The Dining Table

James Beard Award-winning and Michelin-starred chef Tony Mantuano brought Italian fine dining to Chicago for decades via the legendary Spiaggia, which closed in 2021. Mantuano then opened Nashville’s Yolan, which was ranked as Food & Wine’s top restaurant in the country for its inaugural reader’s choice awards in 2023. In this episode, host David Manilow talks with Mantuano about his new vision fo...

Host David Manilow has been eating his way around town via sandwich shops, chicken places and taco joints. He’s also gone upscale at the Alston, a new French steakhouse in the Gold Coast. In this episode, Manilow catches up with two of the Alston partners, chef Jenner Tomaska and Scott Weiner of The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group. Hear why this isn’t your typical Chicago chophouse. Tomaska, the chef be...

The food scene in Bridgeport has experienced a significant evolution in recent years. Chef Won Kim, who is changing the perception of Asian cuisine with his Korean-Polish fusion restaurant Kimski, has much to say about the neighborhood’s changing tastes. In this episode, host David Manilow talks to Kim about his chaotic journey as a chef, artist and DJ. Plus, we’ll celebrate Chicago’s James Beard...

Looking for the right spot for a memorable lunch meeting? In this episode, host David Manilow gives his recommendations for business-friendly lunches in the heart of the city. He shares half a dozen spots from the South Loop to River North to the West Loop; there’s a Thai spot, a Greek place, a French eatery, a couple Italian restaurants and more. Plus, we’ll hear some restaurant suggestions from...

When host David Manilow can’t go all the way to Italy for a meal, he visits Tortello in Wicker Park. Chef Dario Monni handcrafts his pasta right in a window overlooking Division Street. In this episode, Monni shares his journey from Sardinia to Chicago as a restaurateur, why flour from Italy is his key ingredient and which regional Italian cuisine made “his brain explode.” Hosted by Simplecast, an...

There are a multitude of neighborhood restaurants and taverns all around Chicago. So where do you go for an elevated dining experience — without sacrificing the homey neighborhood vibe? In this edition of “Where Dave Ate,” host David Manilow recommends three creative city neighborhood spots in welcoming settings. Plus, he says Dear Margaret in Lakeview is one of those welcoming places, and co-foun...

On this week's episode, we go from fried chicken sandwiches to what might be the most intimate tasting menu in Chicago. Chef Ethan Lim has created an homage to his Cambodian heritage in a little storefront on West Armitage. Host David Manilow talks to Lim about his long journey to create Hermosa. Plus, hear how his cultural roots fed his culinary dreams. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

Alton Brown, one of the Food Network’s most prolific stars, says the best thing about the 1980s was living in Chicago. As the former host of "Good Eats," Brown has plenty say about the evolution of food television. In this episode, Dining Table host David Manilow digs into Brown’s favorite Chicago places and his dining pet peeves. Plus, you’ll hear about his culinary variety show "Alton Brown Live...

This week we’re on a mission. Host David Manilow wants to learn why some of Chicago’s most decorated chefs are driving to a small town in Michigan to prepare meals served in a barn. In this episode, we’ll get the answer from James Gray, co-founder of Farrand Hall Hospitality. Plus, learn how this star chef series got started on a 12-acre farm in southwest Michigan — and where it goes from here. Ho...

When it comes to authentic Mexican restaurants in Chicago, it’s hard to know where to start — there are about a thousand of them. This is the April edition of “Where Dave Ate” and these are host David Manilow's recommendations. Get ready for a food journey from Little Village to Logan Square to the Dunning neighborhood, with more stops in between. In this episode, learn where to have great chilaqu...

We’ve heard plenty about the development and design of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. But what’s going to be on the menu? In this episode, David Manilow talks with Peach’s chef Cliff Rome, the visionary running food services at the upcoming Obama center. Hear how he plans to honor his native South Side. Plus, hear about Manilow's connection to a younger Barack Obama, then a state s...

There’s a term in sociology known as “third places” — they’re the spots that blend work and leisure. In this episode, host David Manilow talks with David Morton, the founder and CEO of Episcope Hospitality, previously known as DMK Restaurants. Morton has worked to build a multi-layered approach to hospitality that emphasizes human interaction. Plus, hear what it was like to grow up as the son of t...

