FAVORITE NEW CONCEPT Choose your own adventure at Gideon Sweet.

Powerhouse chefs and longtime friends Matthias Merges and Graham Elliot are dishing out inventive fare—like these littleneck clams on focaccia toast—at Gideon Sweet.

The dream pairing of star chefs Matthias Merges and Graham Elliot in new West Loop resto Gideon Sweet is enough to inspire foodie fantasies, but adjust your expectations accordingly: “There’s no signature dishes coming from Yusho or [a] Graham Elliot restaurant,” says Elliot. “It’s all brand new.” That extends to the service, too, whose naschen style, in addition to traditional ordering, lets guests select adventurous bites (roasted Sonoma squab, anyone?) off trays from servers roaming the artistically outfitted, refurbished warehouse. In an age where consumers are increasingly empowered as curators, it’s an apropos approach. “[It’s] putting a roadmap together and leading them through a process,” says Merges, adding, “[As a guest] I want to feel like I’m part of the experience and what’s happening, and I have the ability to control my own destiny.” 841 W. Randolph St., gideonsweet.com –SO