5 Trendy Chicago Restaurants I’ve Tried Over the Years

🥩 Bavette's 🇺🇸 Touted as Chicago’s #1 steakhouse — tough to book. Most recommend the Dry-aged Bone-in Ribeye. Appetizer: Sizzling Shrimp Scampi. Side: Button Mushrooms. Dessert: Chocolate Cream Pie — huge but very sweet. Overall, everything was good but not mind-blowing — suggest tempering expectations. Great vibe for birthdays (they give a free, also very sweet, ice cream). 🍔 Au Cheval 🇺🇸 Famous for the “best burger in Chicago” — lives up to the hype. Get the burger with egg and bacon — takes it to the next level. Also tried hash browns, bone marrow, foie gras scrambled eggs, and an off-menu giant Napoleon — all delicious but extremely rich. Downsides: everything is heavy, and wait times are long. Sitting outside speeds things up but you might eat some dust. 🍝 Monteverde 🇮🇹 Top Italian spot in West Loop. Viral Burrata E Ham “meat sandwich” is fantastic. Recommended starters: Grilled Texas Redfish and Wagyu Skewer. Tiramisu is generous and well-made. Only miss: pasta was too al dente, and handmade noodles take forever. 🇮🇹 Nonnia Solid across the board — appetizers, pasta, dessert, wine. Plus, it’s downtown — convenient and well-rounded. 🥘 Topo Gigio 🇮🇹 #1 seafood risotto in Chicago, no question. Both grilled and fried calamari are excellent — skip other meats. Special oxtail pasta was good. Bar martinis were fine. Downsides: desserts like tiramisu and cheesecake aren’t great, and Old Town location is a bit far. But great value — I’ll be back. #StudentEats #FoodieFinds #HiddenGems #RestaurantRecs #Chicago #ChicagoEats