Virtue

Occupying a corner of Hyde Park within view of the University of Chicago, this is an inviting retreat with a welcoming bar, striking dining room, and buzzy kitchen helmed by the very talented Erick Williams. His well-executed Southern cooking draws a smart crowd, largely from the university nearby.For starters, imagine skillet corn bread with a steak knife for slicing and slathering on the honey butter, while dirty rice topped with chicken gizzards is just what the soul ordered. Don’t miss the butcher’s snack, a selection of house-made charcuterie with pepper jelly. Southerners seek out the Geechie Boy grits with white cheddar for a stone-ground taste of home, but ganache-filled chocolate cake with Bourbon cherries will have dessert fans back in no time.