Chicago is a grand and vibrant city for dining, so the community faced a tangible loss when it all came to a halt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But starting June 3, the city’s restaurants can reopen for al fresco dining with tables spaced 6 feet apart – just in time for summer. The 10 restaurants featured here are good places to start.
Note: Hours and menus are subject to change as the industry continues to adapt to changing regulations.
Gibsons Italy
233 Н. Canal Street, Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 414-1100
Under Chef Jose Sosa’s direction, Gibsons Italia has become a leader in authentic Italian cuisine in Chicago’s Fulton River neighborhood. During its temporary closure, the restaurant focused on working with charities, including World Central Kitchen and Ronald McDonald House. Now guests can once again enjoy cuisine inspired by Sosa’s years on the family farm and his love of nature. The menu features steakhouse classics like filet mignon on the bone and dry-aged porterhouse, as well as Italian dishes like meatballs, prosciutto and mozzarella, cacio e pepe and risotto. The menu features a wide selection of dishes from the Best of Award-winning wine list from wine director Zachariah Taylor. The 550 labels from the 6,000-bottle cellar focus on wines from California, Italy and France.
Maple and Ash
8 W. Maple St., Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 944-8888
Dining at Maple & Ash’s Courtyard In addition to this Chicago location, Maple & Ash has a second outpost in Scottsdale, Arizona, which opened last year.
Maple & Ash It embodies classic Chicago steakhouse culture, but with a modern twist, in the Gold Coast Historic District. After focusing on delivery and takeout, as well as virtual wine tasting, the restaurant’s patio is now open. The patio menu features an abbreviated selection of dishes from Chef Danny Grant, such as steak fries, wedge salad and coconut cream pie, as well as dishes inspired by international cuisine, such as crispy fried chicken and ricotta añolotti. Along with these dishes is an abbreviated 10,000-bottle Maple & Ash cellar wine list, which won the Best of Award of Excellence. Under the direction of wine director Amy Mandwiler, selections from the restaurant’s 1,600 varietals include a wide selection of white wines with an emphasis on Chardonnay from California and France, as well as several Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Italian red wines.
Morton’s, Steakhouse
65 E. Wacker Place, Chicago, IL.
phone (312) 201-0410
Morton’s (part of the Landry family) has set the standard for wine steakhouse chains. The Best of Award of Excellence award-winning hotel in downtown Chicago’s Wacker Place. It’s now open for patio dining, where Chef Juan Enriquez serves everything from giant crab cakes and Wagyu meatballs to a huge assortment of cuts and sizes of steaks, as well as traditional side dishes like creamy spinach and baked potatoes. Although the current wine list is limited to only a few selections, there are still top picks from wine director John Maraffa’s list of 1,300 labels, which best represents the regions of California, Italy and France. Fans of Morton’s can now visit another Chicago location, the 2016 Award of Excellence Winner. – including outdoor dining.
RPM Steak
66 W. Kinzie St., Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 284-4990
Located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, RPM Steak is one of several restaurants founded by well-known entrepreneurs Juliana and Bill Rancic. Like the other Windy City establishments, it looks like a new steakhouse that guests can once again enjoy on the restaurant’s patio. RPM now presents a reduced menu of dishes, including steak tartare, chilled oysters, Mediterranean octopus and cuts of wagyu beef. On the bottle side, RPM’s wine list, overseen by wine director Kyle Tarczynski, has been awarded Best of Excellence since 2015. It focuses primarily on red wines from California, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Italy and Washington, D.C., as well as a diverse selection of 1,200 cellar labels for 6,500 bottles. Highlights include a wide range of Amarone from leading wineries, many large format bottles from Napa and the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant vertical . Finish your meal with one of RPM’s dessert wines from Sauternes, Port and beyond, including several vintages from Chateau d’Yquem .
Swift & Sons
1000 W. Fulton Market St., Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 733-9420.
Swift & Sons patio burger Dine on American food at the Swift & Sons open-air patio.
Boka Restaurant Group plays an important role in Chicago’s culinary scene, especially when it comes to wine destinations. The restaurant family includes restaurant award winners. GT Prime , GT Fish & Oysters , Book and Swift & Sons . The latter two are now open for patio service this week, with other locations to follow. All of the newly opened Boka restaurants abide by city and CDC rules, such as limiting tables to six people and requiring everyone to wear masks when not at their table. At Swift & Sons, chef Chris Pandel offers a steakhouse menu consisting of light appetizers such as campachi crudo and shrimp cocktail, as well as healthier appetizers and prime meats. The 575-item wine list is the largest of Boka’s Restaurant Award winners. Wine director Marcello Cancelli directs the program, which has thrived in California, France and Italy.
