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NRA 2000: Must-See Culinary Hot Spots in the Windy City The following new restaurants - some as new as this millennium year - offer a cook's tour of Chicago's vibrant restaurant scene. By Nancy Ross Ryan 5/16/2000

The annual Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show gives Chicago-area restaurateurs an excuse to show off their newest and finest -- and a unique opportunity for out-of-towners to steal from the latest menu, service and décor trends in this vibrant and competitive market. Here's a selective list of must-see operations: ARTOPOLIS BAKERY CAFE & AGORA 306 S. Halsted St. 312-559-9000 New and exciting concept presents food, mostly from Greece but also from neighboring Mediterranean countries, in a combination cafe, bakery and market. A wood-burning oven turns out a wide variety of pizzas, and breads and pastries are made on premises. The market shelves are temptingly stocked with olive oils, vinegars, sweets and other goodies. Open for lunch and dinner. BIN 36 339 N. Dearborn St. 312-755-9463 Bin 36, a combination retail wine store, tavern, restaurant and coffee shop, is the brainchild of Dan Sachs, owner of Spruce restaurant. The wine market, located as you enter, offers wine by the bottle for sale and all manner of educational displays including wine "aroma" kits. The tavern, located up front, is a casual restaurant with a menu that matches wine and food -- more than 50 wines by the glass -- and a special selection of flights of wine. For a more formal meal, there is the low-ceilinged, intimate Cellar, located behind the bar (which sits in the middle of the restaurant beneath a soaringly high ceiling). The Cellar is open for dinner and offers an inventive, wine-matched menu. All in all there is nothing quite as wine-and-food friendly in the city. Hours: Coffee bar 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tavern 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m; Cellar 5-11 p.m. (For a major restaurant review: click here) CALITERRA 633 N. St. Clair St. (in the Wyndham Hotel) 312-274-4444 Talented John Coletta (see related article: click here) created the California-Italian menu and now mans the open kitchen in the corner of this plush, comfortable restaurant which opened in April 1999 on the second floor of the Wyndham Hotel. The food is seasonal and inventive. For example, an appetizer of shrimp "cigars" (shrimp and basil and piquant preserved fruit wrapped in crisp pastry and served with a vegetable slaw and balsamic syrup). Coletta has special monthly menus that showcase seasonal ingredients: soft-shell crabs, asparagus, and summer truffles. Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. seven days a week. THE CHICAGO FIREHOUSE RESTAURANT 1401 S. Michigan Ave. 312-786-1401 Situated in an historic 1904 firehouse, this steakhouse plus is a handsome addition to the burgeoning South Loop neighborhood (where Mayor Richard M. Daley lives). The owners wisely retained the brass fire pole, the original glazed fire brick walls and awesome pressed tin ceiling. They just as wisely refrained from overdoing the firehouse theme. There are two rooms, a formal and stately dining room, and an informal pub/tavern. There are also two menus (and price structures) to match. Dinner specialties include the steaks, thick-cut pork chop and meat loaf and gravy. The three-story space also features a dine-in wine cellar. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Sunday, Monday through Thursday; 5-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (For a major restaurant review: click here)    (For related article: click here) CLUB MACANUDO 60 E. Walton St. 312-642-4200 Lately every major city seems to have a cigar bar, and Chicago is no exception. Club Macanudo is a very upscale cigar bar on two levels with the bar and dining room on the second. On the first level, the walls are lined with humidors that are leased by regular customers to store their premium cigars. Portraits of Native Americans hang on the walls in homage to tobacco. The food is good, the desserts are great, and the atmosphere is fairly smoke-free thanks to a mega ceiling filtration system. Hours: 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday through Friday; 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. CRU CAFE AND WINE BAR 888 N. Wabash Ave. 312-337-4078 A very chic State-street entry into the who's-got-the-best-wine-bar race, Cru is hung with chandeliers (tongue in cheek), and decorated with gilt here and there. But the 400 wines that adorn the list prove this is a serious wine bar with some excellent food to accompany bottles, glasses and flights. Notable are the two cheese plates and the pate selection. One reason the food is so good is that Cru belongs to Debra Sharpe who owns Tanzy and Con Fusion and caters to rock stars. