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Artichoke tart at Gioco; Room 21

Restaurants

The dinner-menu price of a typical entree is indicated by dollar signs on the following scale: $ = less than $10, $$ = $10-15, $$$ = $15-20, $$$$ = $20-$30, $$$$$ = more than $30. See our listings for American, American Contemporary/Regional, Asian, Breakfast, Coffee Shop/Teahouse, Italian, Kosher/Jewish/Deli, Latin American/Mexican, and Pizza in the South Loop.

American

Bar Louie This chain of casually hip bar-restaurants, with its winning formula of premium drinks and cheap eats—creative salads, sandwiches, and tacos just greasy enough to count as bar food—is described by one Reader Restaurant Rater as “a nonchainlike version of a Bennigan’s or T.G.I. Friday’s.” The South Loop Bar Louie has a back room for private parties; the kitchen stays open until an hour before closing.  Lunch, dinner daily, Sat-Sun brunch, open till 2 AM (3 AM Sat), 47 W. Polk, 312-347-0000. $$

Blackie’s This speakeasy-style bar, around since 1939, offers reasonably priced burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and entrees, plus a few house specialties like clams casino, calamari in white wine sauce, and chili made from an old family recipe. Breakfast, served Friday through Sunday, is old-school: just a continental breakfast, three home-style combos, steak and eggs, and corned beef hash. There are a few outdoor tables for al fresco dining. Kitchen closes at 10 PM.  Breakfast Fri-Sun, lunch daily, dinner Mon-Sat, open till 2 AM, 755 S. Clark, 312-786-1161. $

Buddy Guy’s Legends This club is better known for its blues programming than its Cajun/Creole kitchen, but Raters like the large portions and low prices. One Rater especially recommends the Creole string beans (made with tomatoes, garlic, and spices) and the garlic mashed potatoes. The menu covers all the standards, from po’ boys to gumbo to jambalaya, and the kitchen stays open till midnight.  Lunch and dinner daily, open till 2 AM (3 AM Sat), 754 S. Wabash, 312-427-1190. $$

Eppel’s Eppel’s is a decades-old constant in a neighborhood that’s become a big-box mecca. You’ve seen the menu a thousand times: eggs, omelets, pancakes, burgers, club sandwiches, and meat-centric daily specials like beef short ribs. The place never stumbles, but it may not win any races either. Pancakes are light and fluffy but oversweet; meat loaf is bland. Chili has a bit of a kick but could use more, and the matzo ball soup’s too-yellow hue screams “Food Service Provider.” On the other hand, the corned beef sandwich is made in-house, well priced, and very good.  Breakfast, lunch daily, 554 W. Roosevelt, 312-922-2206. $ —Peter Tyksinski

Fornetto & Mei’s Kitchen This eatery at the South Loop Best Western is akin to Foodlife at Water Tower. You get a “debit card” upon entry and then choose dishes at various food stations; beverage and dessert service is tableside. When you’re finished you pay for your meal at a cashier’s station, cafeteria style. The selection includes stir-fries, pastas, wood-oven pizzas, rotisserie chicken, and a massive gourmet salad bar. Asian specialties seem a safe bet: vegetable-and-pork dumplings were succulent without being greasy. But thin-crust pizza was subpar—a hearty smoked-cheese topper couldn’t make up for the droopy, indifferent crust—and roasted chicken was flavorful but a bit dry. The wine selection is excellent if overpriced.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, 1108 S. Michigan, 312-294-2488. $$ —Rob Christopher

Hackney’s Printer’s Row The sole city location of the suburban family-owned chain has the feel of a neighborhood pub and is frequently packed with regulars. Founded in 1939, Hackney’s is best known for retro-ish specialties, particularly the daunting french-fried onion brick and the Hackneyburger, served on either a bun or dark rye. Other offerings include a strawberry and spinach salad, chicken Waldorf salad, and tuna salad in tomato. That’s not to say that Hackney’s is behind the times: there’s a California burger stuffed with chorizo and queso fresco, a turkey burger stuffed with spinach and feta, and several vegetarian options, among them black bean and veggie burgers and a hummus wrap with apples and carrots.  Lunch, dinner daily, open till 11 PM Tue-Sat, 733 S. Dearborn, 312-461-1116. $

