Ever Restaurant
Restaurant · West Town
1340 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67140437/1227844241.jpg.0.jpg "Ever Restaurant by Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images")
Highlights
Artfully presented tasting menus by accomplished chef Curtis Duffy
Artfully presented tasting menus by accomplished chef Curtis Duffy
"This fine-dining spot is like the sea in Old Man And The Sea, or all the appliances in The Brave Little Toaster. It’s a metaphor. It’s not actually Ever, more of an amalgamation of several fine-dining restaurants. Yes, the chef’s jacket and the tickets say Ever, and they serve the signature frozen hamachi (which is delicious). But Ever is in the West Loop and opened in 2020, and as far as we know, Olivia Colman doesn’t work there. Faux Ever represents all of Chicago’s Michelin-starred restaurants. They will be one of the best meals of your life, and you’ll likely want a slice of pizza afterward. Two things can exist at the same time." - adrian kane, nick allen
"Ever is the centerpiece of Episode 7 of Season 2, as Richie stages at a fictional version of the restaurant with three Michelin stars (in reality, Ever holds two stars) and Olivia Colman in the kitchen. Chef Curtis Duffy doesn’t appear in the episode, but viewers can spot his hands plating a few dishes on the restaurant’s 8- to 10-course tasting menu. Many of Ever’s front-of-house staff also appear in the show, so diners might recognize their server. Viewers repeatedly revisit the restaurant through flashbacks in Season 3, culminating with Episode 10, where food luminaries convene for a final service. Don’t worry, the restaurant is still open. Make a reservation through Tock." - Ashok Selvam
"Ever joined Chicago’s endless parade of renowned tasting-menu spots in 2020. And like Alinea, Esme, and Oriole, this West Loop place is expensive and hard to get into. The $325 10-course tasting ranges from “How did they do that?” to “Oh look, a foam.” You’ll find dishes like shaved and frozen hamachi, and a bunch of other things that are plated with tweezerly love. The food is excellent, and you’ll be treated in the way you expect during a meal that costs as much (or more) than a car payment. If you’re looking for a (very) special occasion spot and have three hours to spend on a fine dining experience, book a table with confidence." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, nick allen, john ringor
"Let’s do a favor for Ever’s PR team: Unlike at the end of Season 3 of The Bear, the real Ever continues to serve patrons. Chef Curtis Duffy became a superstar when he opened his first award-winning restaurant, Grace, on Randolph Street, and he’s brought that energy a few blocks west to Fulton Market, where Ever opened in 2020. Duffy is offering only one tasting menu (vegetarians will be accommodated), but he remains committed to showing off precise techniques with playful execution. Case in point: artfully cut ribbons of freeze-dried hamachi. Fine dining tends to be polarizing, but for folks who want a meal with a dash of theatrics, Ever fulfills that niche better than any Chicago restaurant. It’s so synonymous with fine dining that a semi-fictionalized version of the restaurant had a starring role in seasons 2 and 3 of The Bear. Just note that this is one of the most expensive meals in Chicago. Earlier this year, the team separated with restaurant co-founder Michael Muser. Best for: Folks with a wad of cash to burn and who want a unique and intimate dining experience." - Ashok Selvam
"A two-Michelin-starred Chicago dining room known for an elegantly serene atmosphere and tasting menus of up to around ten courses; staff prepare exhaustively for families—designating stroller parking and feeding/calming areas, offering private-room seating or tables set slightly apart with easy restroom access, and even escorting older children briefly into the pastry kitchen to 'make a dessert' so parents can enjoy courses such as Wagyu and an intermezzo. The team treats accommodating children similarly to handling dietary or mobility needs, while stressing that parents should communicate needs clearly and that chefs are not babysitters." - ByMaggie Hennessy
