If you want to know if a chef can really cook, there may be no better test than how they can cook a…read morepiece of chicken. At Ox Bar, chef John Asbaty doesn't only pass this test, but almost makes it impossible to not to order the chicken. His half chicken cooked on a wood fire grill somehow arrives to your table with perfectly juicy white meat attached to a perfectly cooked leg and thigh (a nearly impossible task for even the best cooks). On top of that, the skin is reminiscent of the crackling on the best lechon asado you've ever had, and the dish is surrounded by an irresistible sherry jus/reduction. So yes, if you go to Ox Bar you should order the chicken because it's that good, but fortunately the menu is designed for sharing, so your your table can also be wowed by what Chef John can do with the other ingredients on his menu: a medium-rare yet fork tender beef short rib, pork shoulder, whole rainbow trout, and an amazing selection of elevated starters/sides featuring locally-sourced and seasonally-chosen produce to complement those proteins or satisfy any non-meat eater in your party.

Sometimes (just), sometimes, you go to a new restaurant and out of no where, you are dumbstruck by:…read moreThe welcoming The service The ambiance The menu selections The flavor palette And just how exceptional a restaurant can be. That was my experience tonight here at The Ox Bar & Hearth on Clybourn Ave just west of Lincoln Park. Me, my wife and my son visiting us from NYC had the same experience I had with the Ox Bar which was one word - "Impeccable"! We all shared this evening: * Lettuces shaved asparagus, raw milk cheddar, anchovy vinaigrette & breadcrumbs - scrumptious * Blue hopi cornbread cultured butter & tart cherry preserves - shockingly good *Steak tartare pickled ramps, horseradish, raw milk cheddar & grilled sourdough - excellent * OBH burger beef fat wedge fries - up there with Au Cheval * Half chicken onion marmalade & chicken jus - sensational * Pavlova raspberry sorbet & sage cream - what a way to end a meal I've been a "Chicagoan" for 4 1/2 years now. I'm still awed how incredible the culinary scene is here. I have to go back to my opening words - I'm Dumbstruck!

Ok I'm gagged that this place only has a 3.9 on Yelp, because it was easily the best tasting menu…read morethat I've had in years (??) We were visiting from out of town and decided to celebrate our anniversary here // right off the bat service was amazing, they gave us a menu saying happy anniversary and throughout the night consistently gave us freebies to celebrate which was super nice (got to the point where we were flabbergasted that they were still giving us more food). Overall the service was very wonderful, our server was very attentive and super sweet. Onto the food - so so many incredible bites!! Caviar service is amazing - definitely recommend doing it. My fav of the night was easily the scallop and uni with the pea shoots - such an amazing flavor combination, the seafood here is insanely fresh and delicious. What I love about fine dining is when I can eat a flavor combo that I'd never even imagined before and have it hit, this was happening consistently throughout the meal Definitely opt for the seafood options over the red meat ones IMO - feels like seafood is their speciality. Come hungry!! We left feeling stuffed beyond belief but very happy

I took my husband here for his birthday and we got the tasting menu…read more I did not take a picture of our drinks. I had some kind of Mezcal drink and my husband ordered the hamburger martini because we were curious about it and it was delicious. Highly recommended very unique, very subtle and not anything what you would expect when you order it.. The service was great. Our server was very attentive and kind. I really like the vibes in there kinda like old school Chicago looking. The food is exceptional and very unique. The portions were also adequate and we were full after we were done eating there. It is definitely a place to stop if you are in Chicago or you are from the Chicago area because everything was great and we really enjoyed it.

We began with tea by the elevator, moved into the cocktail lounge for cold bites and drinks, then…read moreinto the kitchen before finally being seated in the dining room. It felt like you were being welcomed into the chef's home. The ambiance was incredible. Modern black-and-white interiors, exposed brick, candles everywhere, and quiet, intimate atmosphere made it one of my favorite fine dining spaces. 9.8/10. Service was fantastic. 9.7/10. Water was constantly refilled, cocktails were offered as soon as we finished our drinks, silverware and plates were replaced immediately after every course, and the staff even walked us to the restroom. The lounge bites were all solid. The Uni was the best I've had, sweet with an amazing crunchy base. 7.5/10. The Bluefin Tuna was my favorite thanks to the crunch of the fresh nori. 8/10. The Dungeness Crab was good but didn't stand out as much. 7.5/10. The paired cocktail was bright, refreshing, and beautifully foamy. 8.7/10. The Foie Gras Toast was another great course. The buttery brioche paired perfectly with the sweet foie gras cream. It wasn't revolutionary, but it was executed really well. 8.7/10. The champagne pairing was one of my favorites, especially with the giant popping boba-like sphere at the end. 9.5/10. Once we moved into the dining room, the seafood courses were refreshing but didn't wow me. 7/10. The Carabineros Prawn served over steamed egg had an interesting flavor combination that didn't completely land for me. 6.5/10. The main courses were where Oriole really shined. The Turbot was phenomenal with perfectly cooked fish and an amazing crunch from the toasted genmai. 9.7/10. The tiny milk bread was adorable and paired well with the creamy koji butter, although the bread itself was pretty standard. 6/10. The Squab was incredible. It reminded me of a really flavorful sausage, and the rye & black cardamom canelé was one of the best I've ever had with its crispy shell and chewy, rice cake-like center. 9.7/10 and 9.6/10. The A5 Miyazaki Wagyu was the best steak I've ever had. The inside practically melted in my mouth while the outside had the perfect sear. Combined with the rich sauce, every bite was delicious. 9.9/10. The Habanera palate cleanser was refreshing but the flavor didn't work well for me. 4/10. The Fennel Pollen Pavlova was well crafted, especially considering how tiny it was, but I wasn't a huge fan of the herbal notes in the dessert. The caramel sauce definitely brought everything together. 6.5/10. The final Cacao course had my favorite presentation. The pâte de fruit gummy was fun. 7/10. The candied cacao nib custard had an incredible mousse-like texture with a delicate shell and was one of the best chocolate desserts I've ever had. 9.8/10. The bonbon was delicious, but more of a classic chocolate bonbon. 8/10. Cocktails were excellent. Love Me Or Leave Me was fruity, smooth, and easy to drink without much alcohol burn. 9/10. Love Potion No. 9 had a little more alcohol flavor but was still fruity and refreshing. 8.5/10. Overall, Oriole delivered an incredible experience with some of the best service and ambiance I've experienced in Chicago. The cocktails were fantastic and the main courses were outstanding. I was just expecting a little more from a restaurant that's often considered the best in the city, but it's still my no. 2 in the city right now!

This was my boyfriend and my first Michelin star dining experience and it was wonderful! Enjoyed…read morethe fact that we moved around the restaurant space a bit before moving to the dining room. The pace was well set and we left full and satisfied without feeling stuffed. The space was cozy and sophisticated with well-used lighting that kept it moody without being too dark. Our favorite bites were the shrimp and broth, foie gras mousse with brioche, and I loved the sablefish. Service was friendly and accommodating - my only note here is that servers spoke a little too quietly at times making it difficult to capture the full food descriptions. We throughly enjoyed our meal and will keep Oriole on our list for fine dining!

If I could rate any restaurant in the city 10 stars, Ada Street would be the ONLY restaurant that…read morewould qualify. If you have the privilege of dining at Ada Street, you will get it. The drinks are amazing, the staff is personable and friendly, and the food is out of this world. I had my 26th birthday here and would like to celebrate every birthday, anniversary, and celebration here if I could. I'll let the photos speak for themselves but just know that it's even better than it look. My recs: eggplant dip w homemade naan, vodka pasta, Parisian gnocchi, and steak frites... but everything is incredible

Awesome atmosphere, great Hugo Spritz, and fun servers. The menu is single-paged and digestible,…read morebut has much variety. Recommendation #: don't try to make your order make sense - just try everything that sounds good. I got the roasted carrots, Parisian gnocchi, pork ribs, whole roasted branzino, and wrapped things up with the brioche doughnut + blueberry jam. Dare I say, the doughnut was the star of the show for me? Something so simple, done so well. Surprised me as a 10/10 dessert. Because it was late and I wasn't that hungry, I didn't find any of the dishes show-stopping except for maybe the gnocchi. This is a truffle lovers dream. Would love to come back here and try more, especially on a night when I'm ready to eat.