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. (For a related article on Wine Bars: click here) ECHO 1856 W. North Ave. 773-395-3474 Tasting portions make up the entire menu at this innovative new Bucktown restaurant. the menu is divided into hot and cold tasting selections, and there is the option of ordering combination sampling plates to create a meal. However, most customers find ordering plate by plate, starting with cold and moving on to hot, is more fun. There are wines by the glass, flights of wines, and an eclectic wine list with excellent values. The house specialty is a cold tasting: Tuna Trio for Two -- maki, tartare and sashimi served with ginger, wasabi, pickled daikon and watercress salad. Examples of warm tastings include pan-seared sea scallops in a foie gras broth and quail stuffed with spinach and bacon. The portion sizes are smaller than entrees but many are larger than appetizers. Be forewarned: the square glass ashtray isn't -- it's for bread or for sharing dishes with your tablemates. Hours: 5:30 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday; 5:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 5-11 p.m. Sunday. (For a major restaurant review: click here GIOCO 1312 S. Wabash Ave. 312-939-3870 The newest restaurant for restaurateur-designer Jerry Kleiner in the newest restaurant neighborhood -- the South Loop -- is an instant hit. The name means "game" and there is indeed a back room (enter through a giant safe) and an alley entrance. But the restaurant serves up some seriously good southern Italian food, and the mood is set by exposed brick walls and an open kitchen which provides live culinary theater for guests (among regulars is Mayor Daley). Interesting appetizer include Monte Mare, a carpaccio of beef and tuna. Entrees and pastas are standouts, especially black pepper cavatelli and a dramatic chicken vesuvio -- the bone breast is tucked under the leg which stands up -- like Mt. Vesuvio -- from the plate. Most important, the flavor is excellent. Wines match the food and pizzas come out of the wood-and-gas burning oven. Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday; 5:30-11 p.m. Thursday; 5:30 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. (For a major restaurant review: click here) MK 868 N. Franklin St. 312-482-9179 Ever since Michael Kornick's namesake restaurant opened in 1998 in a now refurbished paint factory, critics, foodies and the dining public have praised it. Because the chef hates labels, best not call his food contemporary American (even if you think it is). Whatever you call it, Kornick's food is delicious, the flavors are focused, his presentations are clean and unfussy and the preparation is fairly flawless. Some showstoppers: fresh fettuccine in butter with Parmigiana Reggiano and thin-shaved fresh black truffles; foie gras with Armagnac-soaked prunes and a parsnip puree; and a monkfish-lobster dish with saffron-garlic mashed potatoes. Special menu features include daily cheese selections, 12 wines by the glass and a well-chosen, varied dessert wine menu. Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5:30-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. THE STATE ROOM 1212 N. State St. 312-951-1212 Nightlife maestro Demetri Alexander is a partner in this new restaurant and cocktail lounge on north State Street. Seen from the outside -- through a 20-foot glass facade -- there is a glass bar illuminated with blue lighting. Seen from the inside there is a dining area hung with white curtains splitting the room into three areas. The food is traditional Chicago-style: prime steaks, fresh seafood and pasta. Hours: 3 p.m. - 2 a.m. Monday through Friday; 5 p.m.- 3 a.