​Nobody just wakes up and says, “I’m gonna make roti today.” Not for the first time, anyway, and not without preparation. So says Dawn Lewis, who over the last four years earned the title of “the Roti Lady” among Trinidadian expats exiting frenetic soca fetes at the South Loop club Bassline, who grew dependent on […]

The post Dawn Lewis of D’s Roti & Trini Cuisine has a sweet hand appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Used to be, if you worked up a hunger bending your elbow at Pippin’s Tavern, you could vanquish it with a dog, a polish, a beef, or a burger from Downtown Dogs next door. Over the 48-year history of this Rush Street Irish dive, its charms never included food prepared with deeper thought, effort, or […]

The post A Viagra Triangle dive rises under chef Amanda Barnes appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Karlo Caceres and his mother, Cecilia Descalzi, threw out the couch in the living room of their tiny two-bedroom Jefferson Park apartment. They replaced it with foldable tables stacked with aluminum trays and plastic carryout containers and bags. This is where they staged the pickup and delivery meals Caceres advertised each week on Facebook under […]

The post Avenida Peru takes it to the street appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A lion’s purr revving to a roar. The sound of a crack racing across the bald face of a mountain. Thunder ripping across the sky. All arresting sounds for sure, but the phenomenon of Roel Estanilla breaking into the crispy, copper skin of a roasted cochinillo lechón could drown them all out.  That sound is […]

The post Roel Estanilla makes a very presentable pig appeared first on Chicago Reader.

When Arlene Luna moved back to Chicago in December 2020 she discovered that all of her old classmates from the now-defunct Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago had left the life. “Everyone that I knew from back then is no longer in the business,” she says. “I came back and started looking up a few […]

The post Moonwalker Cafe is the scratch kitchen every neighborhood deserves appeared first on Chicago Reader.

There’s one table and one small booth inside HD Cuisine, a tiny Malaysian restaurant in a suburban Wheeling strip mall. Altogether there’s enough space to seat 11 people. If the weather’s nice and your timing is right, you can enjoy your nasi lemak, beef rendang, or Penang Hokkien mee at one of two tables set […]

The post The Malaysian family recipes at HD Cuisine are worth a journey appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A couple introduce Forest Park to Thai desserts, old and new.

The post Habrae Cafe has your good luck Thai sweets appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Former Arami chef Joe Fontelera’s pandemic pop-up settles in at Revival Food Hall.

The post Boonie Foods imagines Pinoy food past, present, and future appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A veteran cook has no use for your jerk egg rolls and rasta pasta.

The post St. Bess aims for Jamaican domination appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A father-and-daughter team sling loaded wieners from a storage container.

The post Bobby Morelli is the sausage king of Bronzeville appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Two chefs join forces for an unlikely but fitting fusion.

The post Giống Giống means the flavors of Vietnam and Guatemala are kinda ‘same-same’ appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The owners of Serai open the country’s only nyonya restaurant, devoted to the food of Malaysia’s Peranakan culture.

The post Aye-Aye, Kapitan appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Grandma would approve of this Lincoln Park Lebanese-Mexican mashup.

The post You don’t mess with Teta at Evette’s appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The Egg Roll Lady has 75 varieties in her arsenal.

The post Meet Dinkey DaDiva, creator of the Jerk Chicken Egg Roll appeared first on Chicago Reader.

It’s Shin Thompson’s pivot to Japanese soul food, from a virtual kitchen.

The post Bokuchan’s ghost curry holds up in transit appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Its second incarnation abides with extraordinary carryout.

The post Uptown’s In-On Thai excels behind a dark dining room appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Pasture raised, GMO- and antibiotic-free meat isn't cheap, but it's free of Big Ag consequences that put the food supply at risk.

The post Cheap meat is not The Wurst appeared first on Chicago Reader.

No one understands a jibarito like a Venezuelan.

The post Yelitza Rivera, of Jibaritos y Mas, is building a ‘little hillbilly’ empire appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A chef from a celebrated LA chain throws down a gauntlet in the north suburbs

The post Chicago Ramen takes its place among the kings appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A vet of Publican Quality Meats and Tempesta settles in Lincoln Square.

