Vera Restaurant | West Loop, Chicago

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"When you only have three cooks, you gravitate toward ideas that are really simple and good. "

So says Mark Mendez about the menu at Vera, the Spanish-inspired restaurant he and his wife, Liz, opened in 2011 on a quiet corner in the West Loop.

His description is both apt and a humble understatement. Dishes like trout escabeche ($12) with pickled vegetables and green romesco–a picada-like purée of parsley, bread and almonds–are simple and good. But they're also intensely satisfying and gently creative. That is to say: exactly what one hopes for in an eat-there-weekly neighborhood spot.

Fried Brussels sprouts, Vera-style (Photo: Kailley Lindman)

Mendez makes Spanish food with caveats. His Brussels sprouts with anchovy vinaigrette ($7), for example: "I ripped off David Chang," he happily admits, referring to the Momofuku chef's roasted sprouts with fish sauce vinaigrette. Mendez deep-fries the brassica, referencing Spain with a dressing of anchovies and sherry vinegar. Similar liberties are taken with disks of spiced blood sausage ($10), a current Tuesday night special, served with arugula and a fried egg.

What to drink? It would be a shame not to mine the restaurant's sherry list, which has no Chicago rival. Start with a glass of fino or manzanilla to accompany olives and cured meats, then finish the night with salted caramel pudding, marcona almonds and a glass of amontillado–or forgo dessert and sip dark, raisin-y Pedro Ximenez instead.

More West Loop gems: Maude's Liquor Bar, Avec, Sepia and Macello