Southern American spot in Illinois named to Food & Wine’s 15 best US restaurants
A Southern American restaurant in Illinois was recently ranked in magazine Food & Wine’s list of “The Top 15 US Restaurants, According to the Experts.”
Virtue Restaurant & Bar, located in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, snagged 14th place in the April 2 ranking. Food & Wine highlighted the accomplishments of owner and chef Erick Williams and chef de cuisine Damarr Brown, including James Beard Awards and a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide.
“While the mission here is still simple kindness, we named Williams a 2024 F&W Game Changer in recognition of the work he’s doing in the community to inspire the next generation of Black chefs and entrepreneurs,” Food & Wine’s article reads.
To compile the Food & Wine Global Tastemakers awards, which included the top 15 U.S. restaurants ranking, as well as many other categories, the magazine’s staff contacted more than 400 chefs, writers and travel professionals for their recommendations and rankings for the best restaurants in the nation.
Virtue’s menu includes “small rations” such as biscuits with pimento cheese and local honey for $12, green tomatoes with gulf shrimp and “leroy’s remoulade” for $18, and chilled oysters with preserved horseradish, benne seed and lemon for $19.
Options for “large rations” include morel mushrooms with sweet peas, carrots and chili oil for $32, fish and grits with blackened red drum, Geechie stone-ground grits and crab étouffée for $35, and lemon chicken with fennel, string beans and lemon chicken jus for $29.
A variety of sides or “extra rations” are also available, including buttered grits for $8, mac and cheese for $12, crushed potatoes for $8 and more.
If you’ve got a hankering for a sweet treat, Virtue’s menu features four desserts, including “millie’s puddin’” (banana pudding, vanilla wafers and cool whip) for $15, lemon meringue pie for $14, carrot cake for $15 and chocolate cake for $14. There’s no shortage of wine options or spirits, either.
While reservations are not required to dine at Virtue, the restaurant’s website says they are highly encouraged to avoid long wait times. Reservations can be made online and are allotted a 90-minute seating time.
Virtue does not accept cash, so you’ll need to foot the bill with a debit or credit card or contactless payment method. There is a 3.5% surcharge added to help cover costs of the staff’s health insurance and benefits, and there’s a 20% service fee added for parties with five or more people.
Chef Erick Williams wrote in an April 2 Instagram post the recognition motivates Virtue staff to continue creating meaningful dining experiences.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to see Virtue recognized as one of Food and Wine’s (@foodandwine) Top 15 Restaurants in the United States,” Williams wrote in the post. “This acknowledgment is not just a celebration of our Southern cooking and hospitality but also a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication of our entire team.”
Virtue staff were not immediately available for comment on the Food & Wine ranking.
How did the top 15 restaurants in the nation compare?
Here’s the full list of the top 15 U.S. restaurants, from Food & Wine:
Burdell in Oakland, Calif.
Canlis in Seattle
The Musket Room in New York City
Lowland in Charleston, S.C.
Emeril’s in New Orleans
Mr. Tuna in Portland, Maine
Yangban in Los Angeles
My Loup in Philadelphia
Myriel in Saint Paul, Minn.
Stissing House in Pine Plains, N.Y.
Nancy’s Hustle in Houston
Penny in New York City
Sunny’s in Miami
Virtue in Chicago
Oyster Oyster in Washington, D.C.
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