Must-see restaurants in The Great Lakes

  • Butcher & the Boar

    Minneapolis

    The coppery, candlelit room is carnivore nirvana. Get your carving knife ready for wild boar ham with country butter, chicken-fried veal sausage and many…

  • Tiztal Cafe

    Chicago

    Everyone from hipsters nursing hangovers to moms nursing babies piles in to family-run Tiztal for brunch. The chorizo scrambles, gravy-slathered biscuits…

  • Small Cheval

    Chicago

    Upscale burger shack Small Cheval does one thing and it does it well – serve up delicious all-beef patties, with or without cheese, and a side of golden…

  • mfk

    Chicago

    In mfk's teeny space it feels like you're having a romantic meal at the seaside in Spain. Dig into crunchy prawn heads, garlicky octopus and veal…

  • Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap

    Chicago

    A family-run classic on a leafy residential street, Tufano’s serves old-school Italian fare for modest prices. Blackboards carry a long list of daily…

  • Purple Pig

    Chicago

    The Pig's Magnificent Mile location, lively ambience and wide-ranging meat, cheese and veggie menu make it a crowd-pleaser. Milk-braised pork shoulder is…

  • Elizabeth

    Chicago

    Michelin-starred Elizabeth will blow your mind. Chef Iliana Regan describes her dishes as 'new gatherer' cuisine, meaning she uses ingredients that are…

  • Handlebar

    Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village

    The cult of the bike messenger runs strong in Chicago, and this clamorous restaurant-bar is a way station for tattooed couriers and locals who love the…

  • NoMi Kitchen

    Chicago

    NoMi is perched on the Park Hyatt hotel's 7th floor, providing a sleek, art-filled interior and spectacular Magnificent Mile views. The seasonally driven…

  • Natt Spil

    Wisconsin

    This eclectic bar-restaurant has a speakeasy feel and a menu with something for everyone. Choose from among delicious dim sum or wood-fired pizza or…

  • Crisp

    Chicago

    Music blasts from the stereo while delicious Korean fusions arrive from the kitchen at this cheerful little spot. The ‘Bad Boy Buddha’ bowl, a variation…

  • Pizano's

    Chicago

    Pizano's is a good recommendation for deep-dish newbies, since it's not jaw-breakingly thick. The thin-crust pies that hit the checker-clothed tables are…

  • Stockholm Pie & General Store

    Wisconsin

    You may have to wait in line at this old-timey spot with wood plank floors and red-checkered tablecloths, but that allows you to study the blackboard and…

  • Cannery Public Market

    Wisconsin

    Every town should have a 'Cannery,' a farm-to-table restaurant serving popular regional foods with locally sourced ingredients. Green Bay's is situated in…

  • Au Cheval

    Chicago

    People go crazy over Au Cheval's cheeseburger. It drips with a runny fried egg, melty cheddar and tangy dijonnaise, all stuffed into a super-fluffy bun…

  • Big Jones

    Chicago

    Warm, sunny Big Jones puts sustainable 'Southern heirloom cooking' on the menu, mixing dishes from New Orleans, the Carolina Lowcountry and Appalachia…

  • Hot 'G' Dog

    Chicago

    The Garcia brothers (hence the 'G') learned the gourmet-sausage trade from famed Chicago bratmaster 'Hot Doug' Sohn. This is the place to bite into, say,…

  • Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter

    Chicago

    Hiding in a nondescript apartment building, Hendrickx is a local secret. Push open the bright orange door and behold the waffles, brioche and croissants …

  • Doughnut Vault

    Chicago

    This teensy, chandelier-clad shop is indeed in a vault – an old bank vault – with room for only a handful of people. The glazed doughnuts (vanilla or…

  • Grampa's Pizzeria

    Wisconsin

    The unassuming exterior hides what's, in fact, a snug but handsome dining room with a sleek bar at the center. But that's all beside the point. The thin…

  • Lucy's Cafe

    Chicago

    The tough decision at this revered breakfast house is between the free-range-egg omelets and the legendary French toast, cooked in rich cream batter and…

  • Tank Noodle

    Chicago

    The crowds come to this popular, spacious utilitarian eatery for banh mi (served on crunchy fresh baguette rolls) and the pho, which is widely regarded as…

  • Original

    Milwaukee

    Fine dining in a relaxed neighborhood setting. The Original puts the emphasis on local ingredients and upmarket comfort foods, such as grilled lamb loin,…

  • La La Homemade Ice Cream

    Minneapolis

    This neighborhood ice cream parlor offers a range of standard and more-exotic (how about 'Good Girl' – almond milk, lavender and burnt honey?) flavors in…

  • Cafecito

    Chicago

    Attached to the HI-Chicago hostel and perfect for the hungry, thrifty traveler, Cafecito serves killer Cuban sandwiches layered with citrus-garlic…

  • Cook

    Minnesota

    This cute, sunny spot serves creative diner dishes (gingery French toast, curried veggie burgers, braised short-rib sandwiches), including some with a…

  • Heartland Pizza

    Wisconsin

    You'll need Google Maps to find this one, located amid the warren of chain hotels near I-41 and about 3 miles south of downtown Green Bay. The effort is…

  • Pitch's Lounge & Restaurant

    Milwaukee

    Steaks, chops, seafood, and the house ribs are on the menu here at this Milwaukee supper club that's been going strong since the 1940s. Walk into the…

  • Lou Malnati's

    Chicago

    It’s a matter of dispute, but some say Malnati is the innovator of Chicago’s deep-dish pizza (Lou's father Rudy was a cook at Pizzeria Uno, which also…

  • Gibson’s

    Chicago

    There's a scene every night at this local original. Politicians, movers, shakers and the shaken-down swirl the famed martinis and compete for prime table…

  • Safari

    Minneapolis

    Widely considered the city's best Somali restaurant, Safari is the place to dabble in chicken suqaar, marinated slices of meat served in a heap of spiced…

  • Flo

    Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village

    Think you’ve had a good breakfast burrito before? Not until you’ve eaten here. The Southwestern-bent dishes, cozy atmosphere and jovial staff draw hordes…

  • Houligans

    Wisconsin

    Widely considered the best steakhouse and supper club in town, with a wide variety quality meats and a menu that also spans blackened pork loin, fresh…

  • Pearl Ice Cream Parlor

    Wisconsin

    Charming, old-school ice-cream parlor where you line up at the till, choose your flavor, and sit out along the sidewalk or at one of the few tables inside…

  • Lake & Irving

    Minneapolis

    The menu here has something for everyone: an appealing mix of American comfort foods, like burgers and buttermilk chicken sandwiches, paired with more…

  • Duck Inn

    Chicago

    This superb gastropub hides on a working-class block in Bridgeport. There's much to love here: the ubercool mid-century modern decor, the exquisite…

  • Informalist

    Wisconsin

    The house restaurant of the Lismore Hotel is an excellent option for any meal, but has an especially inventive lunch menu that includes scrumptious, wood…

  • Wonder Bar

    Wisconsin

    This iconic steakhouse looks back with pride to its 1920s-era speakeasy roots. Today it feels more like a cozy Rat Pack throwback, with thick steaks on…

  • Giordano's Navy Pier

    Chicago

    The city's top purveyor of stuffed pizza has an outpost on Navy Pier. What is stuffed pizza? It's a bigger, gooier riff on deep dish: it's dough, with…

  • Patisserie Amie

    Gold Coast

    The food is ridiculously good at Amie’s wee 10-table cafe, but you’ll probably have to wait 45 minutes or so to sink your teeth into the salmon tartines,…

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