Critics' Picks

Counter seating at bin win café

Photo: Brian Willette, Models:Kwesi/Chosen; Heather/Elite

Watching the action from the back counter at bin wine café
Skip reserving a table at this Wicker Park spot and nab a seat at the counter near the kitchen instead. You’ll have a perfect view of the slicing, dicing and plating going on in front of you. And the menu offers plenty of reasons to linger: brick-roasted chicken, one of the best burgers in town and an almost overwhelming cheese selection. Talk about service: When your order’s up, you’ll know exactly who prepared it and how, because you were right there. 1559 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-486-2233—Lauren Viera

Tripe Florentine at Riccardo Trattoria
If menudo grosses you out, it’s time to rethink your position on cow stomach. Dig into chef Riccardo Michi’s classic take, in which veal honeycomb tripe (the crème de la crème of stomach linings) is julienned and braised with onion, carrots, and celery, as well as pancetta chunks, plum tomato, smashed garlic, rosemary and sage. The finishing touch is a dose of freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. While he admits the dish doesn’t exactly fly off the menu, Michi says.“I like it, I eat it and I’m here every day.” 2119 N Clark St, 773-549-0038—Heather Shouse

Pork belly–and–sweet potato sandwich at Café Salamera
This small Peruvian sandwicheria may not have much business savvy (it’s gone under and reopened twice, and still refuses to stay open past 6pm), but it does make a mean sandwich. For the “Norky Porky”—named for owner Norka Pando—chunks of fried pork belly and spare-rib meat are layered onto grilled Gonnella French bread along with crispy sweet potatoes and slivers of red onion. Drizzled with the house-made, neon-green, cilantro-jalapeño salsa, this sweet-and-savory creation justifies ducking out of work early. 6653 N Clark St, 773-764-7210—HS

Algerian crêpe and tea at Icosium Kafe
Sure, you could get a cheaper crêpe from another Chicago crêperie. But an Algerian crêpe with tea is a cultural and culinary experience for just $8.50—less than you’ll pay for parking in some neighborhoods. The large, thin pancakes are filled with your choice of lamb or beef sausage, escargot, or other halal meats, cheese, veggies or fruits. The plates are garnished and presented with a side salad or soup. And this refined meal is topped off with tea service in a Mary Poppins–worthy teapot with a tea cup rimmed in gold. (A spoonful of sugar is optional.) 5200 N Clark St, 773-271-5233—Margaret Littman

Bruce Sherman of North Pond

Photo: Brian Willette

Bruce Sherman of North Pond
His restaurant’s paper, glass, plastics and cardboard get recycled. Any food waste is carted off to compost. He was instrumental in getting the iconic Green City Market up and running. You’ll find him teaching the “good fish, bad fish” rules of sustainable sea catch to grade-school kids before rushing off to set up his kitchen for dinner service. The point is that Bruce Sherman walks the walk, and because he does, the food he serves at North Pond offers the pure, intense flavors of each season. 2610 N Cannon Dr, 773-477-5845—HS

Wagyu beef carpaccio with trout roe at Le Lan
When chef Bill Kim was tapped to give Roland Liccioni and Arun Sampanthavivat’s French-Asian restaurant a shot in the arm, he fired back with stunning dishes like this appetizer. Razor-thin slices of buttery Wagyu beef are topped with tiny dollops of trout roe, a drizzle of soy-spiked balsamic vinegar, diced jicama, cracked pink peppercorns, baby mâche microgreens and tiny brioche croutons. Land and sea don’t collide, but blend so perfectly that you’ll never settle for steak and lobster again. 749 N Clark St, 312-280-9100—HS

Smoked pork butt at Smoque BBQ
Except for maybe one or two anomalies, it used to be that North Side barbecue fiends had to get their fix on the South Side. Thankfully, Barry Sorkin came to the rescue a few months ago with honest-to-goodness, wood-smoked barbecue, including his incredibly juicy pulled pork butt (you can call it “shoulder” if your inner fourth-grader gets the giggles). Dry-rubbed with more than a dozen spices, smoked over apple and oak woods for 12 hours, and topped with a vinegar-splashed, western North Carolina–style sauce, the only thing missing is more of it-—Smoque can hardly keep up with demand. 3800 N Pulaski Rd, 773-545-7427—HS