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. - midnight, Sunday. TRU 676 N. St. Clair St. 312-202-0001 What used to be Avanzare is now a joint venture into the finest of fine dining by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Chairman Rich Melman, and husband-and-wife chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand. The dining room is lavish in understatement: floor to ceiling white curtains, white linen tables and plush banquettes, Riedel wine glasses, and a back-lit floor to ceiling bar that requires the bartender to climb a ladder for pours out of arm's reach. There are several degustation menus (called chef's collections, $75 to $125) -- including seafood and vegetarian -- and the wines come by the glass or by tasting portions. Be prepared to spend lots of time and money. Dinner takes three hours and runs more than $100 per person. But be prepared to be dazzled, staring with the glass caviar staircase appetizer -- eight glass steps hollowed out to hold four caviars and their garnishes -- served with mother of pearl spoons. End with Gand's desserts and successive trays of petits fours. Hours: Lunch: 11:30 to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday; Dinner, 5:30-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. (For a major restaurant review: click here VONG 6 W. Hubbard St. 312-644-8664 At Vong, Chef de cuisine Geoff Felsenthal follows the lead of celebrity New York Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the master of fusion cuisine. Vong serves up Thai-French food that tastes as good as it looks -- and that's not easy, considering the Asian china, flatware, and accouterments that abound. The Black Plate appetizer for a minimum of two (a variety of five) is a good place to start sampling. There are -- such as the handsome brass-and-wood chopsticks at every place setting. There is an a la carte menu and also three prix fixe dinners (one vegetarian). Try one of the fusion cocktails and maybe pick up a copy of Vongerichten's latest cookbook. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday for lunch; 5-10 p.m. Sunday, 5:30-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday for dinner. (For a related article: click here WATUSI 1540 W. North Ave. 773-862-1540 Suzy Crofton takes a step back from fine dining (Crofton on Wells) in this new restaurant, a collaboration between Crofton and Big Time Productions' Cal Fortis and Kenny Smith (owners of Crobar and Angelina Ristorante). This menu specializes in Crofton's interpretation of Latin and Caribbean cuisines -- she calls it West Indies soul food -- executed by Chef de cuisine Katherine August. Hours: Dinner 5:30-11 p.m. seven days a week; appetizers and desserts until 1 a.m. ZEALOUS 419 W. Superior St. 312-475-9112 This just-opened restaurant is another example of how to put an old warehouse to good use. When Chef-owner Michael Taus moved his restaurant from the town of Elmhurst to Chicago, he raised the bar on fine-dining. The former River North warehouse that now holds the restaurant has been transformed into a work of art with a glass-enclosed, 450-bottle wine cellar and a chef's table where guests dine surrounded by bamboo trees. There are several degustation menus: a five course menu, a five-course vegetarian menu and a chef's special "spontaneous" menu of seven courses. Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (For a major restaurant review: click here OTHER GREAT DINING CONCEPTS Although not as new, these restaurants are still among the city's best and definitely worth a visit. A La Turka, 3134 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-935-6101 Authentic Turkish cuisine -- great lamb! -- Turkish tea, wine and raku. Ambria, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West 773-472-5959 Contemporary French haute cuisine created by renowned Chef Gabino Sotelino. Arun's, 4156 N. Kedzie Ave. 773-539-1909 Inspirational mecca of ultimate Thai cuisine where celebrity chefs make periodic pilgrimages to be dazzled by food, service and decor. Atlantique, 5101 N. Clark St. 773-275-9191 Fresh and inventive new seafood restaurant in Andersonville neighborhood leaves no flavor untried, proving that fish doesn't have to be bland. Atwood Café, Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington St. 312-368-1900 A successful new restaurant (the place is always packed) in a nice hotel in the middle of downtown Chicago? Hard to believe but true. Serves American contemporary cuisine with great desserts. Big Bowl, 159-1/2 W. Erie St. 312-787-8297; and 6 E. Cedar St. 312-640-8888 Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises still hits home runs with creative pan-Asian fare. Bistro 110, 110 E. Pearson St. 312-266-3110 After 12 years the Levy Restaurants' faux but fun French bistro formula keeps making magic. (For a major restaurant review: click here Bistrot Zinc, 1131 N. State St. 312-337-1131 and 3443 N. Southport, 773-281-3443 Charming bistros strive for authenticity over kitsch and serve up good food and great charm. Blackbird, 619 W. Randolph St. 312-715-0708 Still chic, sleek and stylish after 2-1/2 years, this Market District, contemporary American cuisine restaurant just gets better. Blackhawk Lodge, 41 