Go With The Flow: The Top 5 Fish Restaurants in Chicago

Seafood- one of the most broad genres of food, yet encompassing all kinds of wonderfulness from fish to shellfish to crustaceans. And let’s face it a night of lobster or king crab is no poor man’s dish. Lobsters are economically important, forming a global industry that nets more than $1 billion annually. That’s music to our ears and tastebuds.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab

An offshoot of Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami, Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab specializes in crab claws that are flown in daily from the Gulf of Mexico. See what’s crackin’ for yourself.

60 East Grand Ave. 312.379.5637. http://www.joes.net/chicago

L2O

The Tatami Room at L2O is an intimate experience where guests are asked to surrender their shoes before dining at the floor-level, sunken wooden tables. Guests enjoy a luxurious, Kaiseki-inspired tasting menu by Chef Laurent Gras which follows a progression exotic seafood in both raw and cooked preparations, followed by sweet and savory dishes and specialty desserts. Presented by a kneeling server, Kaiseki honors Japan’s most revered culinary art where the rarest and finest of seasonal ingredients harmonize in taste, texture, appearance and color.

2300 Lincoln Park West. 773-868-0002. http://www.l2orestaurant.com/

Nick’s Fishmarket

Nick’s Fishmarket is a Chicago culinary landmark famous for serving the freshest seafood, premium dry-aged steaks and finest award-winning wines for over 30 years. Ideally located in the loop for pre-/post-theatere dining or a meal on the fly.

51 South Clark St. 312.621.0200. reallynicerestaurants.com

C-House

Located in the classy Affinia Hotel, the C-bar raw bar starts the meal as Top Chef Master’s winner Marcus Samuelsson gives you good eats and good sights at the rooftop C-view.

166 East Superior. 312.523.0923. http://www.c-houserestaurant.com/

Shaw’s Crab House

Shaw’s serves more than 40 seasonally fresh seafood entrees and prime steak. Seasonal specialties include Fresh Alaskan King Crab Legs, Copper River Salmon, Nantucket Cape Scallops and Florida Black Grouper flown in daily from the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coast.

21 E Hubbard St. 312.527.2722. www.shawscrabhouse.com