Warm Brie Gougères at Creepies
If classic gougères epitomize French elegance, purists might be horrified to find them oozing with melted Brie. But these bite-size puffs are a flex by the chefs, who ensure the cheese stays at the perfect melty-not-oily temperature for as long as it takes to demolish them. $14. 1360 W. Randolph St., West Loop Chandra Ram | Jaclyn Rivas
Tamales Oaxaqueños at Cantina Rosa
The latest entrant to Erick Williams’s Hyde Park empire, this Mexican cocktail bar features snacks from Jesus Martinez. The standout: a savory, spicy tamale stuffed with chicken and dressed with tomatillo salsa and crema. It’s just right with a frozen guava colada. $9. 5230 S. Harper Ave., Hyde Park Amy Cavanaugh | Huge Galdones
Mushroom-Stuffed Plantain at Mahari
Rahim Muhammad’s clever main dish hits like the best veggie plate from your favorite Southern restaurant. Mushrooms sautéed with suya spice come served in a hollowed-out plantain. Charred feta in Creole tomato sauce adds tang while rice and peas round out this delicious array. $24. 1504 E. 55th St., Hyde Park John Kessler | Jeff Marini
Sichuan Ricotta at S.K.Y.
The menu at the latest iteration of Stephen Gillanders’s flagship restaurant (he moved it to the Belden-Stratford from Pilsen in August) is filled with bangers old and new. Our latest favorite: creamy ricotta dip topped with fiery mapo ragu and cilantro leaves. It comes with flaky garlic butter flatbread to scoop it all up. $17. 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Lincoln Park Amy Cavanaugh | Lily Goodman
Duck à la Presse at The Alston
Pressed duck has long been the specialty of La Tour d’Argent in Paris, where it came to define the pinnacle of haute gastronomy. No wonder it has caught on at the luxurious Alston. Jenner Tomaska uses antique duck presses (essentially hand-cranked vises) to crush carcasses tableside, creating the juicy runoff that will flavor a flambéed sauce that then anoints rare sliced breasts and confit legs. This spectacle is nothing short of magnificent. $225. 750 N. State St., River North John Kessler | Garrett Sweet
Pad Thai at Parachute HiFi
This remixed Thai classic is as mellow as the listening bar’s silky beats. The star is tteok, Korean rice cakes that absorb flavors the way vinyl catches sound. There’s a bright garlic-shallot sauce with lime, and sweet Thai-preserved radishes that lend umami. Adding succulent Gulf shrimp is mandatory. $16 ($22 with shrimp). 3500 N. Elston Ave., Avondale Peter Gianopulos | Lucy Hewett
Dahi Bhalla at Nadu
The sleeper hit at the regional Indian newcomer is this fluffy lentil dumpling with tamarind and mint-cilantro chutneys. It’s blanketed with sweet-and-sour yogurt, pomegranate seeds, and shoestring potatoes for a layered bite. $9. 2518 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park Liz Grossman | KEVIN WHITE/KINSHIP
Bluefin Tuna Poke Handroll at Noriko Handroll Bar
At the 20-seat bar beneath Perilla Fare, Billy Lim and Rhan Whang bring sharp knives and sharper technique to butchering a whole tuna. The result: perfectly diced fish dressed with sweet soy, fried onions, and chives, and tucked into a crisp nori shell with rice. $9. 401 N. Milwaukee Ave., Fulton River District Lisa Futterman | Evan Jenkins
Crab Lion’s Head Hot Pot at Nine Garden
The server removes the lid from a clay pot, and inside lies a meatball the size of a duckpin bowling ball. Fashioned from crab, pork, and fat, it redefines fluffy. This monster leaves just enough room for a broth with cabbage, various Asian mushrooms, and goji berries, and tastes like the finest, silkiest dumpling ever. $19. 2312 S. Archer Ave., Chinatown John Kessler | Jaclyn Rivas
Hot Dog Pastry at Fat Peach Bakery
Conceived as a fun one-off, this gonzo pig in a blanket attained menu staple status by popular request, and no wonder: The all-beef dog on a buttery pastry cushion beneath spiced shoestring potatoes and pickle aïoli is playful, but its flavor bomb bona fides are no joke. $8. 2907 S. Archer Ave., Bridgeport Cate Huguelet | Evan Jenkins
Mutton Skewers at Central East Asian Cuisine
These Xinjiang-style skewers, a signature dish of the Uyghur people, feature tender chunks of mutton that are generously rubbed with cumin and chili powder, then grilled over flames. Earthy and smoky, they are as good as grilled meat gets. $5. 2353 S. Wentworth Ave., Chinatown Titus Ruscitti | Garrett Sweet
Kale Caesar Salad at Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna
The kale Caesar might be this decade’s most overplayed salad, but it’s successfully reinvented here. The punchy dressing, made with red wine vinegar and anchovy paste, coats hand-shredded leaves, while croutons have been nixed in favor of garlicky breadcrumbs. It all adds up to an umami bomb. $16. 531 N. Wells St., River North John Kessler | Garrett Sweet
Turon Danish at Del Sur Bakery
Justin Lerias opened his Filipino- and Midwestern-influenced bakery to instant lines last spring. If you’ve waited, you know it was worth it for items like this laminated pastry with vanilla flan and caramelized banana jam. It sounds simple on paper, but it’s so refined. $8. 4639 N. Damen Ave., Ravenswood Amy Cavanaugh | Evan Jenkins
