mushroom gnocchi and a whole-clove garlic confit. The roughly two dozen cheese offerings, American and European, are between two and four bucks a slice, opening the door to a huge range of flavors. On weekends, along with Bloody Mary and mimosa flights, brunch offerings include huckleberry-ricotta pancakes and a brunch pizza with spinach, frisee, and a poached egg. The sidewalk patio affords plenty of people watching. —David Hammond

Bistro Campagne 4518 N. Lincoln | 773-271-6100

F 8.2 | S 7.7 | A 8.4 | $$$ (24 reports) French | Dinner: seven days

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but Bistro Campagne is still a reliable choice for classic French fare. The kitchen places a premium on organic ingredients; even the wine list has several bottles from sustainably farmed vineyards. The menu offers bistro standards such as French onion soup and mussels; entrees include steak frites and rotating preparations of lamb and duck. Escargots, delivered spitting hot, are prepared with a garlic-Pernod butter and a liberal dusting of bread crumbs for a sort of “snails casino” effect. Roast chicken, crispy on the outside and juicy within, was served over a bed of rich mushroom ragout and topped with a crazy blossom of fried onion. For dessert there’s a creamy creme brulee, pot au chocolat, house-made ice cream and sorbet, or perhaps a seasonal tart. The cozy, Prairie-inflected dining rooms are comfortable, and garden seating for around 30 remains inviting. —Martha Bayne

La Bocca Della Verita 4618 N. Lincoln | 773-784-6222

F 7.6 | S 7.5 | A 6.2 | $$$ (22 reports) Italian Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

The decor at this reasonably priced Italian restaurant is homey rather than hip—and that’s what its fans love about it. La Bocca is simply a casual place to get a very good Italian meal. We took the waiter’s recommendation and ordered the special chicken dish of the night—lightly breaded and served with a refreshing blend of arugula and vegetables—and the duck-stuffed ravioli in a savory tomato cream sauce; both were excellent. But there’s a lot more to try: close to 20 appetizers including celery-apple and fennel salads, homemade pastas, and entrees such as a whole branzino, not a fish you see very often. An appealing sidewalk cafe provides extra seating in warm weather. —Rachel Klein, Rater

Boka 1729 N. Halsted | 312-337-6070

F 9.1 | S 8.4 | A 8.7 | $$$ (28 reports) American Contemporary/Regional, Small Plates | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

rrr Giuseppe Tentori, a nine-year veteran of Charlie Trotter’s, took over the reins at a revamped Boka last spring, offering a menu with a few startling if enjoyable items. Scallop-stuffed squid with baby spinach, spicy pineapple, and black tapioca was one of the weirdest-looking plates I’ve set eyes on in a while, and texturally freaky too—squishes and pops in every bite—but really tasty and fun to eat. A salad of luscious raw big-eye tuna, mizuna, grapefruit, and capers was a pretty interesting combination of flavors, though the saffron risotto with serrano and arugula took things too far—does anyone ever see flakes of gold leaf on a plate and think, “Mmmm, metal.” But it was sumptuous veal cheeks, topped with a dollop of excellent house-made mustard and served with pureed runner beans and grilled treviso, that won the day. Service was deft, knowledgeable, and unruffled despite the packed house on a Friday. Out back is a large, luxurious patio with both open-air and tented seating. —Mike Sula

Bonsoiree Cafe & Delicacies 2728 W. Armitage | 773-486-7511

F 8.9 | S 7.6 | A 6.8 | $$ (5 reports) American Contemporary/Regional | Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Friday | Closed Monday, Saturday | Open late: Friday till 11 | BYO

This smart BYOB spot started life as a casual deli and cafe, and still does double duty as a catering kitchen, but owners Shin Thompson and Kurt Chenier hit their stride last year when they spiffed the place up a bit and introduced three-course prix fixe dinners. Now that’s available only on Tuesdays for $30; on other nights of the week the five- and seven-course tasting menus are $50 ($40 on Sundays) and $70, respectively. The eclectically influenced contemporary American menu showcases clean, streamlined, seasonal flavors, with spring offerings ranging from Kampachi tartare with home-pickled ginger to a hominy crepe with red curried lentils to a veal medallion and pastry duo with an artichoke croquette. On Saturdays the restaurant offers a $55 five-course “underground dinner” with seatings at 6 and 8 PM; to get an invite, sign up at bon-soiree.com. On Sundays not just the price but the menu is fixe. The off-street patio with wrought-iron tables and a trellis is refreshingly peaceful. —Martha Bayne

Brasserie Ruhlmann 500 W. Superior | 312-494-1900

$$$$ French, Steaks/Lobster | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch

If pedigree guaranteed quality, Brasserie Ruhlmann would be sitting pretty. The partners include the owners of Japonais, across the street, and the chef is Christian Delouvrier, formerly of Alain Ducasse and Lespinasse in New York (where the original Brasserie Ruhlmann is located). The place makes a great first impression with its gleaming dark paneling and plush red velvet drapes, chairs, and banquettes. The problem was that the food and service weren’t special enough to justify the prices. Leathery baguette slices were a bad early sign. We were momentarily buoyed by plump snails swimming in garlic butter under individual caps of flaky puff pastry, only to be dismayed by a tarte savoyarde that resembled a shrunken softish-crust pizza. A little cod fillet with shellfish didn’t impress us either, except for the single deliciously sweet sea scallop. Gratineed onion soup that could have been made from the classic recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking also ranked high, as did the hazelnut cream puff with poached pear, a dessert special. With many of the bottles of red wine hovering around $90, the $22 carafe of house pinot noir (about half a bottle) wasn't a bad buy. The French-cafe-style patio has a full bar and seating for 120. —Anne Spiselman

Cafe fresco 1202 W. Grand | 312-733-6378

$$ Italian | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Monday-Saturday till 1, Sunday till midnight

It looks like a cozy corner bar, with its high tables, brick wall, decorative swags of fabric, and subdued nautical theme, but Cafe Fresco lives up to its name, offering a mostly Italian menu better than you’ll find at many neighborhood spots. We started with a signature dish, grilled calamari served with spinach, roasted red peppers, olives, and a few sticks of feta in balsamic—unusual, maybe, but in a good way. In addition to bar fare like chicken wings and burgers, there’s a lineup of midprice entrees (tilapia, pork chops, chicken piccata and Vesuvio), but we were drawn to the pastas, several of which can be ordered with whole-wheat noodles. Gemelli Baronese was spiked with slices of prosciutto and mushrooms and some deliciously sweet peas, all in a rich (but not too rich) garlic-Romano sauce. Pasta puttanesca may have lacked anchovies, but with its olives, capers, and plenty of garlic, wasn’t the wimpy version too often found. There’s a decent beer selection (Rogue Dead Guy, Butte Creek Organic IPA, Beamish Irish Stout, etc) and a small but potable wine list (half-price with an order of food on Tuesdays); cocktails, shaken up at our table, were even better. On a Thursday night the atmosphere was mellow, service friendly and accommodating, and in warmer weather the enclosed back garden patio—lined with ivy-covered walls, one painted with a trompe l’oeuil of the cafe—beckons. —Kate Schmidt

Chaise Lounge 1840 W. North | 773-342-1840

$$$ Bar/Lounge, American Contemporary/Regional | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2

Under new chef Cary Taylor, a veteran of Blackbird, Ambria, and Avenues, the menu at Chaise Lounge leans more toward American shores for inspiration than the Continent: out with the frisee, in with the Waldorf salad. Maybe I’ve just become a jaded restaurant snob, but for the most part the fare lacked that ineffable quality that sets off the pleasure centers in your lizard brain, especially at this price point. I was so thrown by a thick layer of solid fat covering the slice of slow-cooked pork in an appetizer that I almost sent it back—until I discovered that it tasted delicious combined with the actual meat hiding below. Beef short ribs could have used a little more of that lardy goodness; although tasty, they weren’t falling off the bone in the way the dish requires to be successful, to my mind. Toasted barley, an accompaniment to rack of lamb, was a welcome change from potatoes or rice, but instead of delivering a sharp nutty flavor it reminded me of nothing so much as pearl couscous. However, we found ourselves dueling with forks over a dessert usually notable for its table-pleasing blandness, banana bread pudding with caramelized walnuts and sour cherries. And even nitpicky critics can’t argue with a huge outdoor patio and a rooftop lounge that’s open year-round. —Heather Kenny

The Chicago Firehouse 1401 S. Michigan | 312-786-1401

$$$ American | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days

This sprawling three-story restaurant in a 1905 firehouse retains some of the building’s original character with fire poles, tin ceiling, and firebrick walls. Huge semicircular, brass-studded red leather booths line the perimeter of the bar’s dining area, while the carpeted main dining room has the feel of a suburban country club. Dishes tend to be hearty—starters include seared sirloin, French onion soup, and prosciutto rolled with cream cheese and asparagus. Main courses take their cue from home cooking—pot roast, panfried rainbow trout, barbecued pork chops. The leafy outdoor patio seats 70. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Chief O’Neill’s 3471 N. Elston | 773-583-3066

$ Bar/Lounge, English/Irish/Scottish | Breakfast, Lunch: Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Reservations accepted for large groups only

This northwest-side pub named after Francis O’Neill, Chicago’s first Irish police chief (and a champion of Irish music) carries on his efforts, hosting regular music jams. The entire bar—chairs, tables, bar fittings—and most of the staff was imported from Ireland, and the kitchen dishes up traditional fare—Galway Bay mussels, cheddar cheese soup with Guinness, fish-and-chips, bangers and mash—a popular Sunday brunch, and now breakfast on Saturday. The huge, festive outdoor beer garden seats 200. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Chocolate Grape 2113 W. Division | 773-772-3990

$Bar/Lounge, American Contemporary/Regional | Breakfast: Sunday; Lunch, dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | Sunday brunch | Closed Monday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, Thursday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only

Chocolate Grape doesn’t really serve massive platters of chocolate-covered grapes . . . just so you know. What it does serve is an eclectic mix of savories, sweets, and wines. The menu offers moderately priced sandwiches and salads ($8.75-$10.75), many incorporating chocolate—for example, the Signature Grape salad, which comes with a teasing peach-white chocolate vinaigrette. The Wicker Parker Veggie, currently the only vegetarian-friendly sandwich, stuffs slabs of eggplant, zucchini, and portobello into a pita. There are about 50 bottles on the wine list, which suggests pairings, and 30 available by the glass—the minicupcake flight we tried might have benefited from some. Perhaps a bit oddly for a wine bar, there’s a kids’ menu featuring mac ’n’ cheese, PB&J, and chicken strips. Each comes with fresh fruit, Terra chips, or something called dino fries—little pancakes with smiley faces on them. The atmosphere is relaxed and elegant, with club-size wooden tables, vintage golden couches, and antiques spread around the intimate space. The “Truffle Box” room in the back can be reserved for private parties, and there’s sidewalk seating for 45. —Kelly McClure

El Cid 2645 N. Kedzie | 773-395-0505

F 7.0 | S 9.6 | A 8.8 | $$ (5 reports) Mexican/Southwestern | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 2, other nights till midnight | Reservations accepted for large groups only

A late-night oasis in Logan Square, El Cid produces solid traditional platters that regulars swear by (they swear louder when the management is handing out shots of tequila). For $13.95, the fresh shrimp and octopus salad was packed with seafood, and with some ranchero sauce thrown in for color it tasted really good. There’s musica en vivo Saturday nights, and a large, rockin’ back patio. —Ann Sterzinger

La Cocina de Frida 5403 N. Clark | 773-271-1907

$$ Mexican/Southwestern | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only

At La Cocina de Frida, an unabashed shrine to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, it might prove just a little challenging to enjoy dinner beneath multiple visages of one of the scariest-prettiest artists of the 20th century. The food, however, will not challenge; not bad, it’s fine, in a middling kind of way. Complimentary salsa, served warm, is tasty though unlikely to satisfy heat-seeking chile heads. The restaurant boasts that it uses olive oil, not lard, in the refried beans, which is an odd if heart-healthy choice that doesn’t appreciably enhance the flavor of the frijoles. Tamales are quite moist and flavorful, and at $2 a pop, you could make a meal of them. If you’re not a fiend for authenticity, you might enjoy the enchiladas stuffed with carnitas or vegetables, slathered in a somewhat piquant and reasonably complex mole negro, or the pork chops in thinly fruity mole manchamanteles. Breakfast is time for chilaquiles, traditionally made of slightly stale tortillas, fried, and mixed with salsa and perhaps eggs or cecina, the flavorful beef jerky of Guerrero. Prices are reasonable, with many entrees around $14 and bottles of wine for $16. The large back patio seats 100. —David Hammond

Le Colonial 937 N. Rush | 312-255-0088

F 6.9 | S 6.9 | A 7.7 | $$$ (7 reports) Asian, Vietnamese | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till midnight, Monday-Friday till 11

Despite the Gold Coast location, this striking New York clone—decorated with bamboo shutters, sepia-toned photos of old Vietnam, and rotating fans suspended from 30-foot ceilings—conjures a vision of French-occupied Saigon. The second-story dining room and lounge (available for private parties of up to 55) has cushy couches and tall windows that open onto a balcony, where there’s also seating affording a bird’s-eye view of Rush Street. The Vietnamese cuisine hints of French in presentation only—no heavy sauces, rather plenty of light and tangy flavors from citrus and chiles. A typical dish is the goi bo, a spicy marinated beef salad with lemongrass and Thai basil: it holds its own as a classic but doesn’t stretch any culinary boundaries. The prices reflect the lavish decor and high-rent location. But for newcomers to Vietnamese cuisine this is a good place to experiment, and the sidewalk patio seating is always a treat. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Coobah 3423 N. Southport | 773-528-2220

F 7.4 | S 6.8 | A 7.3 | $$$ (18 reports) Latin American | Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight

Coobah serves the nuevo Latino food of executive chef Jimmy Madla (formerly Veruca Salt’s drummer). Appetizers include a Caesar salad sweetened up with creamy sugarcane dressing and a fiery jibarito with jerk chicken; meat-centric entrees feature the chicken Negro Modelo, a Latin take on beer-can chicken. A good choice for late-night dining might be the hand-rolled tamales, $3.50 each and filled with spicy pork or black beans and cheese. The all Latin American and Spanish wine list is full of reasonably priced gems, many poured by the glass; there’s also an extensive list of mixed drinks. French doors open onto the main dining room in summer, and there’s an inviting outdoor patio, often packed. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Cooper’s—A Neighborhood Eatery 1232 W. Belmont | 773-929-2667

$$ American, Global/Fusion/Eclectic, Bar/Lounge | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Craig Fass and Mandy Franklin, the owners of Menagerie, retooled their restaurant into a considerably more casual place with the same commitment to fresh, seasonal fare. A few Menagerie-era dishes remain on the menu, such as a roasted beet salad with goat cheese and a duck confit mac ’n’ cheese, but now equal billing is given to panini-style sandwiches and exotic pizzas. The vegetable panini was stuffed to the gills with arugula, mushrooms, red pepper, and goat cheese, but the proportions were perfect, the red pepper adding a bit of sweetness, and the thin, crispy fries were some of the best I’ve ever had. For many the real draw of Cooper’s will be the selection of more than 90 beers from around the world. On our server’s suggestion—”It comes in a can but it’s really good”—I tried Wittekerke, a light, fruity white ale from Belgium. The large, airy off-street patio sits about 50. —Heather Kenny

Corosh 1072 N. Milwaukee | 773-235-0600

$$ Italian, European | Lunch: Monday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 1, other nights till midnight

On a weekend night the garden courtyard at Corosh was a great place to be: large, nicely decorated, and hidden away from the Milwaukee Avenue noise. We quickly settled on the garlic cream sauce mussels and prosciutto with melon as starters and the seafood risotto and lobster ravioli as entrees; secondi include several grilled meats and a couple Vesuvio preparations. The quality of the ingredients was very good overall (hammy prosciutto, a flavorful pesto sauce with the ravioli), though the bread was average at best. The late-night menu offers more-standard bar fare, and there’s a brunch buffet on Sundays. —Torbjörn Törnqvist, Rater

La Creperie 2845 N. Clark | 773-528-9050

F 6.7 | S 7.3 | A 7.0 | $ (8 reports)French | Lunch: Tuesday-Friday; Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Closed Monday | Open late: Tuesday-Saturday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only | Vegetarian friendly

This cozy family-run hideaway, easy to miss in the bustle of Clark and Diversey, has been satisfying budget-conscious diners for more than 35 years. The fare is mostly crepes—with seafood or ratatouille for dinner, banana liqueur, Grand Marnier, or Nutella for dessert, and scrambled eggs for brunch—but the menu also offers other casual French favorites such as onion soup gratinee and steak frites. Raters like the large, colorful garden patio, the friendly and uncontrived atmosphere, and the live music offered most Thursdays. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Crust 2056 W. Division | 773-235-5511

F 7.7 | S 7.4 | A 7.7 | $$ (7 reports) Pizza | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight | Reservations not accepted | Vegetarian friendly

Chef Michael Altenberg’s casual flatbread-pizza joint, the city’s first certified organic restaurant, is a sleek modern dining hall with bright orange molded plastic chairs and trippy Formica tables; the spacious tented back patio and sidewalk cafe add seats for another 130. The pizzas—er, flatbreads—have an airy, chewy, well-proofed crust and are topped with everything from savory silver dollars of pepperoni to a Greek mix of artichokes, olives, and feta to a take on an Alsatian Flammkuchen (caramelized onion, bacon, and caraway seeds with a bechamel sauce). All, meat included, tastes shockingly fresh; the baby greens in my Sun Salad (a tasty mix of greens and seaweed in a plum-miso dressing) had to have had their lives cut short that same day. The bar offers a short but respectable wine and beer list that is mostly organic, plus a selection of cocktails with infused organic vodka. —Martha Bayne

DeLaCosta 465 E. Illinois | 312-464-1700

F 7.8 | S 7.6 | A 9.2 | $$$$ (5 reports) Latin American | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

If you can get past the aggressive hipness of DeLaCosta, with its icky-sweet signature “poptails” (fruity cocktails garnished with boozy popsicles), loungey see-and-be-seen “solarium,” and curtained cabanas for private dining, you’ll find a very good restaurant. For his first Chicago venture, celebrated chef and James Beard-award winner Douglas Rodriguez combines Spanish, South American, Caribbean, and occasionally Asian flavors that inject new life into the nuevo Latino trend. For me, the most intriguing dish was an appetizer of rum-cured marlin tacos, which somehow tricked my taste buds into sensing cocoa flavors, an unusual but not unwelcome sensation. A half-dozen different types of ceviche, a house specialty, feature sashimi-like pieces of superfresh fish lolling among such exotic ingredients as Thai chile, Kaffir, and galangal leche. While you could happily make a meal from various tapas and appetizers, we couldn’t resist the bone-in rib eye, which proved that under chef de cuisine Adam Schop the kitchen handles meat as deftly as seafood. There’s a large, luxe patio overlooking the river. —Heather Kenny

Duke of Perth 2913 N. Clark | 773-477-1741

$ Bar/Lounge, English/Irish/Scottish | Lunch: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Reservations not accepted

Long-standing Lakeview pub best known for its selection of beers and Scotch whiskeys (over 90 of the latter). The Scottish-themed menu includes fish-and-chips (all you can eat for $9.50 Wednesdays and Fridays), shepherd’s pie, and vegetarian options such as leek pie and salads. The decor is classic pub style, full of Scottish antiques and alcohol-related paraphernalia, and the cozy garden patio is a pleasant place to while away an evening. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Enoteca Roma 2146 W. Division | 773-342-1011

F 8.5 | S 6.8 | A 6.8 | $ (5 reports)Italian, Small Plates | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, other nights till 11 | Vegetarian friendly

This laid-back wine bar is an extension of Letizia’s Natural Bakery, a fixture since 1998, and shares its charming back garden seating. It offers Letizia’s standard menu plus more than a dozen varieties of bruschetta, pizzas, dinner salads, and a number of meat, cheese, bread, and olive combinations in the tradition of rustic Roman cuisine. Larger plates include pork shoulder, lamb chops, eggplant parmigiana, and lasagna, but the Salamini Flight alone—salami and a trio of saucisson, served with grainy mustard, roasted red peppers, and Italian bread—is enough for a light meal or ample snack for two. Enoteca Roma’s specialty is, of course, wine, served without attitude: says owner-manager Fabio Sorano, “You can get PBR or you can get Pahlmeyer.” —Susannah J. Felts

Feast Restaurant + Bar 1616 N. Damen | 773-772-7100

F 8.1 | S 7.5 | A 7.5 | $$ (15 reports) Global/Fusion/Eclectic | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Debra Sharpe’s eclectic menu consistently hits the bull’s-eye. For starters there are crab cakes with chipotle mayonnaise or a quesadilla with portobello, roasted tomato, spinach, and mozzarella. Main courses are hearty and satisfying, like marinated skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and garlic mashed potatoes, or chicken breast stuffed with herbed goat cheese and served with potato gnocchi, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. The bread assortment alone is almost worth the trip: it includes savory cheddar-chipotle biscuits and a baguette served in a terra-cotta pot. Brunch features eggs royale (poached, with caviar) and a build-your-own omelet. The inviting patio is open in warm weather. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Feed 2803 W. Chicago | 773-489-4600