Copa salumi at Osteria di Tramonto

Photo: Brendan Lekan

Osteria di Tramonto
For anybody wondering why we’d recommend driving to Wheeling for a meal cooked by Rick Tramonto, we have just three words: house-cured meat. Starting a meal with the peppery copa salumi is worth the gas money alone, especially when it’s followed by the house-made cavatelli tossed with lamb and the aromatic monkfish osso buco. The only frustrating part is that driving may inhibit you from taking full advantage of Belinda Chang’s extensive wine list. Then again, that’s the benefit of eating at a restaurant attached to a hotel. 601 N Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling; 847-777-6570—David Tamarkin

Tofu with roasted peanuts and chile oil at Wakamono

Photo: Brendan Lekan

Japas (Japanese tapas) at Wakamono
The hokey logic behind the name “Japas” can be applied to almost any culture: You could have Chapas (Chinese tapas), Rapas (Russian tapas)—hell, you could have L-Papas (Lincoln Park tapas). The most amazing part of this formula? No matter what, it never, ever sounds appetizing. It takes having one of Henry Chang’s impeccable japas in front of you—the puddinglike tofu with sesame, toasted peanuts and chile oil, or bitter asparagus playing off sweet, soft prosciutto—to truly start appreciating it for how it tastes, not how it sounds. Which, with the exception of Rice Krispies, is how it should be, anyway. 3317 N Broadway, 773-281-7575—DT

Kitchen Chicago, a shared-use kitchen space
Tomorrow’s top chefs aren’t chopping onions at Everest—they’re doing their own thing at Kitchen Chicago, a shared-use kitchen space in Ravenswood Manor. The kitchen gives beginning culinary entrepreneurs the resources to cook like a pro for small hourly fees. Businesses that got their start here include Bleeding Heart Bakery and Vella Café, which will open its Bucktown store this summer. Current residents include Hoosier Mama Pie Company, Sunday Dinner Chicago and Katherine Anne confections—but if their predecessors are any indication, it won’t be long before they have a kitchen of their own. Find out more at www.kitchenchicago.com. 4664 N Manor Ave, 773-463-0863—DT

rrchocolats
If it were acceptable to include chocolate in a first course, we’d be the happiest—and fattest—salad fans around. But the fact that both rrchocolates’ basil and mint varieties have a little green in them somewhere is only half the reason we’re smitten with them. These happen to be some of the most pungent, powerful chocolates we’ve ever had: The fierce herbaciousness, a true expression of the herbs used, acts as a foil to the smooth richness of the chocolate itself. It’s hard not to immediately run through our supply; but hey, it’s better than that other herbal vice we have…. Available at Goddess and Grocer, 1646 N Damen Ave, 773-342-3200; 25 E Delaware Pl, 312-896-2600—DT

Kim Dalton of Dodo

Photo: Brian Willette

Kim Dalton of Dodo
Will your fantasies of dating a cook ever come true? Perhaps. But until your chef in shining whites arrives, consider waking up with Kim Dalton instead. She’s not the Giada DeLaurentiis, teenaged boy fantasy type—her no-nonsense personality radiates off her like a do not fuck with me sign. But if you manage to get your sleepy ass to Dodo, she’ll cook you one of the fluffiest omelettes you’ve ever eaten, and maybe even slap a slice of thick French toast on the side.Sign or no sign, you’ll be back for more. Dodo, 935 N Damen Ave, 773-772-3636—DT

Dakhine (lamb–peanut butter stew) at Yassa
Of the many Senegalese dishes owners Madieye and Awa Gueye have introduced to their diners, our favorite utilizes peanut butter (yes, peanut butter) in a way that bread and jelly just can’t match. For her dakhine, Awa sears lamb-shank meat and onions in palm oil, adds a bit of tomato paste and water, plenty of peanut butter, a handful of black-eyed peas, and netetu, a condiment made of fermented African locust beans. The combination of flavors is sweet, gamey, funky, salty—and sure to be like nothing you’ve ever had before. 716 E 79th St, 773-488-5599—HS

