These IL Restaurants Make Some Of The Best Dishes In U.S.: NYT

Some of America’s best dishes are on the menus at a two Illinois restaurants, according to a new list from The New York Times.

The Times said its staffers visited 33 states and ate more than 200 meals in search of the best restaurants in the country, and from that chose "The 23 Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025."

Mirra in Chicago — run by chefs Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir— was included in the prestigious list for its Chaas Aquacile dish.

"I’m over the endless riffs on hamachi crudo, or at least that’s what I thought until I had the fine slices of yellowtail at Mirra, soaked in a lime-spiked buttermilk, hot and tangy with a garlic and serrano achar, and tucked under a delicate crunch of nopales, ginger and curry leaves," wrote food critic Tejal Rao. "In a bite, the chefs Rishi Kumar and Zubair Mohajir brought together flavors from India and Mexico for something really fresh and delicious."

• Address: 1954 W Armitage Ave., Chicago
• Phone: 773-729-6214
• Website: mirrachicago.com

The Wok-Fried Crispy Pork Intestines With Dry Chile at Northern Cuisine in Champaign also found a spot on the Times list.

"When it comes to cooking pork intestines, faint-heartedess rarely pays off. (You could say the same about eating them.) This restaurant near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign prepares them fearlessly, blasting them in a fiery wok until they are as dark and crunchy as the first shavings from a lamb gyro that has been turning on a spit for hours," critic Pete Wells wrote. "Each ring of gut is browned so quickly that it’s still tender inside, soft enough to drink in the smoke of dried roasted red chiles. Aside from sliced onions and bright green chiles, there’s not much else to it — this is rustic northern Chinese cooking, made without fuss but with a great deal of skill."

• Address: 404 East Green Street, Champaign
• Phone: 217-607-1299
• Website: instagram.com/northerncuisineusa

See Also:

• These IL Eateries Among Best New Restaurants In America, New List Says
• This IL Bakery Is Among The Best In America: NYT
• Chicago Ranked Among Nation's Top Food Cities