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In the dining mecca of Chicago, many of the most critically acclaimed spots are beer-friendly neighborhood joints with unassuming décor and straightforward menus. One is The Gage, known for its “refined rusticity” and described as having a “rustic yet refined seasonal menu complemented by an array of fine wines, boutique beers and single-malt whiskeys.” Here, the fanciest dish may be the rabbit pâté starter; fish and chips, chicken noodle soup and roast chicken are the standard bill of fare.

Meanwhile, Feast, which offers “rustic European fare” and is one of the sought-after reservations in Houston, serves cock-a-leekie, pork and beans, dandelions greens and earthy rutabagas and parsnips.

When it comes to pizzeria names, “Pizza Rustica” has become almost as common as “House of Pizza.” Similarly, the multi-unit Italian concept Bravo added to its menu the Insalata Rustica, a salad of crisp romaine, peppery arugula and radicchio with balsamic vinaigrette, fresh pears, dried cherries, spicy pecans and crispy pancetta.

Le Pain Quotidien, an international bakery-café with some 120 units, is taking American cities by storm with its country breads and specials like Rustic Tuna Salad Tartine with tomatoes, black-olive tapenade and roasted red peppers.

We aren’t imagining things when we say that rustic is the new artisanal.

“People have this hunger for a simple way of life that their DNA can connect with, even if they don’t realize that’s what’s happening,” says Jack Moran, vice president of food, beverage and brand for Le Pain Quotidien, a chain that’s been ahead of its time since founder Alain Coumont developed a recipe for “the perfect bread,” using traditional ingredients and methods, back in 1990.

And everything follows the integrity of the bread, from the traditional boulangerie menu, organically sourced, if possible, to the Harvest Porridge with whole-grain farro, cranberries, almond milk, pecans and walnuts to the lentil stew with chicken breast and sausage served on the limited dinner menu. All food is taken on communal tables situated on salvaged-wood floors.

“Rustic, irregular, artisanal, artistic… it’s antithetical to the whole fluorescent-light, sensory-overload quality of modern life,” says Coumont.

And here’s where LPQ hits a recently intensified nerve that’s been twitching since the age of industrial food began in the 1950s, with its bleached flour and shelf-stable ingredients. When Coumont applied stone to whole-grain wheat and recreated a loaf of bread that couldn’t be shipped from Paris to his restaurant in Brussels, he was part of the early movement back to a simpler, less-processed way of preparing food.

This movement is bringing sustenance to many chefs and consumers alike, and it’s revolutionizing American life yet again.

“My cooking style is so different now than it used to be, more playful and new,” says Ben Ford, chef/owner of Ford’s Filling Station in Los Angeles, where he specializes in American classic food with occasional pub and brasserie touches.

Cured meats, house-made charcuterie and artisanal cheeses are on offer, but Ford’s true style shines in entrées like hand-rolled pasta with pulled pork and three-chile-pepper relish, spicy Kobe Beef Cheeks with cracked-wheat risotto and root vegetables and crispy flattened Jidori chicken with roasted-corn succotash, mashed potatoes and lemon-garlic confit.

When he opened the restaurant four years ago, Ford wanted a “restaurant that was economy-proof.” He recounts, “I’ve had to shutter a restaurant once before, and I never want to have to do it again. And it turns out the concept was perfect for now.”

Ford only half-jokingly calls his kitchen a “halfway house for fine-dining,” where cooks come to really learn about food and flavors.

“Lack of passion in the kitchen is the death of great food,” says Ford, “and here I think my staff has a reverence for food, and it feeds the passion, not just the profit margin.”

In his kitchen, chefs learn how to manipulate ingredients for the desired effect, like Ford’s signature steak tartare, which takes a deconstructed approach to the classic: “I garnish it with roasted-garlic-and-shallot confit, which provides silkiness, instead of the traditional egg, and pickled fennel instead of capers.”