Moderno

Normally when a menu has both sashimi and pizza on it, it's grounds to start running, but at Chef John Des Rosiers Moderno you'll want to do quite the opposite. Moderno is his third restaurant in Des Rosiers suburban culinary empire (after Inovasi and Wisma) and it's worth the drive - or the train ride, as the Highland Park Metra station is only four blocks away. Everything in the restaurant is obsessively homemade, from the table bread to the pickled sardines. The menu is eclectic, drawing on cuisines from Umbria to Southeast Asia, but the focus on quality ingredients and unique preparations brings together even the most disparate elements. Be sure to try the pizzas - I loved the one made with fresh grilled fennel, forest mushrooms and italian tomatoes.