Restaurants in Skokie

Even in the dead of a Chicago winter, chef Carol Wallack and her crew imbue Sola Restaurant with the warmth of the Hawaiian islands. In the kitchen, Carol relies on locally sourced, sustainable ingredients to craft Hawaiian-inspired fare, balancing sweet and spicy flavors in dishes such as poke, a raw fish salad. Her passion for the Pacific sun and surf continues into the dining room, where a sandy color scheme and soft, lantern-like lighting evoke an evening spent stranded on a deserted island. Each month brings special announcements, such as a celebrated ingredient on which Wallack places special emphasis. The wine and beer lists also continually evolve along with the menu. These efforts have earned Sola Restaurant plentiful press and awards, such as Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence 2010.

The Hidden Shamrock embodies a Dublin pub with traditional Irish dining, friendly service, and live music. The menu is chock full of Irish and American bar eats, and the fully stocked bar houses more than 30 bottled and draft beers. The cozy interior is made up of exposed brick walls, gleaming wood paneling, and a small stage to host live music and interpretive hula-hooping.

As diners cross the outdoor patio of Melanthios Greek Char House and enter the dining room, they are greeted with the rich scent of greek seasoning and the aroma of mesquite charcoal. The restaurant's commitment to authenticity in its Greek entrees is such that the staff grows its own kalamata olives, but the chefs don't limit themselves to traditional dishes. They've also ventured into steak-house territory, serving mesquite-grilled cuts such as the 20-ounce porterhouse and the 8-ounce filet mignon. Regardless of a dish's national origins, the restaurant carries a bottle of wine that pairs with it well.

Around the dining room, diners settle into booths teeming with pillows and cushions, watching chefs prepare their food in an open kitchen. Exposed-brick walls frame a fireplace in the corner, and decorative balconies above the outdoor patio complete the set for couples interested in rehearsing lines from the productions of Romeo and Juliet they're putting on for their cats.

Inside Maza Restaurant, glass urns filled with grains of rice and a variety of herbs remind diners of the diverse array of ingredients used to construct traditional Lebanese dishes, which "make for satisfying dining," according to Chicago magazine. Entrees include kebabs of charbroiled meats—such as lamb, chicken, and beef—and fresh seafood, including red snapper and trout. Chefs also create an ample assortment of vegetarian dishes and sweet desserts. In addition, Maza Restaurant helps hosts feed guests during parties, small get-togethers, and late-night talk shows with their catering services.

Behind the window-mounted neon lights at Division Street Bar & Grill, flickering candles illuminate a full menu of hearty sandwiches, sprightly cocktails, and frosty brews. Named after local streets, choice Angus burgers take the stage wearing costumes such as sautéed mushrooms, cheddar cheese, guacamole, or smoked bacon, with chicken and veggie-burger understudies ready to open the trapdoor at a moment's notice. From the bar, craft suds on tap, bottled brews, and liquorous libations mingle alongside nightly drink and pub-fare specials. Adding a cozy, neighborhood-hangout vibe to the eat-and-drinkery's ambiance, local artwork backdrops Sunday-night games of trivia and weekly rotating live DJs.

International flavors shape the weekly changing menu at Café Bella, which was recently named a Top 40 Chicago restaurant by the Food Network and was one of 44 restaurants endorsed to be showcased on their new website. The spot transitions from daytime café to evening bistro, starting the day with steaming pours of house-blend coffee, café caramelos, and a selection of ciabatta sandwiches, wraps, and pitas.

For dinnertime, chefs may conjure up a mix of Mexican-style cheese steak sandwichs, steaks, seafood, and the spot's popular caribbean jerk chicken breast, accompanied by mashed potatoes with a madeira sauce and an edible steel drum set.

As diners savor preservative-free, all-natural fare, they can admire a spackling of local artwork making exposed-brick walls decent. They can also enjoy their dishes out on the street-side patio during warm months.