Their chocolate Italian ice and limencello gelato are really unbelievable. But really, they do everything well: lemon chicken, chicken marsala, fried pork tenderloin. Read more.
This small, unassuming Humboldt Park taqueria makes the perfect grab-and-go meal: chorizo, scrambled eggs and a well-balanced salsa. Read more.
This charming Colombian spot serves terrific meat at affordable prices. Charred just short of burnt, the chicken is tear-off-the-bone tender, and comes with an awesome chimichurri. Read more.
Made in the Northern Thai style, this addictive cold-weather stew comes brimming with tender chunks of braised pork shoulder, julienned ginger and a fistful of chopped cilantro. Read more.
I love the pierogi at Podhalanka in Wicker Park. The place looks and feels like a VFW hall and the service can be spotty, but the pierogi are the closest thing to my grandma's in the city. Read more.
This is another terrific mash-up of Korean and Latin American street food: savory and fresh, with a myriad of textures and flavors. It’s affordable to boot. Read more.
This is an awesome dish on a cold day. Santouka, located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace, is in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights, but it's worth the drive! Read more.
The cheeseburger at Edzo's is simple, easy, and delicious. They serve crispy, thin patties using meat from local farmers Read more.
The barbecue wings at Crisp are super crispy and juicy. They coat the wings in Korean fermented chili paste. Read more.
Their food is very fresh and they offer a lot of vegetables and variations for your sandwich. I get it spicy with tomato, tabuli, Jerusalem salad, tahini, hummus, and sambal. Read more.
I'm a little old-school on this one, but I love the Blockbuster with hot and sweet peppers and well-made deli meat. Add a Royal Crown Cola to wash it down. It’s a family business through and through. Read more.
They snap! Natural casings! Bill is the best. This is a true Chicago staple. Read more.
The meat is tender, juicy, and perfectly spiced. The warm homemade pita is a great complement to the creamy hummus, too! I like to get mine with extra falafel. Read more.
This roast duck curry rocks. The salty richness is offset by sweet pineapple and a bracing heat from the Thai chili. A side of sticky rice is essential to soften the delicious impact. Read more.
So simple and so unbelievably good. The meat is flavorful and juicy, the skin is crisp, and the rice is the perfect vehicle to soak up the delicious juices. Read more.
Even with my background (fine dining, BBQ, and Southern cuisines), Mexican food has my heart. My favorite Mexican dish is this deep-fried burrito from Tony’s. Read more.
Bari serves awesome old-school Italian subs, sourcing their bread from the bakery next door. The subs are giant and inexpensive. I love the Italian sub, but occasionally I just need the meatball. Read more.
A big bowl of Tank’s phở is delicious, but the catfish really gets my taste buds going. If I’m feeling really gluttonous, I’ll get the catfish and pork simmered in a clay pot. Read more.
This juicy roast chicken has lots of heat and is always perfectly seasoned. It is harbored safely in brick oven-baked garlic naan. It’s like finding a treasure. Read more.
It's my favorite beef in the city. I get hot peppers and ask for it wet. They also have Filbert's sodas, so I get two of the grape flavor, which pairs nicely with the sandwich. Read more.
This little spot may be located right around the corner from the Gaztrowagon storefront, but it’s small-town Mexico dining at its finest. I eat it with the green salsa. Read more.
At this old-school dinner in the heart of the West Loop, the patty melt literally melts in your mouth. Tip: Make sure you order a side of pickles. Read more.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken's sides are phenomenal. Their chicken is juicy and crispy, and the honey butter adds a surprising layer of sweetness. Read more.
This is the best bánh mì in Chicago. House-baked bread, pâté, ham, pork roll... delicious. Read more.
The quintessential example of a Chicago hot dog served at a Chicago classic. No. Ketchup. Ever. Read more.
Huge and delicious, this doughnut melts in your mouth. Only a hot, fresh coffee will slake my thirst after that. Read more.
Naem Khao Tod at Rainbow Thai is the most exciting thing I’ve eaten in a long time. You have to ask for it by name as it’s not on the menu. Read more.
This taco spot is run by a guy who used to work at Frontera Grill. They do a few tortas and burritos, but their tacos are super solid. The fish tacos are easily the best in town. Read more.
What I love about Al’s Italian Beef (and you have to get it wet) is that it’s a big soggy mess that requires a minimal amount of chewing. Read more.
This was my favorite food while I was at Kendall College (and on days when I ditched class!). In my opinion, it's the best barbecue around Chicago. Read more.
I think this is the best phở in the city. It's my go-to when I'm feeling under the weather or slightly hungover! Read more.
All the tacos are amazing but I can't get the chorizo, made in-house, outta my head. Read more.
With thousand island dressing and sauerkraut on a pumpernickel bun, this sandwich is so spot-on that you almost actually think that there's corned beef on it, instead of fried chicken. Read more.
This is a sloppy mess of a sandwich, but it’s so good. When you take fried plantains and sandwich them around pork and garlic mayo, what could be bad? Read more.
I crave this flavor-packed lunch: crispy French bread, perfectly seasoned pork, daiko, cilantro, carrots, and serrano chilies. Read more.
It's been 15 years and it’s always the same: juicy duck with tender, wide, fresh noodles. Pair it with Chinese broccoli, oyster sauce, and barbecue pork, and you’ll eat like a king for $15. Read more.
