XOCO
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
Masterful chef Rick Bayless champions Mexican street food at Chicago's XOCO, an all-day counter-service River North arrival with a name that means ‘little sister’ and a menu that includes soups, empanadas and ultrafresh hot tortas, all washed down by beer, wine and spiked hot chocolate (the cacao beans are ground in a street-front window); the sunflower-colored, LEED-certified space features standard and communal seating plus an exposed kitchen with a wood-burning oven.
449 N. Clark St., Chicago; 312-334-3688