Four decades equals 10 million oysters: That's just some of the math in the story of Shaw’s Crab House. In this episode, host David Manilow talks with Bill Nevruz, executive partner at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Nevruz has led Shaw's Crab House for 25 years. Learn how Shaw's got its name and why it still feels like a classic to customers and Chicago chefs alike. Plus, hear how legendary re...

It’s time for the March edition of "Where Dave Ate," and host David Manilow takes us on a tour through his recommended Thai food destinations. In this episode, you’ll also hear about the favorite Thai restaurants of Chicago chefs Genie Kwon and Tim Flores of Kasama and Jake Potashnick of Feld. Plus, chef Arun Sampanthavivat describes how Thai cuisine let’s him take diners on a journey. Hosted by S...

From Oak Park to Japan, Mike Satinover, the chef-owner of Logan Square’s Akahoshi Ramen, has had an adventurous awakening to the world of ramen. In this episode, hear how he became known as “Ramen Lord” and why his ramen shop is one of Chicago’s toughest reservations. Host David Manilow explores the meticulous process of noodle-making and what drinks pair best with ramen. Plus, Satinover shares hi...

The partners at Perilla Fare in the West Loop have been busy. They opened Perilla Steakhouse downtown last summer and now have launched a hot new sushi handroll bar — Noriko — in the original spot's basement. In this episode, host David Manilow talks with partners Andy Lim and Thomas Oh about what it means to mix a “moody” vibe with a communal dining experience. Plus, you’ll hear how they bridge t...

There’s something rare about a dining experience with great burgers on an elevated menu — and served in bar setting. Sol Ashbach seems to have figured that out. He started with Little Bad Wolf in Andersonville, then opened Gretel in Logan Square, and has added The Good Wolf next door to the original spot in Andersonville. And next, the fairytale continues with his most ambitious project yet. In th...

It's time for our February edition of "Where Dave Ate" — but this month’s episode is all about where host David Manilow wants to eat. With the help of artificial intelligence, Manilow is creating Chicago's next great restaurant. So what's on the menu, where is it located and what’s the vibe? Manilow’s AI-driven conversation with “Gemini” reveals all that and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

Jason Chan has been a notable and beloved figure in the Chicago restaurant scene for decades. In this episode, Chan describes how becoming a master martial artist has gone hand-in-hand with delivering great hospitality. He likens a restaurant to a dōjō, the place where immersive training occurs. Host David Manilow talks to Chan about being a major player in West Loop dining ahead of its time now a...

There are hot restaurants in trendy neighborhoods that almost everyone seems to know about — and then there are a slew of hidden family-owned spots you’ve probably passed by hundreds of times. How do they make it without a star chef or hot West Loop address? In this episode, host David Manilow talks to the mother-daughter owners of Suda's Lebanese Cuisine in Lincoln Park. They discuss their secret...

As a born and raised Chicagoan, David Manilow likes almost all kinds of Chicago food — but the one thing he never gets here is a bagel. Manilow eats them in New York, but why not Chicago? During this episode, we’re going to answer that question. On the Dining Table this week, hear his conversation with Hannah Tillett-Banaszak and Mike Banaszak of the popular Tilly Bagel Shop in the South Loop on t...

As we kick off the new year, host David Manilow looks forward to some of the exciting new restaurant openings. We welcome Crain’s reporters Ally Marotti and Jack Grieve to "The Table" to hear what'll be trending on the dining scene in 2025 and break down the impact as the local tipped minimum wage begins to be phased out. We'll also predict what’s ahead on season 4 of FX’s “The Bear” when it premi...

Host David Manilow offers up a list of restaurants this week where you might consider celebrating during the holidays, based on the recommendations of acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs who've been featured in the past. Hear about a great group of steakhouses, new restaurants and Michelin-star winners that stretch from the West Loop to Lincoln Park and Bucktown to River North. Hosted by Simplecast,...

As the year comes to a close, host David Manilow is sharing three of his favorite new spots. He’ll take us from the Near West Side to Lincoln Park to Pilsen. One restaurant is an ode to the melting pot that is Chicago, while another is the rare example of a coffee shop worth visiting for the food alone. Plus, the Michelin stars are out. We’ll share the good news and the bad news for Chicago. Hoste...

It's time for the December edition of "Where Dave Ate." This month, host David Manilow travels around Chicago to experience the art of Filipino cooking. The food is sweet and savory and, because the Philippines include thousands of islands, every region makes it differently. In this episode, we hear from two Filipino brothers who came to Chicago to open Cebu. Plus, we’ll revisit Manilow’s conversa...