Carnivale Chicago

Colorful, loud, and festive, this Nuevo Latino eatery serves up flavorful, spicy food with an extra emphasis on flair and presentation. Start with a tequila drink from their huge cocktail list, and one of their fresh ceviches. The menu is huge, with South American and Latin influences. A solid choice is the herb-crusted Bolivia Lamb Rack, or the Arrachera, a wood-grilled skirt steak, rice and beans, bacon sofrito, sweet red onion, and chimichurri sauce. For dessert, customers rave about the chocolate dome, made with white and dark chocolate mousse, topped with strawberry sorbet and fresh strawberries. The restaurant's open late, so it's fine for groups to linger after their meal.