Restaurants

Joke all you want about bratwurst and deep-dish pizza; Chicago is a genuine culinary hot spot. One of the city's most creative dining spots, Alinea, was even named the top restaurant in the United States by Gourmet magazine in 2007 (take that, New York and San Francisco!). The city's top chefs consistently win national awards and make appearances on the Food Network, while we locals try to keep up with all the new restaurant openings.

What makes eating out in Chicago fun is the variety. We've got it all: stylish see-and-be-seen spots, an amazing array of steakhouses, chef-owned temples to fine dining, and every kind of ethnic cuisine you could possibly crave. Plus -- yes -- some not-to-be-missed deep-dish pizza places.

It's not easy to narrow down the list of impressive restaurants in this city. The competition among high-end establishments is especially intense. A few well-regarded chefs -- Jean Joho at Everest, Arun Sampanthavivat at Arun's, Charlie Trotter at his namesake place -- still reign supreme, but relatively new spots, including Alinea, Moto, and Tru, have upped the stakes (and the average check price) considerably.

But if a budget-busting, one-of-a-kind meal isn't your style, there's also been a recent resurgence in comfort food. From the wine bar Avec (which has attracted a loyal following of local foodies) to River North's Osteria Via Stato to Bucktown's homey Hot Chocolate, some of the most popular new spots attract diners by focusing on simple, straightforward preparations and a low-key, welcoming ambience.

Chicago's many ethnic restaurants -- in all price ranges -- are highlights of the city's dining scene. Funky fusion concepts include the Japan-meets-South America theme at SushiSamba Rio and the Indian/Latin American combos at Vermilion. You'll find upscale versions of ethnic cuisine at places such as Frontera Grill (Mexican), Arun's (Thai), and Spiaggia (which might be the country's most elegant Italian restaurant). But affordable (and attitude-free) restaurants still thrive in the city's original immigrant neighborhoods -- Greektown, Little Italy, and Chinatown.

Unfortunately, Chicago is no longer the budget-dining destination it once was. (Hipness doesn't come cheap.) But just because prices have risen doesn't mean that attitudes have. Restaurants in Chicago might have become trendy, but they're still friendly.

I've divided restaurants into four price categories: "Very Expensive" means that most entrees cost $25 to $30 (and sometimes more); "Expensive" indicates that most entrees run from $18 to $25; "Moderate" means that most entrees are $20 or less; and at an "Inexpensive" place, they cost $15 or less.

Whether you're looking for a restaurant to impress a business colleague or simply a no-frills spot to dig in, these are the places the locals go when they want to eat well. To find out more about restaurants that have opened since this book went to press, check out the Chicago Tribune's entertainment website (www.metromix.com), the websites for the monthly magazine Chicago (www.chicagomag.com) and the weekly Time Out Chicago (www.timeoutchicago.com), and the entertainment/nightlife website http://chicago.citysearch.com.

Note to Smokers: The Chicago City Council has banned smoking in all restaurants; those with a separate bar area can choose to allow smoking there, but only if they have installed an air filtration system. If you want to light up when you go out, call first to see if smoking is permitted.

Kitchens Up Close

Serious food fans can get a firsthand look at how some of the city's culinary stars work by booking a seat at a chef's table. You'll get a personal tour of the kitchen, a special selection of dishes, and -- best of all -- a front-row seat for dinner-hour drama. At Tru (tel. 312/202-0001), four to six people can sit in a glass-enclosed room off the kitchen, where they can check out the scene without feeling the heat. The chef's table at Charlie Trotter's (tel. 773/248-6228) seats four to six right in the kitchen, so diners can catch Trotter's legendary perfectionism up close. At Zealous (tel. 312/475-9112), the chef's table seats 8 to 10 and is in the main dining room -- but bamboo trees surround it, so other diners won't get jealous when chef Michael Taus stops by for some one-on-one taste tests.

Chef's tables don't come cheap ($100-$175 per person), but they're a special splurge for die-hard foodies. Just remember to reserve well in advance because these tables book fast.

Teatime

If you're shopping on the Magnificent Mile and feel like having an elegant afternoon tea complete with finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries, head for the stately Palm Court at The Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Place (tel. 312/787-2200); the cozy Seasons Lounge of the Four Seasons Hotel, 120 E. Delaware Place (tel. 312/280-8800); or The Greenhouse in the Ritz-Carlton, 160 E. Pearson St. (tel. 312/266-1000), in the sunny 12th-floor lobby above the Water Tower Place mall. In the Loop, the appropriately named Russian Tea Time. 77 E. Adams St. (tel. 312/360-0000), serves tea from 2:30 to 4:30pm daily.