Virtue Restaurant

"Many of the restaurants on this list were designed to take diners somewhere they’ve never been. Virtue, a multi–James Beard Award-winning restaurant, is about where chef Erick Williams has already been: the American South. Williams gives way to protege Damarr Brown (another Beard winner), and his menu pays homage to his mother, grandmother, and aunts, and the whole tradition of Black cuisine. Which isn’t romance, per se, but it’s love. And delicious too with dishes ranging from warm biscuits and gumbo to blackened catfish with Carolina Gold rice." - Lisa Shames, Samantha Nelson

"Chicago restaurant veteran Erick Williams has finally launched the restaurant he’s been dreaming of opening. Williams is intent on smashing all expectations for Southern food, and hopes to give diners a new perspective on Black cuisine. If customers want lighter fare, there are dishes like cauliflower with cashew dukkah and root cellar vegetables. For richer appetites, the beef short ribs with creamed spinach and crushed potatoes satisfy. Williams won the James Beard Award in 2022 for Best Chef: Great Lakes. One of Eater’s Best New Restaurants in 2019, Virtue has claimed its place as an iconic Chicago eatery. As Williams takes a step back to manage other restaurants, he’s trusted Virtue to protege Damarr Brown. All Brown did in 2023 was win the James Beard Award for emerging chef." - Ashok Selvam

"Chef Erick Williams had the idea for Virtue in his head for a long time. He is finally able to execute in Hyde Park, bringing a multicultural approach to Southern food to the South Side. Virtue and its team have racked up numerous awards since its 2019 debut, including Eater Chicago’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year. In 2022, Williams became the first Black chef to take home the James Beard Foundation’s best chef: Great Lakes award, and his protégée Damarr Brown won the foundation’s emerging chef award a year later." - Eater Staff, Ashok Selvam

"Virtue, James Beard Award winner Erick Williams’s Southern restaurant in Hyde Park offers spirit-free imbibing options. The Hummingbird is flavored with basil and lemon, while Sorrel Fizz calls for hibiscus, rosemary, vanilla, and sparkling water." - Nylah Iqbal Muhammad, Eater Staff

"A Southern restaurant offering a menu of Southern-inspired dishes." - MICHELIN Guide