Harold’s Chicken Shack #62 Counter­intuitively, some of the busiest shacks in the Harold’s empire are among the worst, and this one is near the bottom of the pile, combining surly counter staff, grubby floors and tables, and big but soggy, gamy fried birds. It’s one of the rare Harold’s where you can eat in, but it lacks any of the charms found in many more superficially forbidding ones, so there’s no good reason to.  Lunch, dinner daily, 636 S. Wabash, Chicago, 312-362-0442. $ —Mike Sula

Howie’s This South Loop storefront offers all-day breakfast and a large selection of sandwiches, from burgers, brats, and Italian beef to Philly cheese steak, barbecued pork chop, and Maryland crab cake. Nods to gentrification include a kids’ menu and the option of ordering San Pellegrino, Fuze, or espresso; beer and wine are also available.  Breakfast, lunch daily, dinner Mon-Sat, 1310 S. Wabash, 312-461-0944. $

Lawrence’s Fisheries In the shadow of a trestle bridge spanning the Chicago River, this family-run fried seafood emporium has been around since 1971, and its rickety steps show it. Inside there’s a wealth of options: fried shrimp, scallops, frog legs, catfish, perch, cod, oyster, clam strips, popcorn shrimp, and something called “seafood nuggets,” all served with your choice of house-made cocktail or hot sauce. All are available by the half-pound or pound or with fries, coleslaw, and a dinner roll. If you’re not up for fried, there’s boiled shrimp, several salads, and gumbo.  Open 24/7, 2120 S. Canal, 312-225-2113. $

Standing Room Only You may well have to stand at this popular semi-fast-food joint; it’s full of sports memorabilia but not so much tables. Burgers are hand-packed daily and available on dark rye or a “deep pan bun,” but the place is perhaps better known for its turkey burger—Mayor Daley’s said to be a fan. SRO also brags on its chicken sandwich, available Cajun style or topped with barbecue sauce and mozzarella or cheddar, bacon, and garlic mayo. There are also salads and vegetarian items including falafel, a veggie burger, and “Euro Veggie Stuff,” a whole-wheat pita stuffed with vegetables, feta, and Greek dressing. Standard fried starters and sides, Italian beef, and a Chicago char dog round out the menu; whole and half slabs of ribs are available after 4 PM.  Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat, 610 S. Dearborn, 312-360-1776. $

American Contemporary/Regional

The Chicago Firehouse This sprawling three-story restaurant in a 1905 firehouse retains some of the building’s original character with fire poles, tin ceiling, and firebrick walls. Huge semicircular, brass-studded red leather booths line the perimeter of the bar’s dining area, while the carpeted main dining room is outfitted with candelabra and fabric-lined walls that give it the feel of a suburban country club. Dishes tend to be hearty—starters include seared sirloin, French onion soup, and prosciutto rolled with cream cheese and asparagus. Main courses take their cue from home cooking—pot roast, panfried rainbow trout, barbecued pork chops with whipped sweet potatoes. Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, 1401 S. Michigan, 312-786-1401. $$$ —Laura Levy Shatkin

Custom House Shawn McClain’s third big splash (after Spring and Green Zebra) is his spin on the steak house. On an early visit tender veal cheeks with tomato-anchovy preserves were very good and baby beets with mascarpone explosively flavorful, though a black truffle risotto was salty enough to clear tarmac. A piece of marinated yellowtail was flopping-fresh and tasty, and a bone-in rib eye with a red-onion tarte tatin was the best thing on the table. On a second visit, cured sturgeon with julienned apples and pumpernickel toast was similar to the yellowtail and every bit as good, and a sea bass fillet was delicately cooked, with crispy skin. Once more, though, the best dish was beef, despite the kitchen’s paternalistic habit of cutting up steaks and fanning them out like a duck breast. Custom House is a tranquil, open space conducive to business meals, prettily evoking a Zen garden with pebbles, twigs, and rocks. Breakfast Mon-Sat, lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, 500 S. Dearborn, 312-523-0200. $$$$ —MS

Exposure Tapas Supper Club Round about 10 PM on a Friday, this restaurant and club became my idea of a bad time, but the experience was more enjoyable before the white-tablecloth dining room got crowded and noisy. As the name suggests, the changing menu focuses on small plates, though there are also a few entrees available. Charred beef tenderloin carpaccio paired with fennel, roasted pepper, and orange salad was a standout. Winning warm choices included bacon-wrapped dates with a spicy red pepper sauce and au gratin potatoes with Gorgonzola. Black-bottom creme brulee solved an age-old dessert-lover’s dilemma by bringing together an incredibly fudgy brownie and a silky custard with a crackly caramelized-sugar crust.  Dinner Sun, Tues-Sat, open till 2 AM (3 AM Sat), 1315 S. Wabash, 312-662-1082. $$$ —Anne Spiselman

