Chef Grant Achatz is the head chef and owner of this Lincoln Park restaurant, which he opened in May 2005. Alinea has been rated one of the best restaurants in the world, and in fact was named in 2010 as the best restaurant in North America by S. Pellegrino. Alinea seats only 64 people, and the menu consists of 20 small tasting portions for a set price of $195, as of 2010.
Stephanie Izard's restaurant Girl and the Goat opened with much anticipation in 2010. Izard, who won the fourth season of "Top Chef," opened the restaurant in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, which is easy for everyone to get to, but it's still gritty enough of a neighborhood "to appeal to the chef's integrity." Girl and the Goat offers 30 menu items: 10 meat, 10 vegetarian and 10 fish. Reservations are accepted, but the restaurant always holds tables open each night for walk-ins.
The Publican is located in Chicago's Fulton Market, near the West Loop. The restaurant makes simplicity its main point, as the menu is divided into meat, fish and vegetables, with each dish containing only essential ingredients. Also, The Publican is beer-focused, and the menu includes beer-pairing suggestions with its entrees. The restaurant is designed for communal seating, with banquet tables seating up to 100 people side by side. There are also more private tables against one wall, as well as pub tables in the center of the restaurant, where patrons can sip on their drinks and grab a bite, either while waiting for their table or just to get in out of the temperamental Chicago weather.
