From Grant Achatz's Alinea and Next to Real Kitchen, a take-out restaurant, you can still taste the influence Trotter left on the Chicago dining scene. Trotter's incredible legacy has stretched all across the city, as alumni of his kitchen have opened some of the best restaurants in Chicago. What's taken its place: These 14 restaurants. There were eight-course tasting menus with dishes like roasted Muscovy duck with bitter melon and duck consommé, but no matter what was on the menu, dining at Trotter's was an experience. Helmed by a complicated chef, the restaurant was open for 25 years and, by the time it closed in 2012, had changed the face of Chicago dining. What it was: Charlie Trotter's was one of the most iconic restaurants Chicago has ever had. What's taken its place: Though Logan Square is a trek to sate North Center Cuban cravings, D'Noche, Cafe Con Leche's nighttime alter ego, offers a solid approximation of Café 28's menu and ambience. Staples like ropa vieja, honey-roasted pork chops and ceviche were served alongside finely crafted mojitos by a friendly (and, we'll say it, impossibly attractive) staff weekend brunch featured chilaquiles and a terrific chorizo benedict. What it was: This family-owned spot served well-executed Cuban- and Mexican-inspired fare just off the Irving Park Brown Line stop in Ravenswood for 17 years before closing in 2013. What's taken its place: Still seeking a gastrointestinal lube job at 4am with a side of nostalgia? Tackle the off-menu "Dick Burger"-topped with bacon, egg and hash browns-at Diner Grill, the tiny counter spot in Lakeview. We're far too young to have firsthand experience, but we still dream of sitting on the chrome stools in the pink neon glow every time we watch Risky Business, when Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay enjoy a bite after some slo-mo CTA shagging. What it was: The hungry, horny and high pouring out of Faces, the discotheque with a membership card, could stumble across Rush Street and scarf down greasy burgers at this diner. Luckily, in most cases there are alternatives that fill the void these restaurants left but-sigh-never completely. These restaurants were doing something novel at the time, or they hold some kind of nostalgia for us. But not with these restaurants-these are the places we truly miss, and not always because the food was so great or the atmosphere was so alluring. When most restaurants close, the Chicago eating public just shrugs its collective shoulders and sets its sights on the latest exciting opening in Logan Square.
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