312 Chicago

Luca Corazzina has taken over the reins at this Italian stalwart now that chef Dean Zanella has moved on. While the changes have been minimal on paper, a recent visit yielded an unremarkable dinner, revealing that the real draws now are the cocktails and the desserts. At the bar, expect seasonal fruity concoctions like refreshing cucumber puree in a Tom Collins, and muddled navel oranges that transport a mint julep from the South to southern Italy. Pastry chef Kimberly Schwenke also keeps season in mind by topping crumbly pistachio shortcake with ripe strawberries and a delicious ricotta-stawberry jam gelato and gives a blueberry-coconut crostata a scoop of coconut gelato.