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Eating your way through the country's very best restaurants is a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. Eater's restaurant editor Bill Addison is tasked with the duty every year, and the resulting list is always a case study in budding restaurant trends and scrupulous newcomers. This year, 12 restaurants from across the country made the list—including Elske in Chicago.
The West Loop fine-dining destination from husband-and-wife chefs David and Anna Posey is the only nod to Chicago on the list, but to be fair, no other city boasts multiple finalists. Addison's previous lists have included Chicago favorites Monteverde, Oriole and Dove's Luncheonette.
Soon after Elske opened at the tail end of 2016, we dubbed it a four-star, “completely delightful and enchanting” experience. A few of the aspects that stuck with us included the affordability factor (the prix fixe menu is just $80 per person), approachability and the team's devotion to super seasonal ingredients.
We're happy to see the painstakingly gorgeous menu—with pristine dishes like fermented black bean agnolotti with morel and sugar peas—get another helping of credit, this time on a national level. In a changing industry where so many restaurants struggle to survive the first few years of business, this kind of recognition can go a long way