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 dishes: Brisket, Pulled pork, St Louis ribs
Must 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.
Address: 3800 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641
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.
Ever in Chicago is Curtis Duffy's two-Michelin-star Fulton Market tasting menu, opened 2020 after Duffy left Grace, with rigorous service and quiet plating.
Signature: Foie gras with brioche, Wagyu with mushroom
Order: The foie gras course; it is the dish that follows Duffy across his career.
Tip: Sit at the chef's counter if it is on offer at booking. The view of the pass is the room's best seat.
Elske in Chicago is David and Anna Posey's Danish-influenced Michelin-starred Randolph Street kitchen, a married chef-team plate with restraint and clean wood.
Signature: Duck-liver tart, Smoked beets with brown butter
Order: The duck-liver tart, an opening course that has stayed on the menu since 2016.
Tip: The Aquavit pairings are the room's secret weapon. Ask Anna for the by-the-glass walk.
Kasama in Chicago is Tim Flores and Genie Kwon's Filipino bakery by day, Michelin-starred tasting menu by night, in the Ukrainian Village on Winchester.
Signature: Filipino breakfast plate, Lechon
Order: The morning ube cruffin, which sells out by 10:30 most weekends.
Tip: The bakery has no reservations; the tasting menu books out 60 days ahead. Treat them as two different visits.
