25 Chicago restaurants were just named the city's best, according to a new article from the New York Times.
The list, titled "The 25 Best Restaurants in Chicago Right Now," was released by the outlet Tuesday as part of a "Where to Eat" series that highlights editors' favorite restaurants in cities across the country.
"We scouted the city’s vast food scene, from stellar hot dogs and renowned Italian beefs to refined tasting menus," the article begins, while acknowledging its picks might cause a stir. "And we're here for your comments," the article says in parenthesis.
Many of the restaurants on the list have recently garnered national attention after being romanticized on the Chicago-based hit FX show "The Bear," or earned prestigious accolades like James Beard nominations or Michelin stars. Others have appeared on similar recent lists from Food & Wine Magazine and Esquire.
The list isn't ranked, and the restaurants appear in alphabetical order. The first restuarant on the list is Akahoski Ramen, which opened in the city's Logan Square neighborhood in November 2023. According to the article, chef and owner Mike Santinover used Reddit to help him with ramen research and recipes.
"He brought that viral momentum into this brick-and-mortar restaurant, where reservations are snapped up within minutes of release," the article says, adding that only four ramens are on the menu.
The only two Chicago restaurants that recently appeared on Esquire's "2023 Best New Restaurants in America" ranking also made the list: Basque chophouse Asador Bastian, in River North, and Warlord, a dimly-lit, industry hot spot in Avondale.
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Several Michelin-rated restaurants also made the list, including Ever, in Fulton Market; Oriole, in the West Loop; Boka, in Old Town; Avec, in the West Loop and River North, and The Duck Inn, in Bridgeport.
Kasama, in Ukrainian Village, and Lula Café, in Logan Square also made the list. Both restaurants appear on Chicago's Michelin guide and were been nominated for 2024 James Beard awards.
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Virtue, in Hyde Park, which won a James Beard award in 2023, also made the list.
The list also incudes two iconic Chicago institutions: Johnnie's Beef and Superdawg.
The full list of 25 can be found below:
- Akahoski Ramen
- Al Bawadi Grill
- Asador Bastian
- Avec
- Boka
- Brindille
- Ever
- Hopleaf
- Johnnie's Beef
- Kasama
- Kim's Uncle Pizza
- Lula Café
- Maxwells Trading
- Mi Tocaya Antojeria
- Monteverde
- Oriole
- Shanghai Terrace
- Superdawg
- Thattu
- The Duck Inn
- The Loyalist
- Tortas Frontera
- Uncle John's Bar-B-Que
- Virtue
- Warlord
You can see the full article from the New York Times here.
