Cicchetti | Streeterville, Chicago

Cicchetti might be Chicago's best new Italian restaurant.

Chef Michael Sheerin, assisted by superstar sous chefs Sarah Jordan (Boka) and Phil Rubino (Moderno), has created a menu that manages to be both challenging and accessible–kind of like a really old friend who urges you to try a crazy new dish.

Case in point: oysters ($16 for 6). Usually pretty boring, right? But these are flawlessly shucked, presented in an antique toolbox and served with a funky anchovy-laced mignonette that delivers a double-shot of the ocean.

Beef carpaccio ($15) can feel like a lame '90s holdover. Here, it's made with aged hanger steak, tasting of pure essence of cow, and comes topped with sorrel and slices of chewy, dried, roasted cauliflower.

Beyond-tender baby squid ($14) is served with black garlic and enough black pepper to tickle your nose a tiny bit. When combined with the sweetness of polenta and an herbal flash of fresh cilantro, the whole dish comes together flawlessly.

We ended our meal with a fiery glass of grappa (we enjoyed the aged Nardini Reserve) and a "reverse affogato," a twist on the Italian bistro mainstay ($10): Coffee ice cream is doused with malt crème anglaise to create the best dipping sauce for warm cinnamon doughnuts we've ever had.

Editor's note: Cicchetti is now closed.