The Resy Hit List: Where In Chicago You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
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There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in Chicago: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Chicago Not to Miss This Month
- Football-Friendly Eats: Whether you live for football or are only a fan of the food and drinks involved, there are plenty of places around town to watch the game (or … not) with your crew. Our newly updated guide features all the best group dining spots, like Logan Square’s Park and Field, which offers indoor and outdoor TVs, a 6,000-square-foot patio with firepits, and a menu for everyone.from mac and cheese to skirt steak. Or head to Babygold BBQ in Berwyn for brunch with a side of Bears game. If tomato pies are more your Sunday speed, our guide to great pizza has got you covered wherever you are, or you can opt to watch the games at Lincoln Park’s iconic Pequod’s (and read up on how the famous frico-crusted pan-style deep dish gets made before you go).
- The New Tasting Menu: The tasting menu has evolved beyond the putatively stuffy experience of yore, with playful dishes, gentle pricing, and personal playlists setting a new tone. Check out our guide to 8 great tasting menus to try right now, from hyper-seasonal Feld (and read our Q&A with its Beard Award-winning chef-owner Jake Potashnick) to Bonyeon, which features a 14-course Korean beef omakase for 12 guests a night. Visit the storied Charlie Trotter’s space in Lincoln Park, where regional Mexican pop-up Esmero, from Alinea Group executive chef Adair Canacasco, is holding court through the end of November. Or visit Oriole, where every meal involves an edible tour through several areas, from a one-bite snack at the bar to a decadent foie gras PB& J bite in the kitchen. Read more about the evolution of tasting menus all around the country here.
- October Events: October might be the kick-off to the holiday season, but there’s more than just spooky happenings around town. TenGoku Aburiya poses the age-old question, “Why enjoy a handroll omakase inside when you can do it on a boat?” by offering a $125, 8-course omakase on the river with Chicago Boat company on Oct. 2. Culinary meets visual art at Crispy Fresh Catering’s five-course “Of Course Creative” tasting with chef’s counter and communal seating options on Oct. 17. If you miss summer already, Community Tavern is hosting a three-course Summer in Mexico cocktail pairing dinner on Oct. 21. And if you want all the Halloween happenings, there’s a pumpkin carving party for kids at Park and Field on Oct. 4, and one for the adults with Wild Turkey cocktails at The Duck Inn on Oct. 20. Check out all the fall events here.
- New on Resy: This month we welcome a slew of new spots to Resy, like Eden, which opened its bright and airy Avondale location in 2022, complete with an on-site greenhouse and ultra-seasonal brunch, lunch, and dinner from chef Devon Quinn. You’ll find Honduran and Puerto Rican cuisine at Humboldt Park’s Casa Yari, now in a new location on Division Street. Or head underground for truffle cream tortellini, 48-hour braised short rib skewers, and classic cocktails at River North’s dark and cozy speakeasy The Franklin Room. For one of the swankiest dining rooms in the city, add French steakhouse The Alston to your list if you need to impress a client or date this month. Check out everything else that’s new on Resy here.
New to the Hit List (October 2026)
Tengoku Aburiya, Omakase Box, Club Lucky, Chez Poulet.
1. NADU Lincoln Park
Chef Sujan Sarkar of the Michelin-starred Indienne and head chef Sanchit Sahu have created a modern ode to their Indian roots at this Lincoln Park newcomer. The name translates to “homeland” and as such, each dish is labeled with its region of origin — from Delhi-style lentil dumplings in sweet and sour yogurt to curries from Kerala and biryani from Hyderabad. If you’re with a group go for the crab milagu fry, which features a whole Dungeness crab (they need 48 hours notice), or take advantage of the $60 tasting menu, which might be one of the best deals in town. Not-to-miss house cocktails include the floral Phool with gin, marigold, apple, and cream soda, and the smoky Kapi with rum, coffee, caramel yogurt and cardamom bitters. Rich greens and yellows add vibrancy throughout the space, and a giant mural by Delhi-based artist Abhay Sehgal was inspired by Indian and Chicago history and culture.
2. Middle Brow Brewery and Winery Logan Square
There’s never a bad time to visit this rustic and homey pizzeria, brewery, bakery, and winery, where fermentation is king and the patio comes alive in the warmer months. There are pastries during the week, bagels on weekends, and wood-fired pizzas, salads, and bread courses for dinner. For pizza, you can’t go wrong with classic margarita or seasonal varieties like short rib and asparagus, or house breads paired with white anchovies or jalapeño oil. Enjoy natural wines made with Michigan-grown grapes and housemade beers that range from Belgian-style witbiers to dry-hopped blended saisons (their hops are sourced locally, too). Stop in on a Tuesday for tavern-style pizza night, when the thin, square-cut pie gets the spotlight.
