1. Elina’s
Chicago
Veteran chefs Ian Rusnak (Blackbird, NoMi, Carbone) and Eric Safin (Restaurant Veronika, Jean Georges, ZZ’s Clam Bar) teamed up for their first solo restaurant venture, which features upmarket takes on beloved Italian American classics, from rigatoni alla vodka with Calabrian chile breadcrumbs to Dover sole piccata with brown butter and capers to lasagna rotolo with Sunday gravy.