A wildly delicious Mexican seafood spot masquerading as a beachside hang.

The moment we knew we loved it: A bite of the hibiscus-and-beet-cured scallop aguachile that simultaneously made us sweat and cry pineapple brothy tears of joy.

A perfect order for impressing the hard-to-impress: The scallop aguachile, any of the tacos, an octopus Sonoran dog, a huitlacoche quesadilla, and at least one blue corn macaron.

We’d happily wait outside during winter just for this broth.

The moment we knew we loved it: Realizing the 90-minute wait was worth it after slurping the housemade noodles and light chicken broth.

A perfect order for a solo dinner: Get the umami-packed akahoshi miso, and a jammy egg to pair with the wok hei flavor.

Go if you like: Noodle soups, finding out if anything good can come from Reddit.

Valhalla’s playful $198 tasting menu is unlike anything else in the city.

The moment we knew we loved it: Tasting the scotch egg and lamb rib fusion, accompanied by a story from the chef about his Scottish heritage.

A perfect order for two: One tasting menu apiece. You’ll be given a letter opener to crack the wax-sealed menu. Then it’s on you to guess which random course is coming next.

With its casual swagger, Cariño is a refreshing change-up from stuffier spots that also love tweezers and edible flowers.

The moment we knew we loved it: Knocking back the michelada oyster, which perfectly captures the taste of a clamato-infused, Tajín-rimmed Modelo.

A perfect order for date night: Two tasting menus and a couple of cocktails at the chef’s counter.

Go if you like... Wagyu and making small talk with chefs.

A Ukrainian spot straight out of Wonderland, with a trippy dining room and the city's best halushki.

The moment we knew we loved it: When a sparkling zakusky cart pulled up to the table, carrying salmon roe tarts that taste like bagels with lox.

A perfect order for a group dinner under pink lights: Start with a shot of cherry brandy and a few small bites from the cart. Then go bigger with the holubtsi and black truffle pasta, and close with the Napoleon for dessert.

Santa Masa’s tamales make even lifelong Midwesterners excited about corn again.

The moment we knew we loved it: When the pollo con salsa roja tamal made us grin exactly like the cartoon tamale on the wall.

A perfect order for a solo tamale adventure: A couple of savory tamales, a tamal de fresa for dessert, and a cafe de olla for a pick-me-up.

Go if you like... Eating at a kitchen counter, not spending more than your streaming subscriptions, gluten-free dishes.

Eat clay pot rice alongside french onion dip while listening to "Smooth Operator" on vinyl in a chic warehouse.

The moment we knew we loved it: When a plate of Japanese sweet potato masquerading as crème brûlée hit the table.

A perfect order for a book club's big night out: Brussels sprouts on toast, prosciutto and gnocco fritto, griddle bread with french onion dip, Japanese sweet potato, clay pot rice, one of the pastas, two desserts (any will do), and multiple martinis.

After moving from one edge of Rogers Park to another, Khmai 2.0 is back with even better Cambodian food.

The moment we knew we loved it: They brought back the sach ko ja kak (our favorite beef skewers from 2022) and we still want to declare our love from the top of a mountain.

A perfect order for a dinner with parents: Start with sach ko ja kak and plear trei, follow up with any of the prahok dips that comes with sliced raw fruits and vegetables, order the kaw ko as a main.

With fantastic pasta, a view of the river, and a glitzy interior, Tre Dita should be your first choice for a big night out involving pasta.

The moment we knew we loved it: Our first forkful of saucy cacio e pepe—shirts were stained, but we didn’t care.

A perfect order for an anniversary dinner: Kick things off with a round of cocktails, schiacciata, and gamberi in salsa verde. Forgo the entrees and load up on cacio e pepe and pappardelle con ragù d'anatra.

The team behind The Coach House and Lilac Tiger have another hit. This one also involves Indian flavors but with Mexican influences.

The moment we knew we loved it: When our delicate two-bite scallop tacos were accompanied by Daddy Yankee blasting at 5:30pm on a Wednesday.

A perfect order for date night: Start with small plates like the crispy scallop tacos, then pile on the crab chaat, quesadillas, and one of the larger dishes—this leaves just enough room for the tres leches.