The story
Galit Restaurant, a Middle Eastern kitchen at 2429 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, holds one Michelin star (2026). Chef Zachary Engel and co-owner Andrés Clavero cook a seasonal, localized take on dishes from the Middle East in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Zachary Engel is a James Beard Award-winning chef who previously served as chef de cuisine at Shaya in New Orleans. His kitchen career also includes Zahav in Philadelphia, Catit in Tel Aviv, and Michelin-starred Madrona Manor in Sonoma County. Growing up in a Jewish household and visiting Israel often shaped his modern Middle Eastern cooking. The menu changes with the season and leans on local produce.
Dinner is a four-course, choose-your-own-adventure menu, with a rotating wine accompaniment available. Reservations require taking the four-course menu. From Tuesday through Thursday, the communal table serves à la carte, and walk-ins are welcome there. Pastry chef Mary Eder-McClure leads the pastry and bread programs, drawing on countries across the Middle East and on her grandmother's Lebanese cooking.
The beverage program centers on Middle Eastern wines. The Wine Journey pours four bottles that Galit says are not offered by the glass anywhere else, each matched to a course as a tour of discovery. Bar director Scott Stroemer, the 2024 Michelin Guide Chicago Sommelier Award winner, leads the wine and beverage programs here and at sister restaurant Cafe Yaya next door. The wine program also received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Location
Facebook
Instagram