3. Feld Ukrainian Village
This hyper-local and seasonal tasting menu restaurant opened two years ago, and chef-owner Jake Potashnick has picked up both a Michelin star and, as of June, a Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. His “relationship-to-table” menu is all about celebrating and highlighting local producers, farmers, ranchers, and purveyors, and the $225-prix fixe changes almost daily depending on what’s in season). With only 20 seats, it’s a truly intimate and fun experience where guests face inwards, giving everyone prime views of the kitchen, where a small team has the plating and flow down pat. The prix fixe includes more than 20 courses, but they’re well-paced, arriving with stories and notes about each dish as the night unfolds.
4. Esmero Lincoln Park
The former Charlie Trotter’s space on Armitage is home to this residency helmed by chef Adair Canacasco of The Alinea Group. The Mexico City-born chef has led the kitchens of Roister, FIRE, and the group’s Big Sky, Montana residency since 2017, and is now telling his own story and tapping into his family history inside one of Chicago’s most storied kitchens. The 12-course menu features seasonal (and extremely beautiful) modern Mexican dishes for $195 per person, with a kitchen table experience for $215, and drink pairing options. Translating to “craft with care and dedication,” Esmero is open for a limited run, so book your experience before it’s gone.
5. TenGoku Aburiya West Loop
Tengoku Aburiya is the low-key little sister to chef Sangtae Park’s six-seat Omakase Yume and 10-course beef tasting menu restaurant Bonyeon. All three are in the same building, but have different vibes, with Tengoku being the most casual. There are bento boxes at lunch; udon noodle soups and maki rolls for dinner, and a new late-night, seven-course izakaya-inspired sushi omakase featuring handrolls made with bluefin tuna, crispy whitefish, and unagi tamago for $45. It’s available at the counter or in the dining room Tues.-Thurs. and Sundays at 8:30 p.m., and Fri. and Sat. at 9:30 p.m., and they promise have you in and out in an hour. Plus, the late-night menu cocktails, like the Lychee Please and Nippon Mule, are a steal at $10.
6. Au Cheval – Chicago Fulton Market District
Since opening in 2012, this intimate diner-style bar and restaurant has had lines and long wait times as guests vie for a spot on a black leather bar stool or inside a cozy booth—until now. While it was previously walk-in only, Au Cheval is finally taking limited reservations for parties of four. It’s good news for fans of the legendary cheeseburger, where a double-decker stack of beef patties, Dijonaise, melty Cheddar, and optional egg or thick slabs of bacon arrive with a knife plunged down the center. Sunny-side up eggs also show up on mornay-sauce topped French fries, potato hash, and chilaquiles, and cocktails from the “strong drinks” list include a bourbon espresso martini and pink vodka lemonade with Lillet Rosé and aperol.
7. Dimmi Dimmi Lincoln Park
A year after taking over the former Tarantino’s space, this Italian-American restaurant helmed by chef Matt Eckfeld has more than settled into the neighborhood. Reservations are hard to come by, but it’s worth the wait for focaccia with ricotta and honey, pastas like cavatelli bolognese and gnudi pomodoro, and tavern-style pizzas (we loved the vodka with ‘nduja) that have the ultimate crunch-to-chew ratio. The “Italian Beef” carpaccio is a deliciously deconstructed take on the iconic sandwich (get it hot or sweet) and the chicken Parm is not only big as your head, but comes with rigatoni pesto on the side. There are cozy booths, exposed brick, and communal tables inside, but the first-come-first-served 60-seat patio is where you’ll find the best seats in the house for lunch or dinner weather permitting.
8. Maxwells Trading West Loop
Last we checked, it’s still tough to snag a table at this nearly three-year old Fulton Market District favorite, but it’s worth the wait (and we have some tips), since executive chef Chris Jung and chef/partner Erling Wu-Bower continue to put out fantastic food that tells the stories of their upbringings. The seasonal menu is divided into beginnings, griddle bread and dunks, starch, substance, and desserts, and you’ll want to order something from every category (don’t miss the caramelized Japanese sweet potato with curries that change out, half-chicken a la brasa, and the Basque buttercake). Choose a glass or bottle from the well-curated wine list, or take advantage of the $12 spirit-free menu for NA Old Fashioneds, Negronis, and spritzes. Want a closer look at the bar and open-kitchen action? Bar reservations are available Tuesday through Thursday until 6:30PM.