The post 016 Restaurant dials in the peppery, meaty spirit of southern Serbia appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A native Madrileno knows how it’s done.

The post Andersonville’s Little Madrid has tapas where you least expect them appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Her spot near McCormick Place is the city’s only Cameroonian restaurant.

The post Julia Gham is the Powerhouse of West African cuisine appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A Ukrainian Village specialist doughs it real good.

The post Lao Peng You fights for your right to dumplings appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Hermosa’s Ethan Lim looks around the globe and asks, “Will it sandwich?”

The post Cambodia on a bun appeared first on Chicago Reader.

North Park has a new Yemeni restaurant from a veteran Yemeni restaurateur.

The post Chef Abu Hani is back in the kitchen at Sheeba Mandi House appeared first on Chicago Reader.

And capably covers all the bases, with sushi, ample comfort foods, and uncommon specialties from the island of Kyushu.

The post Rolling Meadows’ Umacamon Japanese Kitchen upholds the suburban izakaya tradition appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Tricked-out dunkers and savory breakfasts from the North Shore spell comfort on the cheap.

The post If it all goes south, Joe Donut will be here for you appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Zachary Engel brings modern Israeli cooking to Chicago via Zahay and Shaya.

The post Israel’s melting pot cuisine is finally done right at Galit appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Yum cha is fine at this rare tearoom outside of Chinatown, but it’s the Guangdong chef specials that are really worth investigating.

The post Dim sum and win some at Lincoln Park’s D Cuisine appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A tiny pasta specialist puts on a show.

The post Tortello is Wicker Park’s anti-Target appeared first on Chicago Reader.

After a six-month hiatus, these extraordinary Archer Heights antojitos are back.

The post Love is a tlacoyo at Xocome Antojeria appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The mogul's "Miami-style" soul-food chain sets up on the west side.

The post DJ Khaled does the Licking appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Six years along, the city's only Haitian restaurant is going strong.

The post Burn the floor at Kizin Creole appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A Fulton Galley newcomer fills a Thai food void in the West Loop.

The post The menu at Pink Salt is almost Isan appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The Lincoln Square spot draws on the country’s regional and ethnic specialties.

The post Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen goes deeper into Nepal appeared first on Chicago Reader.

An underrepresented regional cuisine reappears in Bridgeport.

The post Shanghai is hidden in plain sight at La Mom Kitchen appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A descendant of a New Orleans minichain surfaces in Logan Square.

The post Whither the gator dog at Doggone’s? appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Chefs Randi Howry and Kelly Ijichi tap a nostalgia in the making.

The post Mom’s at Politan Row turns the table on Japanese ‘Western food’ appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The mother and son behind the late Three R's Filipino Cafe have regrouped at the Brown Line’s terminus.

The post Subo Filipino Kitchen is Albany Park’s answer to a Pinoy wave appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A University Village storefront shows the global versatility of the Nepali street food.

The post The Momo World—almost an International House of Dumplings appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A snug snack shop across from the Guatemalan consulate offers a taste of Central America in Jefferson Park.

The post It’s not about coffee at Café Antigua appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Bridgeport and Humboldt Park have spicy spring chickens to boast of.

The post Big Boss and Chicken Pollo Shack: new contenders on the hot-fried-bird front appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A selection of the southwestern Indian state’s greatest hits from Glenview’s Kairali Foods

The post A (brief) guide to the food of Kerala appeared first on Chicago Reader.

. . . and tastes of a single village in Puebla.

The post El Sabor Poblano smells like home appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Australian-style savory hand pies tell no lies, but may harbor some secrets.

The post Barangaroos is as American as Aussie pie appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A Spiaggia vet is smoking something good in Logan Square.

The post Flat & Point isn’t your Pawpaw’s barbecue appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The West Town storefront is part butcher shop, part Japanese American taqueria.

The post Arigato Market slings tacos with a side of beef appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Lincolnwood’s erstwhile Taste of Cuba has relaunched in Irving Park.

The post Mima’s is where Cubs go for Cuban appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A handful of new restaurants offers Turkey's most recognizable culinary export and more.

