"Obelix, a great French spot in River North, is open for lunch on Thursday, Friday, and Monday (including a $45 prix fixe option). And while they have delicious French staples, the best and most exciting dishes on the menu are the fusion-y ones that have interesting and unexpected flavor combinations, like the foie gras taco or the steak tartare with shio kumbo. Obelix is upscale enough to have white tablecloths, but it's not stuffy. They have a fun hip-hop playlist and friendly servers who are chill enough to crack a few jokes. Reservations are released 30 days in advance. But while dinner seats can be hard to nab (unless you want to eat at 10pm on a Thursday), it's much easier to snag a spot for weekend brunch at 10:30am-2pm, or lunch at 11:30am-2:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Monday." - adrian kane, john ringor, nick allen, veda kilaru