Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk

Here’s a toast to risk taking. After all, the top brass at Cooper’s Hawk could have gone “rosé all day” on us and dropped yet another of their standard wine-themed eateries in the old Esquire Theater space. Instead, they took the Nebbiolo route (read: bold as hell) and ran an experiment: Esquire flies in high-profile chefs who work outside the 606 to execute limited-time menus. Tom Colicchio’s debut impressed mightily, as should stints by Carla Hall, then Tyler Florence later in the year. But it was the decision to hire master sommelier Emily Wines to curate what’s housed in the 50-foot-tall glass-enclosed wine tower that will have corks and taste buds popping all year. 58 E. Oak St., Gold Coast