Leading the charge, unsurprisingly, is Alinea, with an average check total of $736. that places Grant Achatz's restaurant at fourth on the list. more ›

Alinea, Arun's, Charlie Trotter's, Everest and Tru all retained their Five Diamond ratings. This makes us question the relevance of AAA's rankings and whether they reflect the current state of Chicago's restaurant scene. more ›

This has been a good week for Stephanie Izard, and it's only Wednesday! We fully expect President Obama to appoint her Supreme Food Leader by Friday afternoon. In all seriousness, Izard has gotten two major accolades in the last couple of days, and you can participate in one of them! Saveur Magazine, which avoided restaurant reviews in the past, inaugurated a new review program with Girl and the Goat. Review might not be the right word; frantic worship at Izard's feet might be a better description. The reviewer, Dana Bowen, also enjoyed The Publican, but Girl and the Goat was "something else entirely." Izard was also nominated for Food and Wine's "The People's Best New Chef" award, and you can vote right now. more ›

Yesterday, we brought you a modest, casual Valentine's day affair. We know that some of you want to be swept off your collective feet, and others want to do the sweeping. If your valentine is into fine dining in the finest of surroundings, consider booking at Tru for your V-day dinner. True, it may not be as trendy as Alinea or as challenging as Moto, but that might not be what you want on a romantic night out. Rather, relax back into subdued perfection. more ›

M Burger, in the former chef's table seating area of Tru, has been doing good business in the near month its been open to the public. The combination of its catchy name, "secret" menu and location have drawn comparisons to that Holy Grail of burger chains, In 'N Out. More than one person has made that comparison to us when discussing burgers. No less an authority than Michael Nagrant declared in a recent NewCity column that M Burger served "probably the best fast food burger in the city." 'Course, that's like saying the Cubs are in contention on Opening Day. more ›

Former 312 Chicago chef Dean Zanella returns to action Thursday with the opening of his Aldino's, in the former Caffe La Scala space in the UIC Hospital District/Little Italy. Zanella has partnered on Aldino's with Scott Harris, who is seemingly opening restaurants everywhere these days. With a big assist from Chef de Cuisine Ray Stanis (Blackbird, Avec, Osteria di Tramonto), Zanella will be serving a menu of local and seasonally-driven Italian fare. Not content to open just a restaurant, Zanella will also be opening a companion market to Aldino's in a couple weeks. more ›

We love tasting menus and family style meals. In fact, we think this is a great way to sample a chef’s talent but also learn more about wine pairings. At a recent trip to TRU, the sommelier paired one of the most complex, multi-personality Sauvignon Blancs we have had in a long time. The 2006 Movia Sauvignon Blanc was paired with a sautéed sable in a brown butter sauce. Every sip with every bite seemed to change and all in a good way. This is definitely a ‘Wine Wednesday’ pick to mull over a few different small bites. more ›

August is the kind of local boutique grocery store you would find in a Meg Ryan movie - the store is charming, the owners are helpful and you feel cheery every time you leave. The only thing missing is Meg Ryan, even better. The small, bright space is filled with locally grown, seasonal produce, restaurant quality meats and fish, and even a line of homemade aprons. Carefully selected baking and cooking ingredients line the shelves, the cheese and charcuterie selections are an easy answer for entertaining unexpected weekend guests, and pre-packaged snack foods and cereal are kept to an eclectic minimum. more ›

We all know how nuts everyone is about grilling during the summertime. But for us the best part of season is consuming frosty beverages. What's more invigorating after a hard day's work than sitting down with an ice-cold bottle of something in your hand? Today's New York Times has a pair of articles on favorite summertime beverages, and wouldn't you know that Chicago-area people figure in both of 'em (because if there are two things we've mastered in this town, they're how to cope with frigid winters and wilting summers). more ›

Because it's never too early in the day for a little bit of food porn. Chicagoist heard from a little birdie that Tim Graham, chef de cuisine at Tru, is serving a fourteen-day aged Kobe ribeye soaked in a marinade of dark sake and soy sauce before grilling. That steak is then served with mashed and corked potatoes. Now we love us some Kobe beef. Next to Piedmontese it's one of our favorites. Right now... more ›