2008's Top 10 new restaurants (according to Phil Vettel)

This video piece reveals his list:

L20 (clearly his #1, not sure the other 9 are in any particular order)
Lockwood
Sixteen
C-House
Mercat a la Planxa
Sugar Toad
Graham Eliot
Piccolo Sogno
Takashi
Perennial

Anyone else have a list of their favorites -- new or otherwise -- from 2008?

=R=

I'd like to add that, based on pre-opening and early buzz, 3 which didn't make his list (not that it's definitive) are almost equally as interesting:

Urban Belly
Publican
Mado

I'm trying to come up with my own lists but it's harder than I thought.

=R=

edited to add Mado, which would definitely be on my 'best of 2008' list and remove Powerhouse, which actually opened in late 2007.

I had to go look up Sugar Toad on Metromix as I hadn't heard of it. (It's in Naperville.)

I've only been to two on his list -- Mercat and Graham Elliot. I was underwhelmed by GE and immensely enjoyed Mercat, to which I've now been a few times -- the first time was pre-pig (tapas only), once with pig (wow!) and once with my Dad when he was stopping over in Chicago for business back in early September. I was not quite as enamored with Mercat during this last visit, which I attribute not so much to the restaurant but instead to, in part, having to order "safely" as my Dad is not a terribly adventurous eater, and, in part, it being the night after the LTH picnic and any restaurant food would be underwhelming following up on that feast.

ronnie_suburban wrote:This video piece reveals his list:

Thanks, Ron, for watching the video and reporting. I can't watch it at work (where I presently am), but was curious.

I've only been to two of Vettel's faves, L20 and Takashi. I liked them both, but am not itching to return either. I'm not sure if I even ate at ten new-in-'08 Chicago restaurants, so I'll have to give my list some thought.

Ronna

In reviewing my year in dining, I was surprised to discover that I've been to no fewer than 17 brand new restaurants! There are many more new places that I haven't tried yet. In this economy, it's interesting that so many places have opened this year.

Here's my list, ranked based on how excited I am to have the place in Chicago, from most excited to least excited.

1. Mado
2. The Bristol
3. Gaetano's
4. Trattoria de Merlo
5. el Gallo Toño
6. Julius Meinl on Montrose/Lincoln
7. Mixteco
8. Graham Elliott
9. Cafe Marbella
10. Takashi
11. Sanook
12. Mana
13. Piccolo Sogno
14. Lockwood
15. Farmerie 58
16. La Bahia Mariscos
17. Thai Thai

Ok, here is my list -- of new and already-existing places in Chicagoland -- where I ate my favorite meals in 2008 (in alphabetical order):

Alinea
Brown Sack
Cemitas Puebla
Greek Islands (Greektown location)
Honey 1 BBQ
Izola's Restaurant
Kang Nam
Katy's Dumpling House
Khan BBQ
L20
Mado
Mercat a la Planxa
Mixteco Grill
Patty's Diner
Prairie Grass Cafe
Renga-Tei
Salam
Smoque BBQ
Sun Wah BBQ
Vie Restaurant
Vito & Nick's

I did eat at several additional new places this year, many of which I enjoyed, but I just didn't feel like they made the cut as far as being called "favorites."

=R=

I dont think I hit any "new" restaurants, but many that were "new" to me. I really focused on GNR's this past year, and hit 19 of them, many more than once:

My favorite places I ate meals at this year, in no particular order:

Coalfire
Lao Sze Chuan
Renga-Tei
Amanacer Tapatio
Cajun Connection
Fabulous Noodles
Klas
Cemita's
Honey 1
Semiramis
Tank Noodle
Sun Wah BBQ
San Soo Gap San
Saloon Steakhouse
Joes Stone Crab

On my list for 2009:

Paramount Room
Captain Porky's
Publican
Steves Shish Kabob
Hae Woon Dae
Khan BBQ
Habana Libre
New York Bagel and Bialy

since we've got various list types forming, I should clarify that my list most definitely does not represent only favorites. The ones near the top are places I like very much, but the ones near the bottom are places I hope not to visit again.

Kennyz wrote:since we've got various list types forming, I should clarify that my list most definitely does not represent only favorites. The ones near the top are places I like very much, but the ones near the bottom are places I hope not to visit again.

Understood and I really appreciate you including all the new places you hit in descending order from most liked to least liked.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Kennyz wrote:since we've got various list types forming, I should clarify that my list most definitely does not represent only favorites. The ones near the top are places I like very much, but the ones near the bottom are places I hope not to visit again.

Understood and I really appreciate you including all the new places you hit in descending order from most liked to least liked.

=R=

No problem, and after tonight I will be able to add another. I'm going to eat at at Galapagos, something that at one point I thought I'd never say.

(edited to note that I never made it to Galapagos last night, so that'll have to wait until 2009)

I also ate at an unusually high number of new and or high-end places for me, this year, and although a few were genuinely impressive, a lot of them reminded me why I stopped eating out like that. When a Boka or an Avenues delivers just one or two really impressive moments in a much larger and very expensive meal, suddenly Mixteco Grill, which batted .750 and barely broke a $50 bill for four people, looks like the best new restaurant in town. I said this a couple of years ago (when Vettel was enthusing over his $50 thimblefull of ceviche at De La Costa, I believe), when you've gone that long without actually paying your own money for a meal, you've lost a crucial connection with your readers' experience of dining out.

I mean, criminy, six of them are in hotels. Hotel dining may be better these days, but it isn't THAT much better.

Mike G wrote:I mean, criminy, six of them are in hotels. Hotel dining may be better these days, but it isn't THAT much better.

Who cares where they're located? The way I see it, L2O and Mercat just happen to be located in hotels, but they're hardly "hotel restaurants". I would absolutely agree that they're two of the best spots to open in 2008 (I haven't been to Sixteen, C-House, or Lockwood so I can't comment on those).

