Chicago : Tru closing after 18 years

Tru, the Streeterville restaurant that helped define upscale dining in Chicago, is closing after nearly two decades. Its last dinner service will take place Oct. 7, according to an emailed statement from owner Lettuce Entertain You.

Tru debuted in 1999 under star chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand, with financial backing from Lettuce chief Rich Melman. It earned a Michelin star in 2011, the first year the Chicago guidebook was published, and was bumped up to two stars in this year's edition. For the past nine years, Tru has been helmed by Executive Chef Anthony Martin.

Lettuce, which has grown to become the country's largest independent chain with nearly 130 restaurants, continues to debut stylish concepts—most recently Sushi-San in River North and a third Beatrix location in the West Loop. But Melman and company seem to be braking on its fine dining. In July, Lettuce announced that Intro, its high-end, rotating-chef restaurant in Lincoln Park, was also permanently closing.

Lettuce reps did not respond to requests for more details. In a statement, the company said it would "reconcept" the Tru space at 676 N. St. Clair.

Best restaurants in the world

Best restaurants in the world according to the British magazine Restaurant:

1. Noma - Copenhagen, Denmark
2. El Celler de Can Roca - Girona, Spain
3. Osteria Francescana - Modena, Italy
4. Eleven Madison Park - New York, United States
5. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal - London, United Kingdom
6. Mugaritz - San Sebastian, Spain
7. DOM - Sao Paulo, Brazil
8. Arzak - San Sebastian, Spain
9. Alinea - Chicago, USA
10. The Ledbury - London, United Kingdom
11. Mirazur - Menton, France
12. Vendôme - Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
13. Nahm - Bangkok, Thailand
14. Narisawa - Tokyo, Japan
15. Central - Lima, Peru
16. Steirereck - Vienna, Austria
17. Gaggan - Bangkok,  Thailand
18. Astrid y Gaston - Lima, Peru
19. Fäviken - Järpen, Sweden
20. Pujol - Mexico City, Mexico
21. Le Bernardin - New York, United States
22. Vila Joya - Albufeira, Portugal
23. Frantzén Restaurant - Stockholm, Sweden
24. Amber - Hong Kong
25. L'Arpege - Paris , France
26. Azurmendi - Larrabetzu, Spain
27. The Chateaubriand - Paris, France
28. Aqua - Wolfsburg, Germany
29. De Librije - Zwolle, Netherlands
30. Per Se - New York, United States
31. L'Atelier Saint Germain - Paris, France
32. Attica - Melbourne, Australia
33. Nihonryori Ryugin - Tokyo, Japan
34. Asador Etxebarri - Atxondo, Spain
35. Martin Berasategui - Lasarte-Oria, Spain
36. Maní - Sao Paulo, Brazil
37. Restaurant Andre - Singapore
38. L'Astrance - Paris, France
39. Piazza Duomo - Alba, Italy
40. Daniel - New York, United States
41. Quique Dacosta - Denia, Spain
42. Geranium - Copenhagen, Denmark
43. Schloss Schauenstein - Fürstenau, Switzerland
44. French Laundry - Yountville, United States
45. Hof Van Cleve - Kruishoutem, Belgium
46. ​​The Grille - Rubano, Italy
47. The Fat Duck - Bray, United States
48. The Test Kitchen - Cape Town, Africa, South
49. Coi - San Francisco, United States
50. Waku Ghin - Singapore

Baltimore : Charleston restaurant

Baltimore : Charleston restaurant

Food: 29
Decor: 28
Service: 28
Cost: $99

Cindy Wolf remains "at the top of her game", applying "world-class technique" to "Low Country" cuisine to create "phenomenal" New American masterpieces at her Harbor East "destination", which ranks as "Baltimore's best restaurant" with its No. 1 scores for Food, Decor and Service; "no detail goes unnoticed" by the "superlative" staffers, who "spoil" guests with selections from an "epic" wine list in a "stunningly beautiful" space; just "be prepared" for the multicourse menu's "sticker shock" – for many, it's a "once-every-few-years kind of place."

1000 Lancaster St., Baltimore; 410-332-7373

World's 50 best restaurants of 2012

For the third year in a row, Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been named the best restaurant in the world in 2012 by Restaurant magazine's The World's 50 Best Restaurants. The top North American restaurant went to Per Se, which rated number six.  Other U.S. restaurants included Chicago's Alinea, which was number 7, New York's Eleven Madison Par, which was 10, and Le Bernardin at 19, which is also in New York.

The list, released every year in April, is a selection of 50 of the world's best restaurants chosen by over 800 international restaurant industry experts throughout the course of the year.

The deciding "the best" can be a risky game, knowing that "best" relates to an individual's personal preference. And the magazine is fully aware of how personal taste plays into the selections, in fact, they encourage the judges' personal preference to influence their picks.

There is absolutely no criteria that a restaurant has to meet to make the list. They do not need to have been open a certain number of years and they do not need to have won any other culinary accolades. Restaurants cannot apply to be on the list, and they cannot be nominated. There can be no sponsorship or outside influences on the list.

The free-for-all style of balloting means that every restaurant in the world is eligible to win. As long as the restaurant has an operating kitchen, it's anyone's game. 

