At Apolonia, the latest spot from Stephen Gillanders and the S.K.Y. team, no dish is more striking (and delicious) than the black truffle puff bread, a crunchy sphere decked out with garlic and truffles and topped with herbs and Parm. Executive pastry chef Tatum Sinclair found inspiration in a puffed pita she had at the London restaurant Brat and made 72 different versions before settling on the bread she’s serving now. “It’s the longest I’ve ever worked on a dish,” she says. “We’re a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, and this is our version of the fanciest garlic bread you can eat.” $16. 2201 S. Michigan Ave., South Loop

The Bread

The base is a focaccia that Sinclair ferments for three days before proofing it, shaping it like pizza dough, and dropping it into the deep fryer. “I baste it in oil, which helps it puff up more quickly,” she says. After that, the bread heads to the wood-fired oven for a couple of minutes, then into the salamander oven, both of which help give it a nice crust.

The Spread

Sinclair makes an überrich, umami-loaded black truffle and garlic butter with equal parts butter, crushed minced garlic, and Périgord black truffle paste sourced from Rare Tea Cellar. She spreads it on top so it melts into the bread.

The Topping

Deep-fried parsley adds both crispiness and herbal notes, and Sinclair finishes it all off by grating Parmesan over the top to lend some salty nuttiness.