The February Hit List: Rooh, The Duck Inn, Kimski, and More

Regional Indian cuisine gets the modern culinary treatment at this swanky spot in the West Loop. Pull up to the bright blue bar or sink into a teal velvet banquette for a menu that brings together dishes from all 28 states of India. Enjoy the stretchy cheese pull of a chile cheese kulcha with Tillamook cheddar, then move on to a hulking slow-cooked Bengali lamb shank. (A vegan menu is also available.) Take advantage of the flavorful accompaniments, including the fermented chile chutney, the cooling avocado and garlic raita, and housemade butter pao.

Tucked into the corner of Ashland and Grand, this new sports bar offers plenty of opportunities to watch your favorite game while digging into comforting street food from chef Marissa Tuñon. On the menu, Midwest classics like fried cheese curds share space with elotes, patatas bravas, and a Mexican pambazo sandwich with chorizo, potatoes, creamy labneh, and salsa verde. Before the night is through, pop downstairs for a nightcap and maybe a dance or two at the attached subterranean speakeasy Bootleg.

From the team behind Assembly and DMK Burger Bar comes Fish Bar Old Town, an offshoot of the original in Lakeview with an equally eye-catching fresh seafood menu. Whether you’re in the mood for oysters with a pleasantly puckery mignonette, a lobster roll dressed with Old Bay-laced mayo and tater tots, or mussels with ‘nduja and hominy, Fish Bar can deliver. There’s also a slew of refreshing seaside-inspired cocktails, like the Islands in the Stream with lime, grapefruit, Luxardo, and white rum.

Housed in a century-old pre-Prohibition tavern in the charming Bridgeport neighborhood, The Duck Inn specializes in, you guessed it, duck. Chef Kevin Hickey’s menu is full of hits, from the rotisserie duck (legs and thighs are slow-roasted for three hours, while breasts are pan-roasted medium-rare to order) to a duck dog made with beef and duck fat. There are also duck wings, duck fat fries, and a burger topped with a fried duck egg. Should you want to get fancy, you can top anything with black truffles for $30.

If you’re looking to plan a special meal, perhaps for Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day, head to beloved (and newly reopened) Avondale destination Parachute. In the cozy space, enjoy creative Korean dishes, like yuk hwe (a delicate beef tartare) served with cucumbers, apples, and minari; a warming and spicy braised brisket soup; and pork bossam with kimchi and oysters, too. After two years away, we’re thrilled to see Parachute back and bustling.

Call 872-204-7138 for reservations.

Pizza and cake? Now that’s a romantic combination (fittingly, from a husband-and-wife team). Start with a Detroit-style pizza topped with roasted eggplant, stracciatella, and fresh oregano, then move on to desserts like a passion fruit rum baba or red velvet cake. The cocktails are appropriately playful, including a carrot cake old-fashioned with cocoa butter-washed bourbon, spiced carrot syrup, and freeze-dried blueberry bitters. 

A welcome salve for the bone-chilling winter weather, this Japanese chain import brings steaming bowls of Mega Ramen and more to River North. The Mega bowl comes loaded with pork chashu, shrimp, marinated egg, corn, scallion, and more, while miso, curry, chicken, and vegetable options round out the soups. There’s also fluffy Instagram-ready omurices, ramen burgers, matcha mille crepe cakes, and more.

Find more info here. 

Amid the colorful wall-to-wall murals from local artist Alfonso Piloto Nieves, visit Zentli for creative takes on Mexican street food classics, including chorizo-potato tacos, crispy flautas with tomatillo broth, and masa-filled molotes. Pair a slew of small plates with the espinoso cocktail, featuring Abasolo corn whiskey, Nixta corn liqueur, prickly pear, lime, and cinnamon-sage syrup — a fitting homage to the staple crop for which the restaurant is named. (Zentli is indigenous Nahuatl language for “corn” or “maize,” the restaurant says.)

There’s a lot happening in Highwood these days, including a brand-new golf-inspired brewpub, Broken Tee. Of course, you don’t need to be a golf savant to love it here. Between the cozy atmosphere, the fact that the owner can most often be found chatting up customers behind the bar, and the thoughtful menu of rotating beers on tap, it’s a welcome addition to the neighborhood and worth visiting from the city. The food errs on the side of rib-sticking, from a brisket-and-gravy-topped poutine to the “Grilled Goodness” sandwich, slathered with almond butter, hot honey, Gruyere cheese, and maple bacon jam.

Find more info here. 

You may have visited Kimski, the restaurant attached to Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar, for its creative Korean-Polish fare under chef Won Kim. But while Kim is on sabbatical this winter (he’s set to return in April), the space has played host to a rotating series of pop-ups, from Heffer BBQ to Herbivore’s vegan comfort food. This month, stop by for a slew of dips, meats, and gyros from Mezze Table — don’t miss the dolmades or chicken feta melt.

Find more info here.