The post A kebab crawl from the lake and beyond appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The Pilsen bakery blends traditional Jewish and Mexican flavors—this time without flour.

The post Armed with family recipes, Masa Madre takes on Passover appeared first on Chicago Reader.

There's a dog in the fight in Humboldt Park.

The post Lola’s Coney Island stands for Detroit appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Sourdough pizza, country bread, and weird beer in the new Logan Square home of this once-itinerant brewery

The post Bungalow at Middle Brow is a house of wild ferment appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Two new Chinatown spots warn of the coming northern-barbecue outbreak.

The post Give yourself a tongue lashing at Friend BBQ and Gao’s Kabob Sports Grill appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Wok this way to a subcontinental chicken wing that demands your respect.

The post Indo-Chinese food escapes from the suburbs at WokNChop appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A North Vietnamese specialty takes the stage in Glenview.

The post Buncha Hanoi is an ambassador for a once obscure regional dish appeared first on Chicago Reader.

From a small wholesale market to a sprawling suburban seafood emporium

The post Boston Fish Market is a midwestern leviathan appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Two new barbecue joints shore up south-side barbecue supremacy.

The post Smoke is in the air at the Slab BBQ and the Full Slab appeared first on Chicago Reader.

It’s Hungarian food and hibiscus tea.

The post Irving Park’s Finom is a good place for a latte, a lecsó sandwich, and a nap appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Resistance is futile.

The post Bingo knows what you need: Taiwanese cheese tea and Malaysian noodles appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Eggs: they're not just for breakfast anymore.

The post Egg-O-Holic puts together Gujarat’s vast eggetarian street food appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Don’t listen to nobody nobody sent. 2018 was a good year.

The post Twenty new(ish) Chicago restaurants that prove the party ain’t over appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A snug Ravenswood mom-and-pop with postcolonial synergy.

The post Filipino meets Cuban at Bayan Ko appeared first on Chicago Reader.

But it’s a serious contender in the little-meats game.

The post Carnitas La Esquinita hides in plain sight appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Veteran chef Richard Zhou conjures a rare regional specialty in a tiny stall in a Chinatown basement food court.

The post Shan Shaan Taste is harboring a noodle hero appeared first on Chicago Reader.

It's spiffed up, but at its heart it remains a 4 AM haven for those in need.

The post Long live the Diner Grill appeared first on Chicago Reader.

It’s a first step toward chef Andy Sisomboune’s dream of a brick-and-mortar spot.

The post Pop-up restaurant Sao Song minds Chicago’s gap in Lao food appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Taste of Havana restores a Cuban presence to Logan Square

The post Taste of Havana restores a Cuban presence to Logan Square appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The Lettuce vet’s Logan Square restaurant puts whimsical twists on standards like wedge salad and beer-cheese soup.

The post Chef Tim Graham blows up midwestern food at Twain appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A Mott St satellite in Logan Square is dedicated to a new variation on the once-rare diner-style cheeseburger.

The post Edward Kim’s Mini Mott feeds a burger cult appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Chef Mark Steuer (the Bedford, Carriage House, et al) gets personal but not too serious at his new West Town brasserie.

The post West Town’s Funkenhausen ain’t your opa’s German beer hall appeared first on Chicago Reader.

But the short menu offers just a glimpse of the chef’s unique talents—for now.

The post River North barstaurant Good Measure marks the return of talented chef Matt Troost appeared first on Chicago Reader.

An Asian-inspired brewpub from Owen & Engine's Bo Fowler sends lots of mixed messages.

The post Continents collide (and collapse) at Logan Square’s Bixi Beer appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The talent behind Maple & Ash's Gold Coast lands in Wicker Park.

The post At Etta, chef Danny Grant plays with fire at a cooler price point appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The scion of Chicago’s oldest live-coal gogi jip ("beef house") has set up shop in River West.

The post San Soo Korean BBQ is next generation appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The West Loop spot and a forthcoming restaurant in Logan Square are among Chicago’s first stabs at a dedicated omekase restaurant.

The post Omakase Yume sets a new bar for Chicago appeared first on Chicago Reader.

But you may want to stick to the $8 bread service.

