Two, Chicago

The menu at TWO is like a love letter to midwestern butchers. It changes often, but always features sophisticated, shareable preparations of rustic meats. Recent offerings include house-cured bacon, grilled lamb ribs with English pea purée, and wedges of roasted bone filled with rich, spreadable marrow. Even the decor is steeped in a midwestern aesthetic, evidenced by a pair of enormous barn doors that gleam over a long dining table. The midwestern vision has, apparently, paid off. In 2014, the Michelin Guide chose TWOas one of its picks for the Chicago Bib Gourmand dining guide.

An Ideology Inspired by Butcher Shops

• TWO's chefs draw on traditional butchering processes to make their own bacon, sausage, and jerky and also craft handmade pasta, cheeses, and sauces.
• If you peek into the kitchen, you may see a chef expertly breaking down a suckling pig or a rack of Berkshire ribs.
• The butcher theme extends to the booze program—try the bacon-infused bloody mary.
• Nose-to-tail delicacies, such as roasted pig face, are sometimes available.