NoMI Kitchen

Steak tartare with frites at NoMI

Photo: Jeremy Bolen

Ten years ago, when NoMI was on top of its game, it was known as one of Chicago’s most prestigious dining rooms—a place where you would eat caviar on white tablecloths under Dale Chihuly chandeliers while gazing at the Water Tower. When NoMI Kitchen opens this week after a months-long hiatus, almost all of that will be different. The white tablecloths have been scrapped in favor of wood tables; the chandeliers have been moved to the private dining rooms; and, most important, the food has gone from finicky French to simple American fare. Like, really simple American fare. Chef Ryan LaRoche’s menu keeps NoMI’s sushi program in place, but the bulk of the food is listed under a section called “Simply Prepared,” where he puts out Maine lobster, strip steaks and roasted chicken. People will be able to watch him cook it all, as the new NoMI exposes the kitchen to the dining room. (Of course, the view of the Water Tower will still command some attention, too.) Park Hyatt Chicago (800 N Michigan Ave, 312-335-1234).