Celebrating the people, passion, and stories behind great hospitality with Tock 10.

Fire sets the tone, tempo, and warmth of the restaurant. A 12-foot custom-built wood-burning grill with adjustable racks and meat-hanging hooks, serves as the beating heart. The team grills everything from wagyu New York strip to tira de asado. Dine at the chef’s counter directly in front of the hearth to get in on the action.

For the consistency. El Che, which celebrates its ten-year anniversary this year, has been putting up well-seasoned, well-executed dishes for a decade. It’s not about frills, but flavor.

Moreno traveled across Mexico sourcing tequilas and mezcals for his family’s liquor store, which carries one of the largest agave selections in the county. At Osito’s, he channels that expertise into a robust cocktail program focused on agave spirits spiked with ingredients like ancho chile and jícama. Expect drinks like El Oscuro, a play on a classic Old Fashioned with bourbon, ancho reduction, and hickory smoke; or the Chicago Sling highlighting two Chicago spirits: Malort and Koval cranberry gin with Grand Marnier, Luxardo liqueur, citrus, and Angostura bitters. The space honors its past through exposed original brick, dark millwork, and deep-set leather booths, while traditional Talavera tile patterns nod to Mexican heritage. A menu of botanas, or bites, like guacamole, mini chimichangas, and pozole verde, complements a selection of micheladas, tequila and mezcal flights, and mostly local draft beers.

For the community spirit. Osito’s isn’t just serving drinks. They have created a neighborhood gathering place that honors multiple immigrant stories while educating guests about the versatility and craft of Mexican spirits.

Potashnick’s daring tasting menu is an experiment in genuine seasonality—highlighting product carefully sourced from Feld’s network of growers, ranchers, fishermen, and dairy farmers that’s prepared and plated with no separation from diners. Ten one-biters might land at once—including a corn fritter, artichoke tart, and three types of melon draped in ruby prosciutto. Another course might bring Monterey abalone slivers swimming with a single fat, airy dumpling in ham broth, or foie gras with alliums.

Almost no other experience drops us in a fleeting, hyperseasonal moment in time like a meal at this ambitious restaurant.

Chef Jenner Tomaska draws inspiration from each new artist collaborator. Past menus have included a woven mosaic of white asparagus flavored with sea urchin and orange, or a salad bouquet that diners sweep through a painter’s palette of sauces. Tomaska and his team have perfected a tableside presentation of clay-baked proteins and produce, with the intricate, remarkably realistic clay sculptures for the following day carved each night after service.

You feel like a kid again, whether you’re licking Flamin’ hot Cheetos® dust off your fingers at the bar or cracking through a framed edible painting for a spoonful of dessert.

Foie gras brioche toast with seasonal fruit jam and crème fraîche “Dippin Dots” is a signature course that guests are invited to enjoy in the kitchen. Feel free to ask questions, crack jokes, or just watch the chefs effortlessly moving, like a choreographed performance. Capellini pasta, generously topped with a flurry of fresh shaved Périgord or white truffle and nutritional yeast is another umami bomb classic that has been on the menu for nearly a decade.

For the irreverent devil-may-care juxtaposition of fine dining and punk rock.

With a MICHELIN Star, James Beard Award® for Outstanding Restaurant, countless cookbooks, a PBS show, and YouTube cooking classes, Bayless and Topolo continue winning fans 36 years later. He leads culinary staff trips to Mexico, constantly wanting to learn, expose, and teach. Bayless has opened additional restaurants including Xoco, Tortas Frontera, and Bar Sótano (the underground mezcal bar with daughter Lanie), and has mentored numerous chefs who have opened or run their own establishments, including Brian Enyart at Leña Brava, Stephen Sandoval at Diego, and Rishi Kumar at Mirra. But possibly his biggest contribution to the food world is helping to introduce the depth and breadth of Mexico’s rich culinary offerings to the masses.

Every menu tells a story about Mexico. From highlighting regional ingredients like moles, masa, and chiles to incorporating agave spirits into tasting menu cocktails, the Topolo team deeply celebrates Mexican culture. Robust research of markets, neighborhoods, and taco stands appears throughout each meal, while the extensive Mexican art collection illuminates the country’s beauty and richness.

Fenton and his team nixtamalize corn to make fresh tortillas for daintily garnished empanadas, tostadas, and quesadillas. Aguachile and ravioli flavored with huitlacoche, or sweet corn and truffle, are signature dishes, while the beverage list features plenty of agaves and unique Mexican spirits, including Pox and Charanda. Michelada, the classic hangover cure, is reimagined as a raw oyster dressed with tomato dashi mignonette, clamato pearls and beer foam, rimmed with tajin.

For the late night taco omakase. In the spirit of sustainability, Fenton repurposes ingredients from the tasting menu for a second service at a more affordable price point. Sometimes, guest chefs even join in on the fun.

The team behind Chicago wine bar Press Room takes inspiration from Asia’s bustling night markets. Partners Jeff Williams and Josue Mancero collaborate on the eclectic menu while Jorge Vallejo stays on top of the colorful bar program. Vibrant murals, string lights, and paper lanterns transport you from Chicago to a lively Asian street scene.

For the menu spanning Japanese, Indonesian, Filipino, Thai, Singaporean, and Malaysian cuisines. Enjoy crispy togarashi tofu, Dan Dan noodles, or galangal-lemongrass shrimp curry paired with bright cocktails. They regularly bring in guest bartenders, from Chicago’s Lazy Bird to Miami’s Cafe La Trova, to add even more cultures into the fold. 

“Rules?” Achatz teased on his 2016 episode of Chef’s Table. “There are no rules.” The Alinea Group has consistently challenged itself to break down conventions at every level. After all, they’re named for a pilcrow, or the start of a new train of thought. This year, Alinea celebrates its 20th anniversary by taking a new pop-up on the road to Brooklyn, Miami, Beverly Hills, and more.

For the experience that will make you giddy. Whether it’s sucking the helium from an edible green-taffy balloon or biting into a piece of blueberry glass, a discernible joy can be felt throughout the dining room.

Smyth has become one of the country’s most sought-after tasting menu restaurants, reflecting the couples’ 30+ years of combined culinary experience. In 2023, Smyth earned the highest honor of three Michelin stars. It’s apparent that the Shields have not only demonstrated a true commitment to their unique vision, but also to one another. “We were young and in love,” John recently told Fine Dining Lovers. “Now, we’re at least still in love.” Downstairs from Smyth, the couple operates The Loyalist, a neighborhood bar serving French fare and what many believe to be one of the best burgers in America.

For the unexpected flavor combinations. Take the barbecue uni glazed in pepper dulse and paired with preserved frozen cantaloupe, tomato, pink guava oil, and tepache, a traditional Mexican beverage made by fermented pineapple. Or, beeswax caramels made with cardamom and served with passionfruit umeboshi.