To entice anyone uncertain about Senegalese eats, the trump card is peanut butter sauce. You will find it in the dish known as chicken mafé, which comforts in ways you didn’t even know you needed to be comforted. It’s rich, lush, and gone in an instant. Plus, Badara Diakhate and his wife, Paula Jones, make dinner in their relaxed spot extrawelcoming for first-timers, so much so that you’ll be plotting your return while plowing through the empanada-like pastels.

Order (serves 2): Pastels, $5 for 3; chicken mafé, $12 

2055 W. Howard St., Rogers Park, 773-293-6913