BELLY Q Chef Bill Kim can do no wrong in the eyes of Chicagoans, who swoon over his pan-Asian Belly Shack and Urbanbelly dumpling house. Asian barbecue hotspot Belly Q is just one more reason to love him. Servers wear long brown leather aprons while presenting dishes like tea-smoked duck on steamed buns and soba noodles with basil and marinated eggplant at Kim’s latest venture in the former One Sixtyblue space. Kim’s partner on this one is Michael Jordan, yet another reason to sing its praises—and since there’s a karaoke room on-site, you’ve actually got a chance to do so. (bellyqchicago.com)
G.E.B. It was only a matter of time before Graham Elliot landed on Restaurant Row—and he has, with a departure from his out-of-the-box River North Graham Elliot and unique sandwich shop, Grahamwich. West Loop’s g.e.b. (Graham Elliot Bistro) is a stripped-down version of the chef’s signature playful cooking, in which the straightfor- ward dishes focus on no more than three ingredients, like linguini with clam and fennel, steak and potatoes with béarnaise, trout with spaetzle and sorrel. Easy, right? Well, if it’s the same Graham Elliot this city has come to know, we’re guessing there’s a lot more than meets the eye. (gebistro.com)
JELLYFISH Fred’s at Barneys. RL at Ralph Lauren. The Café at Ikram. Chicago has its share of power-lunch spots linked to power retail shops. But the big fish in this pond are going to have to make room for the newest on the shop- then-snack scene, Jellyfish, nestled above Ted Baker London and Scoop NYC. Chef Harold Jurado brings background cred (Charlie Trotter’s, Sunda, Chiza-kaya) with his lobster summer rolls and Wagyu beef skewers, while drinks like The Socialite—muddled gooseberries, white rum, lime and herbal syrup—make it the newest Rush Street hotspot for after-hours swilling. (jellyfishchicago.com)