F 8.0 | S 8.8 | A 8.4 | $ (5 reports) Southern/Soul Food | Breakfast: Monday-Friday; Lunch, dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Reservations not accepted | Cash only | BYO

rrr Feed is the project of Donna Knezek, one of the original owners of Leo’s Lunchroom and a founder of Bite. It’s a shack with a chalkboard menu that begins 1/4 chicken, 1/2 chicken, whole chicken. Needless to say, get the chicken: salty and succulent, it has the golden crackle of skin that makes rotisserie bird so viscerally satisfying. Knezek has been cooking in Chicago for around two decades, but at Feed she originally pared down her menu to the point of parody: chicken, burger, Caesar salad, a daily special, and a dozen sides. They include fried okra, a homey, comforting corn pudding, and rich and cheesy baked mac ’n’ cheese. Now she’s relented some, adding a pulled pork and a barbecued chicken sandwich to the offerings; brunch items might include pulled pork hash and green tomato eggs Benedict. For dessert there’s pie and fluffy, creamy banana pudding served in a Styrofoam cup, with Nilla Wafers throughout. Feed is BYOB but the sweet tea’s superb, and there’s a corner store with a decent beer selection a few blocks to the east. As with any good meal, the food makes anything else you’d wanted before—steak, say—suddenly superfluous. Enter the serene, nicely decorated brick patio from California Avenue . —Nicholas Day

The Fifty/50 2047 W. Division | 773-489-5050

$$ Bar/Lounge, American | Lunch: friday-Sunday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Reservations not accepted

This sports bar/lounge/restaurant does a little of everything, but the three levels help to keep the space from feeling like it’s having an identity crisis. The basement level is loungier than the first floor, which is dominated by the bar and plasma-screen TVs and has a sportscast piped into the bathrooms; the top floor is the most restauranty. All the specialty cocktails incorporate beer, though generally not enough that you actually taste it—it seems more like a gimmick than an attempt to improve the drinks. The menu is mostly basics like sandwiches, steaks, and appetizers, with a couple vegetarian choices, and as such it’s pretty successful. “Slider” versions of hamburgers, pulled pork, and a couple other sandwiches are nice options, as are the variety of fries and mac ’n’ cheese toppings. The kitchen’s open till 1 AM, and there’s sidewalk seating for 70. —Julia Thiel

Fiorentino’s Cucina Italiana 2901 N. Ashland | 773-244-3026

$$$ Italian | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Fiorentino’s is truly a family-run restaurant: Signora Fiorentino rushed to greet us when we walked in, stopped by frequently, and saw us to the door as we were leaving, always ready to talk about food. Sicilian, she’s dreamed up a menu that tends toward seafood and dishes that show a restrained hand when it comes to sauce and spices. Calamari were fresh though a bit bland, but by Jove the mussels were probably the best I’ve had in Chicago, done point perfect and bursting with flavor. Stuffed gnocchi, not traditional but in every way marvelous, were soft and lush, delicately filled with ricotta and splashed with tomato cream sauce. Spiedini alla griglia, a signature dish, is char-grilled filet mignon simply and flavorfully topped off with lemon, garlic, and olive oil. Tiramisu, that old standard, is extraordinarily light, reflecting the kitchen’s gentle touch. Amusingly, the cannoli, Palermo’s carnival treat, is here reinterpreted as a mound of slivered cocoa and ricotta studded with pastry triangles. The pleasant terra-cotta side patio is planted with flowers, fresh herbs, and ivy. —David Hammond

Flatwater 321 N. Clark | 312-644-0283

$$ American Contemporary/Regional, Global/Fusion/Eclectic, Bar/Lounge | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2

The flower-bedecked riverfront terrace is the main selling point of this trendy spot, with its view of suspiciously teal river water, a few shiny high-rise wedges, and of course the occasional tour boat. The lunch menu offers standards—salads, sandwiches, burgers—perked up with Asian-influenced preparations; ahi tuna is served poke style, the steak sandwich gets the teriyaki treatment. The dinner menu’s broadened with a range of meat-based entrees and a few standout dishes, like the capellini with tiger shrimp in a creamy pesto sauce. Watch out: wines by the bottle can be pricey, and there’s no list. —Susannah J. Felts

Fonda del Mar 3749 W. Fullerton | 773-489-3748

F 7.7 | S 7.3 | A 7.0 | $$$ (6 reports) Mexican/Southwestern, Seafood | Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

To kick things off at this restaurant from veterans of Topolobampo and Mia Francesca, tacos estilo ensenada (fish tacos) are tasty, with a clump of whitefish dressed with avocado and cabbage, and the shrimp ceviche is a knockout. Soups are spiced with a light hand: caldo siete mares (“seven seas soup”) is a chile-kissed tomato broth with just a few select slices of seafood; chileatole del mar brims with seafood, peppers, and corn in a tomatillo-based broth seasoned with epazote. Whole tilapia gets the mojo de ajo treatment; lamb chops in a mole negro were expertly grilled. Of special note on my last visit was a roasted pork loin served in a fruity mole manchamanteles. For our salad we shared a small plate of julienned jicama and cucumber accented with orange segments and drizzled with hot sauce and a light vinaigrette. Out back is a find: a patio decorated with a flower-filled half a boat. —David Hammond

Fulton’s on the River 315 N. LaSalle | 312-822-0100

$$$$ Seafood, Steaks/Lobster | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Monday-Saturday till 11

The lower-level dining room at this Levy Restaurants endeavor is spacious and elegantly understated, with handsome decor and an adult-contemporary soundtrack. We were planning on sticking to seafood until we saw the platter of U.S. prime steaks, one of Fulton’s specialties. Another is oysters: the restaurant typically offers 12, and there’s a small sampler plate that features 6; our server left the menu so I could read descriptions of each briny little victim as I slurped away. We moaned and murmured with pleasure over our main courses—a New York strip and a whole Maine lobster—but prudently stopped halfway to save room for dessert: key lime icebox pie with a graham cracker crust. Seating on the 120-seat riverfront patio is first come, first served. —Kathie Bergquist

Garden Cafe 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe | 847-835-3040

$$ American Contemporary/Regional, Vegetarian/Healthy | Breakfast, Lunch: seven days

Like the Chicago Botanic Garden that surrounds them, the Garden Cafe and adjoining Garden Grill mix the exotic and the native. At the cafe there’s a quattro fromaggio pizza, but also a summer salad with mixed greens, Michigan cherries, heirloom tomatoes, and golden raisins. A nice blend of tangy and sweet, the salad comes topped with free-range chicken or wild salmon. The Grill features a sandwich with fire-roasted zucchini and red peppers, goat cheese, and arugula, but further down the menu board are a midwestern-style burger and brats. Wash them down with an airplane-size bottle of Sutter Home—or a glass of Organic Valley milk from Wisconsin. There’s a children’s menu, and the outdoor seating is idyllic but for the view of the parking lot. —Edward McClelland

Garden Restaurant 111 S. Michigan | 312-553-9675

$$ American Contemporary/Regional, Small Plates | Lunch: seven days; Dinner: Thursday-Friday

Under executive chef Brian Williams, formerly of New York’s Tribeca Grill and Gramercy Tavern, the restaurant in the Art Institute’s stately courtyard is now offering a seasonal menu of globally influenced contemporary American. Starters might include crab cakes with rhubarb chutney or spicy chipotle shrimp over avocado puree; entrees an organic chicken breast with chickpea or a generously portioned salad with grilled lamb. Desserts range from decadent if standard (chocolate pots de creme) to light and refreshing (lemon panna cotta), and more than 15 wines are available by the glass. On Thursday and Friday evenings a small-plates menu is offered; there’s live music, and museum admission is free after 5 PM. —Laura Young

Green Dolphin Street 2200 N. Ashland | 773-395-0066

F 8.2 | S 6.7 | A 7.3 | $$$$ (6 reports)Steaks/Lobster | Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday | Closed Sunday, Monday

