1308 Chicago

"It's set within a multipurpose space, but owner Kimberly Moore's lively restaurant is single-minded when it comes to food (think the American South in all of its gustatory pleasure). Try the hot water cornbread with its thick fritters of corn meal pan fried to a crisp and served with blueberry, pimento and B&B pickles for spreading. Then, corn ribs are an inventive twist on a staple. Cut from the cob to resemble the meaty original, then lashed with rich saucing and plenty of pickled onions, it's worth the mess. Milk braised-pork belly is dressed up with a maple-chili glaze and served alongside roasted apples and braised red cabbage puree, and don't tell grandma, but the roasted apple-filled empanada served with caramel sauce and spiced ice cream bests her apple pie." - Michelin Inspector