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If The Bear has inspired you to explore Chicago's fine-dining scene, try these restaurants
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
From beef sandwiches to Michelin-star-seeking menus — TV show The Bear's fictional restaurant has given us a story arc that, in many ways, mirrors the real-life culinary history of the city it's set in. Just as the Original Beef of Chicagoland was transformed from a sauce-splattered sandwich bar into the show's titular fine-dining venture, so too has Chicago evolved from a meatpacking capital to one of America's pioneering food cities.
One upon a time, fine dining in the Windy City mostly consisted of steak and potatoes. Then in 1987, Charlie Trotter opened his eponymous restaurant in Lincoln Park. Using French and Japanese techniques and lots of fresh vegetables, Trotter — like The Bear's chef, Carmy — was determined never to repeat a menu. He transformed Chicagoans' idea of what fine dining could be and influenced the next generation of chefs. Charlie Trotter's closed in 2012 (Trotter's son has promised to reopen it later this year, following a successful pop-up venue in the restaurant's original location on Armitage Avenue), but today, inventive high-end restaurants in the city abound. Here are a few of the very best. Meals at Alinea are playful and have helped the 20-year Chicago establishment become the first restaurant in the city to earn three Michelin stars. Its executive chef, Grant Achatz, made a cameo as himself in the third season of The Bear. Photograph by The Alinea Group Alinea, Lincoln Park
Chef Grant Achatz was a Charlie Trotter disciple before he turned his attention to molecular gastronomy. Meals at Alinea are playful, featuring vapours, gels and balloons, food masquerading as other food and blocks of nitrogen-frozen dessert that diners get to smash. Now 20 years old, Alinea was the first restaurant in the city to earn three Michelin stars and has become a Chicago classic, but the kitchen maintains its capacity for wonder and delight. Tasting menus from $325 (£240). There's plenty of fresh produce on Atelier's ever-changing menu. Many of Atelier's dishes reflect the immigrant communities that continue to build the city. Atelier, Lincoln Square
Atelier's ever-changing menu embodies the Chicago area itself. There's plenty of fresh produce raised on local farms or foraged from Midwestern forests and fields, but many of the dishes also reflect the immigrant communities that continue to build the city. And that's how diners may find themselves eating foie gras served on a bagel with boshi agrodolce (a Japanese and Italian-inspired sweet and sour sauce) or a Korean carrot salad made with locally grown purple carrots: a true taste of the Midwest. Tasting menu from $175 (£130). Bavette's, River North
Bavette's is a throwback. The restaurant itself is hidden, speakeasy-style, in a basement, a nod to Prohibition-era Chicago (though today without the obvious gangster contingent). And the menu is filled with old-school classics: seafood towers, martinis, wedge salads and all manner of steak, from the humble steak frites to a whopping 32-ounce porterhouse. And naturally, this being Chicago, there's pie — try lemon meringue or chocolate cream — and hot fudge sundaes for dessert. With the dim, romantic lighting, eating here feels like you're getting away with something. Three courses for around $150 (£110). Cariño's menu looks similar to those of nearby taquerias: tacos, empanadas, quesadillas. But look closer and notice unusual ingredients, imaginatively deployed. Photograph by Kelly Sandos Photography Day of the Dead décor found at Cariño. Opt for the eight-course taco omakase (chef's choice), served on tortillas crafted from house-made masa dough. Photograph by Kelly Sandos Photography Cariño, Uptown
At first glance, Cariño's menu looks similar to those of nearby taquerias: tacos, empanadas, quesadillas. But look closer and notice unusual ingredients, imaginatively deployed. That quesadilla, for instance, comes not with the usual carne asada (sliced, grilled steak) or marinated pork al pastor but pumpernickel, Oaxaca cheese and black garlic. The ravioli stuffed with huitlacoche (corn smut fungus) — also known as Mexican truffle — is a particular revelation. Or opt for the eight-course taco omakase (chef's choice), served on tortillas crafted from house-made masa dough. Tasting menu from $200 (£148). Indienne's tasting menu is available in vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian variations. Photograph by John Burger Indienne, River North
As one might guess from its name, Indienne features South Asian flavours in French-influenced presentations. Here, malai (cream) chicken is transformed into a mousse and served with truffles and a cheese emulsion, while the pani puri (fried wheat or semolina shells) arrive at the table covered with a dome made of buckwheat pastry. The tasting menu is also available in vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian variations, making this a good choice for those with dietary considerations. Tasting menus from $135 (£100). Chef Noah Sandoval's tasting menu physically takes diners through different areas of the restaurant, such as its Oriole Lounge, before they finally settle into their seats in the dining room. Photograph by Garrett Sweet Oriole, West Loop
At Oriole, a meal is a journey, both physically and literally. The first few courses of chef Noah Sandoval's tasting menu take diners through different areas of the restaurant before they finally settle into their seats in the dining room. And while the menu itself is always changing, Sandoval's commitment to fine ingredients like wagyu and caviar and his willingness to play with flavours and textures remains constant. If you want to settle in after all the excitement, stay overnight in The Loft, a furnished apartment above the restaurant. Tasting menus from $350 (£260). Smyth, West Loop
Married chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields apprenticed at Charlie Trotter's and Alinea and honed their skills in Smyth County, Virginia, before opening Smyth, which recently became Chicago's second restaurant (after Alinea) to earn three Michelin stars. The couple combine high-quality ingredients with impeccable technique to create an ever-changing menu of exquisitely composed dishes that look like they came straight from nature. Try the likes of enoki mushroom croustade, Vermont quail with malted milk bread and rainbow trout with barbecued papaya. Tasting menu from $420 (£310). Plan a trip to Hermosa to enjoy a dine-in Cambodian lunch or a 12-course Family Meal dinner. Photograph by Lissy Poeut Hermosa, Hermosa
The Chicago restaurant that most resembles The Bear is probably Hermosa. It started off as a neighbourhood sandwich shop in this northwest Chicago district, and by day, chef Ethan Eang Lim still serves the likes of Cambodian-spiced fried chicken sandwiches and Italian beef banh mi (filled baguettes) to take away. But with some advance planning, you can enjoy a dine-in Cambodian lunch (Thursday-Saturday) or, even better, a 12-course Family Meal dinner. Booking ahead is essential as the restaurant only has two tables, and dishes vary depending on the season and diner's dietary preferences can be taken into account. But you can expect more of that fried chicken, plus grilled pork salad, a seafood tower and Mama Lim's kwa kgo, a fermented beef sausage, served with green curry. Family dinner costs $325 (£240) based on 10 people dining. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