9. DeNucci’s Hinsdale Hinsdale
We welcome Ballyhoo’s third location of their classic Italian red sauce joint with open arms. With locations already established in Lincoln Park and Highland Park, Hinsdale is the next neighborhood where locals can enjoy the same menu of white and red pizzas (head in on a Monday for tavern-style), fresh, handmade pastas (find out CEO Jon Farrer’s go to order), garlic knots, and eggplant Parm. Located in a historic building from 1923, the two-story restaurant features warm woods, elevated midcentury booths, and a vaulted ceiling; come summer we predict prime seating on the outdoor patio. Arrive early to have a glass of wine, limoncello spritz, or amaro Manhattan at the towering bar.
10. Mi Tocaya Antojería Logan Square
Recently recognized by The New York Times as one of the best restaurants in Chicago, Mi Tocaya has been serving authentic Mexican dishes in Logan Square for almost 10 years. Tocaya means “namesake” and chef/owner Diana Dávila infuses her personal narrative thought the menu, from a brief history of carnitas and pozole, to the story behind the signature steak burrito, which was inspired by her parent’s taqueria (and is only available on Wednesdays). You’ll also find half-priced bottles of wine on Tuesdays, hand-pressed corn tortillas, and smoked cauliflower queso fundido with two-year aged Hook’s Cheddar, poblanos, kale, and salsa ranchera. If it’s a nice night, head to the patio along with a Tepache Colada or a sangria with Mexican rum and pink peppercorn-infused agave nectar in hand.
11. Club Lucky Wicker Park
Even after almost 30 years in the heart of Bucktown, the love is still strong for this Italian-American neighborhood classic. With its 1940’s supper club vibes, large portions, and even larger martinis, the front cocktail lounge and bar (complete with working jukebox) and fun dining room fills up fast, but it’s worth the wait for fried calamari, homemade lasagna, pasta arrabiata, and cannoli or tiramisu for dessert. If you’re planning to run the marathon this month, head in the night before for their famous carbo-load dinner specials, which include extra homemade pastas and N/A drink options for runners (or just pasta lovers) starting at 3 p.m. Of course, you don’t need race plans to come in with a group and enjoy all the carbs and cocktails any time..
12. All Well West Loop
As fine dining stalwart Oriole celebrates ten years in business, executive chef-owner Noah Sandoval and chef de cuisine Larry Feldmeier are also branching out with a second venture in the same neighborhood. All Well opened mid-April and offers two concepts in one: a five-course prix fixe for $120 in the 50-seat dining room, and a 30-seat bar area for a la carte dishes like raclette potatoes and a “ham Sandoval” with mortadella and serrano peppers. For the tasting menu, expect American dishes with Japanese and French influences like truffle-stuffed quail and sablefish with savoy cabbage. Maxx Kleiner, also of Oriole, heads up the beverage program with fantastic drinks, like a house Old Fashioned with oolong, coconut, and black cardamom.
13. Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio West Loop
After 11 years, Top Chef alum and James Beard honoree Sarah Grueneberg and JBF finalist and executive chef Bailey Sullivan are still pushing the needle of Italian food forward at this white-hot West Loop restaurant. The menu features everything from wok-fried arrabbiata with ground shrimp and puttanesca breadcrumbs to tagliatelle alla primavera with artichokes, ramps, spinach and lemon. It’s still a tough table to score (we’ve got some tips), but the bar offers seating for walk-ins as well as the best views of the pasta-making in action. On nice days, try to get a seat on the patio for weekly lunch, dinner, or apertivo, where spritzes and snacks like mozzarella skewers and Wagyu beef skewers are served 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Tues-Sat.
14. Omakase Box Logan Square
If you’re keeping yourself to a budget before the holidays, the best omakase deals in town can be found at this Logan Square favorite. The 15-course chef’s counter omakase is now $112 on weekends, but stop in on a Wed., Thurs., or Sunday and it’s $98. Or sit in the intimate dining room for a la carte favorites like bluefin tuna tartare on puffed rice chips, toro hand rolls, and negi hamachi (there’s also $65,12-course tasting in the dining room nightly). You’ll find sake, wine, and Japanese whiskey selections, but we’re partial to the house highballs like the yuzu-hibiscus with gin (or vodka). End the night with vanilla Basque cheesecake.