E. Superior St. 312-280-4080 New chef (who made changes, from menu to kitchen equipment) makes good news for Levy Restaurants' formerly North woods, now new American, eatery. (For a related article: click here) Brasserie Jo, 59 W. Hubbard St. 312-595-0800 It's the closest thing to the Left Bank this side of Paris. Mais oui! when Chef-proprietor is Jean Joho. (For a restaurant review: click here) Brasserie T, 305 Happ Rd., Northfield 847-446-0444 An American brasserie -- big, bold, bodacious -- with food and desserts by chef-partners-spouses-cookbook authors Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand. (For a restaurant review: click here) Cafe Absinthe, 1954 W. North Ave. 773-278-4488. Enter not on North Ave. but through the alley into a romantic contemporary American restaurant with bistro fare and flair. Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, 2024 N. Halsted St. 773-935-5000 15 years ago this Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant pioneered tapas in Chicago -- and it's still terrific. Cafe Iberico, 739 N. La Salle St. 312-573-1510 Authentic tapas, big crowds, fast service, colorful decor, moderate prices -- no wonder it has been here 8 years. Campagnola, 815 Chicago Avenue, Evanston 847-475-6100 Italian country cuisine lovingly prepared by chef-proprietor Jeff Altenburg with the finest -- and most natural -- fish, poultry, meat, cheese and produce that money can buy. (For a related article: click here) Capital Grille, 633 N. St. Clair St. 312-337-9400 Handsome traditional steak house (dry-aged steaks) that serves up fine cuts of lamb, chicken and fish. Carlos', 429 Temple Ave., Highland Park 847-432-0770 Practice makes perfect. Proprietor Carlos Nieto has spent 18 years in this namesake restaurant perfecting the art of fine dining. (For a restaurant review: click here) Charlie Trotter's, 816 W. Armitage Ave. 773-248-6228 Better than ever! This year's Charlie Trotter is different than last year's Charlie Trotter. You don't stay on top by standing still. (For a restaurant review: click here) Cheesecake Factory, 875 N. Michigan Ave., 312-337-1101 Yes, it's a chain. Yes. it's a factory. But we should all serve food this good, this fast, at these prices, to this many customers in such a weird and whimsical décor. (For a restaurant review: click here) Coco Pazzo, 330 W. Hubbard St. 312-836-0900 River North neighborhood is home to arguably the best Tuscan restaurant in the city. Also try the less formal, less pricey Coco Pazzo Cafe, 636 N. St. Clair 312-664-2777. (For a restaurant review: click here) Corner Bakery, 516 N. Clark St. and 676 N. St. Clair St. 312-644-8100 and 312-266-2570 These Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise concepts, expanding nationally, are great barometers of rising bread and deli foods trends. There are eight more locations in and around downtown. (For a restaurant review: click here) Crofton on Wells, 535 N. Wells St. 312-755-1790 Chef-proprietor Suzy Crofton has taken Chicago -- and its food critics -- by storm with her singularly inventive contemporary cuisine and eclectic ingredients. (For a restaurant review: click here) Cyrano's Bistrot and Wine Bar, 546 N. Wells St. 312-467-0546 Chef-proprietor Didier Durand is one of those terrific French chefs who has been cooking forever -- and his food is probably the best French bistro fare in the city. Check out the charming blue and yellow interior. The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, 160 E. Pearson St. 312-266-1000 Award-winning Chef Sarah Stegner always surprises with her seasonal contemporary French menus in this formal, traditional dining room. (For a major restaurant review: click here Erwin, 2925 N. Halsted St. 773-528-7200 Chef-proprietor Erwin Drescher deserves more press and fanfare for his great American food, support of local growers and food producers, and inventive menu. He does have a loyal local following, with good reason. Everest, 440 S. LaSalle St., 40th floor 312-663-8920 Alsatian born Chef Jean Joho is the top of the top, the cream of the crop and cooks haute French cuisine with heart and soul. (For a major restaurant review: click here) Gene & Georgetti, 500 N. Franklin St. 312-527-3718 Every major city has its Italian steak house shrine, and this has been Chicago's for the last 58 years. Grace, 623 W. Randolph St. 312-928-9200 Another Market district newcomer that demonstrates why -- and how -- small, independent, creative restaurants (this one named for Ted Czima's daughter Grace) can succeed with really good (new American) food. (For a major restaurant review: click here