The Chicago Restaurants We Loved in September

We are fortunate to live in a moment where…

… we can opine on where to explore the fermented joys of Dongbei cuisine and get the best Yunnan ham. But if you don’t respect the beauty of a really good egg roll, you’re simply not living. And Chef’s Special makes a really good egg roll — both shrimp and pork (essential!), vermicelli for bulk, and vegetables that reveal a commitment to good knifework. The wrapper is craggy and thick, and chewy just at the moment you’re hoping for as you bite in. And of course that first bite is a bit too hot, because it was fried just so. The accompanying drinks have the airs of 2024, yet wink at the tiki stylings of midcentury Chinese joints. All told, it’s a gleeful indulgence of Chinese American foodways that, let’s be honest, brings a whole lot of joy.

— Jon Bonné, Managing Editor, Resy Editorial

The food and drinks are equally delicious…

… at Superkhana International, and the service is friendly and warm. Although some of the items rotate based on the season, you’ll always find their chili cheese naan with salted jalapeños on the menu, and you can’t skip it!

— Sarah Slaton, Product Designer

I’m hesitant to even talk about…

… how good Mariscos San Pedro is, because I don’t want to fight with people for reservations. This is a really special place where you can tell that there’s a lot of love in the food, from how the servers talk about menu items (knowledgeably, passionately) to how the food is prepared, plated, and served (meticulously, beautifully).

Start with cold dishes, like the natural oysters with punchy passion fruit mignonette and the tuna tostada with dots of black garlic and salsa macha. Then move onto hot items, like the Baja fish tacos and scallops that are served over the sweetest corn grits. While my group ordered and devoured a solid 25% of the menu, I kept looking over at other tables and feeling jealous of what they were having: a sign of a winning restaurant when you can’t wait to come back for more.

— Ariel Kanter, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial

My dad and I recently went to see…

… “Back to the Future: The Musical” (which was as fun as it sounds), and in scouting out a nearby dinner spot, I remembered how much I’d been wanting to visit José Andrés’ Bar Mar. Andrés and team have a knack for finding and outfitting sprawling, gorgeous spaces (this one is no exception with its river views and sun-soaked room), and the food was equally impressive and thorough. A pre-theater menu ($75) features generous portions and bold flavors (among the standouts: lobster shrimp-béchamel fritters; salmon Veracruz). With eight courses, we were skeptical we’d make the show on time, but the team ensured it (flan and all) — a well-oiled night worthy of its own applause.

— Nicole Schnitzler, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial

I really don’t know how I’ve gone so long…

… without ever trying the breakfast sandwich at Kasama, and now, all others will be measured against it. Think fluffy eggs, longaniza sausage, American cheese, and a hash brown, all held together by a potato bun. It was perfect.

— Aaron Ginsberg, VP of Strategic Partnerships & Industry Developments

Uptown offers an amazingly diverse array of restaurants in a few short blocks…

… but even among many great options, In-On Thai is a standout destination. This family-owned BYOB differentiates itself with scratch-made sauces and curries, which lend every dish a complex flavor profile that tastes just as perfect in the takeout container as it does in the dining room.

It caters to a range of diners, whether you want to stick to traditional Thai takeout staples like pad see ew and pad Thai, or branch out to the restaurant’s specialties, like the ground pork salad with spicy lime dressing and the stir-fried chicken with green beans in red curry, whose earthy flavors taste even better the second day. The one non-negotiable dish, though, is the crispy fish with jungle salad, a technicolor jumble of fried fish, onions, limes, herbs, chiles, peanuts, apples, and more — you’ll be thinking about this one long after the tangy sauce leaves your palate.

— Marnie Shure, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial

Alfresco dining is tough to top…

… at the bustling RPM Seafood, where the patio offers front-row seats to riverfront action (splashing paddles of sunset kayakers and music from dinner cruises sailing past included). On a recent Thursday, I took in these sights and sounds alongside memorable tastes from the menu: cheese-baked focaccia with house-cured olives, Ora King salmon with the perfect pinch of Amalfi salt — all of it, my own late-summer Mediterranean escape.

— Nicole Schnitzler, Contributing Writer, Resy Editorial