Nothing is more disappointing than going to an oceanfront restaurant, only to discover that the bland fish you're eating was frozen between being caught and being served to you. The best seafood is fresh, and prepared in such a way as to accent the natural flavors of the sea without overwhelming them. Presented in alphabetical order, here are the top ten seafood restaurants in Chicago.
Nothing is more disappointing than going to an oceanfront restaurant, only to discover that the bland fish you're eating was frozen between being caught and ... more
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1
Blue Water Grill
520 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60610 / 312-777-1400
One of the B.R. Guest Restaurants, Blue Water Grill snagged Alain Ducasse-trained Joel Dennis. It shows, starting with the interesting and elevated menu. Seafood remains the lure, but this is really a stew of ideas: a sushi bar and seafood galore mix right in with steaks and chicken. Dishes we’ve enjoyed include Alaskan halibut T-bone au poivre, and the organic King salmon. Dennis’ signature preparations include roasted striped bass with pepper, onion and chorizo stew, chickpea fries and pineapple jus and line-caught halibut with fresh morels and fava beans. The fresh oyster selection is always worth a look-see (think stingray from Virginia), and lobster is dynamite any way it’s prepared. One dessert in particular that rings our bell is the tangerine parfait, a terrific trifecta of tangerine mousse, tangerine curd and tangerine granité.
2
Bob Chinn's Crab House
393 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, IL 60090 / 847-520-3633
It probably would be more appropriate to use the word feeding here instead of eating. Chinn's is one of the highest grossing restaurants in the United States and serves some 2,500 people a day. As you wait with a crowd in the holding pen to get a call to table, you'll realize that the seaters wear headsets, and it becomes apparent that the 600-plus seats are always filled---which is why we just can't bring ourselves to use the word dining for this behemoth. That said, you will not find fresher crab---prepared in a variety of ways---or better seafood this side of Fisherman's Wharf.
3
Catch 35
Leo Burnett Building, 35 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60601 / 312-346-3500
The range of seafood choices is so deep, you get the feeling you should pull up a deck chair to aid further study. Some of the seafood is given an Asian spin, and we find those dishes to be the most intriguing. However, tried and true, fluffy and fine crab cakes with corn relish and rémoulade are mostly crab (no faux-ing around here). Sea scallops are always cooked right (as in not to death), and they’re prepared here with a Szechwan glaze. You'll find a few token non-seafood dishes (chicken, steak) in case you are not of a seafood mind. Desserts to focus on are the Key lime pie and the deep-dish apple pie. The atmosphere is subtle city sophistication, with tablecloths (no paper, thank you), subtle lighting and nice carpeting---not your run-of-the-mill, nautical-but-nice décor. Not in the mood to head to the city? Check out the location in Naperville.
4
Hugo's Frog Bar
1024 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611 / 312-640-0999
We have always advanced the idea that the best seafood houses are those that are the busiest. Always packed to the hilt, Hugo's fits the bill. The seafood here could not be fresher or better cooked. There is no compromise on quality, and with a broad selection of seafood (and a few steaks, too) along with service par excellence, it has cachet. From the bar on the right on through to the three dining rooms to the left of the greeting podium, Hugo's is a scene to see. Booths and tables (cloth-covered) are elbow-close. When it is open, the rear dining room is most desirable. The wine list has over 200 choices, so you will not be left high and dry. Food also is served in the bar, which stays open until 2 a.m. most nights.
5
Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab
60 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611 / 312-379-5637
For all of you foodies in love with the legendary Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, you can save the plane fare. This re-creation is right on the money. Stone crabs are the feature, of course, and they are cool and delicious. But to cover all bets, the steak part of the menu leaves no T-bone unturned. The food is top-drawer in quality and rarely disappoints. The service is incredibly professional. Some dishes of note are the shrimp de Jonghe, chopped salad, Florida grouper garnished with fresh tomato-cucumber relish and an outstanding Key lime pie. The atmosphere is pure clubby: hardwood floors, rich woodwork, big booths and roomy tables.