15. Kyoten Logan Square
Austin transplant Otto Phan brought this sushi omakase to an intimate eight-seat counter in 2018, and it’s still one of the most exclusive (and priciest) tastings in town. But it makes sense considering he’s sourcing fish mostly from Japan and using inochi no ichi rice, a rare Japanese variety known for its large, puffy grains and perfect for soaking up the addition of aged red vinegar. Each dish is balanced and artful, Phan shows off a variety of aging, curing, cutting, and marinating methods in each delicately crafted course. The three-hour experience will cost around $500 per person, but Phan’s more casual omakase option, Kyoten Next Door, offers a more approachable (but just as creative!) 15 courses for $160.
16. Galit Lincoln Park
Start your evening at this seven-year-old modern Middle Eastern tasting menu restaurant at the bar, where cocktails include medjool dates, arak, and Persian amaro. Andrés Clavero and Beard award-winning chef Zachary Engel (a Shaya alum), along with bar director Scott Stroemer and pastry chef Mary-Eder McClure, are the dream team behind the Michelin-starred, $115, four-course choose-your-own adventure that changes with the seasons. Choose from a selection of hummuses (go with Bubbe’s brisket-topped), salatim (from labneh to a global pickle tour), mezze (crispy phyllo stuffed with melted leeks and fresh chèvre), and coal-fired dishes like the butter-poached grilled lobster with Jimmy Nardello peppers and Israeli couscous. End the night with honey-roasted apricot pavlova.
17. Provaré Noble Square
This four-year-old Italian-Creole restaurant from chef-owner Jourdan Higgs outgrew its original location after two years and moved up the street for more space, a larger menu, and a downstairs speakeasy called Privé (enter through the door hidden in the bookshelves). The vibe is fun and friendly with small welcome shots, ’90s throwback R&B and hip hop, and a decadent-but-delicious menu with items like salmon egg rolls, waffle fries topped with crab and pepperjack cheese, lamb chops, and a highly sharable New Orleans-inspired seafood and andouille pasta. The drinks are named after Chicago streets (e.g. The Randolph, with vodka, amaretto, passion fruit, lemon juice, orange bitters, and a red wine float), and even though you’ll be full at the end of it all, save room for butter cake with vanilla ice cream.
18. Chez Poulet Bucktown
Rotisserie chicken fans were overjoyed when brothers (and owners of Le Bouchon, Obelix, and Mariscos San Pedro) Oliver and Nicolas Poilevey opened Chez Poulet in their former Taquería Chingón space on Western Avenue late summer. This counter-service restaurant specializes in brined and air-dried French style rotisserie chicken (available as a half or whole and served with a side of chicken skin jus), sides like collard greens and Moroccan curried corn, bread from Mindy’s Bakery, wines by the glass or bottle, and weekend sandwich specials like a chicken bahn mi. The word is out and lines are long for this no-reservations spot, but it’s worth the wait for a small table on the heated 40-seat patio (there’s no seating inside), or take it to go.
No reservations; more info here.
19. Smyth West Loop
This 10-year-old, three Michelin-starred fine dining tasting menu restaurant just hit another major milestone by landing the top spot on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2026. Chefs-owners (and husband and wife duo) John Shields and Karen Urie-Shields take guests on a journey over 14 to16 seasonal courses (and around three hours), starting with fun bites like enoki cannolis and moving on to braised abalone and black bolete mushrooms served in stunning vessels that look to be pulled straight from the sea. It’s fun to watch all the action happening in the studio-like open kitchen and pass, and the servers and vibe keep things flowing and informal. For a splurge, add the wine pairing, led by wine director Louis Fabbrini, who shares the Shields’ ingredient- and small producer-focused philosophy.
20. TXA TXA Club Logan Square
Lula Cafe alums (and partners in business and life) Liz Bendure and Daniel Parker opened this funky all-day cafe in March after testing their Southeast Asian and Mediterranean-inspired seasonal menus at pop-ups and events dating back to 2020. The menu is a mix of sweet and savory pastries (think corn cakes with orange espresso whipped cream and jasmine pavlova), a breakfast sandwich with umeboshi aioli, and dinner-friendly dishes like BBQ pork in yellow curry and a cold noodle salad with XO sauce. You’ll find “fancy” lattes made with corn milk and excellent cocktails like the Saltwater Cowgirl with gin, Green Key, lychee, coconut vinegar, and clam juice. It’s a full service cafe as much as it’s a community space for monthly guest chefs, rotating artists, and other off and onsite collaborations and supper club events.
Liz Grossman has been a Chicago-based writer, editor and storyteller for 25 years. She’s the former editor-in-chief of Plate magazine and co-founder of the nonprofit storytelling series, Between Bites. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, Chicago, Robb Report, Flavor & the Menu, and more. Follow her @elizabites_Chi, and follow @Resy while you’re at it.