A Chicago staple that never misses. Some of the best vegetable and pasta dishes around. You can…read morenever go wrong with the straciatella, any vegetable dish, the cacio e Pepe or pork sticky ribs to name a few. Drinks are also phenomenal- esp. the spritzes! Joe flamm is also frequently in the kitchen and running around the restraunt! Pictures include: straciatella, roasted carrots, rotolo, rigatoni, budino & mushroom risotto

Croatian Italian is a unique combo that caught my attention so a birthday dinner reservation was…read moremade at Rose Mary. This place can get noisy so it's difficult to hear the people you're with, and the atmosphere was giving countryside vibes. The staff here are friendly and check in the just the right amount. My server suggested we order two dishes per person since everything was shareable and smaller in size compared to traditional Italian restaurants. Plates and utensils get changed out after every series. I ordered a rosemary spritz which was pleasant and bright. The stracciatella which was a nice start and a surprisingly large serving of macerated cherries in a light bed of buffalo mozzarella slices and sauce and a side of flatbread which helped scoop up the sauce. The grilled clams were detached from the shells which was a nice touch, and sat in a smoked pepper butter. The mezzaluna was presented well. I was thinking the lamb pancetta was going to be saltier, but it wasn't at all. Ended with pork ribs pampanella which were plentiful and grilled, but not spicy which I thought pampanella was. The meat was slightly tender but still had enough chew. Rose Mary has a good staff and a large kitchen bustling with activity, but the cross section of Croatian and Italian didn't do it for me. The menu has a wide variety to choose from, but I'd prefer a setting in which I can hear my party. The drinks and service were a highlight of the night, but the food came up short.

Everything about this place was amazing from the ambiance to the service to the food…read more Cesar salad 10/10 Date cake might be my favorite desert ever & the Wagyu burger is def Top 3 in the city Can't wait to return to try some other items

Finally got reservations after being too late. Make sure to log in right at 9am 3 weeks out or…read moreyou'll be too late. Walk ins were complaining about waiting 1 1/2 hour but that's what you get. The place itself is beautiful, the service was great, small and intimate place. The menu itself was ok. Was blown away but was good. It's worth checking out once but I'm not sure if I will go back.

2026: Came for a business dinner and was more blown away than last time. The bluefin tart, the Dry…read moreaged tartare, the scallops and the short ribs were all so well put together I am still thinking about them. Highly recommend Boka. 2022: What a great experience. The short ribs were unlike anything I have tasted before. The service, the food and all elements of the meal were a memorable experience.

