Maplewood, a brewery and distillery, has long been known for its canned beers like Son of Juice IPA. But since 2017 it has also run a semihidden taproom hard up against a weed-choked highway overpass in Avondale, and since earlier this year that taproom has spawned one of the city’s more interesting venues for Polish food. When chef Joanna Janczurewicz (BiXi) was tapped to design a menu, she leaned into her heritage. “I said, ‘Guys, just trust me. Chicago has such a deep Polish history,’ ” she recalls. “It was a bit of a leap of faith.”

The food, which for now comes in cardboard, includes such fun bites as smalec, a spread of ‘pork butter’ (a.k.a. lard) flavored with cracklings, onions, and apples and served with sourdough, and leniwe kluski (lazy dumplings) made with farmer’s cheese and topped with Parmesan-dill cream sauce. Char-grilled kielbasas and house pickles (sweet and gently tart) keep the tone Old World, but there’s also a smashburger for folks who want traditional pub fare. Look for rotating seasonal vegetables, like a pub salad with roasted beets, butternut squash, and barley. While I’ll miss the grilled corn and shishitos from summer, the Brussels bowl with bacon fat vinaigrette, shallots, and hazelnuts has my name on it.