Ceres' Table, Chicago

Chef [Giuseppe Scutaro](http://www.cerestable.com/PAGES/about.html) was born on the island of Sicily: a biographical detail he shares with the Roman goddess of the harvest, Ceres. Scutaro has a few other traits in common with Ceres, such as an affinity for local produce and a mastery of simple Italian cuisine. Chicago's Uptown neighborhood is a long way from Sicily, but Ceres' Table almost feels like a reclusive island amid the city's bustling streets and concrete buildings. At the quiet restaurant he co-owns with his wife Carolyn, Scutaro creates Sicilian cuisine using sustainable ingredients and a bit of the flair he honed during his previous stints at BOKA and Topaz Café. His unpretentious flat-iron steaks and pillow-soft gnocchi have earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand award as well as the [attention](http://www.cerestable.com/PAGES/press.html#) of publications such as _Time Out Chicago_, whose David Tamarkin praised as "uncomplicated, but highly flavorful." Tamarkin also noted the familial sense that pervades the restaurant: Carolyn handles the coat check and the chef has been known to serve plates to tables himself.