Mott Street, Nico Osteria Among Bon Appetit's 2014 Best New Restaurants Nominees

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Aug 15, 2014 7:00PM

Banana choco from Mott Street (Photo credit: Melissa Wiley/Chicagoist)

Chicago restaurants seem to have a regular presence on Bon Appetit’s annual list of best new restaurants and this year is no exception. This year, two highly acclaimed Chicago restos are among the nominees for this year’s list.

Mott Street, from Edward Lee and the Ruxbin crew, and Nico Osteria, the latest gem in Paul Kahan’s One Off Hospitality empire, are among the nominees to make the "Hot 10," which Bon Appetit will reveal Aug. 19.

Bon Appetit had this to say about Mott Street.

“ Long communal tables and a happening patio (weather permitting; this is Chicago after all) set the stage for a charged night out, fueled by a barrage of shareable plates from chef Edward Kim, whose food bounces around Asia, hitting all the deep, funky, comforting flavors we crave along the way.”

And here’s what they think of Nico Osteria.

“This sceney stunner from the folks behind some of Chicago’s best restaurants (Avec, The Publican, Big Star) knocks three meals a day out of the park, from pastry chef Amanda Rockman’s outstanding breakfast treats (like handmade cornetti) to open-face fettunta (i.e., toast!) at lunch to chef Erling Wu Bower’s ambitious dinner menu of house-made pastas, exceptionally fresh fish, and hearty, meaty mains (seconds on the veal meatballs!).”