After years of searching for a brick-and-mortar home, Chef Trevor Teich landed upon this welcoming Bucktown location. Named after his mother, Claudia is über cool and contemporary. Modern art adorns its walls and midnight-blue velvet covers the booths. Tables up front are tightly spaced but ideally situated to face the kitchen, where the synchronized team prepares an intensely creative prix-fixe.
The bento box—featuring the likes of a scallop cracker with preserved egg yolk, squid ink madeleine and a caviar-topped potato beignet—sets the stage for a memorable experience. Tempura-fried snails with black truffle and woodsy pine-flavored meringue is a legacy favorite, while pâté en croûte is flaky, buttery and oh so addictive.