Pescado Baja Taco at Momento
With a taqueria on one side and a cantina on the other, there’s a lot happening at this Mexican newcomer. Good news: This terrific taco is available at both. Lightly fried whitefish is paired with smoky chipotle mayo, bright mango pico de gallo, and crunchy jicama slaw, and served on a housemade heirloom corn tortilla. $5.28 at the taqueria; $11 for 2 at the cantina. 44 S. Wabash Ave., Loop Lisa Shames | Garrett Sweet
Breakfast Sando at Sarima Cafe
The pastries at the Indian-Filipino café attract crowds, but don’t miss this sammie. Chicken tocino (Filipino-style bacon) is sandwiched with an egg and a crispy, spiced potato that is a delicious collision of hash browns and aloo fry. Garlicky aïoli holds everything together in a potato bun. $11.50. 1924 W. North Ave., Bucktown Chandra Ram | Garrett Sweet
Spices Bagel with Rose-Honey Cream Cheese at Beachwater Bagels
After amassing a following for their sourdough pizza, Middle Brow’s bakers (working under the Beachwater name) brought their fermentation expertise to bagels. The perfect pairing: the floral rose-honey cream cheese on the chewy, cardamom-spiced sourdough ring, which makes two trips to the pizza oven to ensure a charred crust. $7. 2840 W. Armitage Ave., Logan Square Carly Boers | Jaclyn Rivas
Burrito Suizo at Mi Tocaya Antojeria
Clear your midweek schedule: On Wednesdays only, Diana Dávila upgrades her beer-marinated skirt steak burrito. The already hefty original, a menu staple from day one, goes all-out decadent with a melted layer of robust Alpenhorn Swiss cheese and a generous ladling of rich salsa ranchera—a flavorful ode to the long-standing friendship between Mexico and Switzerland. $33. 2800 W. Logan Blvd., Logan Square Carly Boers | Evan Jenkins
Raphael Slice at Cowabunga Pizza Pies
Chicago pie purists, drop your nunchakus. This takeout spot trades in pizza the way the Turtles like it: floppy New York slices, topped without reverence for local mores. Pickled red onions, jalapeño rings, and mushrooms with sausage? Radical! $7. 1117 W. 31st St., Bridgeport Cate Huguelet | Evan Jenkins
Ube-Banana Pudding at Kanin
The runaway favorite at this Filipino- and Hawaiian-inspired bodega: the UBP, a fluffy banana pudding that taps ube, the purple yam popular in Filipino desserts, to lend an earthy note that brings it into balance. $8.75. 5131 N. Damen Ave., Ravenswood Titus Ruscitti | Jaclyn Rivas
Crab Curry at Coup de Thai
The southern Thai newcomer, the second location of a Los Gatos, California, restaurant, brings with it one of the city’s best new curries. Succulent chunks of crabmeat and peppery wild betel leaves are simmered in a housemade turmeric curry that doesn’t skimp on heat. Have some of the jasmine rice before going in for another bite. $29.95. 2932 N. Broadway, Lake View East Titus Ruscitti | Garrett Sweet
Berkshire Pork Secreto at Proxi
Jennifer Kim kicks up the Isan classic moo nam tok—that delicious salad of sizzling grilled pork dressed with fish sauce, lime, and herbs—by subbing in Berkshire pork secreto (a tender flap from the shoulder) and jammy chile paste nam prik pao. $36. 565 W. Randolph St., West Loop John Kessler | Garrett Sweet
Big Sis Lamb Burger at Cafe Yaya
Can an all-day café be truly great without a top-notch burger? We needn’t wonder. At Cafe Yaya, this seared lamb number—dressed with za’atar-spiced mayo, tangy amba mustard, onions, and pickles and served on a puffy challah bun—answers that call. It’s everyday eating that still lets Zach Engel flaunt his expertise with Middle Eastern flavors. $24. 2431 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park Chandra Ram | Evan Jenkins
Smoked Ham Dip at Gus’ Sip & Dip
The dialed-in (and reasonably priced) classic cocktails are only one reason to visit Gus’. We are just as into this sandwich, which has smoked brown-sugar-glazed ham tucked between Spanish pan de cristal bread. Dunk each bite into the delicious mustard jus or cheese served alongside. $20.95. 51 W. Hubbard St., River North Amy Cavanaugh | Jeff Marini
Khao Piek Sen at Lao Der
Meet our new favorite chicken noodle soup. Served at the city’s only dine-in Lao restaurant, it has a rich broth with chewy rice noodles, slices of skin-on chicken, and chicken meatballs. Onions, fried shallots, and cilantro finish off the savory dish, which is sure to banish any cold. $12.95. 3922 N. Elston Ave., Irving Park Titus Ruscitti | Garrett Sweet
Cocoa Nib Soft Serve at Hotel Chocolat
This is no post-soccer-practice kiddie cone. Michelin-trained chef David Demaison makes soft serve for grownups. His secret? Protein-rich milk sourced from Jersey cows—the most decadent of its kind in Europe—which he infuses with roasted cocoa nibs for 48 hours. It’s subtly flavored and scandalously creamy. $4.50. 1617 N. Damen Ave., Bucktown; 3334 N. Southport Ave., Lake View; 900 W. Armitage Ave., Lincoln Park; 69 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook Peter Gianopulos | courtesy of hotel chocolat