The post At Terrace 16 you can eat like Donald Trump does appeared first on Chicago Reader.

NOLA native Brian Jupiter (Frontier) gives authenticity to this Cajun-creole spot in the former Beechwood Inn.

The post Wicker Park’s Ina Mae Tavern is New Orleans in a bottle appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Aba is a Mediterranean restaurant with "a California accent."

The post Aba, the new West Loop “Mediterranean” restaurant, serves food from the land of milk and honey appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Andersonville is once again home to a happy place for pastry.

The post Tart art and hearty bröd is the Swedish way at Lost Larson appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Raw oysters, rosé cotton candy, hookah-smoking sloths, and darts—what more could you and your Anglophile friends ask for?

The post Flight Club Darts Chicago is a flight of fancy appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The ersatz Uptown diner in a restored art-deco hotel promises more than it delivers.

The post At 3 Squares Diner there’s a dog that won’t bark appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The city’s singular expression of food from China’s southern province reigns in Greektown.

The post All hail Hunanese dry hot pot at Sizzling Pot King appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A taco crawl for the end times: El Santo Taqueria, the Chicago Taco Authority, and Tomatillo Taco-Ville

The post Chicago’s taco game is strong: these three spots prove the taqueria, if nothing else, abides appeared first on Chicago Reader.

One Off Hospitality vet Jennifer Kim’s unlikely union of Korean and Italian is seamless and inspired.

The post Andersonville’s Passerotto is a tale of two peninsulas appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The River North restaurant presents a distinctive vision of a west-coast oasis in the midwest.

The post Under chef Erling Wu-Bower, Pacific Standard Time is now appeared first on Chicago Reader.

In tight quarters in Portage Park, chef Matt Saccaro and crew deliver quantities of quality.

The post Frunchroom is the Jewish-Italian deli you didn’t know you needed in your life appeared first on Chicago Reader.

A new chef and a new outpost from low-key Logan Square restaurant group One of a Kind Hospitality make a case for themselves.

The post Saba is stealthy Italian that might surprise traditionalists appeared first on Chicago Reader.

But this seafood-focused spot in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco needs to work on its public-facing side.

The post Fisk & Co. flexes its mussels appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Chef Matthias Merges's restaurant is the latest to open in the Hotel Zachary, across from Wrigley Field.

The post With antique spirits and goat brats, Mordecai brings fine dining to Rickettsville appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The Boystown storefront excels at scorched rice, savory pancakes, and pork-and-kimchi stew.

The post Korean mom-and-pop Moccozy serves bibimbap and more in their highest form appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Hogsalt Hospitality takes a pure, respectful approach to fish amid River North’s culinary cliches.

The post Radio Anago is Brendan Sodikoff’s sushi cave under the deep dark sea … appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Irving Park's Serbian bakery has savory pastries of epic proportions, and much more.

The post Astoria Café is home to some heroic buns appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The kitchen at Avondale’s Ludlow Liquors is so good it gets its own name.

The post Old Habits is bar food reborn appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The new fine-dining annex to Schubas Tavern brings home a Trotter’s vet with stunning results.

The post Tied House is that rarest of neighborhood restaurants: a destination appeared first on Chicago Reader.

MFK vets and chef Johnny Anderes present the Basque bar of the future.

The post Bar Biscay is a trippy vision of a land far away appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Stop the presses: there's an interesting new spot in Lincoln Square

The post The Warbler sings its song for every kind of eater appeared first on Chicago Reader.

But the food at the northwest-side brewery and cidery is Brewpub 101.

The post Irving Park’s Eris is a space of supermortal dimensions appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Chef Deirdre Quinn’s spicy menu is the cocktail bar’s thirst-kindling reason to play there.

The post At Fort Willow David Morton and Michael Kornick have built a tree house among the faded factories appeared first on Chicago Reader.

Theaster Gates’s Washington Park restaurant may be setting the stage for a soul-food comeback.

The post Lamar Moore takes the kitchen at the Currency Exchange Café appeared first on Chicago Reader.

The erstwhile food truck parks it on South Western Avenue.

The post Aloha Wagon rolls out Hawaiian plate lunches appeared first on Chicago Reader.