8 editor picks in Chicago.
8 new american places in Chicago we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Chicago | New American across every city.
New American is the broad center of Chicago's contemporary dining, where chef-driven kitchens borrow freely while staying grounded in the Midwest. Alinea in Lincoln Park sits at the avant-garde edge, while Girl & the Goat and The Publican drive the lively West Loop scene and Lula Cafe carries the farm-to-table thread in Logan Square. Gibsons in the Gold Coast and RPM Steak in River North show the steakhouse-leaning side of the same tradition.
Alinea in Chicago is Grant Achatz's three-Michelin-star tasting menu at 1723 N Halsted, the dining room that codified American modernist fine dining.
OrderWhichever course needs your two hands; the kitchen is unsentimental about it.
TipBook the Gallery flow if you want the full theatre; Salon is the quieter, three-course-less option.
The Publican in Chicago is Paul Kahan's Fulton Market mead-hall, opened 2008, anchored by the heritage pork chop and a daily oyster list of 20 to 30.
OrderPublican-style pork chop for the table, with one of the ham flights.
TipThe walk-in counter at the bar is first-come, first-served and turns over fast. Aim for 17:30 if you cannot book.
Lula Cafe in Chicago is Jason Hammel's 1999 Logan Square dining room and breakfast counter, anchored by a Monday farm-dinner menu the neighbourhood books out.
OrderMonday's farm dinner if you can book it; brown-butter pasta with sage on walk-in nights.
TipBrunch is walk-up only on weekends; aim for 09:30 to skip the worst of the queue.
Girl & the Goat in Chicago is Stephanie Izard's Randolph Street wood-fire kitchen since 2010, with the pig face plate that came back when Bravo's Top Chef.
OrderThe wood-fire pig face; the green beans with cashews and fish sauce vinaigrette.
TipIf the dining room is fully booked, walk up to the bar at 17:00 for the same menu and no wait most weeknights.
Gibsons in Chicago is the Rush Street steakhouse since 1989 with its own USDA Prime stamp, packed nightly with politicians, athletes and conference traffic.
OrderThe Chicago Cut, a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye. The au jus is on by default.
TipThe cake slices are large enough for four. Order one for the table and ask for four forks.
RPM Steak in Chicago is the marble-and-leather River North steakhouse on Kinzie from the Melman family of Lettuce Entertain You, with A5 Wagyu sliders.
OrderA5 Wagyu sliders to start, the dry-aged ribeye for two, popovers as the side.
TipSit at the bar if you cannot land a booth. The bar menu is the same and the cocktails arrive faster.
Boka in Chicago is Lee Wolen's Michelin-starred dining room beside Alinea on Halsted, with a quiet garden courtyard and a brined whole-roast chicken for two.
TipBook the garden room in summer. It is one of the prettiest outdoor dining rooms in the city.
Au Cheval in Chicago is the West Loop diner-bar on Randolph that runs the full menu until 02:00 nightly, with the country-famous single-with-egg cheeseburger.
OrderSingle cheeseburger with egg
TipSit at the bar past midnight; the queue clears at 23:30 and the kitchen runs the same menu without the dinner wait.
Guided tour · 3 hours
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Water activity · 2h 30m
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Make pasta night feel like a full Italian escape in this fun 4-course cooking class in Chicago. Learn to roll ravioli from scratch, prepare a vodka sauce and a veggie ...
