This week's recommendation: Kai Zan

In Chicago, sushi is ubiquitous. You’ll find it in all kinds of places — from upscale omakase spots, seafood restaurants and all-you-can-eat joints to fish stores, at the back of markets, and even inside hotel rooms.

Some places are outstanding. Many are just fine. The place I come back to time and again is one without gimmicks or pretense. It's called Kai Zan, and it's an inviting, classic spot on Chicago Avenue, west of Western Avenue.

I've been dining regularly at Kai Zan since it opened 13 years ago. It's run by twin brothers Melvin and Carlo Vizconde, also known as the "sushi twins." You can always find them behind the counter and watch them roll. I've sent scores of people there, and they, too, have become regulars.

What makes Kai Zan one of my absolute favorites? It's the creativity, quality, sincerity and the culinary journey they offer. The Vizcondes always have an assortment of refined nigiri, maki and sashimi. They offer nightly specials and fan favorites like maguro pearls, oyster shooters and fantastic fish collars. I almost always get their omakase because the chefs change the dishes up, and I never know what's coming next.

Whether you sit in one of their wooden booths or at the sushi counter, you'll enjoy the ride. Sure, there are fancier sushi spots in ritzier neighborhoods, but Kai Zan has stood the test of time, and it has my heart.

Podcast: Business lunch spots to visit in the Loop

Want to impress a colleague or client? Dine downtown. On the latest episode of "The Dining Table" podcast, Manilow taps Peach’s chef Cliff Rome and Shaw’s Executive Partner Bill Nevruz to round up restaurants with cuisines from Thai to French to Italian spanning the city’s center.

In other food news...

Don’t miss: The Oscars of the restaurant world

The James Beard Awards are Monday, and that means star chefs from around the country will descend on Chicago.

The Beards are known as the Oscars of the restaurant world for good reason. The ceremony is a glitzy affair, with all the pomp and circumstance expected when a red carpet gets involved. Restaurateurs bejewel the grandiose rooms of the Lyric Opera in their black-tie attire. Pre-parties, afterparties and celebrations abound.

When I covered the awards last year, the first thing I did upon arriving was walk up to a landing overlooking the Lyric Opera’s entrance to take it in. The crowd glittered.

It’s not just the ceremony that’s exciting. Winning an award — really, just being nominated — carries the potential to transform a restaurant’s business. Last year, Chicago took home one win when Lula Café won for outstanding hospitality. Even at 26 years old, the popular Logan Square restaurant saw a bump in business afterward. 

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