Big Jones

Blame it on the weather, but Chicago is not populated by many Southerners. You'll meet plenty of folk from north of the Mason-Dixon Line, but rare is the Georgian, Carolinian or Louisianan. That leaves chef Paul Fehribach (only from as far south as Southern Indiana, by the way) to wave the regional flag on his own at Big Jones. He makes a strong case for modern Southern food, recreating heirloom recipes with local, mostly organic sources, resurrecting historic cocktails like the Sazerac, curing his own charcuterie and even serving up a 1933-inspired "boarding house lunch" of fried chicken and biscuits that should hold you through dinner. Close set tables ensure you'll make friends, Northerners, most likely.