This large, elegant restaurant and jazz club in an unlikely industrial location dishes up prime steaks and seafood. You can make a night of it here: the bar is huge, and there’s no cover in the club for diners. The outdoor garden patio overlooking the river is a romantic and attractive seating option, and any part of the establishment—the patio, the small Green Room dining room, or the club—can accommodate private parties. —Laura Levy Shatkin

The Handlebar 2311 W. North | 773-384-9546

F 8.3 | S 7.4 | A 7.6 | $ (21 reports) Global/Fusion/Eclectic, Vegetarian/Healthy | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 2, other nights till midnight | Reservations not accepted

rrr A cyclist hangout—­the bar stools are made from chrome rims, vintage bikes hang from the patio fencing, and there are specials for messengers on Mondays­—this is a theme restaurant that doesn’t feel precious. The food is cheap and vegetarian friendly: most entrees are under $10, and the only meat option is fish. The chefs don’t do anything flashy, but they do a little bit of everything and do it well—the samosas with tamarind chutney, for example, are on par with any you’d find on Devon. The kitchen also does a bang-up job with comfort food: seitan and tofu sandwiches come with a variety of sides including a respectable vegetarian version of southern collard greens and a totally addictive smoked Gouda mac ’n’ cheese I’ll crave on my deathbed. Dining on the large, comfortable patio is like sitting in someone’s backyard. —David Wilcox

Heartland Cafe 7000 N. Glenwood | 773-465-8005

F 6.5 | S 5.9 | A 6.8 | $ (18 reports) American, Vegetarian/Healthy | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only Vegetarian friendly

“Unfortunately there are not many places to get a really good buffalo burger,” quips one Rater. The Heartland, however, serves up a mean one, plus salads, sandwiches, and enough hearty vegetarian entrees to satisfy the pickiest eater, from veggie chili to tofu scrambles, barbecue seitan, and a macrobiotic plate. Fine dining it’s not (though specials like steamed artichokes show some aspiration), but it is a north-side sanctuary for hungry bohemians of all stripes, with live music (funk, folk, and jazz) and a Wednesday-night poetry open mike. While service can be erratic, most who frequent the Heartland know what they’re getting into. It also has a left-leaning general store and an often-bustling outdoor patio. —Martha Bayne

Japonais 600 W. Chicago | 312-822-9600

F 8.5 | S 8.0 | A 9.2 | $$$ (31 reports) Japanese, Global/Fusion/Eclectic | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days

The menu at Miae Lim’s Franco-Japanese venture duplicates many of the standout dishes at her previous spots, Mirai Sushi and the now closed Ohba. It’s a perfect marriage. Kobe beef carpaccio is sliced thin as paper, fanned out, and topped with crunchy fried garlic, daikon greens, and a dark soy-ginger sauce; chef Gene Kato’s maple-leaf-smoked duck is served moo shu style, with pancakes, hoisin sauce, scallions, and a mango chutney. The presentation is uniformly exquisite, with most dishes on oversize and unusually shaped white porcelain plates. Along with cocktails and a long sake list there’s an impressive wine list divided into sensible categories and featuring many reasonably priced, rarely seen options that work well with the cuisine. The adjacent lounge has late-night hours and serves cocktails, specialty rolls, and a few appetizers. The urbane patio overlooks the river and features cabanas for parties of two and four. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Juicy Wine Company 694 N. Milwaukee | 312-492-6620

$$ Small Plates, Bar/Lounge | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, Friday till 2, Monday-Thursday till 1 | Reservations accepted for large groups only

From the name you’d expect Juicy Wine Company to be all about the grape, but the instant you walk in the door it’s clear the place is just as much about the cheese. A “retail plus” wine bar from Rodney Alex (formerly of Wicker Park’s Taste), Juicy offers five “cheese experiences,” a selection of cured meats, and even a butter “experience” that pairs three artisanal butters with various sea salts. Charcuterie includes salumi made by Seattle-based Armandino Batali (Mario’s pop). Wines served in-house are marked up a flat $15 over the retail price, making even the swankier bottles, like a seriously complicated 1994 Davis Family Russian River pinot noir, relatively accessible. Any bottle for sale in the shop is available at this “chill-out price”; there are also a dozen reds, whites, and bubblies by the glass. Downstairs the wood-trimmed, minimalist space is split between a wine wall and deli case in the front and a low-key seating area of tables and banquettes in the rear. Upstairs is a bar and lounge with a DJ booth and a new rooftop patio. The staff is casual and helpful—Rodney pressed a shaving of a rare Swiss something on us as we were halfway out the door—and in all it’s a pretty pleasant (er, “chill”) scene. —Martha Bayne

Jury’s 4337 N. Lincoln | 773-935-2255

$$ American, Burgers | Lunch: Monday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Every hot and happening restaurant row should have one old-school place still chugging along, resistant to all trends, and that’s the function Jury’s serves on this stretch of Lincoln Avenue just south of Montrose. (The sign, like the clientele, says “Since 1979,” though it’s actually only been in this location since 1996.) With its white-tablecloth interior and supper club menu, the place clearly aims for more sophistication than the other taverns along this strip, though its main claim to fame is still its hamburger, which won a best-burger-in-da-city contest some years back. For once one of those things got it right: this is a terrific example of the classic bar burger, a half-pound slab of quality beef seared to a steaklike char and accompanied by nothing more exotic than Grey Poupon and a manly mound of steak fries. Not surprisingly, the same char crust turns up on the steaks themselves, which rank among the city’s best in their midrange price class. Otherwise the menu is the usual middle-American fare: baby back ribs, pasta, and fish dishes, all calibrated to the tastes of a mostly older audience—a Caesar salad had the absolute minimum hint of garlic and anchovy required to legally qualify as one, and fried calamari, while perfect in texture, was oddly flavorless. Stick with the red meat and Jury’s acquits itself well, especially on Monday nights, when entrees are two for the price of one (up to $10). There’s a patio in back, and a small sidewalk cafe where canine companions are welcome. —Mike Gebert

Kiki’s Bistro 900 N. Franklin | 312-335-5454

F 6.9 | S 6.0 | A 7.5 | $$$ (8 reports) French | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday

This River North standby was one of the first bistros to hit Chicago, more than a decade ago, and its French country elegance continues to charm. “Like dining in the garden of a French impressionist painting,” says one Rater. Others applaud the gracious service and consistent menu, which includes a great rendition of steak frites and a succulent and tender duck confit. Save room for the creme brulee or the croustade de poire—a delicately poached pear in puff pastry drizzled with caramel sauce. The dimly lit room overflows with antiques, from baskets to armoires, creating a homey feel despite the industrial location, and there’s alfresco dining on an appealing terrace. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Lutz Continental Cafe & Pastry Shop 2458 W. Montrose | 773-478-7785

$$ German/Austrian, Bakery | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days

Raters who’ve eaten at this European dining room with adjoining pastry shop strongly advise leaving room for dessert. “Go there with the idea that you’re going to splurge,” says one; another recommends skipping the entree and bingeing on pastry and the unique ice cream drinks or Viennese coffee. Now renovated, the dining room and lovely back garden retain their old-world flavor, and the lunch offerings—classic sandwiches, quiche, goulash soups, and crepes—are worth every pfennig. —Holly Greenhagen

Mia Francesca 3311 N. Clark | 773-281-3310

F 7.5 | S 6.3 | A 7.0 | $$ (6 reports) Italian | Lunch: saturday-Sunday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

