Two Red-Hot Chicago Spots Crack GQ's 'Best New Restaurants in America' List!

Next's dining room (Photo: Next); diners wait anxiously outside Ruxbin (Photo: Ruxbin).

Take that, New York!

GQ just released the annual Ten Best New Restaurants in America list, and two awesome Chicago spots made the cut. No other city got those honors. Yeah!

Ukrainian Village's sensational BYOB Ruxbin simply got the nod at #9 because "The thirty-two-seat room feels as if it's been carefully assembled over a lifetime," writes editor Mike Benoist.

He continues: "The menus are hand-embossed each day. And the food, like the rest of the place, is labored over. Time and energy take the place of overused, overpriced ingredients. Squid stuffed with sausage gets depth and heat from a chile paste imported from a farm in Tennessee. Cream of Wheat, enriched and amplified by lamb drippings and brown butter, is maybe the best thing I ate all year."

Wow. It's gonna be even harder to get in that place now!

And writer Michael Paterniti had this to say about Next, which came in at #3:

BBQ Events You'll Drool Over . . .

(Photo: Lillie's Q)

If you're obsessed with BBQ like most people in this town, you'll want to check out these upcoming events:

Get your tix to the first-ever Pitmaster Dinner Series at Barn & Company, where resident pitmaster Gary Wiviott shows off his skills in a number of dishes. Rib Night kicks off the series at 7:30pm Feb. 22 with some of his signature items, including smoked, cumin-scent lamb ribs, "Fred Flintstone" beef ribs and more. Each dish is paired with a bourbon-based cocktail or craft beer. It's $40 per person. Reservations recommended by contacting the restaurant here.

Tiki Theme on Its Way Back?!

I've been pretty bummed ever since Polynesian-themed Trader Vic's shuttered last year, so I was thrilled to find out from Time Out Chicago that the Melman brood has decided to add a tiki-themed component to their upcoming project.

The spawn of Lettuce Entertain You Entertainment Chairman Rich Melman has teamed up with master mixologist Paul McGee (formerly of The Whistler) to open Country & Western-themed Bub City (a once popular Lettuce spot that was on Weed Street). According to TOC, they'll dedicate the lower level to a massive tiki tavern:

"It will be housed in a 4,000-square-foot space that is being built out below Bub City, but unlike SUB 51 and Studio Paris, the lower/upper-level club components to HUB 51 and Paris Club, the as-yet-unnamed tiki bar will be a completely different concept with its own entrance. Also, SUB and Studio Paris 'are nightclubs,' (partner) RJ Melman says. '(Bub City and the tiki bar) are not nightclubs.'"

The project's slated to open later this summer, but if you need a tiki fix now, man, do I have the party for you:

5 Chicagoans Up For F&W 'Best New Pastry Chef'

So this is pretty cool.

For the first time ever, Food & Wine is searching for the Best New Pastry Chef in the country.

The best part about it is that the readers get to choose from an awesome list of contenders, including five fabulous Chicago chefs in the Central Region competition:

Time For Last-Minute Valentine's Day Plans!

No pressure at all, but do you realize that Valentine's Day is only several days away?!

To get you in that right frame of mind on where to dine, I stopped by The G-Spot Radio Show to offer my Top 5 picks for most romantic restaurants in the city.

I also brought along some lovey dovey treats, including heart-shaped pizzas from Giordano's and loads of stuff from Magnolia Bakery. We were pretty big fans of the heart-shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!

Get Gourmet Mac 'n' Cheese at the Auto Show

The Nissan-wrapped Southern Mac 'n' Cheese Truck set to appear at the Chicago Auto Show. (Photo via www.nissannvchicago.com)

I finally got a few more details on the First-Ever Food Truck Meet-Up at the Chicago Auto Show, happening 6-7:30pm Feb. 16 in McCormick Place Lot B. Apparently the Slide Ride, the woman-owned mobile truck serving miniature sandwiches and burgers, is participating.

And even more exciting news is that Nissan has teamed up with The Southern Mac & Cheese Truck to bring food to those inside of the show:

Here Comes Another Steakhouse Chain

The old Esquire Theater on Oak Street has been vacant for far too long, so it's good to know that something's finally going to occupy that massive space.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, which also operates Sullivan's Steakhouse, is set to open there in December.

Adam Seger On His Way to the Oscars?!

Adam Seger's Red Carpet Fizz cocktail. (Photo: Tuan Bui)

It's no secret that master mixologist Adam Seger rubs elbows with the likes of Oprah, as he was commissioned to create signature cocktails for her celebrity-studded wrap party last year. So this latest news shouldn't come as a surprise.

This time around, he just might be on his way to the Academy Awards—with your help. Viola Davis, Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt are all stumping for votes to snag Oscars, and Seger's politicking for his cocktail to be named the signature drink of the legendary Governor's Ball.

"My Red Carpet Fizz cocktail has been submitted for The Governor's Ball, and will be considered based on taste and presentation (which I am very proud of) and social media buzz," Seger tells 312DD.

The cocktail is simply beautiful, featuring Moët Imperial, HUM Botanical Spirit and a single rose petal. It would also serve as an ideal Valentine's Day drink, and Seger has generously provided the recipe below: