We cannot be sure whether 2021 will last six months or one million years. Either way, in that distorted time period, Chicago opened many new restaurants, and we ate as many of these restaurants as we could.
One thing that takes longer than ever is to book a table. 2021 is the year to fight for reservations-these restaurants make all tables, app notifications, and 11pm dinners worth the money. They are the new favorites we have always hoped to find. Just like a busy Croatian place, worth queuing with dozens of other people, there is also a small Logan Square restaurant with a burger in it, and maybe a restriction order should be issued against us.
Most of our best new restaurants are dining places that accept reservations, but this list is more than just these types of places-from Mexican snack bars with extraordinary priests to takeaway restaurants that serve life-changing bastard chickens . In other words, whether you reserve a table or appoint a seat on the sofa, you can enjoy a very pleasant dining experience.
All restaurants on The Infatuation are selected by our editorial team. The best new restaurant of 2021 is awarded by Chase Sapphire. Take an adventure with Sapphire. Whether you travel far or near, you are worthy of advanced travel benefits, exclusive dining rewards and flexible benefits, allowing you to fully enjoy every experience. Learn more.
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If we tell you to spend $200 on a 12-15 course tasting menu, you can count on getting goose bumps at least once during your meal. If you are looking for an upscale and unforgettable dining experience in the market, you will find it in Esme. Of course we did it-this fine dining restaurant in Lincoln Park had everything we were looking for in a meal, designed to make us feel as fancy as a Fancy Feast cat. The three-hour dinner is never procrastinated, the courses are seamlessly connected, and (most importantly) each experience dish is fun and not too whimsical. For example, a unique charred rib with banana caramel is wrapped in a ceramic "bone" and you can eat it like a flint and steel. There is also delicious sweet potato ice cream topped with caviar, and a small snack that tastes like Miracle Cheetah. In addition, the magician who illuminates the restaurant ensures that everyone looks like they are wandering around FaceTuned naturally.
Since placing the first order at this taqueria, we have not found ourselves scrolling through Taqueria Chingón's online menu like taco Zillow every day, dreaming about theoretical orders. After trying all the tacos at this counter service point in Logan Square, each one left a deep impression on us. They are all made with chewy handmade tortillas, and you can choose a variety of delicious fillings-such as morcilla (made with blood, bread, onions and apples, then topped with brown butter salsa maca), Campechano and Nun Al priest. Whatever your fantasy order is, just consider it for lunch-they will run out of food soon.
En Passant in Logan Square initially caught our interest because its chef opened Au Cheval (have you heard of it?), in addition to that damn cheeseburger, Au Cheval also has many great dishes. It turns out that En Passant also has a lot of delicious things. This space is very charming, with a retro atmosphere (such as crystal chandeliers and twinkling candles), and an independent popular playlist, which seems to understand our needs. The same goes for European-style food-the black garlic honey escolar is one of our favorite crudos in recent memory, and the creamy risotto has ignited our current love for tarragon. It’s also worth mentioning that En Passant has made an incredible burger with only three ingredients besides brioche buns: beef, Mary rose sauce and balsamic onions. And, yes, it is better than Au Cheval's.
We waited three months to make our first booking at this Croatian attraction in the West Loop. Rosemary was booked before it opened, which is not surprising considering that this place comes from a popular top chef champion and is in a popular neighborhood. But to our surprise, this much-hyped place is also a great restaurant. You will find that dishes like crni rizot taste like risotto made with the tears of a hundred lobsters (this is a compliment), a plate of cevapi with sausage is great for sharing, and difficult Believed pasta. Although every table is full, you won’t be seated 45 minutes after your booked time, you won’t feel rushed at dinner, or need to form a search team to find your server when you are about to leave. By the end of your course, this will never be.
