Abe Conlon and Adrienne Lo have turned Logan Square into a dining destination and introducing many to the island nation of Macau. But there are no borders when it comes to Fat Rice's menu, which dabbles through Southeast Asian, Portugal, and India, serving Chicagoans in a laid-back dining room that takes its food very seriously.

Many were first introduced to Sarah Grueneberg viaTop Chef在西方,但是她家裏循環center of the restaurant where you can see her labor, making hand-crafted pastas at Monteverde. It's a treat watching her hands work through the mirror overhead. It's even more of a treat eating her delicious pastas. She worked at Spiaggia before opening her restaurant.

The wife/husband duo of Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark bring a family approach to Parachute, tapping into Kim's Korean roots in Avondale. Kim, anotherTop Chefalum, and Clark have flipped what Chicagoans think of Korean food, with a constant assault of plates that test every one of your taste buds.

A suburban Chicago native that went to Notre Dame, Erling Wu-Bower learned much from One Off Hospitality founder Paul Kahan. He showcases that experience at Nico in Gold Coast inside the Thompson Hotel. Wu-Bower will soon leave Nico to open a new River North restaurant, the first building block of his new restaurant group, Underscore Hospitality.

裏克•貝裏斯引入美國regional Mexican cuisine, and his River North gem Topolobampo just received a facelift after 28 years. An Outstanding Restaurant win would give Bayless yet another feather in a cap that's already stuffed with accolades.

It might be a tough gig to work in the shadow of the esteemed Grant Achatz, but Jenner Tomaska has quickly made a name for himself. Tomaska, a suburban native, was nominated for the same award last year, and helps create the menus at Next off Fulton Market.

Greg Wade is a Milwaukee native who joined the Boka team when Girl & the Goat opened. He also worked at Taxim, the rustic Greek restaurant in Wicker Park. He now runs the bread program for Publican's parent, One Off Hospitality.

Momotaro is a stunning example of restaurant design in the West Loop. The design takes several Japanese elements—it's a sushi restaurant, after all—but it doesn't feel awkward or forced appropriation. Design has become a focal point for all of Boka's restaurants, and they've employed AvroKO—which has also worked on Boka's Duck Duck Goat and Swift & Sons—to create something special.