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Sure, this city has great architecture, museums, and sports venues. But at its heart, Chicago is really a food town. This is evident in the priority that good eating takes, no matter the occasion. Rain or shine, locals will wait in a line that snakes around the corner for dolled-up doughnuts at Doughnut Vault. They’ll reserve part of their paychecks to dine at inventive Alinea. And they love to talk about their most recent meal—just ask.
It's no wonder that outdoor festivals are often centered on food, from Taste of Chicago in summer, which packs the grounds at Grant Park, to smaller celebrations, like the German-American fest in Lincoln Square, a mini-Oktoberfest in fall.
Although the city has always had options on the extreme ends of the spectrum—from the hole-in-the wall Italian beef sandwich shops to the special-occasion spots—it's now easier to find eateries in the middle that serve seasonal menus with a farm-to-table mantra. For the budget conscious, it's also a great time to dine: some talented chefs aren't bothering to wait for a liquor license, opening BYOB spots turning out polished fare (just try Ruxbin in West Town).
Expect to see more Chicago chefs open casual concepts—Rick Bayless, Paul Kahan, and Michael Kornick have a head start with their respective sandwich, taco, and burger spots. Yet the goal remains the same: to feed a populace that knows good food and isn't willing to accept anything less than the best. In the following pages, you'll find our top picks, from quick bites to multicourse meals, in the city's best dining neighborhoods.
One of the finest Thai restaurants in Chicago—some say in the country—offers a culinary tour through Thailand via a nine-course tasting menu. (An à la carte menu is also available.) The elegant dining room is in an out-of-the-way location in a residential neighborhood on the Northwest Side, but it doesn't discourage a strong following among locals and visiting foodies.
This Scandinavian minichain, open since 1945, is a Chicago institution for good reason: the aroma of fresh, gooey cinnamon rolls put this place on the map. It still draws a mob—at this location and at the handful of other spots on the city's North Side—where hungry diners line up along the block for weekend breakfasts as well as Scandinavian specialties and standard café sandwiches and salads at lunch.
This place was named to invoke the pre-chain days when cafés were forums for discussion, but the long, broad farmer's tables and handsome couches are usually occupied by students and other serious types who treat the café like their office. Intelligentsia does all of its own coffee roasting and sells its house blends to local restaurants. The North Broadway branch is one of six citywide.
This casual, bohemian café serves healthy vegetarian fare as well as decadent desserts, and has a full bar, too. While here, you can browse through a selection of travel books and global gifts.
Moderate prices and a smart, urbane style drive crowds to this Lakeview storefront for enlightened Northern Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, and antipasti made with fresh ingredients. Have a drink at the bar while you wait for one of the small, tightly spaced tables. There are two other Francesca's locations in the city—Francesca's Bryn Mawr in Edgewater and Francesca's on Chestnut in the Gold Coast—and nearly a dozen more in the suburbs.
A CTA construction project forced the Pick Me Up out of its longtime Lakeview location, but its new digs preserve its quirky, neighborhood café charm. The thrift-store treasures hanging on the walls are as eclectic as the crowd that comes at all hours of the day to drink bottomless cups of coffee or dine on sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts.
The original location of Uncommon Ground is roomy and inviting, with a hand-carved bar and large street-facing windows offering views of passersby. Patrons brave the wait for bowls of coffee and hot chocolate. There's also a full bar and a hearty menu. Perks include two fireplaces, sidewalk tables, and a steady lineup of acoustic musical acts. A second location in the Edgewater neighborhood (1401 West Devon Avenue) gets bonus points for eco-friendliness, with a green roof, solar panels, and tables made from reclaimed wood.
Decades ago Yoshi's was launched as a pricey fine-dining restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood. We offer this history lesson to say that while the atmosphere went jeans-casual and the prices became more reasonable, the cooking quality remained, and remains, high. Yoshi Katsumura turns out informal French-Asian cuisine, like duck breast with black currant sauce or roasted Japanese pumpkin filled with tofu (it's good enough to convert a carnivore). Sunday brunch includes the expected eggs along with a Japanese-inspired breakfast (fish, miso soup, vegetables, and steamed rice).
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