Frontera Grill in Chicago is Rick Bayless's 1987 Clark Street Mexican dining room beside Topolobampo, the kitchen that brought regional Mexican to the Midwest.
Signature dishes: Carne asada, Cochinita pibil
Must order: Carne asada with handmade tortillas; the cochinita pibil if the Yucatan menu is running.
Tip: Walk in at 17:00 on a weekday for the bar; the booths fill by 18:30 most nights.
Address: 445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Ramen-san in Chicago is Lettuce Entertain You's River North ramen room on Hubbard, with a tonkotsu base and a spicy garlic bowl that pulls the regulars back.
Signature: Spicy garlic ramen, Hong Kong beef noodle
Order: The spicy garlic ramen; the chashu pork bun on the side.
Tip: Lunch is faster than dinner. The 12:30 rush clears by 13:15.
Daisies in Chicago is Joe Frillman's Logan Square pasta-and-vegetable dining room on Milwaukee Avenue, with grain and produce sourced directly from Illinois farms.
Signature: Cavatelli with ragu, House-made focaccia
Order: Cavatelli with whatever ragu is current; the focaccia first, while you wait.
Tip: Brunch is the underrated meal here. The same pasta program with eggs and patio seating in summer.
Ramen-san in Chicago is Lettuce Entertain You's River North ramen room on Hubbard, with a tonkotsu base and a spicy garlic bowl that pulls the regulars back.
Signature: Spicy garlic ramen, Hong Kong beef noodle
Order: The spicy garlic ramen; the chashu pork bun on the side.
Tip: Lunch is faster than dinner. The 12:30 rush clears by 13:15.
Smoque BBQ in Chicago is the Irving Park no-frills counter on Pulaski Road since 2006, with brisket and St Louis ribs smoked over apple and hickory in-house.
Signature: Brisket, Pulled pork, St Louis ribs
Order: A sliced brisket plate with the St Louis ribs split. Half-rack rather than full.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Closes at 21:00 sharp and meat sells out from 19:30 on weekends.
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 since 2005.
Signature: Edible balloon, Painted-tablecloth dessert
Order: Whichever course needs your two hands; the kitchen is unsentimental about it.
Tip: Book the Gallery flow if you want the full theatre; Salon is the quieter, three-course-less option.
Smyth in Chicago is John and Karen Shields's two-Michelin-star tasting menu on Ada Street, with produce from their own farm 90 minutes south of the city.
Signature: Egg yolk in sea-buckthorn, Smoked sturgeon and caviar
Order: The yolk in sea-buckthorn vinegar; it has been on the menu since 2016 for a reason.
Tip: The companion bar downstairs, The Loyalist, runs an excellent burger if you can't land the upstairs seats.
Oriole in Chicago is Noah Sandoval's two-Michelin-star room on Walnut Street in the West Loop, a quiet 28-seat tasting menu with a strong caviar service.
Signature: Hokkaido scallop with caviar, Quail with mole
Order: The opening caviar course; the kitchen treats it as the focal pivot, not a bookend.
Tip: The wine pairings are unusually well-judged at the German-and-Austrian end. Ask for them by region, not by tier.