Boka and Alinea are perhaps the most iconic Michelin star restaurants in Chicago, and it would be…read more"embarrasing" that a person who visited Chicago for over 15 times has not try either one. So, I finally made a reservation for Boka. There are several reasons that Boka looks attractive to me: a fine-dining restaurant opening on Monday, creative New American dishes, and importantly, they allow customers to order à la carte. I went there at 7:45pm on Monday and at that time the restaurant was about half-full. I tried the following dishes: 1. Bluefin Tuna Tart. A bite size app. The tart was filled with cherry puree/sauce, finely "minced" tuna and yuzu jelly, from bottom to top. Very rich in texture, and had a good balance of flavors. 2. Tortelli. Italian Dumplings filled with ricotta+tarragon, cooked with maitake and sweet corns, and topped with shaved goat gouda. The dumplings came with 6 pc, all generously filled with cheese. There was also lots of shaved goat gouda. These absolutely made the dish very rich in flavor, but a large amount of cheese also means it could be salty. The corns, luckily, added some refreshing sweetness to it. 3. Black Truffle Chicken. I ordered it mainly because I wondered how well a Michelin star restaurant cooks chicken, which could easily be made too dry. Surprisingly, the chicken was so tender and juicy that it required little effort to slice it! Moreover, interestingly, the chicken breast was stuffed with some sausage (the layer you see between the skin and the meat). Unfortunately, the dish was too salty for me: the chicken was brined, the sausage may had been cured, the jus and zucchini puree were also salty. I tried to finish it but could not, so I asked a bartender to send it back to the kitchen. 4. Roasted Hokkaido Scallops. Another creative dish. The seared scallops were paired with pickled & grilled cucumber slices, diced seaweed & radish, cauliflower puree, perhaps some puffed rice, and garnished with tarragon infused oil. I really liked the smoky and sour cucumber slices and the umami seaweed & radish. The puffed rice added some delightful crispiness to the dish. But the taste of cauliflower puree was more or less over-shadowed by the other ingredients. 5. Dinner rolls. Potato rolls with sunflower seeds. Served with fennel pollen+sea salt butter. Bread service was free. Service was, overall, top-level. I was greeted warmly by the reciptionist and the bartenders (I sat at the bar). The staff all had a good knowledge about the ingredients in the dishes, as well as how they are prepared (actually it seems that they had a book to record these, because I saw two of them reading and discussing such). When I complained about the chicken, they apologized to me and offered to cook something else for me for free. I might come back in the future if I see something interesting on their seasonally changing menu.

With a creative menu and rave reviews, Mott St. had been on my bookmarked list since it opened! I…read morewas finally able to visit recently and it was all I hoped it would be. The interior was pretty sleek and it was packed around 6:30pm on a weeknight. It's definitely the kind of place to go when you want to have a dinner out that feels like an occasion without getting dressed up. Most of the dishes were served family style, so I recommend going with a group if you can! We tried the chef's special menu for 4 people, which had about 8 courses at a great price. To drink, I started with the white lotus, which did not come to play! It was very strong and barely sweet- maybe a bit much for me, but if that's your vibe, you'll like it. Appetizers included the Thai papaya salad and imperial rolls. The first was solid and the rolls were extra hot and crispy. I enjoyed the perilla leaves that they were wrapped in. Next came the garlic rice with whole roasted cloves of garlic, sauteed mushrooms, everything wings, and chili cauliflower. The rice was super fluffy and garlicky, but the miso butter mushrooms are not to be missed! We definitely drank a little bit of the sauce. The wings could have been a little crispier, but I really liked the sweet and spicy Korean style sauce. The crispy chili cauliflower was sweet and actually tasted a bit like orange chicken- we demolished it and this may have been my favorite dish of the whole night! Finally, we had the mentaiko kimchi udon, steak kalbi, and ordered one of their burgers on the side because why not. We agreed that the bonito flakes on the udon covered up the kimchi flavor a bit and wished it was stronger, but I liked the creaminess of the sauce. The steak kalbi had a great flavor and sauce, but I do think it could've been more tender. The burger was as good as it looked and indeed one of the best I've had in Chicago. I loved the balance between sweet and savory, and all of the flavors were balanced very well. We ended the meal with the seasonal dessert, which was sticky rice with strawberries and fermented rice. I thought it made for a refreshing end, but we agreed that it would've been even better served cold rather than hot. Overall, this was a very fun and great experience with delicious food! I would absolutely return and recommend paying a visit.

I loved Mott St!!!! We went before a show at Salt Shed & it was perfect that we could walk on over…read moreto the venue right after our dinner. My favorite thing we got was the garlic rice & crispy cauliflower. The tofu was good but not amazing. Our service was good and the patio was very fun to sit on even on a super hot day. Can't wait to go back here!!!!