Province Restaurant, Chicago

For his [menu](http://chicago.provincerestaurant.com/menus/), Province's Executive Chef [Rand Zweiban](http://chicago.provincerestaurant.com/about/bios/) drew inspirations from old recipes from Central America, South America, and Spain. He then paired these flavors and bite-sized dishes with deeply modern, environmentally friendly sensibilities. For example, his cannelloni showcases a sustainably raised farm-to-table rabbit from Slagel Farms, spiced with saffron and pepper-jack and paired with eggplant. The bass ceviche inundates its farm-raised fish with fresh lime, tomatillos, chiles, and a miniature straw hat. For big plates, Zweiban mixes classic family-style dishes such as paella, rich with mussels, shrimp, and chorizo. Beyond sustainable food practices, the staff built the space itself from recycled, energy-conserving materials, earning the restaurant a Gold Level [LEED Certification](https://new.usgbc.org/leed). 16-foot floor to ceiling windows naturally heat and cool the dining room, the blaze of natural light filtered through regenerated cotton sheers. The eatery’s natural tones carry over to the darkly stained, sustainably harvested cork floor and the white granite bar. Drawing architectural influences form the same countries as Chef Zweiban’s culinary inspirations, designers emulated such Mexican architects as Luis Barragan by adding a powerful pop of color to the space with a hot pink accent on the rear wall.