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3 MINUTES WITH: JEFF MAURO bites As he prepares to host Food Network in Concert at Ravinia on September 20, Sandwich King star and Chicago-born chef Jeff Mauro shares a few current favorites. Fall food: "Butternut squash in every shape and form." Underrated ingredient: "Chicken thighs—the bacon of poultry." Dream sandwich: "House-made, hand-cut pastrami on good rye and just one smear of slightly sweet and spicy deli mustard. That's all I need." Chicago go-to: "Fumare Meats in the French Market [does] a Montreal-style smoked meat so good I can't stand it." Butternut squash is Jeff Mauro's favorite fall food. in the know The back patio at Piccolo Sogno makes Jessie Kalin feel like she's in Italy. We asked four local tastemakers to share their favorite tables. Here are their recommendations for alfresco dining, chic drinks, and more. "I love the skewers and cocktails at Meat in Lakeview," says fashion designer Borris Powell. "I always sit at Table 30, the first table on the left. I feel special when I sit there; in my mind, it's definitely my table." Meat, 3339 N. Halsted St., 773-871-2682; eatatmeat.com "My very favorite restaurant is RL—I spend my life there," says philanthropist Mamie Walton. When she gets the chance, she relishes her salad or turkey burger at Table 68, colloquially known as the "celebrity banquette." RL, 115 E. Chicago Ave., 312-475-1100; rlrestaurant.com Luxury womenswear designer Azeeza Khan favors The Office, the speakeasy beneath The Aviary. She's most likely enjoying oysters at one of the lounge's two Chesterfield couches. "That's the ambience and aesthetic I love," she explains. The Aviary, 955 W. Fulton Market, 312-226-0868; theaviary.com Jessie Kalin, a producer for ABC, loves the outdoor seating at Piccolo Sogno. "You feel like you're in Italy," she says. A table at the back corner of the patio has the perfect vantage point. Piccolo Sogno, 464 N. Halsted St., 312-421-0077; piccolosognorestaurant.com top tables Fig gorgonzola tartlet PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHUTTERSTOCK (SQUASH); RYAN LOWRY (SINGH) MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE arrives on Oak Street. Second Time Around ALPANA SINGH LAUNCHES A NEW EATERY. Alpana Singh doesn't have kids, but as a restaurateur she defi- nitely feels like she's experiencing parenthood. "You'll never fight for anything harder in your life; you'll never love anything harder," says the master sommelier and former wine and spirits director at Lettuce Entertain You, whose first restaurant, Italian-inspired River North destination The Boarding House, opened just under two years ago. The big news this fall? Singh is expecting again, as her second Chicago dining spot, Seven Lions, is set to open in the landmark Peoples Gas Building on Michigan Avenue. Singh promises that the new lunch and din- ner spot will be filled with artistic elements worthy of its historic location. As for the style of food, the restaurateur is coy but promises one thing: "I can tell you for a fact that it will not be Italian." 122 S. Michigan Ave. profile // Taste to Toast // FIG & OLIVE Oa k St reet 's st ylish set ha s a f it - tingly fashionable new place to take a shopping break. In a prime loca- tion alongside chichi boutiques Tom Ford and Lanvin, Fig & Olive boasts a light, airy feel, a third-f loor out- door patio, and rich marble accents throughout. The menu tempts with Mediterranean-inspired fare from chef Pascal Lorange—think whole branzino for two, marinated in Meyer lemon, rosemary, bay leaf, and garlic; thinly sliced braised octopus with heir- loom potato, black olives, and arugula in a pimenton-lemon dressing; and one of chef Lorange's personal favor- ites, the fig gorgonzola tartlet with prosciutto on puff pastry—a salty-sweet sensation worthy of the most sophisti- cated of Gold Coast palates. 104 E. Oak St., 312-445-0060; figandolive.com 110 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM TASTE Spotlight

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