Destination: Chicago
Overview Text Size A A A
The city’s food scene is hot, and everyone is reveling in it, from international and homegrown restaurateurs to people who pack the local favorites night after night. There’s so much innovation, such devotion to ingredients and presentation, yet dishes are delivered without the pomp and self-importance that so often accompany haute cuisine in other big cities, like New York. I had one of the best meals of my life at Alinea, a culinary shrine of artistic presentations and extraordinary flavors. Alinea is one of a handful of restaurants dazzling diners with avant-garde food. Others are Tru, Moto and Avenues.
“When I came to Chicago from Hong Kong seven years ago to work at NoMI, the food scene was completely different,” says restaurateur Emmanuel Nony, who just opened Sepia, a new hot spot in River West. “The standard portions were much larger, the dishes more predictable, and we weren’t sure how far we could push the envelope with diners. But Chicagoans have really embraced adventurous dining. When we put rabbit on the menu at Sepia, I never guessed that it would become one of the most popular items.”
In addition to Alinea, foodies should also visit Blackbird (Paul Kahan) and Topolobampo (Rick Bayless)—and yes, Charlie Trotter is still delicious. Fun lunch spots include RL, off the Magnificent Mile, and Sepia. NoMI is great for cocktails.
Read the 2008 James Beard Award nominations for Chicago.
Search By Keyword
Popular Destinations
South/Central America: Brazil: Bahia
Discover the best beach hideaways in the area that Brazilians...
Indagare News Flash
- Win A Trip To the Beach: Enter our sweepstakes to win a trip to Barbados: The Ultimate Resort Destination. Brush up on the latest news with our destination report and learn chic restaurants and local secrets from beauty guru and island insider Jemma Kid.
- Editor’s Picks: Enter our contest to win a couple’s trip to the Mayflower Inn & Spa. We consult the experts on the best ways to navigate Art Basel Miami Beach. Read top tips on Kenya from African designer Anna Trzebinksi. Consult our new insider reports on Phuket and Anguilla. Best bet for skiers: rent a new five-bedroom chalet in Verbier. Join an art lover’s trip to TEFAF in Maastricht with private dinners, visits to collectors and hotel rooms already booked.
- Member Advice: FAQs and major trends to help you navigate the new travel landscape.
- Coming soon: Insider reports on Bangkok and Cabo.
- What’s your travel IQ? Take the quiz USA Today called “a killer” and establish your Indagare quotient.
- Postcards: Family trip to South Africa, a philanthropic trip to Jamaica and a special discovery in Sicily. Submit a postcard.
- Indagare Insiders: Top picks in Delhi from Fiona Caulfield; Marie Brandolini on Venice; the design duo behind Kirna Zabete on shopping the world. Club 55’s Patrice de Colmont on St. Tropez, Eva Lorenzotti on Cairo and Loulou de la Falaise on Paris.
- Reviews: In-depth guides to Buenos Aires, Delhi and Deer Valley.
- Indagare Plus: Remember that hotels marked by an Indagare Plus symbol offer preferential rates and benefits to members.
- Sample Indagare: By signing up for bi-weekly email blasts on new hot spots and insider tips. Join our mailing list.
- News: Indagare named Best Travel Website by Vanity Fair. Read an interview with our founder on Vivre.
- New feature: Members share your profiles, comments, favorite articles and IQs. Just click on the Profile tab on the upper right of your screen and look for the Edit My Profile blue tab.
- Indagare means to discover, explore, seek, scout in Latin.