City: Chicago, IL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (773) 248-6228

Address: 816 W. Armitage Ave.

Description: There may be plenty of newer kids on the block (Alinea, for starters), but there’s a reason this Lincoln Park restaurant has been a destination for food enthusiasts from around the world for more than 20 years. The elegantly decorated 2-story 1900 brownstone presents the perfect backdrop for the sophisticated food of chef Charlie Trotter, a self-taught chef who’s worked in some 40 restaurants and has pretty much won every food award possible. With an emphasis on ingredients—Trotter was an advocate for local farmers long before it became chic and now works with some 95 of them—the daily-changing tasting menus (the only option) highlight the best each season has to offer with dishes such as whole roasted squab with Alaskan licorice, toasted pistachios, and heirloom beets. Though tastes push the envelope, the traditional jacket-recommended policy still remains. The per-person price hovers right around the $250 mark. Open for dinner Tues through Sat; closed Sun and Mon.