Harry's Velvet Room, 56 West Illinois St. 312-527-5600 It's a bar, it's a restaurant, but it's mainly a sexy subterranean bar with great drinks music and pretty good St. dazzling. (For a related article on Wine Bars: click here) Heaven on Seven on Rush, 600 N. Michigan, 2nd Fl. (enter on Rush) Jimmy Banos could teach those cooks in the Big Easy a thing or two. Hudson Club, 504 contemporary American, but the wine list -- with 100 by the glass -- is global. One of the first to do "flights" right. (See related article on Wine Bars: click here) Japoni Sante, 2044 N. Halsted St. 773-348-8228 Striking décor and Japanese-French fusion food make this new restaurant a should-see -- and the desserts are dynamite. Julie Mai's Le Bistro, 5025 N. Clark St. 773-784-6000 Exotic and delicious French-Vietnamese fare makes this stylish spot a restaurant original. La Sardine, 111 N. Carpenter 312-421-2800 This is the second and newest bistro for veteran French bistro chef-owner Jean Claude Poilevey. Very Parisian. Right across from Oprah's TV studio. (See related article: click here) Le Bouchon, 1958 N. Damen Ave. 773-862-6600 One of Chicago's first true bistros, Le Bouchon is also the first and signature restaurants of Jean Claude Poilevey -- an intimate rendition of the bourgeois cuisine of his hometown Lyon, France. Le Colonial, 937 N. Rush St. 312-255-0088 This nostalgic French-Vietnamese restaurant takes you out of Chicago's Gold Coast and into 19th-century Vietnam, with exotic furnishings, period photographs -- but very contemporary food. Le Français, 269 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling 847-541-7470 Chef-par-excellence Jean Banchet is back at the helm after a 10 year absence -- with a new and lighter touch and (hard to believe) better than ever. Le Titi de Paris, 1015 W. Dundee Rd., Arlington Heights 847-506-0222 Chef-proprietor Pierre Pollin creates some of Chicagoland's finest (and most reasonably priced) French food in one of the prettiest restaurants in the country, equipped with a dynamite sommelier and wines to match. Les Nomades, 222 E. Ontario St. 312-649-9010 Husband-and-wife chef and pastry chef Roland and Mary Beth Liccioni have refurbished the interior and elevated the contemporary French menu to new culinary heights. L'Olive, 1629 N. Halsted St. 312-573-1515 Authentic Moroccan food includes fragrantly spiced lamb, chicken and seafood -- but no beef or pork. Couscous, of course. Mambo Grill, 412 N. Clark St. 312-467-9797 Informal and fun, this pan-Latin restaurant has lively menu and even livelier cocktails. Marché, 833 W. Randolph St. 312-226-8399 A pioneer in the Market district neighborhood, this French-American bistro with its high energy and eclectic decor still packs surprises and packs in customers. Mas, 1670 W. Division St. 773-276-8700 Popular neuva cocina Latin restaurant has tapas, paella and Bahian fare and more -- wines and cocktails complement the lively menu. Maza, 2748 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-929-9600 Outstanding new Lebanese restaurant serves standout maza (appetizers) along with entrees and desserts. Mia Francesca, 3311 N. Clark St. 773-281-3310 There is no Francesca, but this is the original eclectic Italian eatery that has been cloned (not as successfully perhaps) in Northbrook, St. Charles, Elmhurst, Naperville, West Dundee and in Chicago on Taylor Street. Although noisy as all get out, the original still has its charms. Mon Ami Gabi, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West 773-348-8886 A chic Parisian steak house under the culinary thumb of Gabino Sotelino, whose four-star Ambria restaurant is just across the hall. Nacional 27, 325 W. Huron 312-664-2727 Takes its name from the 27 Latin-American countries that inspire its nuevo Latino cuisine. A special menu each month highlights one country. It takes the place of the former Hat Dance; this Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises eatery is hot, hot, especially on Fri. and Sat. when there's dancing. Nicolinas, NBC Tower, 455 North City Front Plaza Drive 312-832-2600 Very handsome Italian restaurant features freshest foods, lovingly prepared, and fresh takes on Italian trattoria food. One Sixty Blue, 160 N. Loomis St. 312-850-0303 Adam Tihany designed it, and Chef Patrick Robertson cooks up a contemporary American storm. Michael Jordan is a silent partner, but the loud blue painted exterior is anything but quiet. Relax. Inside is an elegant restaurant and great lounge. Park Avenue Café, 199 E. Walton St. 312-944-4414 New York superstar Chef David Burke has created a Chicago version of