The restaurant that keeps me coming back is Union Sushi in River North. The artfully crafted small bites, lunch Bento, and Japanese Barbeque prepared by Chef Chao and his team are unmatched when it comes to refined “Sushi + Barbeque”.

For me, any perfect meal needs to start with a great cocktail. I'm a whiskey lover, and I tend to judge a restaurant by how well they make a “classic” cocktail like the Manhattan.

Lots of restaurants know how to make them well, but Sable in River North takes the cake. All I asked for was a Jim Beam Rye Manhattan, and what I got in return was the smoothest, most enjoyable whiskey cocktail I've ever had. (The meal that followed was pretty killer, too).

Merlo on Maple is my idea of the perfect restaurant dining experience. The restaurant is located in a beautifully restored, four story, 19^th century town home in the heart of the Gold Coast, just steps from the exciting Rush Street area of Chicago. During the Winter months, the cozy rooms invite you into the warmth of the restaurant with it’s understated elegance. Flicking candles in silver candlesticks are on every white linen table. You enter the gracious town home and immediately see the intimate bar.