The 26 Best Chicago Restaurants For A Birthday Dinner - Chicago - The Infatuation

"Obelix is located in a quieter part of River North where, instead of witnessing drunken couples arguing with bouncers, you can enjoy some fantastic French food in relative serenity. That said, while Obelix is upscale enough to have white tablecloths, it's not stuffy. They have a fun hip-hop playlist and friendly servers who are chill enough to crack a few jokes. This spot is from the same team as Le Bouchon, and while they have delicious staples, the most exciting dishes are the fusion-y ones that have an international spin. From their steak tartare with a spicy and pungent shio kombu, to their impressively complex foie gras taco (a.k.a. foie-co), the combinations of flavors are interesting and unexpected. 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, veda kilaru, nick allen, john ringor