The Local - Chicago

The guys behind this place (and also Chicago Cut Steakhouse) must know that it looks like a commonplace restaurant in the Hilton Suites Hotel. Yet they’re doing everything in their power to make diners forget it, with a staff of hosts and servers so obliging and vigilant (from proffering purse hooks to offering to split-and-serve dishes tableside) they practically pamper you. The comfort food (a juicy burger, a cobb salad made with strips of prime filet, a tender skirt steak in rich jus) is nothing you haven’t seen before, but it’s all pretty solid. Which means chances are it won’t be long before Gold Coast neighbors start treating this less like a hotel restaurant and more as their “local."