“Body-to-body gridlock!” says one disillusioned Rater. Years after the buzz began, this Wrigleyville Italian restaurant remains busy, loud, and fashionable. The menu changes every two weeks, offering six pastas and fish, chicken, and veal or pork chops, all reliably tasty and fresh. Raters single out the mussels, the carpaccio, and the four-cheese pizza for special praise. Expansion onto the second floor and coach house has helped thin the throng a bit, but waits in the cramped bar space can still be intolerable. Consensus: it’s a great value, if you can stand the crowds—and the garden patio provides some respite. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Moody’s Pub 5910 N. Broadway | 773-275-2696

F 5.3 | S 4.9 | A 7.4 | $ (7 reports) Bar/Lounge, American, Burgers | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 2, other nights till 1 | Reservations not accepted | Cash only

A good place to grab a burger and beer for lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack, even on Sundays. The menu is small, its centerpiece a burger that’s been called the best in town (it’s also been called the most overrated). Also available are fries, steak and chicken breast sandwiches, a dinner salad, and fried cod, shrimp, and chicken. The beer selection is limited, but the margaritas and sangria are outstanding. In summer the large garden is the place to sit; in winter the two fireplaces keep it cozy—not to say smoky and very dark—inside. Good value for hungry (but not too fastidious) people on a budget—plus there’s free parking next door. —Ellen Joy, Rater

NoMi 800 N. Michigan | 312-239-4030

F 9.1 | S 6.8 | A 8.8 | $$$$ (5 reports) American Contemporary/Regional, French, Bar/Lounge | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Vegetarian friendly

This swank restaurant on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt pulls out all the stops, from a temperature-controlled wine cellar entrance to windows with a knockout view of Michigan Avenue. Under executive chef Christophe David appetizers include a range of sushi platters and rolls and seasonal dishes such as morels and white asparagus with smoked ham. Main courses on the changing menu also show seasonal influences, with offerings like diver scallops with smoked eel agnolotti and a scallop-thyme jus. Now that the fois gras ban has been overturned, a house specialty of truffle and foie gras brulee with caramelized hazelnuts is once again available. The enormous wine list—more than 1,500 labels—offers a range of affordable New World reds and whites along with some pricier Bordeaux, burgundies, and Rhone wines. In the garden patio and lounge a smaller menu of tapas, sushi, sandwiches, and salads is served. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Las Palmas 1835 W. North | 773-289-4991

F 8.4 | S 8.2 | A 8.0 | $$$ (9 reports) Mexican/Southwestern | Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight

This branch of the local Las Palmas chain is more sophisticated than the others in the city. Appetizers include empanadas, a couple ceviches, and guacamole prepared tableside. The steak taco entree was smoky and good, topped with queso añejo and chipotle jam; enchiladas, served with a choice of fillings—spinach, chicken, cheese, steak—were equally tasty. A jumbo margarita easily carried me through my meal—that and the strolling guitarist and pleasant weather on the charming back patio. —Kathie Bergquist

Pegasus 130 S. Halsted | 312-226-3377

$$ Greek, Mediterranean | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, other nights till 11:30 | Vegetarian friendly

“Look for the wings,” a friend said as I prepared to drive to Pegasus. Sure enough, the appendages of the winged horse glow in yellow neon. On a Saturday night at nine my group of 13 was able to walk right in and be seated. Service was speedy—even a little pushy, in fact, but I suppose such a large party does need to have the whip cracked. Everyone enjoyed the dishes, from a fava dip, cheese phyllo squares, and salads to a gyros platter, Athenian chicken, and arni yuvetsaki (lamb baked in a clay pot with orzolike Rosa Marina pasta and a red wine sauce). We sampled widely from the large menu, which features a good selection of both hot and cold mezedes suitable for small-plate dining. In the warm months Pegasus offers the added attraction of a rooftop patio with a first-class view of downtown’s skyline. —Susannah J. Felts

Plymouth Restaurant & Bar 327 S. Plymouth | 312-362-1212

$$ American, Bar/Lounge | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | saturday & sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, other nights till 11 | Vegetarian friendly

Longtime Chicagoans may remember some of the vanished State Street diners—places like the Ferris Wheel and the Court Restaurant where one could get a decent, no-frills meal amid comfortable surroundings. The Plymouth is a throwback to these vintage spots. The only differences are positive ones: a cheerful and homey space, a pages-long menu, and a large rooftop patio with a wonderful view of the Loop. Foodwise, there are the usual egg skillets and pancake/French toast breakfast choices, burgers and sandwiches (a hearty Monte Cristo among them) for lunch, and several dinner entrees including the classic chopped steak with grilled onions. To finish things off there are nearly a dozen desserts. The friendly bar area at the basement level is popular with John Marshall Law School students. —Rob Christopher

Prosecco 710 N. Wells | 312-951-9500

$$$$ Italian | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Open late: Thursday-Saturday till 11 | Vegetarian friendly

Special-event prices demand a special occasion. So for my birthday I went to Prosecco, a posh Italian boite in River North where the entrees topped out at $38 for a veal chop. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, the restaurant did little to make us feel, well, special. The complimentary toot of namesake bubbly was nice, and our server was unflaggingly sweet and helpful, going so far as to have the sommelier open an off-list bottle when the wine we chose was out of stock. But Prosecco is the sort of top-heavy place where phalanxes of handsome managers in dark suits do a lot of glad-handing while the lone guy bringing out the food is practically running. That top-heavy philosophy applies equally to the kitchen, which seems to operate under the rule of thumb “when in doubt, add butter—and truffles.” Orechiette tartufate was a devastatingly rich plate of pasta tossed with wild mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and a whole lot of black truffle cream and white truffle oil. At first bite (or three) delicious, it was so surprisingly lacking in depth—and so damn rich—that it quickly lost its charm. Seared diver scallops, caramelized to a crisp, came on a puddle of vanilla-scented prosecco reduction powerfully reminiscent of vanilla yogurt. They were, again, so rich—and so salty—I barely made it through half. We had better luck with a Cornish game hen, whose stuffing of porcini, sausage, chestnuts, and black truffles delivered enough smoky, nutty flavor to give the dish structure. We shared the pasta and an appetizer, a trio of white tuna, ahi tuna, and salmon crudo—only the citrusy salmon really sang. And though we steered clear of the veal chop, the filet mignon, and the gold-leaf-dusted risotto, the bill still came to more than $200. The patio is delightfully decorated with lanterns, lots of wrought iron and greenery, and a Persian carpet. —Martha Bayne

Puck’s at the MCA 220 E. Chicago | 312-397-4034

F 7.6 | S 7.2 | A 7.2 | $$ (5 reports)American Contemporary/Regional | Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday | Sunday brunch | Closed Monday

The dining room at the MCA is flooded with natural light from the 30-foot wall of windows that looks out on the sculpture garden. The fare is light and flavorful: for example, the famous chinoise chicken salad originated by Wolfgang Puck. Sandwiches include a sirloin burger with Vermont cheddar and garlic aioli, a smoked turkey Reuben with Havarti, and a barbecued salmon BLT with herb aioli. Puck’s signature wood-grilled pizzas are topped with everything from prosciutto and roasted red peppers to smoked shrimp with sun-dried tomatoes, leeks, and cilantro. In summer the outdoor patio may be the best afternoon seat in town. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Resi’s Bierstube 2034 W. Irving Park | 773-472-1749

$$ German/Austrian, Bar/Lounge | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Reservations accepted for large groups only