Honeycomb ice cream at Aigre Doux

Photo: Brendan Lekan

Honeycomb ice cream at Aigre Doux
Well, screaming is one option. You could also do a little song and dance. But because pastry chef Malika Ameen (one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind this River North eatery) caramelizes the honey to intensify it and then rolls each scoop in crushed, house-made “honeycomb,” you’ll probably just sit there and moan happily, knowing you just put away some of the city’s best ice cream. 230 W Kinzie St, 312-329-9400—DT

Two half-glasses of wine for $10 at Graze
Why do Chicagoans love BYOBs? Because restaurants mark up bottles anywhere from 200 to 400 percent, and we feel gouged when we’re dropping 50 bucks on a wine we bought at Sam’s last week for $11.99. Hence we were pretty impressed with this new small-plates spot’s wine deal: Diners can select two half-glasses from more than three-dozen choices for only $10. Even better: It’s not swill. We scored generous pours of Erath’s beautiful 2004 pinot noir and Château Fuissé’s 2004 Pouilly-Fuissé, proving that bargains do exist outside of buffets. 35 W Ontario St, 312-255-1234—HS

GG's buttermilk biscuit and fried chicken platter at West Town Tavern

Photo: Donna Rickles

Great-grandma’s buttermilk biscuit and fried chicken platter at West Town Tavern
As a girl, Susan Goss would stand on a kitchen stool and watch as her great-grandmother, known to Goss as GG, made biscuits and fried chicken in her Florida kitchen. Sadly, GG isn’t with us anymore, but her spirit—and her recipes—live on at West Town Tavern’s Monday Fried Chicken Nights. Sriracha, a Vietnamese chile sauce, has been added to the batter, and trans fat–free vegetable shortening is now used in the biscuits. But other than that, Goss has kept the recipes pretty much the same. For those of us who never had a Southern great-grandmother of our own, Goss is a welcome addition to the family. 1329 W Chicago Ave, 312-666-6175—DT

Muddled cocktails at DeLaCosta
No, we’re not talking about the latest mash-up of Modest Mouse and Terror Squad. We’re in love with the muddled cocktails at this year’s Latin American hit, DeLaCosta. It’s too tough to decide between the killer classics (mojitos and caipirinhas) and the fruit-packed concoctions (watermelon-vodka mash and the berry-basil-lime). So do what we do—try them all. River East Arts Center, 465 E Illinois St, 312-464-1700—HS

Black truffle–buffalo milk shake with bittersweet chocolate cake at Schwa
From our initial visit the second week Schwa opened, we’ve known the guys here were destined for greatness—and prayed they wouldn’t be just a flash in the pan. Thankfully, they continue to wow us every time we return. Their most stunning dish of the year blended buffalo ricotta with house-made black-truffle ice cream for an earthy milk shake that proved the perfect complement to a moist slab of bittersweet Venezuelan chocolate cake slathered with chocolate ganache. A smear of pristine buffalo ricotta finished the plate, making this more than a dessert—it’s a guarantee these guys will be prominent players in Chicago’s dining scene for a long time to come. 1466 N Ashland Ave, 773-252-1466—HS

The rib tip–hot links combo at Uncle John’s
When it comes to South Side barbecue, customers are on a first-name basis with the best—Lem’s, Leon’s, Barbara Ann’s. The latest (and best) name in the game is Uncle John’s. Only, there is no John—a smoker pro named Mack Sevier runs this carryout joint with his wife, Shirley. Mack loads up a Styrofoam box with the meatiest, smokiest rib tips in town and tops them with spicy, sage-packed hot links. We can barely make it to the car without tearing into the goods. 337 E 69th St, 773-892-1233—HS

Deneen Wright, left, and Tasha Fisher of Rhythm & Spice

Photo: Brian Willette

The jerk chicken at Rhythm & Spice
Jerk-chicken huts are as ubiquitous on the South Side as MILFs at a Josh Groban concert. What sets this one apart is that extra special something owners Tasha Fisher and Deneen Wright provide—friendly hospitality, a bright and cheery setting, and amazing chicken. Using a version of a recipe she grew up with in her hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, Wright concocts her own jerk paste from Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, black pepper, garlic and vinegar. She rubs it into plump chickens and tosses them onto a charcoal grill, where they sizzle away to juicy perfection. 2501 W 79th St, 773-476-5600—HS

