Chicago’s restaurant scene should be just a shadow of its former self. Even in 2019 it seemed to be floundering, reeling from the loss of several notable establishments, including Grace, one of the city’s two Michelin three-star restaurants. The following year was, of course, a terrible time for fine dining all around the world. In 2020 and 2021, Chicago lost two classic restaurants we have recommended for decades, Everest and Spiaggia. As of this writing, dining rooms have been able to operate at full capacity for mere months. Now should be a historically bad time for Windy City gourmands.