Top Seafood Spots for Lenten Dining
Hot on the heels of the food-filled frivolity that comes with Mardi Gras, Lent is a time to take a step back and reel in the excess with some seafood and fish. Fortunately, Chicago is chock full of fine seafood spots so fresh and pristine you’ll think you’re dining on a San Francisco dock or by a Boston shore.
Over the past couple of years, Chicago has seen a huge uptick on seafood-oriented restaurants. One of the forebears of that nautical trend was GT Fish & Oyster, a masterful seafood haven from acclaimed chef Giuseppe Tentori and Boka Restaurant Group. At this sleek River North restaurant, diners can expect to ooh and aah over fresh oysters, clam chowder, shrimp bruschetta, ceviche, steamed mussels, whole roasted fish, caviar service, and pretty much anything else you can imagine from the sea. True to form for Tentori, this is seafood with notable panache, so expect glammed up versions of classic flavors and presentations.
Another early adapter to the seafood fanaticism in town was Kinmont, a refreshing seafaring foray for Element Collective (Old Town Social, RM Champagne Salon, Leghorn, et al.). The game-changer at Kinmont, however, is the focus on sustainability and the fact that it’s the first fish and seafood restaurant in town to wholly concentrate on a sustainable menu at this capacity. Also, Kinmont pays respectful homage to Midwestern fish, rather than solely serve up ocean-based products. This means there’s a large array of river and lake species like trout and bass. The restaurant boasts an impressive array of seafood platters, oysters, and share plats like the Tide Water Boil brimming with whole Maine lobster, mussels, prawns, clams, market fish, potatoes, smoked sausage, and country bread.
With a name inspired by famed food author MFK Fisher, Lakeview’s mfk had the stakes raised pretty high when it bowed last year. Fortunately the restaurant exceeded expectations with wild acclaim, sailing successfully on its unique medley of Spanish-accented seafood dishes. The casual, sunny spot peddles lunch and dinner ideal for sharing, with dishes like crunchy prawn heads, ceviche on squid ink tostadas, salt-cured anchovies, skate wing with chorizo-sherry vinaigrette, and cobia collar with clams. Each bite is bracing, unique, and enticing, showcasing a brand of nautical cookery not seen elsewhere in Chicago.
The seafood trend even trickled into the fast-casual dining format, as with places like downtown’s recently opened Brown Bag Seafood Co. Here, the ethos is fresh, high-quality products in a fun, leisurely atmosphere awash with quirky seaside provisions and decorations. The space feels like an upscale beachside shanty, with customizable menus that allow diners to select their choice of fish, their choice of preparation and presentation, and their choice of side. Menu options run the gamut from teriyaki scallion salmon and crispy shrimp to Mediterranean tuna salad and crab-zucchini cakes. Seafood can be served by itself, as a sandwich, a salad, tacos, or as a protein-packed “power box.” Don’t miss the clam “chowdah” and Louisiana tang cole slaw.
Riding the wave of oyster-centric spots in Chicago, Pearl Tavern is one of the first to hone in on the popular bivalve. Here at this sultry Loop haunt, oysters take top billing, available on hulking platters primed for slurping. But there are so many more fishes in the sea. Notably, tuka poke, grilled calamari, seafood empanadas, lobster macaroni, shrimp tostadas, grilled salmon burgers, and more.
GT Fish & Oyster
531 N. Wells Street, Chicago
(312) 929-3501
Website
Kinmont
419 W. Superior Street, Chicago
(312) 915-0011
Website
mfk.
432 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago
(773) 857-2540
Website
Brown Bag Seafood Co.
340 E. Randolph Street, Chicago
(312) 496-3999
Website
Pearl Tavern
180 N. Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago
(312) 629-1030
Website
