The Resy Hit List: Where In Chicago You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Giant has long been a Logan Square standby for groups, date nights, post-work hangs, and everything in between. Why? Turn to chef Jason Vincent, who turns out extremely craveable, slightly cheffed-up fare from his rotating test kitchen-style menu. Pull up to the chef’s counter and there may be craggy jalapeño biscuits with maple butter, delicate saffron-laced tagliatelle with dungeness crab and chile butter, or a ridiculously juicy burger on housemade brioche. Part of the pleasure of dining here is that you don’t always know what the menu will hold—but you can be certain it will satisfy.

From the hand-pressed heirloom corn tortillas to the molcajete-muddled guacamole and lamb neck barbacoa (served with pea macha verde and beet pickled onions), everything at Diana Dávila’s groundbreaking restaurant is steeped in Mexican tradition and accented with her own personal flair. The menu doubles as a culinary history lesson, with insight into each dish that goes way beyond a simple description. The space is as lively as the food: tiled floors, vibrant art, hanging planters and a breezy patio that’s perfect for lingering on cool evenings. Whether you’re parked at a colorful bar stool for a pink peppercorn- and agave-laced sangria and DIY fish tacos or visiting with a group for a family-style meal, you’ll know immediately why Dávila has become such a beloved figure in the Chicago dining scene.

Thanks to a nice little renovation in April, Nettare has everything you want in a bright and cheery neighborhood cafe. Stop by in the morning for freshly baked pastries (like rhubarb-berry Pop Tarts and savory roasted red pepper scones) and a sticky bun latte, or grab a more substantial brunch: the BLT has a zippy giardiniera aioli on house-made rye and pairs perfectly with that giardiniera vodka in the Bloody Mary. During the day, light pours in over the dining room, whether you’re seated at the long bar or the greenery-lined banquette. And in the evening, make way for intimate, seasonally influenced meals like pappardelle with summer squash and preserved lemon. Don’t forget to stop at the adjacent bottle shop on your way out.

In the oppressive heat of summer, sometimes the best thing you can do is lean in and eat something really, really spicy. And when that time comes, there may be no better option than Sichuan cuisine, with its fiery whole chilis and mouth-numbing peppercorns. Our advice is to head to YooYee, a buzzy new spot near Asia on Argyle. While some dishes are better suited for dining in, like a bowl of hand-pulled noodle soup and a whole crispy fried fish — and indeed, there is often a wait — others are excellent to grab and go, like the double-cooked pork with fermented black beans, the cumin-laced Xinjiang-style beef, and the tingly mapo tofu.

No reservations; more info here. 

In November, Monteverde will be turning 10. And in all that time, Top Chef alum and James Beard Award winner Sarah Grueneberg has never come close to complacency, preferring instead to push the needle of Italian food forward in one of the most consistently sought-after tables in Chicago. Rustic snacks and pasta preparations are given a fine gloss here (think wok-fried arrabbiata with ground shrimp and puttanesca breadcrumbs), with seasonal specials keeping things fresh (i.e. sweet pea and sausage gramigna garnished with orange blossom honey and orange zest). While any seat is a good one here — the patio especially on nice days — try to grab one at the bar to see the handmade pasta station in action.

If you’re going to open a pizza place in Chicago, you need to be a little brave. Ideally, you’ll have an experienced team, a welcoming room, and a hard-working oven to handle the hordes. That’s exactly what’s happening at Little Lark, the latest from Meadlowlark Hospitality on Avondale’s Guild Row. The vibe is decidedly communal, with plenty of space indoors and out to dig into pies they’re describing as “neo-Neapolitan,” i.e. a bit thicker than the classic but still thin enough to wolf down in their entirety. The toppings are seasonal, the salumi is housemade, and combinations are creative (i.e. roasted butternut squash purée, confit garlic, prosciutto, whipped ricotta, and arugula).

To mentally escape from Chicago winter, you need only to step into Aldo Gonzalez’s  tropical paradise of Mexican cuisine, colorful drinks, and beachy vibes (thanks to bamboo pendant lighting, rattan seating, and many plants). The menu here is inspired by Gonzalez’s Mexican heritage and his travels around Mexico, which translates to lots of seafood (some of it stuffed into pineapples), birria quesadillas, and tacos on housemade tortillas. Don’t leave without trying their signature dessert: the Flame of Tulum, a housemade milk chocolate skull surrounding a molten lava cake, which is flambéed tableside for dramatic effect.

The team behind the original Dicey’s in Nashville and Chicago’s Parson’s Chicken & Fish have teamed up to bring us our very own Dicey’s in West Town. They’re doing everything right for a neighborhood spot: providing good food, a wide variety of drinks (from natural wines to slushies to crazy shot combinations), and a casual two-story space to hang. Grab your friends and dig into giardiniera dip or a big plate of wings, then go for a tavern-style pie: keep it classic, or go wild with cacio e pepe and chicken alla vodka toppings. Afterwards, you can play a few rounds of Super Mario Bros. (they have vintage arcade games, too).

