"Etc.’s tasty Southern food, stylish space with fluorescent pillars, and upbeat R&B soundtrack could trick you into thinking The Loop was cool. At this restaurant from a Bronzeville Winery chef, couples split savory rice with smoked turkey and fried okra. Friends pass around juicy lamb chops with whipped potatoes. Some dishes are overly ambitious—we’d prefer the fried green tomatoes without the distracting red tomatoes and balsamic. But you’ll forget about the few misses (and how close you are to the Willis Tower gift shop) once you’re lost in the gravy-covered oxtail and purple grits." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru