Steps from Wabash and Michigan Avenues, near the water taxi and architectural boat tour embarkation stops on the Chicago River, sits Nic + Junior’s restaurant, which opened a year ago as a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best New Restaurant 2026. When you see the blue-lit River Plaza 405 sign on Wabash, follow the circular walkway around to the back to find the somewhat hidden entrance.
But once you find Nic + Junior’s, it’s nice to know that, while still downtown, it’s off the main drag so less frenetic and touristy, mostly drawing a local crowd from area high-rises like Marina Towers. The space is intimate with luxurious booths and wide windows overlooking outside seating for excellent city-watching. Even the fish-like raku pottery pieces on the wall near the bathroom, and the lush salmon-colored restroom doors, convey a playful, artsy feel. The playlist when I visited was a funky mix of Fleetwood Mac, Jamiroquai, and Talking Heads (go see David Byrne’s play Theater of the Mind nearby on LaSalle before it closes on August 30).
The food menu is inspired by Brazilian flavors (where Chef Junior Borges is from) carried via seasonal Midwestern ingredients and delivered on small, delicate porcelain plates shaped like shells and flowers. Skewer selections include spinalis, hearty bites of prime ribeye under piquant chimichurri sauce. Small plates include a chestnut mushroom item (the fungus type, not the nut), featuring varied complementary textures and rich umami flavor from black truffle and catupiry, a creamy, mild cheese with toasted focaccia. (Many mushrooms for Chicago restaurants are now grown vertically in downtown office buildings by Four Star Mushrooms.)
The Osetra caviar tater tot takes two days to make, since the potatoes are peeled and rested before being garnished with catupiry and chives. The signature pão de queijo warm cheese bread balls, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, were Chef Junior’s childhood favorite, and come with creamy butter and tangy goiabada (conserve of red guavas and sugar) for dipping (allow 20 minutes for preparation as each is made fresh to order).
Large plate options include two pastas (vodka rigatoni, lobster ravioli), three meats (prime ribeye, 7-ounce filet mignon, applewood bacon cheeseburger), one fish (striped bass in broth with plantain, inspired by Chef’s grandmother), and a balanced and flavorful Piri Piri chicken, consisting of marinated thighs, malagueta relish (hot pepper sauce), and crispy, substantial yuca fries great for dipping in the layered jus.
Insightful sommelier and generous general manager Charlotte Marshall has gathered a lovely selection of sips for the season, including a delightful 2023 Spanish Raventos Blanc “di nit” rosé (I swear that sparkling wines are basically summer sodas). The 2023 Cristom Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley is light enough for a warm day but rich enough to complement the earthy mushroom dish. Aperitifs like the Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria from Sicily offer warm elderflower and marzipan notes to complement luxe desserts like the Brigadeiros Brazilian chocolate truffle (and add a scoop of the luscious raspberry sorbet).
Nic + Junior’s is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 4 to 9pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 4 to 10pm; and is closed Sundays and Mondays. Happy Hour is Tuesday through Saturday, 4 to 6pm, and includes some cocktails, wines, small snacks, and a few larger plates. Every Wednesday, half-priced wine bottles are curated by sommelier and general manager Charlotte Marshall. (Another bonus: You can’t see the monstrous Tr*mp hotel from the restaurant, but you can flip the bird at it on your way home.)
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