694 Wine and Spirits impressed us. It's a simple statement, but as cocktail nerds, any bar that has this much of a commitment to serving craft spirits gets high marks in our book. They also serve exclusive Salumi Cured Meats from Seattle and Benton's Country Bacon bacon, both available in Chicago only at 694. Of course they have a good wine list, but we prefer whiskey with our pork. Plus, any menu that quotes Steve Martin from the Muppet Movie ("Sparkling Muscatel: One of the finest wines of Idaho") has got to be good. Formerly Juice Wine Co., 694 Wine and Spirits has rebranded, redecorated and revamped their food and drink selection. more ›

Mike Gebert took a road trip to Iowa recently to film some behind-the-scenes footage at La Quercia in Norwalk, IA. La Quercia owners Herb and Kathy Eckhouse make some of the best dry-cured artisan salumi available, particularly prosciutto and guanciale. Jeffrey Steingarten called La Quercia's prosciutto "the best American or imported prosciutto [he's] ever tasted," while Bon Appetit once named La Quercia "Food Artisans of the Year." more ›