The Chicago edit
Extraordinary tables. Unexpected nights.
A city that always has another story.
01 / Dining
Sifr, the wood-fired Middle Eastern restaurant from the Indienne team, opens Sifr Café in its River North dining room on Nov. 11, 2026:…
Upstairs from Beaumont's on Halsted, The Bull Moose pairs two fireplaces and tufted booths with house dry-aged steaks that arrive with soup or…
avec, the West Loop wine bar that taught Chicago to share small plates, hosts Marc Hochar of Lebanon's Château Musar for a five-course…
Creepies, David and Anna Posey's Midwestern-French bistro next door to Elske, is the West Loop table of 2026: three-day roast chicken, honeyed brie…
John Manion of El Che and Brasero, the 2026 Jean Banchet Chef of the Year, is opening Palomino, a live-fire American steakhouse at…
Michelin-starred chef Donald Young, founder of Duck Sel, cooks his own Osaka-style okonomiyaki at Gaijin in the West Loop on Wednesday, Oct. 28,…
02 / Openings
Sifr, the wood-fired Middle Eastern restaurant from the Indienne team, opens Sifr Café in its River North dining room on Nov. 11, 2026:…
Sound-Bar's Last Dance on New Year's Eve, a flash sale on November 3, the PAWS Chicago Fur Ball at The Drake, Pendry's rooftop…
A Ma Maniére, James Whitner's luxury sneaker and streetwear house, is scheduled to open its first Chicago address at 1144 W. Washington Blvd.…
John Manion of El Che and Brasero, the 2026 Jean Banchet Chef of the Year, is opening Palomino, a live-fire American steakhouse at…
Halloween falls on a Saturday, so Chicago is making a week of it: Runway LatinX and Arts in the Dark this weekend, Boots…
Pizzeria Gabbo opens Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 834 W. Fulton Market St. with two styles of pie from Lettuce Entertain You chef…
03 / The latest
All the stories. All the possibilities.
Lula Cafe’s Jason Hammel joins chef John Asbaty at the wood-burning hearth of Ox Bar & Hearth on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, for a five-course late-fall harvest dinner at $125, with a $65 wine pairing. Here is the night, the regular menu worth a return visit, and how to get a seat in the old Golden Ox building on Clybourn.
Sifr, the wood-fired Middle Eastern restaurant from the Indienne team, opens Sifr Café in its River North dining room on Nov. 11, 2026: baklava croissants, carrot halwa babka, sticky date lattes and lamb keema focaccia from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here is what to order by day and by night, plus Indienne’s Diwali dinner on Nov. 8.
Sound-Bar’s Last Dance on New Year’s Eve, a flash sale on November 3, the PAWS Chicago Fur Ball at The Drake, Pendry’s rooftop chalets from November 20 and The Curio’s holiday fashion show at ROOF on theWit on December 7.
Upstairs from Beaumont’s on Halsted, The Bull Moose pairs two fireplaces and tufted booths with house dry-aged steaks that arrive with soup or salad and Robuchon potatoes. Here is what to order, what it costs, the happy hour and how to book in Lincoln Park.
avec, the West Loop wine bar that taught Chicago to share small plates, hosts Marc Hochar of Lebanon’s Château Musar for a five-course communal dinner on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026 ($150). The second floor now takes everyday reservations, and avec Highwood opens Oct. 29 on Waukegan Avenue.
A Ma Maniére, James Whitner’s luxury sneaker and streetwear house, is scheduled to open its first Chicago address at 1144 W. Washington Blvd. in the West Loop. Opening night is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, from 7 to 10 p.m., with a free public RSVP.
Creepies, David and Anna Posey’s Midwestern-French bistro next door to Elske, is the West Loop table of 2026: three-day roast chicken, honeyed brie gougères, a 2027 Banchet Best New Restaurant nod and, on Thursday, Nov. 5, a one-night Basque dinner with New York chef Ryan Bartlow for $110.
John Manion of El Che and Brasero, the 2026 Jean Banchet Chef of the Year, is opening Palomino, a live-fire American steakhouse at 565 W. Randolph St. in the West Loop, in early 2027. Expect boutique American beef, farm-raised game birds, a smoke-kissed Gulf Coast raw bar and an all North American wine list from Sommelier of the Year Alex Cuper.
Michelin-starred chef Donald Young, founder of Duck Sel, cooks his own Osaka-style okonomiyaki at Gaijin in the West Loop on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. Paul Virant’s okonomiyaki house then turns seven with $75 five-course whisky and sake dinners on Nov. 4 and 5, and Andy Lim of Perilla takes the griddle on Nov. 18.
Every Chicago one-night dinner worth booking from November 2 through New Year’s Eve, in date order, with prices, times and booking links. Sold-out nights and cardholder-only dinners are flagged up front.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, Jason Hammel opens Lula Cafe on its night off for the 13th Logan Square Chef’s Dinner: a cocktail hour and five paired courses cooked with Diana Dávila, Joe Frillman, Ethan Pikas, Matthias Merges, Zeeshan Shah and Yoshi Yamada. Tickets were $250, all-inclusive with wine pairings, with every dollar going to Comfort Station, and the dinner is sold out as of Oct. 25.