Boka in Chicago is Lee Wolen's Michelin-starred dining room beside Alinea on Halsted, with a quiet garden courtyard and a roast-chicken-for-two worth the table.
Signature dishes: Roasted chicken for two, Garganelli pasta
Must order: The roasted chicken for two, brined two days; it leaves the kitchen carved.
Tip: Book the garden room in summer. It is one of the prettiest outdoor dining rooms in the city.
Address: 1729 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
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 did.
Signature: Wood-fire pig face, Green beans with cashews
Order: The wood-fire pig face; the green beans with cashews and fish sauce vinaigrette.
Tip: If the dining room is fully booked, walk up to the bar at 17:00 for the same menu and no wait most weeknights.
Bavette's Bar & Boeuf in Chicago is the dimly-lit River North steakhouse on Kinzie, French bistro paintings overhead, with a bone-in ribeye that anchors the room.
Signature: Bone-in ribeye, Hash browns
Order: The bone-in ribeye with hash browns; the lobster gnocchi for non-beef eaters.
Tip: Book at 21:00 on a weeknight if you want the back booths. The earlier seating is mostly business dinners.
Gibsons in Chicago is the Rush Street steakhouse since 1989 with its own USDA Prime stamp, packed nightly with politicians, athletes and conference traffic.
Signature: W.R.'s Chicago Cut, Twin lobster tails
Order: The Chicago Cut, a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye. The au jus is on by default.
Tip: The cake slices are large enough for four. Order one for the table and ask for four forks.
Gene & Georgetti in Chicago is the 1941 Italian-American steakhouse under the elevated tracks at Franklin and Illinois, opened by Michelotti and Federighi.
Signature: Garbage salad, Bone-in ribeye
Order: The Garbage Salad; the bone-in ribeye; a Negroni at the bar before sitting down.
Tip: Ask for one of the back-room booths under the photo wall. The lighting is the same warm gold it has been for eighty years.
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 at the bar.
Signature: A5 Wagyu sliders, Dry-aged ribeye
Order: A5 Wagyu sliders to start, the dry-aged ribeye for two, popovers as the side.
Tip: Sit at the bar if you cannot land a booth. The bar menu is the same and the cocktails arrive faster.
Topolobampo in Chicago is Rick Bayless's Michelin-starred Mexican fine-dining room beside Frontera on Clark, with regional menus that rotate every six weeks.
Signature: Suckling pig in mole, Tasting-menu ceviches
Order: Whichever mole is on the current tasting menu; Bayless has been cooking them in Chicago since 1989.
Tip: Reservations open 60 days out and the Friday slot goes in an hour. Set a calendar alarm.
