Best Open Kitchen Restaurants in Uptown

Due to a glut of options, there are few places in Chicago that spark the “when are we coming back?” conversation before the main course is finished. This is one of those places. The dishes were comfortable yet complex, making you realize, there’s a talent-level in the kitchen that makes them impossible to replicate. Each bite from first course through dessert was exceptional, which is a feat considering we were last seating on a Tuesday night. What made the experience was the service. Lauren S. was welcoming and informative without being pushy. She deftly answered all of our questions that felt like she was guiding us through the menu based on her expertise not her opinion. This included steering us away from certain dishes when she understood our flavor profiles, and explaining things without ruining the surprise. Her attention to little things without feeling crowded made us realize what front of house talent does to heighten the experience. The only knock was the nitty-picky things on the space. The bathroom was a bit disheveled, there was a crud on the handle of a fork (nothing on the tongs, I checked before using it). Extremely minor unless you’re judging for Micheline stars. Simply put, where it matters everything is well thought out from concept to execution. If you can get in, it’s an absolute no-brainer.

It’s not worth the hype. There’s better ramen in the city.

Excellent innovative food. Quality of the wines for the pairing option is very low but, amazingly enough, they taste quite well with the meal. Still, they should offer good wines to match their outstanding cuisine. Our waitress was amazing, knowledgeable while not overdoing it, and attentive to provide good service to us and surrounding tables Great job !

The food and service was outstanding! The short rib orzo and cauliflower were our favorites.

Very friendly staff and good service. Delicious coffee- I bought beans to take home. The bakery goods are wonderful and it’s fun to watch the bakers in the separate open kitchen by the front windows.