mfk

Aiming to replicate what one can feast upon in seaside eateries along the coast on Spain, mfk fills a void in the vast restaurant universe that is Chicago. The consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning restaurant serves bold, Spanish-influenced seafood that sings with soul: Suzuki crudo with a squid ink tostada and guacamole; crunchy prawn heads that you'll soon covet again; and Cantabrian salt-cured anchovies with butter and lemon zest asking to be placed on bread and torpedoed into your mouth. There are grilled shrimp and a hearty dish filled with shellfish and toasted capellini noodles all perfumed with Spain's favorite spice, saffron. There's one dessert - buttery Basque cake filled with pastry cream and adorned with almond crumble. Be sure to save room. Executive Chef Alisha Elenz received the award for Jean Banchet's Rising Star Chef for 2019, too.