How to Eat Your Way Across Chicago’s Award-Nominated Restaurants

Up for a well-deserved Outstanding Restaurant award this year, Galit, led by chef Zachary Engel and Andrés Clavero, offers an elegant yet fun Mediterranean menu in a hopping Lincoln Park room anchored by a wood-fired oven. Start with the hummus lineup, and move on to a couple of mezzes, like the mango labneh and Persian pickled turnips, with coal-fired dishes like the turkey shawarma with sweet potato, coffee, and citrus. Wines come from Lebanon, Armenia, Israel, and Cyprus, along with cocktails, like the Isot Daisy—a tequila-forward mix with yuzu, lemon, and a smokey kick of urfa biber. Cozy and flavor-packed, Galit transcends geography, while still feeling unmistakably like Chicago.

One of 2024’s hottest openings, Maxwells Trading chefs Erling Wu-Bower and Chris Jung are up for Best Chefs: Great Lakes this year. Their West Loop gem blends global ingredients with Chicago’s seasonal, locally sourced haul (much of it grown on the building’s rooftop). Standouts include half chicken a la brasa with collard greens and ginger-scallion salsa verde, and the clay pot — a comforting mix of shiitake, maitake, and blue yamagata rice. Their cocktails put a twist on old favorites, like a White Negroni with earthy celery root. With an open kitchen and soaring ceilings, Maxwell’s pairs a lively atmosphere with refined sophistication—plus an unmistakably personal menu that surprises and delights.

Husband and wife chef team Tim Flores and Genie Kwon won the Best Chef: Great Lakes award in 2023, and you can rest assured their Ukranian Village spot will be a hot ticket for visiting industry friends this year. Their inventive, oft-changing Filipino American tasting menu at dinner has earned the couple a Michelin star in addition to the Beard Award, and during the day, the fast-selling pastry case is full of sweet and savory treasures like ube and huckleberry Basque cake. The light and plant-filled space feels like visiting a friend’s home for an overdue catchup, no matter when you stop by.

Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada were semifinalists for the Best Chef: Great Lakes award this year, and with good reason: Superkhana’s menu offers a contemporary spin on Indian dishes, shaking up classic recipes without sacrificing traditional flavors. The beef keema, for example, is served atop a mozzarella pizza with fresno chile; while their take on the classic Bolognese is spiced with achar masala. The decor is sophisticated, but also quirky and vibrant, featuring floral cushions on sleek wooden benches and colorful lighting on white brick walls. It’s absolutely necessary to save room for their saffron cardamom and Parle-G Biscuit ice cream sandwich topped with candied pistachio.

Chef Diana Davila, another semifinalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category this year, remains at the forefront of the new guard of Mexican American cuisine in Chicago and beyond. Her menu is broad and beautiful: You might see her fondness for Baja reflected in an aguachile punched with shrimp and uni, or romanesco tossed in a version of sikil pak, the ancient seed-based spread, made with gooseberries. The steak burrito that’s a modern Chicago classic remains, too, along with their take on quesabirria, using traditional goat and aged melted queso. Heritage and sources matter a lot here, with plenty of corn and other ingredients coming from single origins, but the culinary language always feels familiar.

A 2024 semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant, chef Kevin Hickey’s perfect neighborhood spot brings duck appreciation to new heights, with a signature rotisserie-roasted number (which must be ordered ahead), a duck-fat hot dog, and even a burger with a fried duck egg. (There are also, it bears mentioning, several excellent non-duck offerings as well.) And despite the accolades, Duck Inn remains true to its unpretentious roots, with an intimate, welcoming feel in this historic South Side neighborhood. Grab a bar seat for a romantic, dimly lit date night, head to the back room with a larger group, or sit outside in the sprawling garden space to welcome the arrival of warmer weather.

Named after the ancient dragon-turtle from Chinese mythology, BiXi is an East Asian brewpub, helmed by Best Chef: Great Lakes semifinalist Bo Fowler, who combines Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Midwestern culinary traditions to delicious effect. Case in point: the Chicago beef bao with prime rib and Szechuan giardiniera, or the brunchtime offering of Japanese milk buns stuffed with Thai sausage and American cheese. Don’t miss out on the creative brews either, infused with everything from Szechuan peppercorns to pearled jasmine tea.

A 2024 semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, Bungalow by Middle Brow isn’t easy to define. A brewery? Not quite. All-day cafe? In some ways. It’s not exactly a pizzeria or a coffee shop. It’s not quite a winery or a bread shop. And yet, somehow it is all of those things in one — which earned an easy spot on our list this year, as founder Pete Ternes and his partners continue to surprise and delight with their passion for all things fermented. A visit to the cozy space reveals just how much Middle Brow can do, from an excellent craft beer to a margherita pizza, an Italian beef sandwich, and a malted maple sourdough doughnut, and more.

This Logan Square mainstay, winner of the 2024 award for Outstanding Hospitality (and a nominee many times over), is a destination for anyone searching for seasonal and market-driven food in this effortlessly cool, inviting space. Though the brunch crowd is legendary, chef Jason Hammel’s  restaurant has beautifully plated options that feel innovative yet still comforting at any time of day. Try the pasta “yia yia” with feta, garlic, brown butter, and cinnamon; a classic roast chicken with panzanella and anchovy aioli; and popcorn creme brulee for dessert, served alongside inventive cocktails and local beers. 

This South Side barbecue icon, run by the Lemons family for over 70 years, is beloved for its smoked rib tips and hot links, and justly received an America’s Classic Award from the Foundation earlier this year. One of the most influential Black-owned rib joints in the city, it’s well worth a visit to learn more about Chicago’s signature aquarium-style smokers and sample a bite of some of the most coveted ribs (slathered in a tangy top-secret sauce) in town.