this deluxe New York cafe. The service is top drawer and the food is cutting edge creative but not nouveau. Some of his dishes (swordfish chops) are trademarked. Pasteur, 5525 North Broadway 773-878-1061 Family restaurant open since 1985 serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine -- both north and south. Printer's Row, 550 S. Dearborn St. 312-461-0780 Michael Foley keeps reinventing great American food at his pioneering, award-winning restaurant -- a Chicago original. Red Light, 820 W. Randolph St. 312-733-8880 Pan Asian fare with inventive new takes in lively -- but noisy -- restaurant. Rhapsody, 65 E. Adams St. 312-786-9911 Located in The Chicago Symphony Center, this elegant restaurant for past nine months has blossomed under the culinary direction of Chef Roland Liccioni of Les Nomades. RL, 115 E. Chicago Ave. 312-475-1100 This is designer Ralph Lauren's first restaurant, under the able culinary guidance of Italian chef Giancarlo Gottardo who "designs" beautiful plates of food. Salpicon, 1252 N. Wells St. 312-988-7811 Authentic Mexican cuisine from Mexico City gives this restaurant its point of difference. Chef-proprietor is Priscila Satkoff. Seasons (Four Seasons Hotel), 120 E. Delaware Pl. 312-280-8800 Located in Chicago's most elegant hotel, the restaurant is divided into a dining room and less formal cafe. Have a drink at the bar, or afternoon tea in the lounge -- and live (for awhile) like the celebrities who stay here. Souk, 1552 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-227-9110 Fine-dining Middle Eastern restaurant has both a contemporary and a traditional menu. Soul Kitchen, 1576 Milwaukee Ave. 773-342-9742 Soul food, southern comfort food with Cajun influence, but served with style, marks this Chicago favorite. Spago, 520 N. Dearborn St. 312-527-3700 Wolfgang Puck's Chicago branch is under the direction of talented Chef François Kwaku-Dongo. Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan Ave. 312-280-2750 Italy's alta cucina is elegantly interpreted and reinvented by Chef Tony Montuano in this elegant fine-dining Italian restaurant overlooking Lake Michigan. Also try the less formal Cafe Spiaggia next door. Spruce, 238 E. Ontario St. 312-642-3757 Executive Chef David Shea contemporary menu changes with the season in this sleek, James Beard Award winner. Tanzy, 215 W. North Ave. 312-202-0302 Contemporary American food in a wild and funky decor is the latest creation of Debra Sharpe, who owns Con Fusion, Feast and Cru. Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, 445 N. Clark St. 312-661-1434 Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless has a new, groundbreaking television series and his famous regional Mexican restaurants (located side by side) keep breaking new ground. (For a related article: click here) Toque, 816 W. Randolph St. 312-666-1100 Contemporary American food with French and Asian accents and an almost all-American wine list is presented in a fine-dining restaurant in the new hot West Randolph Street market district. Trio, 1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston 847-733-8746 Asian-American blend marks the culinary style of this very upscale restaurant where dramatic, artistic food presentation is a hallmark. Udupi Palace, 2543 W. Devon Ave. 773-338-2152 And now for something completely different -- Southern East Indian vegetarian cuisine! Viveré, in the Italian Village, 71 W. Monroe St. 312-332-4040 Regional Italian recipes elevated to fine-dining accompanied by an award-winning wine list, all served in a contemporary baroque restaurant designed by Jordan Mozer. While you're there, try the Village upstairs, or La Cantina downstairs. Vivo, 838 W. Randolph St. 312-733-3379 Very hip southern Italian restaurant was one of first and still among the strongest restaurants in the market street district. Wildfire, 159 W. Erie St. 312-787-9000 The original Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant (there are now two more in the 'burbs) has wood-burning ovens, grill and rotisserie, and uses them with excellent results to cook meat, poultry, fish and assorted appetizers. Wishbone, 1001 W. Washington Blvd. 312-850-2663 Southern-style comfort food with a vengeance is served forth in this friendly breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant. Zinfandel, 59 W. Grand Ave. 312-527-1818 Susan Goss is the chef-partner and husband Drew is the wine-partner in this regional, seasonal American restaurant with all-American wines.

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NRA 2000: Must-See Culinary Hot Spots in the Windy City