There is only one Chicago area restaurant combining both Filipino and Cuban cuisines in the city’s Ravenswood neighborhood. Bayan Ko is a result of the origins of the husband-and-wife owners, and sits just beneath the Montrose stop on the CTA’s Brown Line. BAYAN KO 1810 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago 773-698-6373
How does all-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crab and prime-grade beef burgers sound? It’s not some gimmick from a chain restaurant, but rather, a new concept tucked away in the basement of an oyster bar, from the folks at Lettuce Entertain You. Crab Cellar 1962 N. Halsted St. 773-248-1737
Chef Rick Bayless has been a part of Chicago’s food scene for over 30 years, but his latest project — a subterranean bar beneath his Frontera Grill — is a collaboration with his daughter, who is a cocktail impresario. BAR SOTANO Alley behind 443 N. Clark St., Chicago 312-391-5857
I spoke with Rich Labriola this week about how he went from being an artisan baker to a serious deep-dish pizza maker. He spills all of his secrets. Mostly.
Pizza in Chicago has, for too long, been associated with one of two styles: deep or stuffed. But since my book came out a few months ago, I have been trying to shift the conversation to tavern style, artisan and Neapolitan. My latest find is in Bridgeport, near the home of the White Sox, where a … Continued
Like pizza and doughnuts, fried chicken is one of those universally loved dishes. There are two new options in Chicago making two very different styles of fried chicken – both of them delicious. Landbirds 2532 N. California Ave (773) 697-7107 Luella’s Gospel Bird 2009 N. Damen Ave. 773-904-7704
A Chicago winter is the perfect time of year to dive into steaming bowls of Hungarian goulash. Problem is, until recently, there haven’t been too many options in Chicago. Finom Coffee, a new coffee shop in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, is bringing back some of those classic dishes from the old country, and giving them … Continued
A lot of people take their morning cup of coffee for granted. But after spending some time at a new coffee shop in Portage Park, I have a newfound appreciation for all of the work that goes into crafting the perfect cup. Taste of Colombia 4801 W. Montrose Ave. 773-709-7040
The suburbs have plenty of malls and most of them have one or two places to eat, usually from a national chain. But the Golf Glen Mart in Niles is a literal United Nations of eating, with 10 different dining options including a brewery, a stellar Korean barbecue and a classic Greek diner. I visited the … Continued
The southwest suburbs aren’t known for having a lot of premium seafood houses, but the Original Island Shrimp House in Palos Park now lays claim to a casual, East Coast-inspired seafood shack where the ingredients are all flown in fresh, and the recipes are made from scratch. The Original Island Shrimp House 12902 S. La … Continued
Chicago has been gaining a number of new breweries and distilleries over the past few years. There’s even a “Malt Row” in Ravenswood with a concentration of quite a few. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery 2717 N. Maplewood 773-270-1061