Restaurants

Chicago’s famed food classics always score high with diners: deep-dish pizza, big juicy steaks, drippy Italian beef, and topping-heaped Chicago-style hot dogs (some estimates put the number of hot dog stands alone at around 3,000). But there is oh so much more gastronomic goodness to this City of Big Shoulders. In fact, there are so many restaurants here—more than 7,300—that Chicago could just as fittingly be called the City of Big Appetites.

And it’s been that way pretty much since the city started taking shape in the early 19th century. As the city swelled with both residents and visitors, so did a natural need for eating establishments. The Loop business district became a melting pot of cuisines and the place where quick-serve lunches and cafeterias first became popular, while menus throughout the neighborhoods reflected the home countries of the immigrant populations who landed there. Fortunately for adventurous diners, communities in every area of the city continue to be hidden gems chock-full of interesting restaurants, from Indian in West Rogers Park to Vietnamese in Uptown and inventive American in Bucktown.

One thing has changed over the years, and that is the sophistication level of Chicago chefs and their restaurants—their light has continued to shine brighter and has earned attention of food aficionados across the globe. We can now happily crow about two chefs in particular who have received the Outstanding Chef Award from the James Beard Foundation (a.k.a. the Oscars of the dining world)—Rick Bayless of Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, and XOCO; and Grant Achatz of Alinea, a destination that has also achieved a rare AAA Five-Diamond status. Adding to the award-winning roster: Richard Melman, head of the hugely successful (and amazingly delicious) Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant conglomerate, who won the 2011 James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurateur, a category only in existence since 2005. In another newish category, the Best Chef: Great Lakes, a Chicago chef has won 3 out of its 5 years; and of the James Beard Best Chef: Midwest title, 11 of the 21 awards have been claimed by Chicago chefs.

The accolades don’t mean much, though, unless these chefs have got the chow to back it up—and they undeniably do. While our list doesn’t come close to covering it all (let us know if your favorite isn’t included here), we’ve tried to choose restaurants that span the spectrum of food types, location, and price. You’ll find some of the city’s tried-and-true taste sensations, as well as its more eclectic and ethnic offerings, and we encourage you to try a little of both.

Overview

The chapter organizes restaurants by type of cuisine, with neighborhoods typically mentioned within the text. All restaurants accept major credit cards, unless noted otherwise. As is the law in Chicago, all restaurants prohibit smoking inside and within 15 feet of any entrance, exit, or window that opens.