Between the delicious food and the highly infectious and friendly service, we have not been to Dr. Bird’s restaurant and we were no happier when we left than when we walked in. Speaking of walking in, we have never waited for a table at this Wicker Park restaurant-this year we are more grateful than ever. Sitting in this cheerful and colorful place, it feels like finally sitting in a comfortable air-conditioned car after waiting in line at Six Flags Park for a day. Dr. Bird's specialty is Jamaican meatloaf, but the menu also has juicy jerk chicken and excellent side dishes-including must-order sweet and salty cocoa rice, fluffy cocoa bread perfect for wrapping meatloaf, and smoked A festive seasoning that complements the meatloaf. Bird's also offers a long list of fresh juice and rum cocktails, which are also effective antidote to staring at your pale reflection on the dim computer screen all day long. Basically, if you like to be in a good mood, please go here now.
When we need a laid-back place to show sympathy with friends or discuss important topics such as Aaron Rogers’ engagement and/or vaccinations, we reserve a table at Dear Margaret in Lincoln Park. This charming French-Canadian restaurant offers a wide range of dishes, such as foie gras with fluffy milk bread, duck breast with lentils, and a friendly team that will leave you alone and give you insight into what Aaron and Shailene are. How to meet each other. In this kind of place, we always decide to order after-dinner coffee, dessert, then another dessert, another cup of coffee, and finally go home and face our laundry room. Yes, "laundry" is a metaphor for fear of existence.
We are fans of Amaru, a Latin American restaurant that serves amazing vegetarian tacu tacu. So we are very happy to hear that the same chef opened a vegetarian restaurant in Wicker Park. Our intuition is correct-Bloom’s long menu is full of complex, vegetable-based popular dishes. Just like tamales full of banana blossoms paired with rich moles, mushroom Asada tacos and yucca gnocchi, we are vying for custody of our former dining partners. There is a long list of vegan cocktails (pisco sour uses soy protein instead of egg white), and all plant-based dishes are gluten-free. The restaurant was full of people with laughter, and it seemed to have had a good time. Even if your only requirement for food is "must be fun and taste great", you should come here.
How did Salumeria, which specializes in home-cured meats, finally make it to the list of the best new restaurants? Of course, by studying hard and exploiting nepotism. Just kidding, they do this by making the most of the meat. Lardon's sandwiches—including the incredible Reuben sandwich made with Chicago’s finest pastrami—are engineering marvels. Their elaborate meat and cheese boards come with homemade decorations such as onion sauce, biscuits and smoked almonds. This cozy place is perfect for a relaxing afternoon enjoying wine and cheese, but Lardon also serves dinner on weekends-where you can enjoy dishes such as crispy duck leg confit and trotter croquettes.
When we eat Beria in this casual Mexican restaurant in Humboldt Park, the restaurant dissolves around us like pixels in the Matrix, and nothing exists except the truth about the braised pork and the delicious red clear soup. Although birria is a specialty, the menu also includes wonderful chilaquiles, perhaps the best rice and fried beans in Chicago, and quesabrilla, made from handmade tortillas that can withstand repeated soaking in broth without breaking down. There is a short beer menu, and there are always some free tables for walk-in group dinners. In addition, it is decorated with large pop art murals, rich in color, enough to bring us back to reality-although we are not against it.
How long are you willing to wait for pizza and a plate of Parmesan chicken? Once you realize how great the food at Alla Vita is, the answer should be two months. This busy Italian restaurant aims to please the crowd. It is located in the former Bellemore space (large), decorated with lovely hanging plants and fabric wavy ceilings, and it is always buzzing. Although the menu won’t surprise you with creativity (mostly pizza, pasta and a few main dishes), the contents are delicious. The chewy crust of pizza is our new favorite in this city. Even when it is put in a rich tomato sauce, the Parma chicken can remain crispy. There are very few reservations, so please plan your reservations a few months in advance. Or better yet, find a seat in the large bar area as soon as you open the door.
After we ate our first bite of smoked chicken, we fell in love with this African-Caribbean region. But after listening to its origin story, we became even more fascinated. The owner, Niquenya Collins, a business development coach, decided to take her advice and turn her love of cooking into her own restaurant. Obviously, it was a great decision because everything we ordered from this takeaway and takeaway shop in Garfield Park was delicious. The citrusy Sengalese poulet yassa is bright and full of lemongrass, and the chili sauce makes us angry with all the versions we have tried to make for the Super Bowl. Although eating cacao while watching football on our sofa is an almost perfect experience, if she decides to open a physical store, we will be ranked first.