Room 21 Jerry Kleiner (Red Light, Marché, Opera, etc) knows how to razzle-dazzle ’em. In this case, the backstory—printed on the menu—involves a Prohibition-era warehouse owned by Al Capone, Eliot Ness’s first bust, and an escape passage ending in a door labeled “Room 21.” Kleiner’s renovation of the space channels a bordello: velvet drapes, alligator-pattern banquettes, clusters of hanging lamp shades, huge potted palms, and an eye-popping color scheme of pinks, greens, reds, and black and white. As for the food, my meal was mixed. Mildly seasoned tuna tartare let the flavor of the silky cubed fish shine, but crab cakes tasted mostly of rice. Entrees arrived lukewarm, but the steak Diane (no longer on the menu, unfortunately) was perfectly cooked, coated with subtle cognac sauce, and served with a mountain of crisp salted fries.  Dinner daily, open till 11 PM Fri-Sat, 2100 S. Wabash, Chicago, 312-328-1198. $$$$ —AS

Asian

Amarit Last year this longtime River North Thai restaurant from the owners of the Star of Siam relocated to more comfortable quarters in the South Loop. In addition to Thai standards from mee krob to tom kah kai to lard nar, the menu here ventures into pan-Asian fare, offering fried calamari and soft-shell crab, tempura udon, unagi on rice, teriyaki salmon, and even a couple Chinese dishes like orange chicken and Mongolian beef. Raters say nothing’s going to knock your socks off, but prices are reasonable, service is friendly, there’s delivery, and even though there’s a full bar, you can still BYOB.  Lunch, dinner daily, open till 11 PM Fri- Sat, 600 S. Dearborn, 312-939-1179. $$

Hong Kong Delight This neighborhood Chinese place geared primarily toward takeout and delivery offers standard Chinese-American at dirt-cheap prices. There are a number of combo meals, lunch specials, and family-style dinners and “party trays” featuring dishes such as orange chicken, Mongolian beef, kung pao and Szechuan preparations, and lo mein, plus the obligatory egg rolls, crab Rangoon, and fried rice. BYO; delivery.  Lunch, dinner daily, 1238 S. Canal, 312-491-8318. $

Opera The stylized Asian food at chef Paul Wildermuth’s swank spot in the South Loop is part whimsical, part serious, and mostly enjoyable. Shumai are stuffed with pork and lobster and served with roast chile pesto and scallion-ginger sauce; crispy prawns have an almond crust and come in a sweet-and-sour blood orange sauce. Dishes that are more true to form but just as nice include Szechuan dry-cooked green beans with ground pork and preserved vegetables, a stir-fry of sugar snap peas and mushrooms, and a deconstructed Peking duck. There’s also an entire menu devoted to vegans.  Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, open till midnight Fri-Sat, 1301 S. Wabash, 312-461-0161. $$$$ —LLS

Oysy Designed by local architect Douglas Garofalo, this minimalist South Loop sushi place has two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. Behind the long sushi bar, chefs in black baseball caps cut fish, roll maki, and greet customers. The menu at Oysy (pronounced oh-EE-she and meaning “delicious”) is distinctly value conscious, with most nigiri priced under $6 for two pieces and most maki under $7. Ten grilled dishes come in at $10 and under, among them toro steak with ponzu sauce and spicy radish, Chilean sea bass in garlic-black bean sauce, teriyaki eel, and octopus with miso sauce. Tempura options include soft-shell crab and baby squid and come with homemade soy, sesame, or garlic sauce. At lunch the bento boxes are a good deal; a choice of entree—like perfectly grilled white tuna with a yuzu vinaigrette—comes with several pieces of maki and tiny portions of tofu salad, orange tempura shrimp, and Japanese pickles, all for $12.  Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, open till 11 PM Fri-Sat, 888 S. Michigan, 312-922-1127. $$ —LLS

