Wood

From the kitchen to the bar, everything we serve is defined by a passion for exploring unique flavor combinations. Wood is more than a name: our wood-fired oven is at the heart of it all, mustering a dynamic menu of small-plate, American fare, made with the best ingredients the season has to offer. Though the dishes regularly change, they are defined by a few constants: meat is butchered...

Solid spot for a cocktail - if you go late, hit the frites takeout window in back.

The fact that restaurant owner Franco named his new spot Wood just so that he could refer to brunches as "Morning Wood" was reason enough to bring me in on a recent Sunday morning.

Named for its wood-burning oven, this Boys Town New American specializes in small plates, housemade flatbreads and cheese/charcuterie paired with barrel-aged brown spirits and cocktails both contemporary and classic; the spare, modern setting features a bar with funky glass tile backing, massive wraparound banquettes and lots of people-watching windows; P.S. Belgian frites with a dozen dipping...

More than a dozen types of skewer (meat, seafood and veggie) are served family-style along with reinvented classic cocktails and craft beers at this cozy, midscale Lakeview lair. The polished, loungey setting sports a red-and-brown meat palette, tufted leather booths and industrial light fixtures.

Amy Cavanaugh suggests you order everything on the menu except for the fried chicken at Honey Butter Fried Chicken. The fried chicken is "salty and sweet" and an "enjoyable dish, just not one [she would] rush to have again." Instead, try the "meaty and sticky and satisfying" chicken wings and the "exceptional" side dishes—pimento mac n' cheese, cold roasted sweet potatoes and kale and cabbage...

Salero, a Spanish-themed restaurant from the crew of Wood, is taking over the old Alimentari space next door to Blackbird in the West Loop. Wood's executive chef Ashlee Aubin will be heading up the kitchen, and tells Crain's that it "won't be a tapas restaurant" and that they're "going to push the flavors into a modern, very clean, contemporary direction."

Dinner will be the focus of Salero at...

mEAT Chicago is the perfect addition to the North Halsted dining and drinking experience. mEAT is a secluded oasis from the nightclub scene and perfect dining concept that promotes conversation.

Meet and eat! A purely interactive environment where people come to “mEAT” and socialize is our focus. While some restaurants incorporate skewers into their menu, a majority of our menu boasts the...