If your idea of Chinese food involves a night in front of the television with a white paper container, it's time to step it up a notch. Start at P.F. Chang's, where the artsy, chic decor will convince you to eschew takeout and hang out for a while. 10-foot-high sculptures of stallions, based on an artifact from the 11th century, stand as sentinels at P.F. Chang's door. Inside the bar is decked out with a 40-foot mural and carved wooden screens, and large windows look out onto the glitz of River North.

The chefs strut their Mandarin-style wok stuff in an exhibition kitchen. The menu focuses on fresh ingredients in contemporary Chinese cuisine; the idea is to balance fan (rice, noodles, grains and dumplings) and t'sai (meat, poultry and seafood) in lightly sauced dishes that are often stirred up tableside before your hungry eyes. Start off with the ever-popular chicken in lettuce wraps, a savory blend of spiced chicken, green onions, water chestnuts, garlic, black mushrooms and rice sticks wrapped in a cool sheath of lettuce. Another tasty option is the warm duck spinach salad, which comes stocked with citrus-soy dressing, mandarin oranges, almonds and shallots. The extensive wine menu is arranged by flavor, so red, white, and blush are listed in order of increasing intensity.

Centerstage Reviewer: Jennifer Berg