Phil Vettel has been the Chicago Tribune's restaurant critic since 1989. Video versions of Phil's reviews (without revealing his face, of course) can be seen weekly on WGN-Ch. 9 and CLTV. And he's a regular contributor to the Tribune blog The Stew (chicagotribune.com/stew).

Phil was born in the Bronx, NY, went to high school in Florida and graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1979 with a BA in Journalism. His career began at the Tribune-owned Suburban Trib in 1979, and he was promoted to the Chicago Tribune, working in the Tempo section, in 1981.

His wife, Paula, frequently joins him on his restaurant visits, and his sons, Ed and Chris, usually have better things to do.

Benny's Chop House all about the beef 1/1/0001
Business clients, tourists mix in River North restaurant Benny's Chop House

Deconstructing the menu 6/16/2011
Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

No need to fish for compliments 1/1/0001
Giuseppe Tentori displays his nautical chops at his latest hit Eventually, the restaurant team of Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz will open a restaurant that fails to live up to expectations. Mostly because expectations for this everything-touched-turns-golden duo keep rising.

Air and water show 1/1/0001
When dining outdoors in Chicago, the best spots are up on the roof or down by the shore If you want to see where Chicago's al fresco action is this summer, look up. And down.

Easy dining options for fans of hardcovers 1/1/0001
When you need a Lit Fest lunch break, check these spots for a handy refueling Man does not feed by books alone. I think I read that somewhere.