The Bristol
Bucktown
Launched in 2008, The Bristol and chef Chris Pandel helped propel the upscale farm to table movement, the ubiquity of pork and odd bits, and beer as an appropriate upscale dining beverage on the Chicago dining scene. At the same time it's been a self-described "secret Italian restaurant" with housemade, rustic pastas, which led to Pandel's followup non-secret Italian restaurant Balena. Those traditions continue with some updating under current executive chef Sean Pharr.