Best Open Kitchen Restaurants in North Center

Fourth time and it’s still incredible. The noodles are bouncy and chewy in the BEST possible way and perfect in each of its iterations (we ordered the Akahoshi ramen, Midwest Shoyu, and the Aburasoba). My only regret is not getting the February special. Can’t wait to go back.

What a culinary dining experience this was with amazing Authentic Roman food. I went there with a friend who grew up in Italy and was completely impressed by how Rich and Authentic that the menu honored the Roman region of Italy. The quality of the food was superb. Our waiter guided us through wonderful selections and we had a five course meal that blew our minds and pallet. Restaraunt has a wonderful open modern concept, but still felt cozy at the same time. We sat by the open kitchen concept and felt like we were a part of the cooking experience. Absolutely love this spot will be going back.

One of the few remaining excellent restaurants in Chicago. An overall wonderful dining experience.

It was absolutely amazing !! I will definitely be back!

Last night at Elske was our favorite dining experience in Chicago so far. We moved here 1.5 years ago and have had some great meals, but this was truly above and beyond. The “smoked tea” blew our minds (they smoke vegetables for the broth above a live fire that you can see from the dining area) and reminded me of a rich greens-laden broth (think intense pot likker) braised with soy sauce. We’d also never had sturgeon, which was perfectly dense and flaky at the same time (halibut could never). Finally, don’t skip on dessert: the sunflower seed dish and the pear meringue were, again, mind-blowing texturally, were served at the perfect temperature, and were both challenging and comforting to eat. So, so good. Oh! I also ordered an NA martini which, unlike many mocktails, was super flavorful and so I wanted to drink it slowly, just like with a real cocktail.