What was once a popular stop at Revival Food Hall from James Beard-nominated chef and owner Joseph Fontelera is now a beloved brick-and-mortar in North Center with some of the best Filipino food in the city. From the family photos hanging on the wall to the hand-drawn artwork, simple pendant lighting, and abundant foliage, it feels more like you’re eating in a friend’s living room than a restaurant. Dig into the sizzling pork sissig topped with a runny egg yolk, or go big with the kare kare, a braised short rib with marinated eggplant, sunflower butter sauce, and a spicy bagoong jam. Smart diners will get extra garlic rice, and the smartest will save room for the roasted banana turon, sticky with caramelized sugar.

Unlimited pizza and pasta for $25: That’s the weekend deal that put Canal Street on the map last fall, as part of their (very successful) effort to get diners in to their tucked-away corner of the West Loop, in an office building just south of Union Station. But the crowds aren’t just here for the deal — the food is excellent, too, including a four-part pasta flight with housemade cacio e pepe, a meaty casarecce Bolognese, mezzi rigatoni pomodoro, and their newest launch, a sun-dried tomato pesto pasta topped with a creamy ball of burrata. (Share that one with your date as the sun dips low against the two-story windows.) And if you need some tips on how to score a seat now that the word has spread, we can help.

From the team behind The Oliang comes this bright Tokyo-inspired restaurant offering an assortment of sushi, ramen, and Japanese small plates. You’re likely to see diners snapping pictures of Ryota’s eye-catching “sets,” wooden boats containing a colorful assortment of otoro, buttery uni, and ikura over sushi rice. As the weather grows colder, try one of the cozier options, like the mazemen (a brothless ramen) that you can  order with crunchy chicken karaage on top (why wouldn’t you?). Whether you’re popping in for a post-work meal (for that, sit at the sushi bar) or meeting a group for happy hour, Ryota meets the moment with its excellent fish, strong cocktails (they’re launching a new matcha martini this fall), and sleek, modernist feel.

The team behind Diego has a new steakhouse, and we swear it’s not like all the others. This one is inspired by chef Stephen’s Sandoval’s family in Northern Mexico and Galicia, so instead of a classic Bordelaise with that ribeye, you can get huitlacoche (corn truffle) Bordelaise and bolima burnt lime salt. In lieu of simple steak au poivre, you’ll get maiz au poivre. And instead of regular mashed potatoes, yours will have a hit of epazote butter.  In the kitchen, Sandoval and team are cooking on a powerful plancha grill, which reaches temperatures of up to 850°F. We’re thrilled to have this new spot on Randolph Row — grab a reservation before it books up.

If you’ve never been to a Detroit-style pizza place whose mascot is a three-eyed alien dog, now is the time.  Just go with us on this — at Sharpies, all the elements work. Perhaps it’s the vintage video games you can play upon arrival; maybe it’s the space-y theme that invites a sense of childlike wonder; or maybe it’s just that this pizza is the real deal:  the crispiest Detroit-style pies, with caramelized edges on every side. Try it plain or topped with good stuff, like fennel sausage, Calabrian peppers, and ricotta (in the Sausage Singularity). There are a handful of apps like crispy cheese curds and a fried onion blossom. And to accompany, cocktails designed for “slurpability,” all of which are brightly colored, served with crushed ice, and made with their zingy citrus mix, Atomic Juice.

No reservations, more info here.

From the Tiffany-inspired pendants hanging from the ceiling to the long wooden bar, and antique-style gilded frames throughout, Void exudes an effortlessly cozy feel, with an Italian-American menu to match the mood. Dishes nod to childhood favorites while showcasing real culinary finesse (like the playfully named “Spaghetti Uh-Ohs,” made here with the ring-shaped Sicilian pasta anelli, mini meatballs, and a vodka sauce that’s poured from a can tableside). The cocktails are playful, too – do try the “Giardtini,” with both vodka and gin, vermouth, and what they call “Giardiniera-fied olive brine,” a singularly Chicago invention we have no choice but to applaud.

Even with a James Beard Award and a Michelin star, Kasama is far from resting on its laurels, continuing to wow diners with its Filipino-style tasting menu in a casual yet energetic setting. For those lucky enough to get a coveted reservation expect a colorful and intriguing multi-course meal that changes with the seasons: there might be a buttery croissant laden with truffles, a mushroom adobo with mussel foam, and lamb belly kare-kare with peanut puree. Can’t wait for dinner? Pop in for brunch at the cafe, which is first-come, first-served. The buzzy little space brighten your day with chicken adobo over garlic rice, and a breakfast sandwich that takes your classic egg and cheese up a notch with the addition of salty longanisa.

Evoking a classic Italian American kitchen with perhaps a little mobster swagger, Dimmi Dimmi is the newest red sauce joint to break through in Lincoln Park. Pull into a red leather booth and dig into oversized mozzarella sticks, focaccia served in a hot cast iron skillet, or stuffed shells in vodka sauce, each dish more comforting than the last. And while Italian American is the overarching theme here, there are more than a few Chicago-specific flourishes, like housemade giardinera, carpaccio mashed up with Italian beef, and tavern-style pizza with a nicely crispy crust. According to the team, Dimmi Dimmi means “tell me, tell me” in Italian, “like the friend who always wants the good gossip.” So here’s the word: get in now.