Illinois Restaurant Guide

Note: For a complete listing of Chicago-area restaurants, please visit our Out & About Chicago Restaurant Directory:

Aledo, The Slammer Eat inside old prison cells in this three-story 1909 jail, transformed into an "arresting" restaurant. 309-582-5359.

Bloomington, Lucca Grill A fixture since 1937, this neighborhood grill draws customers from around the world with its famous Italian food and thin-as-a-dime crust pizzas. 309-828-7521.

Canton, Lewis Pharmacy Slide into a booth at Ed Lewis' old-time soda fountain for a homemade chocolate soda. 309-647-0169.

Canton, Palm Cafe Casual elegance reigns at this little treasure located in the restored Canton House Hotel. Take in the beauty of the marble tiling and tin ceiling while dining on the contemporary fusion food. 309-647-2233.

Chicago, American Girl Place Enjoy tea, lunch, dinner with a special seat at the table for your doll. 312-943-9400.

Chicago, Ann Sather's This sprawling Swedish restaurant features an elegant black granite exterior and a cheerful interior painted in sunny colors. Menu items range from the innovative crab-and-spinach omelet to the house specialty, cinnamon rolls. 773-305-0024. Andersonville branch: 773-271-6677.

Chicago, Ba Le Known for its gourmet sandwiches, this Vietnamese-style restaurant specializes in food for people on the go. 773-561-4424.

Chicago, Big Shoulder Cafe Located in the city's Lincoln Park neighborhood, this restaurant hosts a lavish Sunday brunch with live piano music. 312-587-7766.

Chicago, Boston Blackie's A handsome bar off Michigan Avenue serves some of the best hamburgers in the city. 312-938-8700.

Chicago, Cambridge House Restaurant & Lounge Old-time cook-in-the-kitchen coffee shop a few blocks east of North Michigan Avenue. 312-828-0600.

Chicago, Charlie Trotter's Diners in the know order the multicourse grand dinner or vegetable-tasting dinner at this renovated townhouse in Chicago's tiny Lincoln Park area. 773-248-6228.

Chicago, Club Lago In the heart of River North, a neighborhood bar and restaurant serving cheese-smothered homemade baked green noodles. 312-951-2849.

Chicago, Club Lucky Family-style Italian fare in Chicago's stylish Wicker Park. 773-227-2300.

Chicago, Coco Pazzo Cafe If the weather is nice, sit in the 60-seat sidewalk section outdoors under a sunny-yellow awning and enjoy savory Italian dishes--from simple, fresh mozzarella saladswith marinated sweet peppers to veal scallopini and fettuccine bolognese. 312-664-2777.

Chicago, Collins Caviar In Greektown west of downtown, domestic caviar at a third of the price of imported. 312-226-0342.

Chicago, Ed Debevic's Known for its back-talking watiers, this diner in River north will show you a fun time. 312-664-1707.

Chicago, Erwin Basic Midwest dishes, prepared with a sophisticated twist at this highly regarded Halsted Street restaurant. 773-528-7200.

Chicago, Everest In the heart of the Loop, Chef Jean Joho lends a regional flavor to classic French dishes with Midwest ingredients. 312-663-8920.

Chicago, Fox & Obel Food Market Possibilities range from simple deli-style sandwiches to elaborate Maryland lump crab cakes and forest mushroom bisque with truffled sweet corn grits. 312-410-7301.

Chicago, Heaven on Seven Breakfast items high on the heat scale include "shrimp angry omelet" and "fresh jalapeno omelet" 312-263-6443.

Chicago, Lou Mitchell's Linger for more than a few minutes at this Windy City breakfast institution, and a hostess drops by offering free Milk Duds from her basket -- a cherished tradition here. You'll also see jugs of real maple syrup at the tables. An orange slice and prune comes with every breakfast, be it a sausage-filled omelet or a roll from the restaurant's bakery. 312-939-3111.

Chicago, Mr. Beef on Orleans The owners of this downtown restaurant won't reveal the secret of their juicy Italian beef sandwiches to anyone, not even to regulars such as comedian Jay Leno. Closed Sundays. 312-337-8500.

Chicago, Nhu Hoa Diners rave about the homemade soups at this popular Vietnamese restaurant. 773-878-0618.

Chicago, Northside Cafe Open year-round for alfresco lunches and dinners. 773-384-3555.

Chicago, Pasteur Vietnamese cooking with lots of fish, lean meat and vegetables are the healthy choices at this Edgewater cafe. 773-878-1061.

Chicago, RJ Grunts This funky little restaurant along Lincoln Park West boldly claims on its menu to have invented the salad bar in 1971. 773-929-5363.

Chicago, Red Tomato A bare-bones pizza joint during the Southport area's leaner years, today this restaurant is a traditional pizzeria. 773-472-5300.

Chicago, Salpicón Sunny, spicy, south-of-the-border cooking shines at a sophisticated, intimate storefront restaurant on the south edge of Old Town. 312-988-7811.

Chicago, Souk Upscale Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lamb dishes, accompanied by belly dancers. 773-227-1818.

Chicago, Spiaggia This glittery glass-and-marble restaurant overlooks Lake Michigan. Try the wood-roasted guinea hen with savoy cabbage, pancetta, and porcini mushrooms. 312-280-2750.

Chicago, Star of Siam More stylish than most Thai eateries north of the river, but with typical low prices. 312-670-0100.

Chicago, The Berghoff This shrine to German food and special beers hasn't changed much since it opened in the Loop in 1915. Polished oak tables and vintage hanging lights decorate the restaurant, which serves specialties such as sauerbraten and caramel pudding. 312-427-3170.

Chicago, The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago Try the slow-roasted Colorado rack of lamb at this upscale restaurant just off North Michigan Avenue in the Windy City. 312-573-5223.

Chicago, The Walnut Room Use a fork to eat the classy Field's Sandwich of turkey, bacon, and lettuce with Thousand Island dressing hiding a slice of rye bread. 312-781-3125.

Chicago, Topolobampo At this boisterous Mexican restaurant, Chef Rick Bayless rolls shredded duck into fresh tortillas with chile guajillo and roasted tomato sauce, crusted with two cheeses. It's one of our favorite dishes. 312-661-1434.

Chicago, Vivo You might spy celebrities dining at this restaurant in a former warehouse space in the downtown wholesale-produce market area. 312-733-3379.

Chicago, Wishbone Popular establishment just west of the Kennedy Expressway in the west loop, with a menu that's a little down-home southern. 312-850-2663.

Chicago, The Weber Grill At this restaurant, owned by the Weber Grill company, you'll feast on dishes such as grilled rack of lamb coated with bread crumbs. Trout, Wisconsin duck, chicken and veggies also sizzle to smoky perfection -- on Weber grills, of course. 312-467-9696. This restaurant is also located in Lombard (630-953-8880) and Schaumburg (847-413-0800).

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