Best Intentions After the beloved cocktail bar closed at the start of the pandemic, owners (and brothers) Chris and Calvin Marty played it safe, staying shut well after other spots reopened. For a while, with no signs of life, it looked like the joint might be gone for good — that is, until early this spring, when … Read more
Dan the Baker With his intricate, decadent, croissant-wrapped creation, pastry chef Daniel Koester, who goes by Dan the Baker on Instagram, gives new meaning to the Chicago-style hot dog. This picture-perfect pastry tucks most of the traditional elements inside a buttery bun (he dropped the onions and celery salt, so as not to “overcrowd” his … Read more
Bungalow by Middle Brow The pizza joint from Middle Brow Beer Co. made a name for itself with its bubbly Neapolitan pies, but the real magic is in its square-cut, thin-crust tavern style, served exclusively on Tuesday nights. You may wait 45 to 60 minutes, but it’s worth it for that crisp first bite. The … Read more
@notyetachef As Jake Potashnick prepares to open his tasting-menu restaurant, Feld, next year, he stages the occasional pop-up in his apartment above the West Town restaurant, grapples with plumbing and electrical issues, and entertains his nearly 70,000 followers on TikTok. Just don’t call him a TikTok chef, he implores: “I don’t record myself cooking.” Rather, … Read more
Top This Mac N’ Cheese At their carryout and delivery spot, which opened in October, chefs Erick Williams and Damarr Brown of Virtue do one thing: mac and cheese. But they do it exceptionally well. Not only have they perfected the classic comfort food with their gooey version, they’ve made it their own by offering … Read more
Wrigley’s Beer Bat Think ballpark concessions peaked with helmet ice cream? Hold my beer (bat). Introduced at Wrigley Field this season, the $30 baseball-bat-shaped plastic container holds 26 ounces of beer (or frozen margarita, if that’s your thing). Sure, it’s effectively an expensive souvenir cup (a 24-ounce draft beer in a regular cup is half … Read more
Alexa Abaroa of DeEtta’s Bakery Give cake decorator Alexa Abaroa just two things — a short bio of someone you love and 14 days’ notice — and she’ll do more than make you a cake worthy of the Food Network. She’ll sculpt you an edible objet d’art that will evoke as much emotion as any Hallmark card. Her cakes, … Read more
Mindy’s Bakery Last August, two years after shutting her treasured Bucktown spot Hot Chocolate, pastry chef Mindy Segal opened Mindy’s Bakery, where she’s churning out old favorites, like Dream Bars, and tons of new creations, such as hot fudge croissants. The menu changes every weekend, which makes it easy to keep going back for vodka … Read more
When putting a fresh spin on the mangonada, Paleta Factory’s Manuel Bucio knew better than to reinvent the wheel. “Mangonadas are a beloved staple of Mexican street food,” he says. “The goal was to preserve the original flavors and ingredients but present them in a way that’s both familiar and novel.” Per his mission, all … Read more
The city’s most buzzed-about restaurants this month