6
L2O
The Belden-Stratford Hotel, 2300 N. Lincoln Park W., Chicago, IL 60614 / 773-868-0002
While the name of the restaurant that replaced Ambria---the well-respected French restaurant formerly located in The Belden-Stratford Hotel---may have caused some confusion at first, now that L20 has opened its dark-wood doors all is forgiven. The seafood-focused restaurant from chef Laurent Gras feels like it ushers in a new era of high-end dining. Gone is the stuffy décor of its predecessor; in its place is a serene, almost spa-like space filled with Macassar ebony columns, plush couches and white leather chairs (the single onyx two-top has “it table” status written all over it). Then there’s the food from the French-born Gras, who has worked at New York City’s Peacock Alley and San Francisco’s Fifth Floor. It blends touches of Japanese, French and even molecular gastronomy, with plenty of made-in-house treats (bread, butter, yogurt). Dining options include a four-course menu (choose one each from the raw, warm, main and dessert selections) and 12-course tasting menu with additional add-ons available. Standouts include the peekytoe crab with avocado, kaffir lime and lemon oil; creamy salted cod with fingerling potato, smoked gelatin and caviar; and pork belly with a black-truffle sauce poured tableside. For dessert, there are classic soufflés as well as more modern options (consider yourself lucky if the rhubarb braised in a strawberry-vanilla jus and served with a Greek yogurt sorbet and strawberry-and-hibiscus gelée ribbons is on the menu). The extensive wine list, under the guidance of Chantelle Pabros, caters to both high rollers and (surprisingly) those with limited budgets. However you cut it, though, this is a special occasion experience.
7
N9ne Steakhouse
440 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60606 / 312-575-9900
It's sleek, it's hot, and it remains one of the top spots downtown after years on the scene. Everything from ostentatious shellfish platters to steaks and chops peppers the appealing, if pricy, menu. The décor almost outdoes the food, but the food does win by a nose. Start with the trio of caviar cones or the house-cured gravlax. Waltz into the Prime aged, bone-in rib-eye and a buttery lobster tail. Then, finish off with the strawberry shortcake. Sound tame? It's not. Sound boring? Far from it. The food, while familiar, is full of flavor and as easy on the eyes as the diners gracing the tables.
8
Oceanique
505 Main St., Evanston, IL 60202 / 847-864-3435
The ambience is artsy, the patrons are eclectic, and the seafood is good. Actually, this is one of the best seafood restaurants on the North Shore---and has been for some time. Grilled calamari gets a ginger accent and pompano is graced with a lemon essence. You might also find pan-seared foie gras with plum-peach chutney on the ever-changing menu. When the bouillabaisse is available, have it, and don’t be afraid to snag the seared yellowfin with crushed black pepper, asparagus, Parmesan and bacon (the payoff is big). This place is not completely limited to seafood, however, and some of the other dishes have their creative moments---things like the butternut squash ravioli, for example. The wine list is fairly extensive with a wide choice of wines by the glass. And the service is not great, but it's acceptable.
9
Roy's
One Superior Place, 720 N. State St., Chicago, IL 60610 / 312-787-7599
Dramatic views and dark décor set the stage for dishes like misoyaki butterfish and yellowfin tuna poke, while a good selection of wines and saké encourages experimentation. Roy's restaurant is tabbed as Euro-Asian, but frankly it is more contemporary American laced with Asian influences. That being noted, the menu, which dips deliciously into fish (note we did not say seafood), is creative and offers a nice range of notably enjoyable dishes. For fun, try the dim sum-style canoe appetizer with five tastes of Roy's specialties, or go for the silky-spicy blackened ahi with soy-mustard butter. Seared halibut and the mixed plate (grouper and short ribs) are both sure bets for entrées, but we also like the roasted macadamia nut-crusted mahi with caloric lobster-butter sauce. The hot chocolate soufflé is really a flourless chocolate cake with molten center and softens up to the vanilla ice cream accompaniment. The bar area at the front of the restaurant has become a hot spot to meet after work. There's an extensive wine list and wines by the glass.
10
Tin Fish
18201 Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477 / 708-532-0200
Tin Fish is a bona fide culinary asset to suburban dining. Colin Turner and Curtis Wierbicvki know restaurants and also know how to put together an exciting menu of seafood delights. If the play on words weren't so distracting, this scintillating restaurant could easily have been named Gold Fish, because it is as solid as it gets. The spacious dining room (with bar up front) is noisy but nice. The high, sea-blue ceiling is adorned with a school of tin fish. Window tables are a lot more comfortable than tables in the center. Head for the oyster bar if you need a break from the maddening crowd. Service is efficient (most of the time) and friendly. There is a decent wine list that, like the menu, is fairly priced.
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