Katakana Sushi Bar, Chicago

Executive chef Abdon Calderon adds an international spin to Japanese fare, invading traditional maki with ingredients such as plantains, coconut, and chocolate. Lunch and dinner crowds sample Japanese tempura, bento boxes, and sashimi, arriving with their own adult beverages in tow. The 4,000-square-foot space hosts guests in a main loft-style dining room among the vivid red walls of a lounge furnished with white booths, or on a small patio by the flickering glow of tiki torches, sure to soften facial features or snarling werewolf-face masks.