The February Hit List: Virtue, All Together Now, Taqueria Chingon, and More

Le Bouchon chef and owner Oliver Poilevy joined forces with chefs Sotero Gallegos (La Sardine, RIP) and Marcos Ascencio (Bar Lupo) to bring invigorating, Mexico City-inspired street food to a stretch of Western Ave. already dotted with solid Mexican food options. Chingon is a welcome addition, with bracing, toothsome octopus-shrimp ceviche, and creative tacos like green chorizo with avocado salsa, house morcilla with salsa macha, and pig’s-head carnitas. We’ll be ordering the chile-tinged pork shoulder posole on repeat till April. Heads up: A forthcoming patio promises good times as temps thaw and COVID numbers drop.

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available.

A neighborhood staple though and through, the Warbler, next-door sibling restaurant to Gather, trades in homestyle American cooking with Asian strokes. Think ponzu-glazed crispy cauliflower, nachos with crispy pork belly, cheesy flatbreads, and a slew of comforting housemade pastas. If you’re in need of a view beyond your four walls, limited dine-in is back, and the sprawling outdoor patio is well heated.

Dining status: Heated patio and limited indoor seating are available; also carryout and delivery.

When winter hit, this neighborhood Alabama bar responded with a handful of downright adorable, wood-framed tiny cabins for two, available for booking on its patio. Bundle up and sip a spiked hot cocoa while noshing on Chef Leo Wotitzky’s Southern-tinged drinking food, which includes a stellar griddled burger with American cheese and Black Betty sauce (aka black garlic aioli), smoky fried wings (for 75 cents on Mondays!), and house-smoked pulled chicken sandwiches with white barbecue sauce. If it’s too chilly for your liking, Houndstooth is ready to welcome you back inside, too.

Dining status: Patio cabin and limited indoor seating are available; also pickup.

Chef Nuttawut “Frankie” Waijorhor (Strings Ramen, Enso Sushi) realized a lifelong dream when he debuted his own restaurant in mid-December. Eathai features the traditional dishes Waijorhor’s mom taught him to cook as a child in northeastern Thailand, like sweet-and-sour chicken skins and guay teow gai, thin noodle and chicken soup with bean sprouts, green onions and garlic oil.

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available.

Your favorite neighborhood steak restaurant is (for now) your favorite neighborhood butcher and wine shop. Sultry Boeufhaus features restaurant-grade cuts of prime beef and pork, plus fresh sausages, house-smoked slab bacon, and excellent housemade corned beef and pastrami by the pound. Well-priced, mostly French wines help you recreate a lovely night out at home.

Dining status: Pickup is available on Fridays and Saturdays.

This quirky all-day market, wine shop and cafe has shown remarkable adaptability since the pandemic — creating everything from meal kits to BYO happy-hour spreads, and a wine-and-cheese hotline to gift boxes (now shippable nationwide). Right now we’re living for the Indoor Picnic kit, featuring a whole slab of Rush Creek Reserve cheese, rabbit terrine, pickled carrots and olives, crunchy snacks and spiced hot chocolate mix with ‘shmallows. Just add wine (there’s a lot of good here to choose from).

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

In non-pandemic times, this posh minichain exuberantly straddles fine dining and nightlife. As of late January, socially distanced dine-in is back. These days, STK devotes just as much attention to at-home decadence, via small, medium and large cuts of prime beef (we love the cowgirl ribeye with a side of Parmesan truffle fries), and signatures like Wagyu Lil Brgs, sweet corn pudding, and jumbo lump crab salad. Whether you’re indulging at STK or at home, you’ll want to add a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate ganache.

Dining status: Limited dining room and patio seating are available; also carryout and delivery.

Erick Williams’s inviting Southern restaurant is getting in the Mardi Gras spirit this month, with Creole-inspired daily specials like crispy Gulf shrimp po’boys and chicken and andouille jambalaya, available for dine in or carryout through Feb. 13. Feel the sunny, festive vibes in Virtue’s roomy, high-ceilinged dining room. Or celebrate at home with a feast that includes to-go cocktails like hurricanes, and pastry chef Becky Pendola’s house-made king cake ($28), available for pickup on Sundays.

Speaking of pre-ordering, here’s a pro tip, lovers: Virtue is featuring coursed Valentine’s Day dinners, including roasted oysters, filet mignon and mascarpone cheesecake for two (plus meatless options!) for dine in or to go.

Dining status: Limited indoor dining is available; also carryout and delivery.

Few businesses have pivoted as impressively since the pandemic as Avec, and parent One Off Hospitality. Within a few short months of reopening Avec to-go, chef Perry Hendrix & Co. added Avec Rotisserie, a delivery-only concept specializing in succulent rotisserie chicken with blistered pita, vegetable mezze and hummus.

Meanwhile, One Off built a meal delivery “supper club,” serving prepared meals with add-ons available from sibling concepts like the Violet Hour and Publican Quality Meats to seven communities in and around Chicago. Oh, and they’ve added nationwide delivery of the beloved brands’ frozen signatures, from Avec’s bacon-wrapped dates to PQM charcuterie boards. All your faves in one place; now it’s just a matter of choosing.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

The team behind Vajra — the exemplary upmarket Indian and Nepali restaurant —quietly debuted Canteen in January, a virtual concept celebrating both countries’ rich street-food cultures. Playful snacks and plates include Bombay bhel (puffed rice, potato, green chilli, tamarind), a namesake goat burger with cheddar and arugula, and curry-and-rice dishes like Amritsari paneer bhurji (crumbled paneer with spiced gravy and cilantro).

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.