Ask a native to recommend a restaurant that offers no-nonsense fare, and Carrie Nahabedian's restaurant is usually first or second on the list. After years in California, Nahabedian returned to her native Chicago and crafted a cuisine that blends California sensibilities with the cooking of her Armenian heritage. The result is a menu featuring dishes like lightly fried Lake Ontario smelts with lemon and pimenton or roast squab with foie gras and a crisp potato cake scented with Armenian rose petal marmalade. Along with "clean-tasting food made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients," our reviewers enjoyed a "nice, comfortable atmosphere" and "a well-thought-out wine list."