South Coast Teeming with attractive South Loopers, South Coast’s sleek space is outfitted with chandeliers resembling the tentacles of aquatic creatures, swaying to club music cranked to 11. As at Coast, its north-side sibling, the focus is on stylish “new Japanese” cuisine, but more staid sushi specials—fatty salmon, hamachi, and uni—were spanking fresh and bright. There’s a lot of seafood dressed with mango and zesty jalapeno, rolled in a wide range of attractive maki, tempura fried, and drizzled with sauce. Bring wine or beer to sweeten your bill significantly; for a $5 corkage, expect fresh glasses with every new bottle and servers who uncork and pour your beverage, which should be (but isn’t) SOP for all BYOBs.  Lunch Sat-Sun, dinner daily, 1700 S. Michigan, 312-662-1700. $$ —David Hammond

Tamarind It’s hard not to be dubious when a restaurant menu cuts as broad a culinary swath as Tamarind’s—the multipage document covers an exhausting range of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. But for the most part this “eclectic Asian” place in the South Loop acquits itself well. The ahi-poki tuna was a tasty scoop of diced raw fish mixed with avocado and scallions, topped with a dollop of masago and served in a martini glass on a festive tangle of radish. A “carpaccio trio” of yellowtail, salmon, and superwhite tuna was lightly dressed in a sweet ponzu sauce that didn’t overpower the fish. Entrees were similarly well constructed: rich slices of panfried Tamarind duck were wrapped in slabs of duck fat and accompanied by crisp snow peas and veggies; grilled pork with vermicelli was tender and tangy and served with a delicately spiced pork spring roll. Wash it all down with a couple of “fruitinis,” and the stress of that overwhelming menu washes away as well.  Lunch and dinner daily, open till 11 PM, 614 S. Wabash, 312-379-0970. $$ —Martha Bayne

Triad Sushi Lounge Triad Sushi Lounge is low-lit and lurid, with bamboo curtains and a VIP room for an extra 50 bucks. The menu is large if on the pricey side, with items appealing to all but the most militant vegan. We started with a savory mound of shiitake, oyster, and button mushrooms sauteed in sake and garlic. Gomae, spinach in sesame sauce, was less successful, but grilled Chilean sea bass was sumptuous, and slightly browned Asari tuna, pepper-crusted and served with wasabi mayo, was good if standard. Every piece on the chef’s-choice sushi-sashimi platter was fresh and flavorful, and there’s lots of maki here, including a tasty roll with tempura crunch inside and many mayo squiggles outside. To drink there are premium sakes by the glass or carafe, among them Komekome, an excellent sake starter, and Hakushika, brewed in the American Rockies. Dinner daily, open till 11 PM Fri-Sat, 1933 S. Indiana, 312-225-8833. $$$ —DH

Breakfast

Bongo Room The South Loop outpost of Bongo Room shares the exposed brick, grass-colored walls, and stainless-steel accents of its sister on Milwaukee. The food’s the same at both places too—a good thing when that means delicious variations on brunch classics. The menu is anchored by omelets, with 25 options for ingredients including Havarti, smoked Gouda, and ten other cheeses. There are several over-the-top twists on syrup standards, like the house specialty “Chocolate Tower” French toast (available only on weekends), served with maple mascarpone, banana creme brulee sauce, banana slices, and shaved chocolate. The weekend brunch menu expands the egg entries with five variations on eggs Benedict. Breakfast daily, lunch Mon-Fri, brunch Sat-Sun, 1152 S. Wabash, 312-291-0100. $$ —Ryan Hubbard

Orange The menu at the South Loop location of this orange-themed eatery follows the pattern set at the one on North Clark Street, with clever and tasty options for breakfast and lunch: jelly-doughnut pancakes, skewers of coconut-flavored French toast with strawberries and pineapple, and omelets stuffed with forest mushrooms and roasted garlic or figs, leeks, and bacon. Simple lunch items get flavorful twists; for example, the grilled cheese is cheddar with caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. You can create your own juice drinks by choosing from an initial list—orange, apple, cucumber, carrot, etc—and adding tropical fruits like mango and papaya for an additional buck apiece. The kids’ menu features tiny pancakes, fluffernutter sandwiches, and other classics for the tricycle set. BYO. Breakfast and lunch daily, 75 W. Harrison, 312-447-1000. $$ —LLS

