Spacca Napoli

Chicago has so many great places for pizza but this is the one that takes us to Italy: the comfy dining rooms set with sturdy wooden tables, the indulgent service (you’ll be offered some hunger-staving focaccia by the front if you have to wait), the menu that aims to satisfy rather than impress. Start with … Read more

Shanghai Terrace

Sure, the terrace at this Peninsula Hotel property affords stunning views of the city and feels like a hidden oasis during warmer months. On the surface, it’s the star of the show. Hence the name. The cozy inside, however, is where you want to try chef Elmo Han’s refined Chinese cooking. Nowhere else do you … Read more

Dolo Restaurant and Bar

We wish we still lived in an age when dim sum carts clattered through vast dining halls, but lacking that bit of theater, we’re grateful for the high-quality plates this restaurant prepares daily. In a setting that looks more like a clubstaurant rather than a traditional Cantonese teahouse, a busy kitchen works hard, sending out … Read more

Redhot Ranch

“No Tails,” reads the sign here. “Eat the whole shrimp.” If these words don’t make you want to order the french-fried shrimp, let us convince you. These shrimp are light, crispy, and eminently snackable. Served with cocktail sauce (ask for the spicy one), they are available by the quarter pound (if you ask). That’s exactly … Read more

Immm Rice & Beyond

Though tasty newcomers arrive regularly on the never-static Asia on Argyle, we can’t stop returning to Immm Rice & Beyond, where the focus is on Thai street food. You’ll need at least one salad, like one of the spicy green papaya offerings (choose your level of heat and how funky you want to go by … Read more