The December Hit List: Armitage Alehouse, Segnatore, Virtue, and More

Opened at the end of October by the team behind Au Cheval, Armitage Alehouse offers a cozy respite from the bracing Chicago winter. If the moody lighting, plush banquettes, and roaring fireplace don’t warm you up, the British pub and Anglo-Indian–inspired menu will. There are pub classics, like pike fish and chips and a steak and ale pot pie—in fact, there are a bunch of savory meat pies—commingling with the likes of matzo ball soup with foie gras schmaltz and tikka masala. Wash it all down with a British-style ale or, if you’ve been imbibing too much during the holidays, an actually good mocktail, like the Ghia Spritz with a spirit-free aperitif, elderflower tonic, nasturtium, mint, and juniper.

Thanks to Adolfo Garcia’s Yours Truly, you don’t need to feign excitement when someone suggests going to a sports bar. While they watch Sunday football, you can chill on a velvet banquette, casually sipping martinis, dunking pretzel bites into beer cheese, and fishing hot mussels out of their buttery garlic broth. And no, there isn’t just one martini on the menu: There are nine, including a holiday-ready “apple spiced tini” with apple brandy, apple cider, and green apples. And should the game go long, sip the espresso martini for a jolt. It pairs a shot of Italian espresso with Belvedere vodka and a Spanish hazelnut liqueur. Some floating coffee beans on top remind you of what you’re getting into.

So you want Italian food and you didn’t get into Florentine. That’s more than fine, thanks to Chef Matt Troost’s Segnatore. With homemade pasta and a custom beer called Il Serpente—made in partnership with Brewers Kitchen and Pilot Project—you won’t miss a thing. From the Orbit Group (Good Measure, The California Clipper), Segnatore’s space evokes the folkloric traditions of Italian healers (the segnatore) with vintage artwork that captures their mysticism, pressed tin ceilings, a long marble bar, and Italian ceramic tiles that date back to the 1960s. And the menu is equally as artful: Fresh garlic mafaldine and mushroom bolognese in a “freestyle lasagna,” leek gramigne with short ribs, and a family-style fried chicken spiked with Calabrian honey are just a few of the standouts that bring together Italian tradition and Midwest hospitality.

Open for just a year and a half, Tim Flores and Genie Kwon’s Kasama is quickly picking up accolades for its innovative pastries and Filipino-style tasting menu. There’s even a documentary about it. Drop by during the day for breakfast sweets like almond cream–filled croissants dipped in Kasama rum syrup (the rum is made in the Philippines). And now you can finally book a table for dinner—indoor dinner service was delayed because of the Delta variant—to dig into crispy lumpia, hot kare-kare with pork belly, coconut-spiked kinilaw, which is kind of like Filipino ceviche, and icy cold halo-halo.

You know how they say you should never go to the grocery store hungry? Well, you can at 88 Marketplace, a huge Chinese supermarket with a food court on the second floor. Stop in to peruse all sorts of Chinese imports for your pantry, then head upstairs for barbecue duck, egg tarts, dumplings, sushi, and even bánh mì. Yes—that’s a massive range of cuisines all under one roof. If you started your trip hungry, you certainly won’t end it that way.

Erick Williams’ Virtue offers soulful Southern American cuisine that you don’t find too often around these parts. Think gizzards with dirty rice, hot gumbo packed with andouille sausage and California gold rice, and crawfish and shrimp étouffée. While Virtue is great for groups, if you need some precious “you” time (after so many meals with in-laws) cozy up to the bar and dig into your very own bowl of banana pudding. Maybe some biscuits with pimento cheese, too.

Zac Young has been a Food Network regular for years, and now, he’s in Chicago with a holiday-season pop-up called Sprinkletown where you can pick up the sweets that have defined his career. The most notable is “The PieCaken,” available as a slice or a whole cake with layers of pecan pie, pumpkin pie, spice cake, and an apple pie filling—topped with cinnamon buttercream. If that is too…intimidating for you, Young also offers a host of cookies, “thick mint” brownies, stuffed muffins, croissants, and a buttery-crisp “yas queen amann” topped with lots of sprinkles.

From Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán is this Gold Coast spot that offers Mexican cuisine with a French inflection. In the beautiful, lofty space, you can dig into pristinely plated dishes, like mahi-mahi cooked and served in banana leaves with a poblano-spiked beurre blanc, scallops surrounded by a pool of vibrant green tomato-poblano broth, and guajillo-roasted octopus dotted with tonnato aioli. Whether you’re visiting for dinner or brunch, don’t skip the drink selection. The mole old fashioned and the Pibil (with tequila, almond, guajillo, cumin, pineapple vinegar, and lime) will deliver the heat and a nice little buzz. Pro tip: Grab a seat at the bar to see what’s cooking in the open kitchen.

The Duplex is known for hosting creative food minds from all over the country. This month, 2KoreanGirls is popping up to offer all sorts of fast-casual Korean specialties to dine-in or takeout. If you haven’t heard of sisters Jennifer and Michele Kaminski before—they run a delivery and takeout spot in Miami—you’ll quickly become a fan of their family recipes. Pick up a bowl of their heart shaped egg–topped bibimbap with lots of ribeye bulgogi, some extra-crispy fried chicken coated in “hot hunny” sauce, wok-fired japchae, and a whole bunch of cold and crunchy banchan, like cabbage or cucumber kimchi and sweet and sour radishes.

Opened at the end of October, Seven Ten Social brings together bowling—a pastime you’ve probably been missing the past two years—and really good food by Chef Charlie McKenna (Lillie’s Q). Lanes are first-come, first-served, so drop in for a game and stay for Wagyu smash burgers, crispy crinkle fries, and a blue island ice tea that will probably contribute to gutter balls and a lot of fun. Of course, if you’re not in the mood for a game (or a blue drink), you can grab a milkshake, chill at a table, and check out the new art by tattoo artist Chris Orta.

Lean into the holiday festivities with a trip to the German Christmas market pop-up at Daley Plaza. A Chicago tradition since 1996, the market is packed with things to explore, and more importantly, things to eat. After you’ve finished picking up trinkets at Bavarian Glass Road or the Candle Palace, warm up with Bob’s Belgian Hot Chocolate, goulash from Schnitzel House, currywurst from DönerMen, and stollen from Dinkel’s Bakery. You can also reserve a table for up to eight at Stammtisch’s heated timbur haus and have a feast delivered to your crew.