Regulars like this German beer parlor for the filling traditional fare—classics like schnitzel, sausages with sauerkraut, goulash, and potato pancakes. But the real draw is the beer. In the 70s manager Richard Stober’s father, Herbert, was the first bar owner in town to serve weiss beer, and while the selection has expanded and contracted since then, there are currently 15 beers on tap and more than 100 bottled. In warm weather the charming tree-lined outdoor patio is lantern lit, with picnic tables for seating, and the atmosphere is generally mellow and cheerful. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Rock Bottom Brewery1 W. Grand | 312-755-9339

$$ Bar/Lounge, American | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: every night Till 2 every night

Raters like this River North chain brewpub for its bar scene and after-work atmosphere. The beer is good and brewed in-house. The food gets mixed reviews—mostly passable sandwiches, pastas, nachos, and other bar bites. One Rater swears by the chicken-fried chicken (“not for those concerned about calories!”) as the ultimate comfort food. There’s a spacious, pleasant rooftop deck that’s a big draw in the summer; it closes at midnight. —Rachel Klein, Rater

Room 212 100 S. Wabash | 312-328-1198

$$$ American | Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Jerry Kleiner (Red Light, Marché, Opera, etc) knows how to razzle-dazzle ’em. Room 21 follows his favorite scenario: reclaim a space with headline-grabbing potential and give it an over-the-top makeover as a destination restaurant in a soon-to-be-hot neighborhood. In this case, the backstory—printed on the menu—involves a Prohibition-era warehouse owned by Al Capone, Eliot Ness’s first bust, and an escape passage ending in a door labeled “Room 21.” The renovation channels an old Chicago bordello: velvet drapes, alligator-pattern banquettes, clusters of hanging lamp shades, huge potted palms, and an eye-popping color scheme of pinks, greens, reds, and black and white. (There’s also a lovely walled garden that’s less noisy than the earsplitting dining room.) Kleiner’s chutzpah extends to a $44 rib eye, but he’s also savvy enough to offer a $14 bacon cheeseburger with Nueske’s bacon. As for the food, my meal was mixed. Crab cakes tasted mostly of rice, and entrees arrived lukewarm, but the steak Diane (no longer on the menu, unfortunately) was perfectly cooked, coated with subtle cognac sauce, and served with a mountain of crisp salted fries. Other entrees include a filet Oscar and herb-crusted rack of lamb; for dessert there’s red velvet cake or made-to-order cinnamon doughnuts. —Anne Spiselman

Rose Angelis 1314 W. Wrightwood | 773-296-0081

F 8.7 | S 8.0 | A 7.7 | $$ (7 reports) Italian | Lunch: Tuesday-Friday; Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | Closed Monday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | Reservations accepted for large groups only | Vegetarian friendly

rrr This Lincoln Park storefront is a perennial Rater favorite. The four adjoining rooms feel intimate even when they’re crowded, and the reasonably priced entrees are so large that doggie bags are the norm. The bruschetta is a rustic version with chunks of tomato; pizzas have a nice thin crust, and most entrees are classic pasta dishes like linguine with seafood in tomato sauce and a massive eggplant parmigiana in a sweet red sauce. More ambitious are the delicate duck-filled tortelloni (served with spinach, tomato, and melted mozzarella in a cognac reduction) and a portobello ripiene. The two outdoor patios are flower filled and sheltered from the street. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Sheffield’s 3258 N. Sheffield | 773-281-4989

$$Bar/Lounge, American, Barbecue/Ribs | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Reservations not accepted

Ric Hess, owner of this Wrigleyville tavern, spent months perfecting three house-made sauces (Memphis, Texas, and North Carolina style), and for almost a year now he’s had his wood-burning Southern Pride smokers cranking. For reasons I will never understand, there aren’t many places where you can get a decent pulled pork sandwich in Chicago, but even in the early going the one here was more than respectable, served with properly tangy coleslaw and a properly vinegary (and very tasty) mustard-based sauce. Sides including red-skin potato salad, corn bread, and collards with bacon showed the care being taken in the kitchen, as did a rich clam chowder packed with bacon, potatoes, and mushrooms. There are tons of craft brews on tap and by the bottle, and the staff is chipper and superfriendly. The kitchen’s open till midnight on Friday and Saturday. And while the beer garden can get pretty packed, the setting, underneath the shade of trees, is tranquil. —Kate Schmidt

Shochu 3313 N. Clark | 773-348-3313

$$ Bar/Lounge, Asian, Small Plates | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, other nights till 2 | Vegetarian friendly

A loungey, modern small-plates restaurant with heavy accents of East and Southeast Asia and a vast patio, Shochu boasts a menu by Josh Hansen of Deleece but is really about its namesake booze, a distilled spirit that has been all the rage in Japan the last few years. On offer are four varieties by ten imported labels, all served neat or on the rocks at $4 to $10 a glass or in $9 cocktails like the Shione (barley), whose generous dollop of muddled blackberries kept me from knocking it straight back. The drinks are a far cry from the staple “sours”—shochu, ice, and soda served with half a citrus fruit, a molded juicer, and a swizzle stick—on the menu at traditional Japanese izakaya (casual bars known for their tasty snacks as well as their drinks), but Shochu’s service style is more or less the same. The dishes are small and varied (curry, maki, yakitori, and “raw”), meant for sharing and to be ordered as the mood (or the alcohol) strikes. From the raw menu we tried a small mound of chopped ono, avocado, scallion, and chile on a rice-paper bed; it looked doused in peanut sauce (hints of Thailand) but to my relief had the refreshing citrus taste of ceviche (viva Mexico?). The grilled skewers came three to a plate; order one and get a choice of two dips, order two and get all eight. The shrimp and pear; the bacon-wrapped dates; the shiitake, tomato, and onion—all lacked the nice smoky flavor lent by a good charcoal, but the avocado wasabi spared the shrimp from just OK-dom, the “Japanese ranch” revived the dates, and the sambal salt saved the day. Which is to say that about half of everything—though essentially good—was too intensely flavored, most often overly sweet. I found myself dipping into the sambal salt, chewing on its strips of red vinegared chiles, to neutralize my tongue between bites and before each sip of cocktail. Next time, I’ll take a glass of the Shiranami, neat. —Irma Nuñez

Tallulah 4539 N. Lincoln | 773-942-7585

$$$ American Contemporary/Regional | Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday | Sunday brunch | Closed Monday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

Troy Graves, formerly of Meritage, throws his lot in with the tenants of Lincoln Square’s burgeoning restaurant row in the spot where She She withered away. It’s a dark, loud, cramped space with a long sidewall mirror and a wide view of the Old Town School that does little to relieve the claustrophobia. This might be ameliorated in warmer weather, when the airy patio, which seats 80, is accessible. And Graves’s seasonal East-West-influenced menu has also lightened up. I liked some of the bold-for-this-neighborhood inclusions like pork belly, plopped atop gingery-sweet but not unaggressive kimchi, and the spicy lobster deviled eggs were really good, their richness offset by crunchy roe. But ample dishes like braised short ribs with Brie-mashed potatoes come in fathomlessly deep square bowls that don’t manipulate the sense of scale so much as make the food difficult to access. A chocolate-peanut pot de creme was more clumsy richness—a huge vat of cocoa-flavored Skippiness. Still, I have hope for attractive-looking dishes like harissa prawns with mint couscous—I’ll certainly give Tallulah another look with the change of season. —Mike Sula

