Restaurants in Deerfield

153 Akira's traditional and specialty sushi rolls are crafted with a hint of French flair, which has helped earn the eatery its reputation as one of the best sushi restaurants in the area according to Citysearch readers in 2010. With sushi offerings ranging from sashimi to vegetable rolls and specialty maki, the eatery has selections fit for all types of sushi lovers, even those who just pretend to until they get to a restaurant. Luckily for those diners, the chefs also create traditional Japanese dishes such as beef udon and chicken teriyaki.

The chefs at Jilly’s Cafe meld French and American cooking traditions to create a menu of elegant fusion fare peppered with culinary surprises from around the world. A large specials menu rotates its options frequently, treating diners to plates piled with nourishment that might include duck, rack of lamb, and fresh seafood, and every Sunday, a selection of breakfast items scramble for the right to occupy the brunch menu. To celebrate specific holidays, Jilly's rolls out set menus designed with a theme in mind—guests can ensure a romantic night out by reserving a table on Valentine’s Day or visit on Easter to honor America's mascot, the Easter egg. The eatery’s long-winded wine list allows aficionados to sample new varietals while giving grapes a chance to see what their old friends are up to.

Specializing in thick, Sicilian–style deep-dish pizza, Jet's has indulged palates since 1978, when the eponymous Jetts brothers opened the first joint in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Crusts buckle under the weight of mozzarella cheese and toppings such as grilled chicken and black olives, accompanied by sides such as hot wings, cinnamon sticks, or Jet's Bread topped with cheese, garlic, and butter. Stacks of meat and veggies pile onto piping-hot subs, and a variety of healthy salads helps to avoid the wrath of the Food Pyramid's ancient golems armed with giant wooden tongs.

Though Giuseppe, the cofounder and namesake of Giuseppe’s La Cantina, passed on in 2005, his children still helm the restaurant in his honor. As a result, it’s no coincidence that the restaurant pulsates with a homey ambiance. The 50-year-old eatery has been in the Brunetti family since 1963, boasting menus and recipes passed down from family members in their native Italy. An appetizer of Italian antipasto leads diners to family specialties, such as eggplant giovanna topped with mozzarella and lasagna layered with ricotta and ground beef. Each day the Brunettis’ offerings continue to tempt locals with the family’s rich sauces, succulent meats, and seafood so proud to be on the menu it enters the oven willingly.

At Sushiyaki, chefs roll up creative cuts of sushi, glaze meats with teriyaki, and whip up noodle entrees complemented by Japanese beers, wines, and teas. Red walls, eclectic decorations, and tunes from guest DJs fill the traditional dining area, and Japanese-style private rooms feature low tables and floor cushions. Bento boxes and sushi buffets let visitors plan their own taste-bud excursions, during which the smooth, black sushi bar becomes an airport check-in desk inexplicably staffed by fish-slicing chefs.

Va Pensiero owner Jeff Muldrow has served as executive chef at a number of top-notch Chicago Italian restaurants. Using the best ingredients from local, predominantly organic farms (plus a few indispensably Italian ingredients imported from the motherland), he's assembled a creative menu of sumptuous dishes. Start off with a creamy risotto with roasted pumpkin and meaty, pan-seared scallops ($14) or a bright carpaccio of grass-fed beef tenderloin with sun-dried tomato compote and shaved parmesan ($10). Entrees are varied and impressive, including a variety of textures and flavors in the herbed-crusted sea scallops ($31) and grilled lamb chops with gorgonzola polenta and swiss chard ($28). Wash it all down with a wine pairing from Va Pensiero's rich wine list.