Here is this year's list of the 50 best restaurants in the world:

• Noma: Copenhagen, Denmark
• El Celler De Can Roca: Gerona, Spain
• Mugaritz: Errenteria, Spain
• D.O.M.: Sao Paolo, Brazil
• Osteria Francescana: Modena, Italy
• Per Se: New York, New York
• Alinea: Chicago, Illinois
• Arzak: San Sebastian, Spain
• Dinner By Heston Blumenthal: London, England
• Eleven Madison Park: New York, New York
• Steirereck, Austria
• L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon, France
• The Fat Duck, United Kingdom
• The Ledbury, United Kingdom
• Le Chateaubriand, France
• L'Arpege, France
• Pierre Gagnaire, France
• L'Astrance, France
• Le Bernardin, New York, New York
• Frantzén/Lindeberg, Sweden
• Oud Sluis, Netherlands
• Aqua, Germany
• Vendome, Germany
• Mirazur, France
• Daniel, New York
• Iggy's, Singapore: Best Restaurant In Asia
• Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
• Nihonryori RyuGin, Japan
• Quay, Sydney, Australia
• Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland
• Asador Etxebarri, Spain
• Le Calandre, Italy
• De Librije, Netherlands
• Faviken, Sweden
• Astrid Y Gaston, Peru
• Pujol, Mexico
• Momofuku Ssam Bar, New York
• Biko, Mexico
• Waku Ghin, Singapore
• Quique Dacosta, Spain
• Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden
• Hof Van Cleve, Amsterdam
• The French Laundry, California
• Amber, China
• Villa Joya, Portugal
• Il Canto, Italy
• Bras, France
• Manresa, California
• Geranium, Copenhagen
• Nahm, Bangkok

Most expensive restaurants in the United States

Most expensive restaurants in the United States based on average check size:

1. The French Laundry, $957 (Yountville, CA)
2. Per Se, $883 (New York City)
3. Michael Mina, $844 (San Francisco)
4. Alinea, $736 (Chicago)
5. Charlie Trotter's, $666 (Chicago)
6. Melisse, $576 (Los Angeles)
7. Tru, tied, $558 (Chicago)
8. Les Nomades, tied, $558 (Chicago)
9. Daniel, $547  (New York City)
10. Everest, $546 (Chicago)
11. The Inn at Little Washington, $537 (Washington, VA)
12. Robert's Steakhouse, $516  (New York City)
13. Manresa Restaurant, $515 (Los Gatos, CA)
14. Le Bernadin, $506 ( New York City)
15. Moto, $494 (Chicago)

The 10 most expensive prix fixe prices:

1. Le Bernadin, $330 ( New York City)
2. Per Se, $295 (New York City)
3. The French Laundry, $270 (Yountville, CA)
4. Alinea, $210 (Chicago)
5. Benu, $180 (San Francisco)
6. Moto, $175 (Chicago)
7. Del Posto, $175  ( New York City)
8. Baume Restaurant, $168 (Palo Alto, CA)
9. Charlie Trotter's, $160 (Chicago)
10. Coi, $155  (San Francisco)

Bundle ranked the 25 most expensive restaurants in the nation based on average check size. The company looked at credit card transactions from Citi, government data and other third-party information to compile its results.

The World's 50 Best Restaurant Awards

Chicago's Alinea has again been named the top North American restaurant on a list of the world's best, adding yet another accolade to its growing list of awards.

The six-year-old establishment was ranked No. 6 on the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list. The rankings, compiled by U.K.-based Restaurant magazine, were announced Monday at a London ceremony.

Rank	Position	Restaurant	Country	Awards
1	—	Noma	Denmark	The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the World. The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant in Europe
2	Up 2	El Celler De Can Roca	Spain
3	Up 2	Mugaritz	Spain
4	Up 2	Osteria Francescana	Italy	The Chefs' Choice sponsored by Electrolux
5	Down 2	The Fat Duck	England
6	Up 1	Alinea	USA	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In North America
7	Up 11	D.O.M	Brazil	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In South America
8	Up 1	Arzak	Spain
9	Up 2	Le Chateaubriand	France
10	—	Per Se	USA
11	Down 3	Daniel	USA
12	Up 12	Les Creations de Narisawa	Japan	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In Asia
13	Up 3	L'Astrance	France
14	Up 15	L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon	France
15	Up 2	Hof van Cleve	Belgium
16	Down 3	Pierre Gagnaire	France
17	Up 2	Oud Sluis	Netherlands
18	Down 3	Le Bernardin	USA
19	Re-Entry	L'Arpege	France
20	Up 28	Nihonryori RyuGin	Japan	Highest Climber Sponsored by Lavazza
21	Up 1	Vendome	Germany
22	Down 1	Steirereck	Austria
23	Up 7	Schloss Schauenstein	Switzerland
24	Up 26	Eleven Madison Park	USA
25	Up 9	Aqua	Germany
26	Up 1	Quay	Australia	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In Australasia
27	Up 1	Iggy's	Singapore
28	Up 7	Combal Zero	Italy
29	Up 4	Martin Berasategui	Spain
30	Re-Entry	Bras	France
31	Up 15	Biko	Mexico
32	Down 12	Le Calandre	Italy
33	Re-Entry	Cracco	Italy
34	New Entry	The Ledbury	UK	Highest New Entry Sponsored by Silestone
35	Down 12	Chez Dominique	Finland
36	Down 5	Le Quartier Francais	South Africa	The Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In The Middle East and Africa
37	New Entry	Amber	China
38	Down 2	Dal Pescatore	Italy
39	Up 1	Il Canto	Italy
40	Down 14	Momofuku Ssam Bar	USA
41	Up 2	St John	UK
42	New Entry	Astrid Y Gaston	Peru
43	Up 6	Hibiscus	UK
44	—	Maison Troisgros	France
45	Down 4	Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee	France
46	Down 9	De Librije	Netherlands
47	Down 33	Restaurant de l'Hotel De Ville	Switzerland
48	New Entry	Varvary	Russia
49	New Entry	Pujol	Mexico
50	Re-Entry	Asador Etxebarri	Spain