this place was a revelation to me and a favorite forever. the only costa rican place in chicago (still?).

look, chicagoans know that good seafood is hard to come by in the midwest. so get your raw oysters here and all the rest - bisques, crab legs, yadda - and even better if they still have their great happy hour. a lovely large and kinda old-timey fancy place to hang and chow, esp with friends.

tapas + atmosphere and the best white sangria

you're downtown on the mag mile. you want charcuterie. and other savory stuff, maybe even gamey. eat and drink here. a consistently good experience.

either location works

i believe this place was an offshoot of the original, Bagel & Deli, located in oxford, ohio (campus of Miami U). the deal is that they steam their bagel sandwiches. and they're amazing. so many choices. cheap. and satisfying. you're welcome

eat a giant burger here. i think it's also kinda a biker bar. anyway, come hungry. awards or something

the original, my heart. this place is a northside chicago VIBE. and the coffee, MWAH, is my favorite. latte made a friend swear. coffee itself, so smooth. now has locations in LA but have maintained their commitment. spent hours proofreading in this place. but it's not just nostalgia. LOVE.

disclosure: haven't eaten here since before public controversy over ethical work practices. owners have said they've learned and are trying a new approach. but when it was Fat Rice, drawing Portuguese and Macanese influences, it was a @#^&* revelation.

also a victory for the neighborhood. come here to beer yourself, or eat like a German Wisconsonian. big dining area.

seems like a gimmick, eating inside but it looks like it's outside? wifi and a few chairs means peeps hang out to do work here. but this is where we think to go for patbingsu

k-town in chi isn't where the Ks live or eat anymore. but if you're in the city, this is where we go to eat K BBQ. lots of good panchan. but otherwise, you're likely to wanna go to niles or morton grove

reliable, authentic Persian. get the tahdig. I also liked the sweet shirin polo