Yolk Perhaps self-evidently, the specialty at this sunny South Loop breakfast-and-lunch spot is eggs, offered in several different Benedict styles (for example, there’s an Irish Benny topped with corned beef hash) as well as in omelets and frittatas or served just plain old sunny-side up. I opted for a “West Coast” crepe filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, mushrooms, and cheese, and though it said sweet crepe right there on the menu, I still found it odd with all the other savory flavors. The classic eggs Benedict was very good, though. In addition to egg dishes, Yolk’s menu features a variety of pancakes, waffles, and French toast, as well as sandwiches and salads for the lunch crowd. BYO.  Breakfast and lunch daily, 1120 S. Michigan, 312-789-9655. $ —Kathie Bergquist

Coffee Shop/Teahouse

Cafe Mediterra This Mediterranean restaurant and coffee shop in the old Gourmand space has a pedigree: owner Mutaz Abdullah’s father owns Cedars of Lebanon, and his brother runs Sultan’s Market. Breakfast here is American style—oatmeal, omelets, pancakes, waffles, bagels, and a range of pastries and smoothies. In addition to standards like hummus, falafel, and kebabs, the lunch and dinner menu has more-distinctive dishes such as kallayah, a savory Turkish stew of tenderloin, tomatoes, and peppers. There are also lamb burgers, flatbreads, and vegetarian offerings like a pita stuffed with cauliflower and potato. BYO; free WiFi.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, 728 S. Dearborn, 312-427-2610. $$

Little Branch Cafe Tucked into the ground floor of a gleaming South Loop high-rise, this casually modern spot run by fashion designer Soo Choi and her sister Sang is notable for both its good looks and its utter lack of street parking—the cafe seems primarily to serve the culinary needs of neighborhood condo dwellers and the occasional museum campus refugee. Nice aesthetic touches, courtesy of designer/contractor Kevin Heisner, include silky-smooth polished limestone tabletops, chalkboard-painted walls, counters faced with unfinished lumber, and stools made from painted tree trunks. The food is as well designed as the space: a turkey Reuben from the short panini menu was surprisingly tidy, bird, kraut, and cheese smooshed cleanly between slices of marble rye. Also on offer: smoky espresso drinks with Metropolis coffee, Palazollo’s artisanal gelato and sorbetto, and smoothies. Tantalizing pastries are provided by Lovely, Southport Bakery, and Sugarkist, aka ex-Lula pastry chef Jane Roberts. A beer and wine license is pending, as are additional menu options. Breakfast and lunch daily, 1251 S. Prairie, 312-360-0101. $ —MB

Hi Tea In a part of the South Loop poised for big-time population growth, Hi Tea answers the call for a neighborly cafe, this one focused on the world’s second-most-popular beverage after water. The menu, reflecting a Panera-like trend toward fresh fare at moderate prices, includes tea-based options such as an Earl Grey chicken salad and a range of midsize tea sandwiches. A grilled turkey with Gruyere was perfectly crisped and complemented by jicama-apple slaw, the side for most menu selections. At 60 plus, the range of teas is impressive, and baristas are skilled at pairing foods with brews. Hi Tea’s ayurvedic menu enables you to self-prescribe correctives for your spiritual/physical imbalances, though after a relatively wholesome meal featuring Red Hen bread and well-made tea, you may prefer to achieve inner harmony with a handcrafted gelato, supplied by nearby Canady le Chocolatier.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, 14 E. 11th, 312-880-0832. $ —DH

Italian

Cafe Bionda A newer restaurant in the increasingly newer South Loop, Cafe Bionda (Italian for “blond”) looks like a blond Mia Francesca clone, albeit one with some worthwhile menu options. Escarole with white beans was tender and unusually picante—in fact, all the veggies, including broccolini and spinach, were well handled. Veal Francese—egg dipped, fried gently, and served in generous slices—was a luscious dish, and the fish of the day is worth trying. Bionda Reef, an extension of the restaurant, offers a raw bar.  Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, open till 1 AM Sun, midnight Fri-Sat, 11 Mon-Thu, 1924 S. State, 312-326-9800. $$$ —DH

Gioco This rustic Italian restaurant from the owners of Marché and Red Light was an early harbinger of South Loop gentrification. The room is chic in a weathered way, with exposed brick, high ceilings, velvet curtains, large flower arrangements, and an enormous open kitchen. There’s a ravioli of the day, and the menu offers several vegetarian options, including beet carpaccio with frisee and truffle oil and fried eggplant with buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes. There’s also plenty of meat (grilled pork chops, a 40-ounce porterhouse for two) and seafood (scallops with fava beans); side dishes like roasted brussels sprouts, sauteed rapini, and grilled asparagus can be ordered a la carte. Raters complain that wines by both the glass and bottle are overpriced, with no reds under $40. Lunch Mon-Fri, dinner daily, brunch Sun, open till 11:30 PM Fri-Sat, 1312 S. Wabash, 312-939-3870. $$$ —LLS

