Why Kevin loves it: “My family and I probably had dinner every Sunday here for five or six years. After awhile, we stopped discussing it, we just got in our car and drove ourselves there. I think 60 percent of my meals are Japanese. Chef B.K. Park doesn’t do too much—just a simple brush on the fish. He also does really incredible one bites: king crab, smoked salmon, and just a little bit of honey sitting on a piece of rice. They do it just right.”

Why Kevin loves it: “The sake pairings that Julia Momosé is doing at Kumiko are some of the most elevated and interesting pairings of any restaurant on earth. It’s one of these great places that’s on a list of World’s Best Bars and also one of the world’s best restaurants. She’s doing stuff like wagyu katsu sandos that seem casual, but with really elevated [drink] pairings.”

Why Kevin loves it: “I think this town was primed, ready, and eager to embrace MICHELIN-starred Indian food. And it’s in this beautiful, glowing jewel-box of a restaurant. It expands the offerings of tasting menus in Chicago. A lot of the tasting menus in this town are American.”

Why Kevin loves it: "Mott Street might have the best burger in Chicago. [Mott Street’s owners] take fun little chances with design in their spaces—they’re loud and boisterous and fun. They like little surprises in their restaurants. I first started going to Ruxbin [from the same team] after service. They were open late, and [the menu] had heady chef items, but there were also casual items like a burger.”

Why Kevin loves it: “Chef Andrew Zimmerman emphasizes technique over flash in this beautiful little restaurant on the hidden and quiet side of West Loop. Andrew does great things with meat, and there’s not that many restaurants anymore that are just traditional American. Emmanuel Nony is one of the great front-of-the-house guys in Chicago. He’s got tons of style, is super friendly, and wants you to have a great experience.”

Why Kevin loves it: “This is our Christmas Eve spot. Chef Tony Priolo cooks authentic Italian cuisine in the greatest outdoor space we have in Chicago. He’s cooking traditional Italian well and cooking it right, and, sometimes, that’s not newsworthy to people. But for people like me, doing something fundamentally right every single time gets sexier as I get older. I don’t need something to be set on fire to be excited.”

Why Kevin loves it: “avec is one of the most legendary places in Chicago. Donnie Madia [one of the restaurant’s owners] is one of the most stylish people in the city. I think a lot of people have copied the look that avec has, which is this cozy little sauna space. Every iteration of chef that has been through this place has cooked some of the best small plates in Chicago.”

Why Kevin loves it: “French Vietnamese is a cuisine that’s not that well represented in Chicago, and this one is right in the middle of Oak Street and has a different feeling than any other restaurant in Chicago. It’s both opulent and comfortable at the same time. It’s sceney, and it’s one of those menus that hasn’t changed much in 25 years. But it’s always delicious.”

Why Kevin loves it: “Elske is a romantic, cozy dining room [run by] David Posey, a chef with great pedigree. Every time I’ve gone there, I’ve had something that was interesting. I had such a good meal the last time I was there—salt-cured anchovies with fennel pollen, lemon, and grilled sourdough. I love great balance in dishes.”