Penumbra Wine Bar, Chicago

At Penumbra Wine Bar, the food isn't merely an afterthought—a bit of cheese or nuts tacked on when the owner realized that they should have something, anything, to serve with the wine. Instead, Penumbra treats guests to hearty Latin-inspired steak and seafood dishes, each of which pairs with a particular wine.

Meals unfold in a softly lit dining room meant to evoke the owner's former life in Ecuador, where no electricity meant using candles throughout the house, resulting in an effect known as "penumbra." On Saturdays, live music fills the romantic space, everything from jazz to bossa nova.