Panozzo’s Italian Market Panozzo’s is kind of like Bari’s and L’Appetito’s more cultured cousin. It’s a modern Italian deli that churns out high-quality sandwiches (including homemade meatball and Italian sausage subs and a delicious combination of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto) and offers the usual accoutrements: fancy olive oils, vinegars, cheeses, cured meats. What sets Panozzo’s apart is its suppliers—the market carries artisan salamis from Fra’ Mani artisan salamis and prosciutto from La Quercia, two producers who insist on using the leaner, more flavorful meat of humanely treated pasture-raised pigs. In both cases, the result is cured pork of exceptional quality.  Lunch Sun, Tue-Sat, dinner Tue-Sat, 1303 S. Michigan, 312-356-9966. $ —Anderson Gansner, Rater

Trattoria Caterina The menu is surprisingly extensive at this Printer’s Row trattoria. In addition to standard appetizers like bruschetta and calamari, there are home-style options like polenta, sausage and peppers, and pimiento ripien, baked red peppers stuffed with fontina cheese and glistening with balsamic and olive oil. Raters rave over the formaggio salad, romaine and Gorgonzola with caramelized walnuts and red peppers. The several preparations of chicken include classics such as cacciatore, parmigiana, marsala, caponato, and Vesuvio; ditto for veal. Add to that more than 30 pasta dishes, most vegetarian friendly; thin-crust pizza; and a long list of sandwiches and panini. Breakfast began March 1. BYO; delivery. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, 616 S. Dearborn, 312-939-7606. $$

Tutto Italiano “Don’t be fooled by the dark-oak opulence of Tutto Italiano’s bar/foyer,” says one Rater. “This place is casual Italian dining, with just the right mix of old-world elegance and downtown panache.” Starters include shrimp oreganata, sausage and peppers, and steamed mussels and clams; three-cheese ravioli, penne arrabiata, and linguine carbonara are among the dozen pasta dishes. Reasonably priced entrees include prime rib, chicken marsala, and veal saltimboca. Raters say desserts like tiramisu are perfunctory but good, and find sitting in the restaurant’s attached railroad dining car romantic. Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat, 501 S. Wells, 312-939-4824. $$$

Kosher/Jewish/Deli

Eleven City Diner Don’t go to Eleven City Diner expecting the fast, brusque treatment you usually find in a traditional deli. On my visit service was polite to the point of approval seeking: a staffer made a special trip to the table to find out if the egg cream he’d made was up to par. (Yes.) Despite its unnerving lack of attitude, Eleven City offers other traditional trappings—there’s a pie case up front, and matzo ball soup, knishes, and tuna melts on the menu. There’s also breakfast all day, including, for example, the huge and excellent challah French toast topped with strawberries, bananas, and coconut. They don’t skimp on desserts here: the root beer float comes in a glass three fists high and packed with ice cream. On the other side of the restaurant is a deli counter stocked with sandwich fixings—corned beef, egg salad—for carryout customers. Maybe they’re ruder over there. Full bar.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, open till midnight Fri-Sat, 1112 S. Wabash, 312-212-1112. $ —Anne Ford

Spertus Cafe Come on, Wolf—not even a pizza? If you can pull it off at the airport and the MCA, and even invent Jewish Pizza for Spago, why not here? OK, so everything’s kosher, and the space overlooking the trees in Grant Park is architecturally pleasing, but aside from that this is a purely functional, phoned-in, shallow stab at celeb-chef branding, offering only a soup of the day, a few unremarkable salads and sandwiches, some sweets, and not much else. I’m not sure what Wolfgang Puck contributed apart from his mug pasted on the carryout containers, or why this place requires the talents of a noted executive chef like Laura Frankel, who founded the kosher restaurant Shallots and authored her own kosher cookbook. Spertus donors could’ve saved a bundle.  Breakfast and lunch Sun-Fri, dinner Mon-Thu, 610 S. Michigan, 312-322-1700. $ —MS

