When chef Arun Sampanthavivat opened this stately legend in 1985, he began cultivating what would become the first Thai restaurant in America to nab four Mobil stars, an AAA award and a James Beard for Best Chef in the Midwest…

This is when having kids comes in handy: You're up and at 'em and ready for lunch way earlier than the single hipsters nursing hangovers before they stroll over to this perpetually packed bar/taqueria…

The waits at this Bucktown spot are an indication of chef Chris Pandel’s loyal legion of fans—a group that it only takes a few bites of food for you to want to join…

Children 8 and under get to “pay their age” between 5 and 6:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday. This way, you won’t feel guilty bringing them along to a pricier spot, and if they don’t love the braised pork shoulder with puttanesca ragout, wilted spinach and grilled polenta, it’s no sweat off your back…

Trotter remains one of the best chefs in the country, proving nightly that not only did he train the younger talent in town, but he can still school them…

They say practice makes perfect, and the pitch-perfect bistro dishes here show years of rehearsal…

Chef B.K. Park (Mirai, Ari, Meiji) maintains that sushi is actually very simple: a matter of proper sourcing and proper slicing. And indeed, his specials, such as delicate aji and shima-aji, are pristine exemplars of the form…

On the heels of the success of Chickpea, Jerry Suqi has opened this charming breakfast-and-lunch-only spot…

Since opening its doors in ’87, Frontera Grill has been the spot for an intensely flavorful, impeccably fresh slice of Mexico, courtesy of Celebrity Chef and winner of Top Chef Masters Rick Bayless…

This seafood restaurant has been the flagship of the Drake Hotel’s dining program since 1933…

David Burke’s name is on the door of this modern steakhouse, but make no mistake—chef Rick Gresh is the one in the kitchen…

Far above the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue lies the serene tranquility and decadence that is Seasons. Some of the dishes here are forever on the menu (so as not to disorient the power lunchers), but chef Kevin Hickey has a creative streak driven by the restaurant’s namesake…

This nationally acclaimed small-plates spot is tiny, looks like a sauna, has communal seating, doesn’t take reservations and is as loud as hell. But it works, and at almost seven years old, is still as enticing as it was out of the gates…

When Stephanie Izard goes the faddy pork-and-beer route, her food is pretty much the same as that of the other name-brand chefs of the day: hefty…

Scott Harris’s newest eatery combines elements of the Purple Pig (a menu full of schmears and charcuterie) with the Italian sensibilities of his Mia Francesca’s chain…

For more than a decade chef-owner Gabriel Viti has been the culinary darling of the North Shore. His eponymous restaurant is the flagship of his restaurant empire and it is easy to see why. The white tablecloths are offset by the mahogany interior, and the service and food are equally elegant…

If you ever ate Sarah Stegner’s food during her much-lauded tenure as chef of the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, you understand how happy we are that we don’t have to sell a kidney to eat her food anymore…

Rent a car, take the Metra or con a friend into driving—do whatever it takes to get out of your city snobbery and into this classy, comfortable restaurant that serves food as seasonal and delicious as anything within city limits…