Frontera Grill / Topolobampo
445 Н. Clark Street, Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 661-1434.
For decades, Chef Rick Bayless has been serving up high-end Mexican food in Chicago at his neighborhood restaurants. Frontera Grill and Topolobampo , awarded for excellence. Although Topolobampo Dining Room is still closed, Frontera Grill reopened its patio for reservations on June 5 after weeks of switching to exclusively take-out and delivery. Try Oaxaca classics like carne asada or lighter dishes like king mushroom enchiladas suizas or Alaskan cod a la Veracruzana. A 250-label wine list adds variety to these dishes from the 2,500-bottle cellar, which features wines from France, California and, of course, Mexico. The program, managed by wine director Jill Gubesh, includes an extensive selection of dishes by the glass, as well as a wide selection of wines from Mexico’s Baja California region and a number of older wines from top wineries, including Rudd .
Gage
24 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 372-4243
Although Gage Named after a group of historic 19th-century buildings, it offers a fresh take on fine dining, combining several styles of cuisine in a lively atmosphere near Millennium Park. The restaurant’s patio reopened to the public this month, as did the patios of other Award of Excellence recipients from Gage Hospitality Group: Lighthouse Tavern, Foxtail and Dawson . Chef Chris Gawronski’s outdoor menu is a diverse mix of seasonal dishes, including ham and cheese beignets, lobster roll and lighter appetizers such as beans and corn succotash and honey-glazed carrots. The wine program features dishes from the restaurant’s 170-label list, compiled by wine director Torrence O’Hair. Although California chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon are available, the list goes beyond Gage’s emphasis on the Golden State and France. A diverse selection includes German Riesling, Oregon rosé pinot noir and Corsican sangiovese. For guests not quite ready to return to the Gage Hotel’s patio, the restaurant continues its delivery and takeout programs.
Palm Chicago
323 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 616-1000.
When discussing American steakhouses, it would be remiss not to mention the world-renowned chain The Palm. an outpost in Chicago recently opened in the city’s Swissôtel hotel. At closing time, the restaurant was offering takeout for the New East Side neighborhood. But with a prepared patio, including a section under a canopy, al fresco dining is back on the menu. So are dishes from chef Thomas Michaels, including Chilean sea bass, lobster gnocchi, potato casserole and a meaty list of beef and lamb dishes. Wine director Victor Munoz’s list, which has won an award for excellence since 1997, includes many of California’s best cabernets to pair with Palm’s hearty meat dishes such as ribeyes and New York stripes. But the list of 175 labels isn’t limited to full-bodied reds; there are options for fans of Napa Chardonnay, Italian white wines and Sonoma Pinot Noir.
Roca Acor
456 Н. Clark Street, Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 477-7652
Robata Grilled Ribeye Roca Acor serves a variety of grilled robata meats, such as ribeye.
Roca Acor is a modern Japanese steakhouse with six award-winning restaurants nationwide, including The Outpost in Chicago , which boasts the brand’s largest wine list. California and France, which features 255 varietals, has a moderately priced wine program led by director of beverage production Rob Holder. Pair with chef Boyd Chong’s extensive menu, including everything from sushi and ramen to premium robata grilled steaks. Meals are usually served in the Roka Akor Hotel’s stylish dining room in the heart of the River North neighborhood, but for now you can bask in the warm Chicago weather on the restaurant’s patio. Guests can also book a shuttle or sidewalk delivery.
Siena Tavern
51 W. Kinzie St., Chicago, Ill.
phone (312) 595-1322
Siena Taverna For the past few months, it has focused on delivery and takeout, including $50 food and wine packages for family dinners at home. Now you can dine on the patio, just a couple of blocks from the downtown Chicago River. There you’ll find an award-winning wine list of 165 items, managed by wine director Adam Sweders with strengths in Italy and California, as well as pastas, pizzas, salads and Italian appetizers from chef Fabio Viviani. Siena Tavern has raised its sanitation standards in addition to other safety measures such as mandatory face masks for staff and disposable menus. Siena Tavern is part of the local DineAmic Hospitality Group, which also includes Best of Award of Excellence. Prime & Provisions and winner of the Bar Siena Excellence Award .