Tapas Barcelona 1615 Chicago, Evanston | 847-866-9900

F 6.8 | S 7.7 | A 7.1 | $$ (7 reports) Tapas/Spanish | Lunch: Monday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

By 6 PM on a Sunday , every table on the patio of this Evanston restaurant was full, and good cheer prevailed as a table full of professors from Northwestern mingled with assorted locals and a good number of what seemed to be honest-to-God Spaniards. Amid all the fun, there was some decent if unspectacular fare. This isn’t the place for the unexpected or unusual, but the traditional is sometimes executed very well. The Spanish omelet, for instance, was near perfect; bacon-wrapped dates sitting in a pool of bell pepper sauce had my companion practically drooling. Other options—like the thin grilled scallops—were not so good. Duck sausage was better, rich and satisfying, but the side of mushroom ragout was oddly bereft of mushrooms. Fortunately, there’s a full list of specialty cocktails, not to mention a decent beer and wine menu. —Chip Dudley

Trattoria Isabella 217 N. Jefferson | 312-207-1900

$$ Italian | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

This new West Loop Italian restaurant mirrors its increasingly condo-ridden neighborhood—shiny, handsome, and seemingly soulless. As Tom Jones wailed over the sound system, white-shirted waiters and bussers hovered; friendly but bumptious, over the course of the meal they gave us spotted water glasses with a flourish, salad forks with an entree, and piled on our courses until the spacious booth table was completely overtaken by large white plates and bowls. Large rather than, say, delicious certainly seems to be the byword in the kitchen. Our choices from the menu of standard-issue offerings—a Caesar salad (anchovies not available), bland grilled octopus overwhelmed by balsamic, spaghetti carbonara rich with cream rather than creamy with eggs—were, well, standard issue. Risotto alla Siciliana with sausage and peppers was better, though here again to eat it in one sitting would likely spell death, and the inevitable leftovers tasted like nothing so much as cold pizza. The meal wrapped up with more Tom Jones, and unless you’re a fan, I suggest the only reason to come here is the handsome side patio and bar—god forbid he’s piped out there. —Kate Schmidt

Tre Kronor 3258 W. Foster | 773-267-9888

F 8.2 | S 7.7 | A 7.2 | $$ (19 reports) Swedish, Breakfast | Breakfast, Lunch: seven days; Dinner: Monday-Saturday | BYO

Every morning the kitchen at Tre Kronor turns out their legendary Danish, cinnamon rolls, and a number of cheese-filled omelets, each packing enough points to top out your Weight Watchers quota for the day. Most of the foods are of Scandinavian stock, though there’s one quisling burger on the lunch menu; other offerings include quiche and Norwegian meatballs on limpa bread. Tre Kronor’s herring, made in-house, is a superbly moist and meaty version, and Swedish meatballs here are light, delicate, and deliciously dressed with sweet-tart lingonberry sauce. In line with the robust Viking tradition, you won’t find a salad here without cheese or bacon or both; the menu is full of the kind of fortifying food you’d want to eat before heading out to herd reindeer or invade your southern neighbors. There’s backyard seating under a canopy of trees. —David Hammond

Twisted Spoke 501 N. Ogden | 312-666-1500

F 7.2 | S 6.8 | A 6.8 | $ (5 reports) Bar/Lounge, American, Burgers | Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday till 3, Monday-Friday till 2, Sunday till midnight | Reservations not accepted

“Eat, Drink, Ride” is the motto at this casual joint at the corner of Grand and Ogden, but most people are just eating and drinking. The place is decorated to look like a biker hangout, with several hogs half-buried nose down in the dirt outside, an industrial metal interior, and a rust-covered facade. The menu offers bar munchies, burgers, and a dozen or so huge sandwiches—barbecued chicken, pork butt, even a grilled portobello—all of which are served with equally huge handfuls of crispy fries; there are also wings, gumbo, and chicken tacos with pico de gallo. Saturday nights after midnight the Spoke offers “Smut ’n’ Eggs”—breakfast and old stag movies. Up the stairs is a rooftop patio that’s surprisingly airy for a biker bar, no matter how ersatz. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Vintage Wine Bar 1942 W. Division | 773-772-3400

F 6.5 | S 6.4 | A 8.4 | $$ (5 reports) Bar/Lounge, Small Plates, American Contemporary/Regional | Dinner: seven days | Open late: Saturday till 3, OTHER NIGHTS till 2

This unpretentious lounge has comfy armchairs, a fireplace, and walls hung with graffiti-like paintings. More than half of the wine list of about 80 bottles is priced between $30-$50; 35 or so wines are available by the glass. The menu is comfort-food oriented, offering dishes like mussels with pommes frites alongside pizzas and plates meant for sharing. “No snobbery or looking down one’s nose because you don’t know the details of a particular wine,” the menu promises; Raters tend to think this holds good. There’s a patio for about 40, and live music Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Weekend brunch resumes this month. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Volo Restaurant Wine Bar 2008 W. Roscoe | 773-348-4600

F 7.5 | S 7.8 | A 7.1 | $$ (9 reports) Bar/Lounge, Small Plates, American Contemporary/Regional | Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 2, other nights till midnight

Talented executive chef Stephen Dunne executes a constantly changing menu of small plates: sweet, plump mussels steamed in white wine and butter and flecked with parsley, spicy-sweet steak tartare made with Kobe beef and topped with shards of sesame flatbread. There’s an artisanal cheese plate offered every night—it changes frequently but might include French favorites like Epoisses, Valencay, and Sainte-Maure or domestic selections like Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes blue. Wine from an impressive global list comes by the glass, carafe, flight, or bottle, and the large outdoor dining area is pretty as a picture. —Laura Levy Shatkin

Wishbone 1001 W. Washington | 312-850-2663

F 7.1 | S 7.6 | A 6.2 | $$ (9 reports) Southern/Soul Food | Breakfast, Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday | Saturday & Sunday brunch

The menu rarely changes, but no one seems to mind. While a few Raters grumble that the food doesn’t justify the hype—or the crowds—most seem to agree that Wishbone’s combination of fast, reliable, moderately creative food, brisk service, full patio, and funky decor doesn’t need much tinkering. Lunch and dinner feature upscale southern comfort food such as blackened catfish, chicken-fried steak, collard greens, and buttery corn bread muffins. Wishbone packs them in for weekend breakfast with platters of reasonably priced omelets, eggs Florentine, crab cakes, and the cheesiest grits in town. —Martha Bayne

Zapatista 1307 S. Wabash | 312-435-1307

F 7.3 | S 6.8 | A 7.5 | $$ (9 reports)

Mexican/Southwestern | Lunch, dinner: seven days | Saturday & Sunday brunch

An upscale Mexican venture, Zapatista specializes in tequila, offering more than 100 kinds, and has a modest but fairly priced wine list with many South American selections. Guacamole was tangy with lime juice, a good thing in my book; it’s prepared tableside and you get to specify the level of heat. Spicy tostaditas are offered with fillings of chicken, ropa vieja, and plantain; a double-cut pork chop is dressed up with a mole manchamanteles and sweet-potato fries. The dessert tamale was bliss, gooey chocolate cake served in a corn husk. The covered patio, bedecked with hanging plants, attracts masses of margarita lovers. —Kathie Bergquist

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