Cibo Matto’s sexy air

The Wit Hotel, 201 North State Street; 312-239-9500

CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN [$$$$]

Cibo Matto makes us all feel good because of what it represents: a return to the days when restaurants were spectacles. The kind of expensive dining temples that would have, say, a 2,000-bottle wine tower, a 30-foot ceiling fresco, an eight-foot-tall salumi/cheese case, and name-dropping waitstaff who offer to shave black truffles on everything in sight when they’re in season. Cibo has all that—and its food occasionally soars into Spiaggia’s rarefied air. From antipasti (like the glorious octopus that’s been slow-cooked in white wine with lemon zest and herbs) to desserts (a ridiculously flaky fig-mascarpone napoleon), most everything shines. You could probably make a meal of the delicate caramelli twists filled with butternut squash and the top-notch cheese plate, but come on. Remember when you used to splurge?

TIP: If you’ve grown bored with pasta, try the bucatini alla carbonara with pancetta, a duck egg, and Pecorino Romano, then report back.

PRICE KEY: ¢ $10 to $19  $ $20 to $29   $$ $30 to $39  $$$ $40 to $49   $$$$ $50-plus
[Cost per person for dinner, excluding wine, tax, or tip]

Photograph: Bob Coscarelli  Styling: Taryn Bickley  Hair and Makeup: Lauren Frenden/Artists by Timothy Priano  Models: Linda W. and Nikola Z./Ford Chicago  Wardrobe: (Linda) Club Monaco, (Nikola) Club Monaco and Barneys Co-Op