This small venue supports the proposition that Chicago is the hottest bed of progressive cooking in the country. Shin Thompson and Luke Creagan's Japanese-inflected menu features creations like smoked pork shoulder with a hominy-coriander tostone and soy sauce flakes and miniature uni grilled cheese with French onion soup "dust." The "super-casual environment" makes it a good choice for diners who are looking for progressive cuisine but don't want to bother with the formalities of a place like Avenues or Alinea. They don't have a liquor license, so you have to BYO, making it the most cost-effective of the city's modern dining experiences.