Latin American/Mexican

Cafe Society At this charming but endangered cafe in the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, the eclectic bill of fare ranges from Mexican standards to burgers and quiche. Beef enchiladas were pleasingly lean and savory, and my friend’s chicken torta packed an entire juicy breast, refried beans, tomatoes, guacamole, and a fried egg between the buns, all accompanied by a side of wickedly crisp, salty fries. The caramel Dutch apple pie was a perfect topper. BYO.  Lunch and dinner daily, 1801 S. Indiana, 312-842-4210. $ —RC

La Cantina Grill La Cantina Grill is the sort of casual joint you can take out-of-towners like your ma and pa to: they can’t go wrong with either the specials (all meat- or fish-based) or the menu’s “traditional” section: burritos, enchiladas, and tostadas that share the plate with the familiar puddle of refried beans, mildly seasoned rice, and tuft of shredded iceberg lettuce. Portions are fat-American size, and the prices, most under $12, shouldn’t prompt any pursed lips. A dish of shrimp al mojo de ajo arrived sizzling and proved pleasant if not as flavorful as you’d hope. The mole sauce on the pollo michoacano, on the other hand, was rich and satiny, and guacamole had a fresh, limey tang. Lunch and dinner daily, open till 1 AM Fri-Sat, 1911 S. Michigan, 312-842-1911. $$ —Susannah J. Felts

Cuatro Sophisticated nuevo Latino comfort food in a sophisticated space. Appetizers looked so tempting it was hard to make our choices, but the vegetarian ceviche was a good pick: crunchy hearts of palm, mushrooms, asparagus, avocado, and pico de gallo in a bright-tasting citrus dressing. Flautas de barbacoa, corn cigars stuffed with savory slow-roasted beef and served with a red salsa, were also tasty. But the standout of the evening had to be the moqueca do mar, a seafood stew with a kick-ass tomato-coconut milk sauce. Other main dishes include beer-braised beef short ribs, a chile relleno stuffed with eggplant caviar and blue cheese, and a double pork chop, bone in and more like a triple—it was one gigantic hunk o’ meat. But we still couldn’t say no to the Oaxacan chocolate mousse cake with house-made sweet corn ice cream.  Dinner daily, brunch Sun, open till 2 AM Fri-Sat, 2030 S. Wabash, 312-842-8856. $$$ —Kate Schmidt

Zapatista An upscale Mexican venture, Zapatista specializes in tequila, offering more than 100 kinds, and has a modest but fairly priced wine list with many South American selections. Guacamole was tangy with lime juice, a good thing in my book; it’s prepared tableside and you get to specify the level of heat. Spicy tostaditas are offered with fillings of chicken, ropa vieja, and plantain; a double-cut pork chop is dressed up with a mole manchamanteles and sweet-potato fries. The dessert tamale was bliss, gooey chocolate cake served in a corn husk. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat-Sun, 1307 S. Wabash, 312-435-1307. $$ —KB

Pizza

Edwardo’s Natural Pizza This chain was born out of the health-food craze of the 80s, but don’t be discouraged (or encouraged) by the “natural” in the name—Edwardo’s no longer offers much out of the ordinary in terms of toppings or ingredients. Franchised in the late 90s, the chain still offers pizzas and Italian entrees at reasonable prices. The stuffed pies tend toward the greasy side, but the blend of spices and sauce is delicious. The $6.50 lunch special, which includes a small stuffed pizza, salad, and pop, is a favorite for lunchers with hearty appetites, although service can be quite slow.  Lunch and dinner daily, open till 11 PM Fri-Sat, 521 S. Dearborn, 312-939-3366. $ —Rachel Klein, Rater

Pat’s Pizza Pat’s cranks out thin-crust pizza that many declare the best in town; certainly it’s popular for delivery, especially to the financial district. In addition to pizzas, available in combinations like artichoke and Canadian bacon, there are Italian standards. One Rater declares the baked clams “the best in the world!”  Lunch and dinner daily, open till 11 PM, 628 S. Clark, 312-427-2320. $$

Pizza-Ria New York-style pizza by the slice or pie, in varieties ranging from a simple margherita to the Divine—bacon, sausage, green pepper, and onions. You can also build your own pizza and/or salad, choosing from 30 ingredients. Pizza-Ria’s garbage salad has everything but the kitchen sink: mixed greens, hearts of palm, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, chicken, salami, kalamata olives, pepperoni, egg, bacon, red onion, blue cheese, and croutons, all topped with ranch dressing. For dessert how about a brownie?  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, open till 2 AM Fri- Sat, 11 PM Sun-Thu, 719 S. State, 312-957-1111. $

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