While Italian cuisine has defined Julian Barsotti’s other restaurant ventures, Odelay is his first foray into Tex-Mex. It's the cuisine Barsottoi missed most when he lived out of state, and Odelay is an homage to those memorable meals with a focus on high-quality ingredients without compromises. That means wagyu brisket from Rosewood Ranch that makes for killer brisket tacos, or gulf-sourced shrimp in the shrimp tinga. Tex-Mex classics are well represented, and Odelay’s Highland Park location is already popular every night of the week with the locals.

Top Pick: Tenderloin tampiqueña is the beefy, cheesy and peppery smothered plate of your Tex-Mex dreams. Pile the house-made tortillas high as you wish, and the world is your cheese-covered oyster. ($$$)