The latest restaurant from the owners of Le Bouchon, Obleix, and Taqueria Chingon revives the space inside Thalia Hall in Pilsen, giving the concert venue a full-service restaurant that celebrates Mexican seafood. There’s also a notable dessert program with ice cream and more. In February, the restaurant launched a Taco Omakase, a tasting menu that pushes boundaries using the wood-fire oven. It’s not all tacos, but the masa really gets a chance to star and it's the only place to try San Pedro’s ChocoTaco filled with gelato.

This new tasting menu restaurant in Ukrainian Village comes from a young Chicago native who has dreamed of shaking up the status quo. Feld promises about 30 courses — the menu constantly changes, and showcases local farmers, though the restaurant isn’t limited. Chef Jake Potashnick and his team aren‘t averse to visiting vendors to bring in ingredients that are seasonal at other locales — for example, they’ve visited Maine to bring in lobster and other delights. Potashnick has staged and cooked at restaurants across the world, including Ernst in Berlin. You might want to bring a sweater or jacket to pop-on — sometimes there’s an outdoor course.

The cooks at Sanders BBQ bring their talent and diverse passions for smoked meat to Beverly where Chicagoans will find the best pork spare ribs in the city. Yes, the ribs are perfect, slightly sauced, and plump. The prime brisket is nice, but the showstopper is the beef rib which is basically a fattier cut of that same brisket on a bone — there’s more flavor. Don’t forget to experiment with the sauces. The cumin-forward mustard-based gold sauce is better than Chicago’s signature Memphis-style sauce. It’s that good. There are also two patios at this family-friendly restaurant which recently purchased high chairs so junior can enjoy a meal in relative peace.

In Bucktown, two Indian chefs from different backgrounds have teamed up for one of the most unique restaurants in the country, thoughtfully combining South Asian and Mexican cuisine and presenting the finished product for a Chicago audience. At Mirra, much of the spices are Mexican, and it gives dishes like soft-shell crab chaat and mashed eggplant (baingan bharta, it’s served with a sliced, dry-aged carne asada) new depth. The small dishes vary and come with crispy chips that blend masa traditions with familiar Indian papadam. It’s perfect for dipping into a velvety sikil pak. There are also cold-cured fish served as ceviche. The chaas aguachile uses a buttermilk-lime tiger milk which has created one of the best bites in Chicago. Brunch and a tasting menu are planned in the future. Mirra comes from the chef at Coach House and a chef who worked with Rick Bayless at Bar Sotano. The restaurant has recently launched a chef’s counter menu.

Construction along Milwaukee Avenue may have shielded passersby from Void, a fun Italian spot from a group of veteran chefs who worked at some of Chicago’s best restaurants. Outstanding pasta, like ricotta ravioli; delicious salads with produce procured from nearby farms, and a large bar where patrons can stretch out are some of the highlights. There are also the Spaghetti Uh-Ohs, a tribute to Franco-American spaghetti with fresh circular noodles that are poured table side from special Void-branded cans. The restaurant business is tough, but it’s always nice when customers can tell workers are having a little fun, and that transfers to the overall dining experience at Void. For folks who like Malört without that pesky alcohol, Void does the unthinkable with a non-alcoholic version of Chicago’s controversial spirit.

Chicago thin-crust pizza lovers cheered as Pizz’amici opened in November in West Town. Their story started on Instagram with pizza drops and led to the opening of Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport where they earned national acclaim as the rest of the country discovered tavern-style pies. That led them to suburban Westmont and Kim’s Uncle Pizza. Finally, two-thirds of the team has returned to the city to open a full-service restaurant with a full bar — though it’s BYO as they await a liquor license (hopefully in January). Reservations are scarce, but takeout service has recently started. If you give yourself a two-hour window to order pizza, scheduling a pickup, you’ll be fine.

John’s Food and Wine is part of an explosion of Lincoln Park restaurants aiming to reinvigorate the neighborhood’s dining scene. John’s opened in 2023 and unleashed a counter service model that its owners say helps pay their kitchen workers more versus traditional fine dining. Now they’ve unleashed a new tasting menu hoping to give their staff a bigger stage to shine while serving fancier ingredients and allowing patrons, for the first time, to make reservations. Don’t sleep on the martinis and the restaurant’s bar program.

It’s a big deal when Grant Achatz opens a new restaurant, something the Alinea Group hasn’t done in years. Coinciding with co-founder Nick Kokonas’ ceding the company to a new majority owner, Achatz, and newcomer Jason Weingarten have reskinned Roister and debuted Fire. Instead of Roister’s more casual fare, Fire is a tasting menu restaurant that focuses on food cooked over open flames, using a variety of different techniques.

Joe Flamm is at it again. This might be the toughest reservation in Chicago, as the Chicago-area native has opened a Fulton Market restaurant focusing on regional Italian cuisine from Rome. There’s a pasta lab to ensure quality noodles, and Flamm is putting his spin on Roman-style square pizza.

This Logan Square restaurant and bar showcases the diversity in Latin American cuisine with dishes like whole-roasted fish, pao de queijo, and a special burger made with chistorra. The space is intimate, and the drinks are creative. There’s something for everyone at La Licor.

The third outpost of this beloved Mexican eatery is the first one with a full cocktail menu. Carnitas are a savored tradition, and the father-and-son duo who run Carnitas Uruapan honor the best with decadent pork, handmade tortillas, and more.

The folks at Perilla in River West have been hiding something in their basement. In February, they unveiled a sleek and sexy sushi bar that focuses on hand rolls. The two chefs — one is a Girl & the Goat alum — have packed a lot of quality in their offerings without falling for the sushi bro cliche. Get the edamame. They hit it with smoke which unlocks a new dimension of taste.

Milk Bar finally arrived in Chicago inside the Hoxton Hotel, a partnership with Boka Restaurant Group. This location might not be the largest of Christina Tosi’s locations, but it’s the first in the Midwest and they bake all the goods on site. Find whole cakes and cakes by the slice, cereal milk confections, and more. Tosi suggests grabbing a few corn cookies, some sharp cheddar, and griddle them at home for a fun little grilled cheese treat.