Omar's (CLOSED)

Omar Hernandez (the Lion, Hotel Americano) has a fitting job title: ambience director. At his eponymous restaurant-cum-supper-club, the nightlife fixture conjures old-school members-only dens like '60s-era Annabel's in London. The 4,000-square-foot space—in a historic Gold Coast brownstone—is divided into two areas: a restaurant called La Ranita in front, and a private dining room in back. Fine-dining vet Kenny Cuomo (Blue Hill, Per Se) helms the Art Deco–style restaurant, dispatching New American plates with Mediterranean touches. Slip past the white marble bar to the mirrored dining room in back, and sink into a saddle leather banquette for sweetbreads with mushroom escabèche and ramps; charred mackerel with pipirrana and saffron crumble; and coffee-rubbed pork loin with chicory and sunchokes. Cocktails also have a seasonal edge: The Dahlia stirs vodka with passion fruit, cardamom and star anise, while the gin-based Sardinia has blood orange, grapefruit, lemon and fennel. The invite-only supper club features a fireplace-lit library bar, a solarium and a wine cellar. There, Cuomo supplies a "spontaneous tasting menu," at-whim American dishes tailored to diners' preferences.