The six restaurants below deserve your attention—and will delight your taste buds. To give you a sense of what to expect, delectable menu items from each eatery are described below. Bear in mind, though, that these restaurants are all about in-season, fresh ingredients, so expect menu changes depending on the time of year.
Meat lovers will be amazed by the juicy offerings at Carnivore. Praised in local media and hailed by foodies, this butcher shop sources all its meat, produce and seafood from responsible local farmers and vendors. For example, most of Carnivore’s meat comes from a local farm in Fairbury, Illinois, a small town about two hours south of Oak Park. Get a buzz from honey grown just north in Wisconsin; while the juicy pickles come from a nonprofit based in River Forest, Illinois, that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Shop visitors can pick up meat and local produce to cook at home, or order freshly cooked sandwiches and entrees. Try the acclaimed bacon burger, the grilled salmon sandwich or the crispy fried chicken sandwich that’s been marinated in hot sauce and buttermilk. Craving something more substantial? Savor a 10-ounce grilled hanger steak or a succulent bone-in pork chop. Don’t miss out on a side of the seasoned fries.
Skilled culinary execution plus local, seasonal ingredients equals excellent meals. That concept is at the heart of fourteensixteen, which pairs local food with craft beer and cocktails in a chic industrial space.
Cut into one of the restaurant’s wood-fired steaks, or try the branzino with lemon, parsley and capers, or the pork tenderloin with ham hock, sweet corn, zucchini and cilantro. The changing seasons guide the menu, which always delivers on bold, Midwest flavors.
The well-curated drinks menu includes wine, several draft beers and cocktails with intriguing names like Witches Nightcap (Cabernet Sauvignon, spiced rum and blood orange) and The Distinguished Gent (bourbon, coffee liqueur and ginger ale).
Interested in al fresco dining? Sit outside on fourteensixteen’s large rooftop terrace. It provides a green oasis, complete with ceiling heaters, in this industrial area.
This brewpub is tricky. Its name suggests that the beer is the main event, but the high-quality food knocks it out the park. As Chicago Tribune food critic Louisa Chu wrote, “This is a restaurant first, brewery second.”
Milk Money gives diners a seasonal, locally sourced menu, where there’s always a new dish to enjoy. Try the excellent Cuban sandwich, with Swiss cheese, hearth-smoked Slagel Family Farm ham, mojo-roasted pork, pickles made in house, and mustard served on a telera roll. Or consider one of the two burgers—both include beef that’s been dry aged for 28 days. The Tribune critic called both burgers “exceptional.”
In the mood for lighter fare? Try the smoked beet salad with ricotta cheese, crème fraiche, smoked pistachios and Asian glaze, or the farmers salad with Werp Farm mixed greens, pecorino Romano, pecans, carrots, apples and lemon vinaigrette.
Just like the food menu, the Milk Money beer menu is also rotating seasonal styles and expressions, so you can always experiment with fresh flavor combinations.
It’s fitting that eco-friendly Prasino dishes up delicious, healthy farm-to-table eats—after all, ‘prasino’ means ‘green’ in Greek. The bright, airy restaurant is committed to serving diners hormone and antibiotic-free meat, organic eggs and produce, and sustainable seafood.In the morning, dig into breakfast and brunch fare like the Santa Monica frittata, with spinach, peppers, tomatoes, onions, avocado and goat cheese, or the fig and prosciutto omelet. Visiting for lunch? Try the Asian chopped salad, which includes an abundance of veggies topped with ginger sesame dressing, crispy wontons, almonds and sesame seeds. If you’re dining from Prasino’s dinner menu, satisfy your appetite with butternut squash ravioli, lamb spaghetti or scallops with leeks, peas, edamame risotto and lemon brown butter sauce—among many other options.
An elegant, two-level space, The Elm is a suburban neighborhood bar that feels like it could be in the city, offering fine dining that’s inventive but still approachable.
Sample scrumptious small plates like the sesame salmon wontons, pear and brie flatbread and ancho braised pork belly tacos. For the main event, try an enjoyable entrée like the Faroe Island salmon with beluga lentils, truffle beet vinaigrette and an heirloom carrot salad. Or dig into the double Australian lamb chops with saffron rice, sweet peas and pomegranate reduction.
Alongside the seasonal, farm-to-table fare, The Elm offers fun activities like stand-up comedy shows, euchre tournaments and live music. Diners can also take advantage of the restaurant’s rooftop terrace and trio of private dining room spaces to celebrate special occasions.
Vie has been showered with praise. For several years in a row, the Gayot restaurant guide named it one of the top 40 restaurants in America. Vie’s chef-owner, Paul Virant, has been recognized by the prestigious, New York-based James Beard Foundation and even competed on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.”
Once you taste the food, you’ll understand the accolades. Ingredients are seasonal and sourced locally from Midwestern growers. There are many gluten-free choices. Plus every food item at Vie is made in house, from bread to charcuterie to pickles. For a decadent experience, visitors can order from a three-course prix fixe menu, which works much like a tasting menu with its thoughtful progression of dishes and perfectly paired wines. Not that hungry? Vie has a la carte items and lighter fare options that are never light on flavor.
Classics include the Vie salad, with Werp Farm greens, shaved radishes, pickled summer beans, garlic and herb vinaigrette and parmesan. The Vie burger is also a hit, featuring beef that’s been dry aged for 21 days, bacon, dill pickles, butterkäse (which translates to “butter cheese” and is popular in Germany) and dijonnaise. Pair your appetizing meal with a cool cocktail like the Get Your Phil (gin, plum liqueur, Campari and root beer bitters) or a crisp glass of wine.
Here's a fun fact: Vie, which opened in 2004, was the first restaurant in the Western Springs suburb to serve liquor since Prohibition.
There’s something about locally produced food that just tastes better. Plus, when you buy local, you’re supporting farmers and people in your community. To bring that farm-to-table approach from the best restaurants around Oak Park to your own home, have a look at our guide to local Oak Park Farmers’ Markets.