Hot-and-cold at Alinea

Photo: Lara Kastner

The hot-and-cold potato at Alinea
Like most of the dishes at Alinea, this one comes with directions: A pin has been poked through a wax bowl; impaled on it are a small chunk of Parmesan, a slice of chive, a cube of cold butter and a warm ball of black truffle–topped potato. Diners are instructed to pull the pin, let the contents fall into the chilled potato soup below, and drink. It’s cool (and hot), but it’s not the presentation that gets us—it’s the fact that it’s essentially an insanely delicious baked potato. Now, what’s all this about Alinea being inaccessible? 1723 N Halsted St, 312-867-0110—DT

The “It Isn’t Foie Gras Any Moore” duck liver at copperblue
Having a dish named after you is usually an honor, yet somehow we doubt Alderman Joe Moore (the man who authored the foie ban) is bragging about copperblue’s tongue-in-cheek homage. Billed as duck liver (rather than foie gras) and pressed into a terrine (not served in a lobe), this creation by chef Michael Tsonton slides under the radar. The title may not carry the same cachet as foie, but if the name change and culinary sleight of hand allows us to eat the stuff, we’ll play along. 580 E Illinois St, 312-527-1200—DT

Getting funky at Juicy Wine Co.

Photo: Brian WIllette

The funky cheeses at Juicy Wine Co.
At this West Town wine and cheese joint, you’ll experience modern, minimalist decor; a DJ spinning soul music; and a dude using expressions like “pimped-out” to describe your Napa Valley cabernet. Yet the funkiest thing here is the cheese-and-charcuterie counter. Walking in the front door, you smell the stuff before you see it. Consider it a warning: If you can’t handle a little stank, turn around now. But trust us, there’s nothing to fear. Just be sure to bring your loved one with you. That way, when you both go to bed smelling like ripe Brie, no one will complain. 694 N Milwaukee Ave, 312-492-6620—DT

Tarte flambé at Koda Bistro
No longer just a destination for pints served with freshly baked soda bread and a side of brogue, Beverly, the far South Side’s Irish enclave, now has its own French bistro. Helmed by Aaron Browning, a protégé of Jean Joho (the toque credited with bringing Alsatian cuisine to Chicago) the kitchen kicks out dependable bistro standards to well-heeled locals. Our favorite is the pizzalike tarte flambé, topped with a smear of cottage cheese blended with sour cream and nutmeg, then slices of Brie, toasted walnuts and Bosc pear slices. 10352 S Western Ave, 773-445-5632—HS

Didler Durand of Cyrano's Bistrot

Photo: Brian WIllette

Didier Durand, chef-owner of Cyrano’s Bistrot
We can see both sides of the ongoing foie gras controversy, but from where we stand those animal-rights activists don’t stand a chance against chef Durand. As the most outspoken opponent of the foie ban, Durand has seen his restaurant become a regular target of protests. (Like many other chefs around the city, Durand continues to serve foie gras, legally, as a free accompaniment to other dishes.) But Durand stages counterprotests, sticking up for what he considers to be an unassailable right to serve whatever he wants. Yeah, we know, the activists are probably going to target us now that we’ve printed this. But we’re not scared—we’ve got Durand on our side. Bring it, PETA. 546 N Wells St, 312-467-0546—DT

Rick Tramonto for opening three restaurants named after himself within a year-—Osteria di Tramonto, Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, and RT Lounge

Quince opening in the former Trio.
Runners-up: Christophe David replacing Sandro Gamba at NoMI; Lee Wolen filling Ryan Poli’s shoes at Butter

The Brown Sack
Runners-up: Feed the Beast, Simply It, krem, Takie Outit

Monica Riley, who created the launch menus at Marigold and Treat (and, in previous years, Hopleaf and Meritage)

The Depot American Diner, an actual, true-to-life, not-the-least-bit-ironic diner. 5840 W Roosevelt Rd, 773-261-8422

Photo galleries:

Food Porn: For an up-close glimpse at some of the winners of this year’s awards, check out our photo gallery featuring the dishes and drinks chosen by TOC critics and readers.

On the spot: Go behind-the-scenes of Time Out Chicago's first annual Eat Out Awards with photos of the chefs and managers from some of Chicago's best restaurants and bars accepting their awards.