Anyway, I would say my favorite meals in Chicago this year were at (in no particular order):

Alinea
Sun Wah
Lao Sze Chuan
Avec
L2O
Graham Elliot
Sol de Mexico
Avenues
Ponzu
David Burke's Primehouse
Sweets & Savories
Maxwell Street Market
A Mano (although that would be earlier this year, on a recent visit I found that the menu has been significantly dumbed down and the food just wasn't as good as it was when the restaurant first opened)
Mercat a la Planxa
Riccardo Trattoria

Any one restaurant in a hotel could be great. But six of your ten best restaurants being in hotels is like six of your ten best restaurants being in Kenilworth.

Incidentally, instead of us all just reeling off lists of places we ate at (which are already blurring together), how about somebody starting a real top ten thread (as used to be one of my duties?)

My top three favorite openings of the year:

- Gaetano's
- Mado
- Mercat

I am very, very thankful to the food gods to have had expanded access to Trader Joe's and Super Tony's, Five Guys, Gaetano's, El Pollo Regio (RIP), and Don Alfredo (expanded Melrose Park locations with more frequent carnitas) near Oak Park.

It was also a thrilling relief that no GNR nominees closed before awards time given the Sports Illustrated-like curse of some previous rounds (Cooks Illustrated?)

[edited for spelling]

Mike G wrote:Incidentally, instead of us all just reeling off lists of places we ate at (which are already blurring together), how about somebody starting a real top ten thread (as used to be one of my duties?)

Personally, I'm not sure I see the distinction or the value in having more than 1 'year-end favorites thread.' So far, it doesn't appear that anyone is 'just reeling off lists.' All who've posted have specified the nature of their lists. But if anyone wants to start another thread, they should feel free to do so.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Mike G wrote:Incidentally, instead of us all just reeling off lists of places we ate at (which are already blurring together), how about somebody starting a real top ten thread (as used to be one of my duties?)

Personally, I'm not sure I see the distinction or the value in having more than 1 'year-end favorites thread.' So far, it doesn't appear that anyone is 'just reeling off lists.' All who've posted have specified the nature of their lists. But if anyone wants to start another thread, they should feel free to do so.

=R=

I think Mike is referring to the "ten best things you ate" threads. Here's 2007 with links to 2004-6. I think the distinction he's making is between actual tastes of food and names of restaurants.

I'd love to start it up, but this is the first year in a while that I won't have a list.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Personally, I'm not sure I see the distinction or the value in having more than 1 'year-end favorites thread.' So far, it doesn't appear that anyone is 'just reeling off lists.' All who've posted have specified the nature of their lists. But if anyone wants to start another thread, they should feel free to do so.

There seem to be two entirely different topics of discussion here: the best NEW restaurants in Chicagoland (ones that opened this year), and the best restaurants I/we/you visited this year (including ones that opened before this year). Perhaps the posts ought to be split into two different topics.

How about a thread for Top 10 Most Trivial Discussions on LTHForum? Sadly, I will show up in far too many of them

Mike G wrote:Any one restaurant in a hotel could be great. But six of your ten best restaurants being in hotels is like six of your ten best restaurants being in Kenilworth.

Nonsense. Nowadays, hotels understand the value of having a destination restaurant located inside. Some recruit some of the top chefs in the business, and others subcontract out with the intention of fostering fine dining by providing that level of independence.

Some of the very best and most interesting restaurants in Chicago are located in hotels, including Avenues, NoMI, David Burke's Primehouse, L2O, Seasons, Cafe des Architectes, Shanghai Terrace, Mercat a la Planxa, Atwood Cafe, the Lobby, and Aria, just to name a few. Quite an impressive list.

eatchicago wrote:I think Mike is referring to the "ten best things you ate" threads. Here's 2007 with links to 2004-6. I think the distinction he's making is between actual tastes of food and names of restaurants.

I'd love to start it up, but this is the first year in a while that I won't have a list.

I think this would be a great distinction because it considers non-restaurant food, which is generally a big component for all of us.

I love the way Sula handled this in the Reader.

=R=

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Personally, I'm not sure I see the distinction or the value in having more than 1 'year-end favorites thread.' So far, it doesn't appear that anyone is 'just reeling off lists.' All who've posted have specified the nature of their lists. But if anyone wants to start another thread, they should feel free to do so.

There seem to be two entirely different topics of discussion here: the best NEW restaurants in Chicagoland (ones that opened this year), and the best restaurants I/we/you visited this year (including ones that opened before this year). Perhaps the posts ought to be split into two different topics.

I'm not sure that folks would have enough volume to warrant an entire thread dedicated solely to new places that are worth listing. That said, I do like the approach Kenny took above.

=R=

I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

jesteinf wrote:I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

You're stumping me. Care to share?

jesteinf wrote:I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

Old Country Buffet and what else?

=R=

aschie30 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

You're stumping me. Care to share?

Hint: Manhattan

=R=

aschie30 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

You're stumping me. Care to share?

Per Se and Masa. Both located in the Time Warner Center in NYC.

I guessed wrong..., I was gonna guess Cheesecake Factory, and PF Changs.

jesteinf wrote:

aschie30 wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I'd also like to point out that two of the best restaurants in the country are located in a mall.

You're stumping me. Care to share?

Per Se and Masa. Both located in the Time Warner Center in NYC.

Well, that went right over my head . . .

I'd like to point out that everyone who has attempted to answer my point about Phil Vettel's list being way too elitist and starchy has instead reinforced it.

As far as I'm concerned, most of the best restaurants in America are in neighborhoods you should be afraid to visit.

I'm kind of afraid to visit Lincoln Park. That neighborhood genuinely scares me sometimes.