Restaurant File: Chicago

Everest's reputation in the restaurant world is blue chip, so it's fitting to find it perched on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange. Amimd breathtaking views of the city skyline, chef/owner Jean Joho delivers a quintessentially French experience from the food to the Rococo decor and artwork to the accent of the maitre d'. There are three- and four-course prix fixe options as well as chef's tasting menu of the meticulously prepared haute cuisine, which can run up to eight courses on a given night. Everest is a member of Relais & Chateaux and Relais Gourmand. You'll get nothing but the best and you'll pay for the privilege.

Paul Kahan missed out on The James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef in 2007, but his nomination, alongside Everest's Jean Joho, speaks volumes about Chicago's reputation as a serious foodie city. Excuse the pun, but Kahan's Blackbird has plenty to crow about, and his loyal clientele keeps flocking back to enjoy his inspired creations. While the storefront is austere, the interior decor is sleek and stylish with a funky white bar, high-back chairs, and tables so close a blackbird could barely fit between them. The surroundings can sometimes feel cramped and noisy, but it doesn't distract the top-notch, laid back servers, who will make you feel right at home.

The wine and food duke it out for most valuable player at BIN 36 on North Dearborn Street (on the west side of Marina City between the Chicago River and Kinzie and walking distance to the Theater District). The focus, it seems, is firmly on wine, as there are several relaxed spaces in which to settle in and select, sip and savor. Enjoy a casual wine-paired meal in The Tavern, a more formal dinner in The Cellar, and then shop for wine, books, home wares and fresh flowers in the lively Market. The 36 Minute Lunch—in and out in 36 minutes—is a perfect mid-day break from business or a shopping excursion.

One of the brightest gems in this culinary crown of a city is just off the northern end of the Magnificent Mile, Tru is one of those restaurants that draws you in and immediately makes you forget everything going on outside. It's a cool, contemporary vision with ethereal white drapes, blue velvet banquettes, European black mosaic floor tiles and charcoal carpet. The bar and well-arranged dining room (lots of space between tables) allows for an intimate and personal dining experience and a semi-private dining room is reached via a dramatic staircase. The 1,700-bottle wine list shines next to Rick Tramonto's French-inspired dishes and executive pastry chef Gale Gand's divine desserts. Take note, though: it's surprisingly formal. Jackets are required for men.

One of my trusted Chicago insiders, Greg, recommended this neighborhood restaurant, and I loved it. Set unassumingly located in North Halstead, a 15-minute cab ride from the city center, Yoshi's Café has been serving great food for more than a quarter century and is one of those places you'll only find if a local tips you off. Yoshi Katsumura and his wife, Nobuko, welcome every guest like an old familiar and serve them an intriguing fusion menu (Japanese, Italian, French and American) that hits the mark. I've heard mixed reports about the service, but it was efficient the night I dined there and the place was packed to the rafters.

I haven't dined here, but Todd Nelson, head concierge at The Peninsula Chicago, recommends Naha as one of the top Chicago restaurants. Located on North Clark Street (just north of the river) and helmed by talented cousins Carrie and Michael Nahabedian, Naha specializes in lunches and dinners of seasonal American fare jazzed up with Mediterranean pizazz. That yields creations like celery root soup with roasted squab and sweet roasted sea scallops scented with vanilla bean. It's a long, narrow dining room with minimalist decor, city views, and an almost spa-like look and feel, but it can get very noisy when crowded.

Restaurants with spectacular views are a dime a dozen in Chicago, but few can boast one quite as lovely as North Pond. This eatery in a leafy enclave of Lincoln Park is perched on the edge of a small lake and overlooks the city skyline. Built in 1912 as a shelter for ice-skaters, it has been carefully and lovingly restored as an award-winning restaurant run by 2007 James Beard nominee Bruce Sherman. With an emphasis on farm-fresh produce from local markets and bolstered by a very good wine list, Sherman's creations more than match the view, making for a meal to remember.

Legendary chef Tony Mantuano has set the benchmark for authentic Italian dishes at Spiaggia since 1985, and he has a flock of guests who can't stop coming back to prove it. Located on the second floor of a high-rise on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Oak Street, this Chicago institution boasts 40-foot windows framing breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. The inspired menus shines just as bright as the city at night. I love the champagne-colored booths; hate the marble pillars and cascading Italian chandeliers—but Mantuano's signature dishes like his wood-roasted guinea hen wrapped in pancetta are a joy.

While the dressier (and more stylish) Topolobampo next door tries to steal the limelight, her colorful older sister has been at the forefront of Chicago's Mexican restaurant scene since the 1980s. Chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality, Rick Bayless and his team offer heart-warming cuisine from south of the border in a riot of color, music and fiesta. The vivid Mexican artwork and upscale cantina-style decor may not be to everyone's taste—but the delicious food and service are outstanding and Frontera Grill makes for a fun night out.

The Art Nouveau floor tiling, exposed brick and vintage cocktails at Sepia recall the days of Dorothy Parker and Al Capone. The fresh seasonal creations on Kendal Duque's menu, however, embrace an au courant culinary sensibility. The end result is that vintage class is woven seamlessly with contemporary chic at this Warehouse District hotspot. Heather Wells, principal of Heather Wells Ltd, a design firm with offices in Chicago, likes how the photograpy, cool lighting and ochrey tone of the place. "It has and old world kind of feeling, with old world jazz. You always hear lots of female vocalists piped in. There's painted brick walls and a lot of oak wood, so it feels like it has an old world patina in a hip way." She suggests ordering any of their fish dishes, as Duque has a particular flare putting a memorable ethnic twist on traditional Mediterranean cuisine.

Chicago native, Courtney Shuster, Spire's product director, says don't be misled by this restaurant's Market District location. While the neighborhood has long been a clutter of industrial warehouses, One SixtyBlue is "the epitome of cozy elegance and outstanding service." On a recent visit, she was immediately wowed by the waitstaff's knowledge. "The waiter who poured our water was an expert in cheese and recommended a fantastic herbal cheese from Indiana (yes, it's true) as our starting point for the evening. The waitstaff had such passion for the menu and was constantly referring back to chef 'Martial' who they called by his first name, giving it a very exclusive and personal feel—like Martial was a chef to be revered (rightly so as he did serve under the famed Alain Ducasse), but also one who was cooking just for us that night." Japanese sweet potato soup, gnocchi and duck breast were just a few of his creations she and her father tried that night. Later, when Martial made his customary rounds of the dining room, she said he was genuinely gracious when she complimented his food. Knowledge, friendliness and modesty all come together here to yield a balanced meal.