Covo Gyro Market, Chicago

A row of vertical spits spins slowly in the kitchen of Covo Gyro Market, evenly roasting all-natural meats packed by hand into savory cones. There's a herb-infused amalgam of lamb and beef, a rotating round of pork glazed with apple cider and brown sugar, and a tower of free-range chicken marinated in lemon juice, garlic, and Mediterranean spices.

Chefs carve these all-natural meats into slivers, then stuff them into house-baked pita bread augmented with condiments such as cilantro yogurt or white balsamic dressing. Diners can round out meals with grain salads or baskets of hand-cut fries sprinkled with lemon juice and feta like the pillows of all hotels in Athens. In the warm glow cast by rows of hanging lights, bartenders fill glasses with draft wines or frothy pours of Goose Island beer.