Vie

After putting Western Springs on the map with his 2007 Food & Wine best new chef nod, Paul Virant spread the gospel of canning and charcuterie in a cookbook and opened Perennial Virant in Lincoln Park with the BOKA crew. Back at Vie, Virant sticks to theme with hyper-seasonal, hyper-local menus and elevates humble foods with contemporary platings (example: pan-roasted whitefish on Three Sisters polenta and Nichols Farm collards with smoked tomato braised onions). Veteran pastry chef Elissa Narrow follows suit, adding warm apple quince compote to gooey buttercake (made with Midwestern cream cheese, of course).