The 25 best new restaurants in Chicago – Chicago Tribune

Good morning, Chicago.

As any great chef will tell you, starting from scratch is no easy feat.

When Chicago Tribune food critics Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger began sketching out plans for a new list of the best restaurants in Chicago and the suburbs, it became clear just how many questions the process would pose.

Restaurants have changed so much since the start of the pandemic, that it seemed unfair to judge anyone based on pre-2020 experiences. So, they said, we’ll start from scratch.

While our critics will keep whittling away at the list of best restaurants, both old and new, they realized this cohort of restaurants launched in the pandemic had quickly entered the ranks of the city’s best — so why not celebrate them on their own?

So today they’re revealing the 25 best new restaurants in the city and suburbs. Expect the full list in early 2023, and until then, happy eating.

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Illinois’ overall ranking for hospital safety has again dropped, this time to 28th in the country, with one Chicago hospital earning an F, and more than half a dozen hospitals notching Ds, according to a new report.

About 26.5% of Illinois hospitals earned A grades for safety, according to new ratings from the nonprofit Leapfrog Group, which grades hospitals across the country twice a year. The percentage of hospitals earning A grades in Illinois has been slowly declining in recent years.

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will mount a third White House campaign, launching an early start to the 2024 contest. The announcement comes just a week after an underwhelming midterm showing for Republicans and will force the party to decide whether to embrace a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020 pushed American democracy to the brink.

“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said to an audience of several hundred supporters.

Thanksgiving will be 20% more expensive this year, according to an annual report released by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The average cost for a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 will be $64.05, up from last year’s average of $53.31. Turkey is up 21%, pie crusts are up 26% and sweet potatoes are up 11%.

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Grocery prices on the whole, which have skyrocketed this year, are up nearly 12.5% over the same time in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In a historic win for organized labor, Illinoisans are adding a new amendment to the state constitution that will dedicate a “fundamental right” for workers to unionize and the ability to collectively bargain, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press.

The passage of a constitutional amendment is a rare act and the referendum question was being closely watched by union and business leaders across the nation. The Illinois measure required 60% of those voting on the question to vote “yes” for it to pass or 50% of all ballots cast to vote in favor of the question.

The Big Ten season once again should come down to The Game, a sure sign normalcy has been restored in Middle America. But before No. 3 Michigan takes on No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 26 in Columbus, Ohio, both teams are obligated to play this weekend, with the Wolverines hosting Illinois in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Buckeyes traveling to Maryland.

Barring twin catastrophes, the battle of Big Ten unbeatens should be set and the sport’s greatest rivalry will resume in the Horseshoe, same as it ever was.

Once upon a time, there were seven very large paintings that dominated the wall behind the palette-shaped bar at Riccardo’s Restaurant and Gallery, which was as lively an oasis as this city has ever known. The paintings were first unveiled in 1948, a stunning addition to the restaurant Ric Riccardo (born Richard Novaretti in Italy) opened in 1934 at the corner of Rush and Hubbard Streets.

Now they hang in all their compelling glory as the largest part of an exhibition, “Palette and Palate,” at the Madron Gallery.